#1
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Acoustic Archtop?
Hey gang! I've been looking through threads here and can't seem to quite find what I'm looking for (perhaps I just missed it). Is there such a thing as a fully acoustic arch top? I was somewhat curious if they make those, because I prefer full acoustic to acoustic-electric (that all-natural, un-amplified sound is the cat's pajamas as far as I'm concerned). Any help would be great!
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"The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach." -Pliny the Elder |
#2
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Yes........
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"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean, |
#3
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What is your price range? I was just checking out the Godin 5th Avenue at my local music store - cool guitar and fairly inexpensive.
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'65 Martin F65 '94 Washburn D21S '95 Fender Am. Deluxe Strat Plus '08 Martin HD28 |
#4
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Would you mind elaborating on that a little? What are some examples, perhaps some pictures, etc. I had always been under the impression (of my own making I suppose) that all arch tops needed to be amplified.
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"The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach." -Pliny the Elder |
#5
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I had this one custom built, no electronics. Solid handcarved Euro spruce top, solid maple back and sides, no plastic binding (not a resonant material or something like that), big 18" lower bout for acoustic volume and projection.
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#6
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Quote:
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'65 Martin F65 '94 Washburn D21S '95 Fender Am. Deluxe Strat Plus '08 Martin HD28 |
#7
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Many of the original archtops were designed primarily as acoustic instruments, with any sort of pickup being a "floating" type that is not attached to the top (which would inhibit its vibration. My 1968 Guild Artist Award is just such a guitar. If you look into the archtops from the 1930s and 1940s, you will most often find that they did not originally have pickups on them. The Es-175 that I owned some years ago does not follow that design and the pickups are installed as one would expect on an electric guitar. Of course, it used laminated woods to limit the potential for feedback too. So, archtops do differ in their design and intended purpose (i.e. whether originally intended to be amplified or not).
Tony |
#8
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Acoustic archtops have a very different sound than the steel string acoustics that most on this forum play and are use to. A lot are built with pickups on board but many are an option that you can choose not to have, if you want.
Many of these have pickups, but I know any luthier would be glad to not include the pickup on acoustic models. And these are just a few luthiers who build archtops, today. The vintage archtops from D'Angelico and the like, were all acoustic. http://www.destroyallguitars.com/archtops |
#9
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I should clarify that I'm not buying one right now. I'm just curious and getting some information. Sorry if my second post confused you, Mandarb. I had meant to post that to Jeff but you put one up as I was writing it.
EDIT: What tends to be a reasonable price range for an acoustic arch top? I guess I would disclude custom-made ones from this because those would be far out of my price range.
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"The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach." -Pliny the Elder |
#10
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No worries. I happened across the Godin the other day and I thought it was a cool little guitar. Good luck with the research - it is always fun learning about guitars. Take care.
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'65 Martin F65 '94 Washburn D21S '95 Fender Am. Deluxe Strat Plus '08 Martin HD28 |
#11
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Here are two in the 500-700 dollar range. The Godin 5th Avenue has had everybody raving since it came out recently, and the Gretsch G100 has been around for a while, but I've never really heard any buzz about it. They're both available straight acoustic, or with a pickup.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=517748 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=518494
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"You've got to be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant. For 35 years, I was smart. I recommend pleasant." - Elwood P Dowd What I Got: Larrivee Mahogany/Spruce Satin Parlor Martin OMC-16GTE Martin DSS-17 Alvarez MF60CEOM Fender Special Run Standard Jazz Bass - Flame Maple top - Tobacco Burst (Moderately modified) |
#12
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BrahmZ118,
Wow! That guitar is gorgeous! Regards, Glenn |
#13
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Carved Solid Wood Archtop guitars that are all acoustic are quite expensive if they are built in europe or the US (Benedetto, Moll, Foster, Gibson, and many more). There are a few pac-rim examples that are more affordable and high quality. Eastman's are quite nice! If don't mind laminate woods there are a lot of models available like the Godin mentioned above. Which I also played and enjoyed when I tried it recently. There are a number of Vintage Archtops which can be reasonably priced like a Gibson L50 or some of the Gretsch Synchromatics. Some old Epiphones are awesome and can be found for reasonable prices.
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#14
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Acoustic archtops are made in two general ways either the top and back are carved from solid wood or the top and back are pressed into an arch shape, these can be either solid woods or laminates. For a pure acoustic archtop the carved top and back will usually have a better sound. For new guitars with carved tops and backs Eastman's are probably the most economical. In used guitars some of the older Epiphone and Gibson models can be found for pretty reasonable prices, say $1,000 to $2,000. Gibson L4C's and L7C's from the 40's and early 50's are really nice but more expensive, some had floating pickups added. I have a 53 L7C that is a great archtop and never had a pickup. Beware though, archtops can be very addictive.
Regards, Ed |
#15
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Phoenix Guitar Co makes some might fine archtops, and George played his latest build the other day, an electric archtop with two pick ups. WOW, what a sound. He hasn't posted it on the website yet, so bug him with an email...it is simply gorgeous! www.phoenixguitarco.com
Lisa |