[fazool]

Decades ago, I found and restored a 1956 Gibson ES-225T, single P-90 semi-hollow electric, dual f-holes, floating adjustable wooden bridge, trapeze tailpiece.

I was a Gibson devotee and it was beautiful to look at but I never liked playing it so it sat in it's case. Decades later, I sold it and to fund my return to acoustic-land.

Since then I have always wondered if a semi-hollow electric would be interesting. That got me wondering about archtops. I find them to be the most beautiful of all guitar designs. I played a 5th Avenue at GC and was suprised at the difference in tone.

I had exactly *ONE* experience playing an archtop and have *NO* clue what I am talking about. This was the impression it engraved on me:

The volume astounded me (I was thinking of an unamplified hollow-body electric but its nothing like that. But its nothing like a flat top either. Its got serious volume and clarity of single notes with no overtones.

Its the antithesis of a cedar flat top: there are no harmonics, no sympathetic resonances.

On a resonance and "chorus-like scale, a 12-string is a 10. A cedar 6-string is an 8. A spruce flat top is a 6. An archtop is a 2. Its the opposite end of the spectrum.

It's clarity does not equate to trebly. It's not tinny. Actually, it seemed "thick" without being muddy.

But each note is so articulate, playing a chord seemed "wrong". Strumming didn't sound like one guitar playing a chord. It sounded like six separate guitars playing individual notes.

I liked it considerably. It was just so different from a flat top it astonished me.

I might consider one for finger-picking or for solo-style plectrum picking. I, personally, would never get one for strumming.

I totally get the gravitation toward blues and rockabilly.

I'm still strangley drawn to trying one. I just can't figure out where it would fit in my own limited playing.