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#1
08-29-2020, 04:57 AM
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Vintage Archtop string guages
Yesterday I got a nice c. 1960 Hofner archtop. It came equipped with 10s, which is way too light for me. I usually go for 12s. How should I go about upping the string guage on such a vintage guitar? I really don't want to ruin it, it already has its issues, and I don't want to create more issues by going from 10 to 11 or 12.
Do you guys think my archtop will be able to handle 11s or even 12s? Ta. 
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#2
08-29-2020, 07:13 AM
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Quote:
 Archtops are wonderful instruments when handled correctly - unfortunately few players born after the Eisenhower administration have any idea how to, as the old Big Band-era players used to say, "coax the velvet out"; FYI they're also highly idiosyncratic and finicky beasts, sensitive to even the most minor adjustments and somewhat more high-maintenance than an equivalent flattop. In that light, I'd take it to a tech who knows what he/she is doing when it comes to archtops - IME some folks who can work absolute magic on a flattop or electric don't know squat about what makes these babies tick - and while an archtop in good repair should be able to handle a set of 13's (or even 14's) with no problem, make sure the neck geometry is on spec (if your bridge has little or no range of vertical adjustment you're likely looking at a neck reset - and when this old archtop guy sees a vintage instrument set up with 10's it's a sign of potentially expensive repairs) and the bridge base is making full contact with the top (probably the biggest tone-sucker in the archtop universe); if you have doubts about your guitar tech, ask the local fiddlers who they use - there's enough structural common ground that some orchestral-string luthiers handle archtop setups as well... By way of information, there's also a dedicated Archtop subforum here on the AGF; I'd strongly recommend either reposting your questions over there, or asking the moderators to move your post - while I've given you just a couple of the basics, you can pick up a wealth of time-/money-/grief-saving information as other archtop players contribute their experiences/knowledge to the conversation...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
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#3
08-29-2020, 03:14 PM
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Thanks for the welcome, and thank you for the tips. The bridge is fully adjustable so luckily I'm not in for a neck reset. I've been having some problems, such as, fret buzz and sounding out of tune - though I think these both may be due to the low string gauge. I've ordered a pack of 11s to gradually work up to 12s, and hopefully it goes well.
Thank you for telling me about the archtop subforum, I'll repost my question there!
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#4
08-29-2020, 03:54 PM
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Quote:
In my experience Hofners are built like a .... convenience made of builing blocks. (BSH) so this guage should not be a problem. However, it's worth checking the neck angle first, there might be a reason for the 10s.
__________________
Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
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#5
08-29-2020, 04:48 PM
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If you do some googling of old Hofners you'll notice that a lot of them have had the heel joint repaired. It was explained to me at one point that this was due to the use of animal based glue at the time which has a life span of about 50yrs, then cracks. I'm not personally qualified to verify this but the high number of Hofners I've seen with this problem would suggest something of this sort is going on.
I loved my Hofner President and always wanted a Senator but satisfied myself with a very character-ful Framus instead. In good nick any well made archtop should take proper brake cables with no issue but if the heel joint is suspect then I would rather have someone reset it in a controlled process than have it pop in some random way due to added strain.
__________________
Give a man a fishing rod... and he's got the makings of a rudimentary banjo.
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#6
08-30-2020, 08:10 AM
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#7
08-30-2020, 08:13 AM
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#8
09-03-2020, 09:49 AM
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Update, I put some John Pearse pure nickel 12s on. The guitar plays much better now. I thought I'd ordered 11s but I got 12s. They have been on for about an hour and they're great. No more fret buzz, no more "out of tune" notes. Since the strings aren't so "loose" I can now put the action at a nice low height.
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| Tags |
| archtop, string guage, strings, truss rod, vintage |
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