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  #16  
Old 03-15-2019, 10:16 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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I'm with Mr. Moustache, but I will add--there ARE laminated, electric archtops that have enough acoustic presence to work in certain environments.

Check out Jim Hall's record with Bill Evans--Undercurrent, specifically the uptempo "My Funny Valentine." About halfway through, you'll hear Jim roll down the volume on his 175 and blow through a chorus of swing chords with walking bass "acoustically" during Bill's solo. Sounds great.

Herb Ellis would play rhythm on a "turned down" 175 as well with Oscar Peterson.
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  #17  
Old 03-15-2019, 02:10 PM
Prof_Stack Prof_Stack is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
...

* There are carved top acoustic archtops, (which may or may not have floating pickups attached).
* There are acoustic "pressed" tops (like Harmonys) which are also acoustic but may have a floating p/u as above. n.b. these are not always bad sounding as as a big band rhythm box can also work quite well, esp for that essential "percussive" aspect.
* There are Electrics: i.e. "arched top" looking pieces which have pickups screwed to the top which are not acoustic instruments. They often have a fence post under the top onto which the pickup has really been screwed and to deaden the resonance of the (often laminated) top. semi hollow bodied electrics. They may or may not have f holes but have no acoustic value to speak of.

N.B. Godin don't make acoustic archtops.
Yes, it looks Godin no longer makes the acoustic archtop 5th Avenue, but they are available via the usual used guitar sites and Craigslist.

They apparently no longer make the Jazz model of the 5th Avenue, the one I own, which has a floating pickup and no inner block for feedback control. This one sounds really sweet unamplified, and I play it more that way than with amplifier.
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  #18  
Old 03-17-2019, 08:24 AM
drive-south drive-south is offline
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Another detail, most acoustic carve-tops (if they have a pickup), the controls are mounted to the pickguard. They are not mounted to the top. Some have no vol/tone controls and they use an endpin jack. The point is no holes are cut into the top for the pickup, vol/tone controls, or jack.

And many builders have gotten away from metal tailpieces or pickgaurd mounting hardware to avoid rattles. These will have carved wooden tailpieces and pickguards.

There are some very innovative designs where the neck is mounted cantelever and no contact with the top at all.
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  #19  
Old 03-17-2019, 01:00 PM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default PU for Laminate Top Archtop

So, for a laminate top, f-hole archtop, what are the recommended types of pick-ups?
I'm not trying to replicate the acoustic tone, so not interested in mic'g it.
I'd like to get a flat pick bluesy tone out of it.
Once installed, I will leave it attached.
I like monkey on a stick styles, but really don't want the screw the pole into the side of the neck attachment.
From what I understand, there are other ways of mounting for example a Dearmond Rhythm Chief 1100 without the pole in the neck.
Thoughts?
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Last edited by ozarkmac; 03-17-2019 at 01:29 PM. Reason: Added Information
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  #20  
Old 03-17-2019, 08:09 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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You can get the "full monkey stick" which actually clamps around the strings between the bridge and tailpiece and then runs a bar up the length of the bass side of the strings...

On a much easier to find note, P-90's are killer blues pickups...think ES-125, Kingpin, Loar 309 (though the Loar P-90 is terrible, but replace it with a good one and it's a viable choice) etc...
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  #21  
Old 03-17-2019, 08:34 PM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default P-90s

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont View Post
You can get the "full monkey stick" which actually clamps around the strings between the bridge and tailpiece and then runs a bar up the length of the bass side of the strings...

On a much easier to find note, P-90's are killer blues pickups...think ES-125, Kingpin, Loar 309 (though the Loar P-90 is terrible, but replace it with a good one and it's a viable choice) etc...
Thanks for the help. Please excuse my ignorance in asking these questions, but I've never installed anything before.
So, a P-90 can be installed using the above technique as well?
Any particular manufacturer and model P-90 you would recommend?
This would be for a 1946 Gretsch Synchromatic 100, f-hole archtop, laminate top I think. Could be carved, still trying to figure that out.
Taking to a luthier for set-up and new strings and will have him tell me for sure.
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  #22  
Old 03-17-2019, 08:59 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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No, the P-90 is different--i missed you had bought a guitar...

And a cool one.

You'll have to hunt around a bit for the full length monkey stick, but they're out there. The repro dearmond are made to be hard wired, though...so looking for a vintage model might be more what you want (the pickup lead connects to a little box with knobs that looks a bit like a face--the "monkey")

The rhythm chiefs and such are ridiculously expensive, but the "guitar mike" model is usually still pretty affordable, and sounds pretty much just as good.

But for super easy non intrusive installation, I think you need to contact Jason at Krivo pickups...tell him what you got, and what you want to do.
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  #23  
Old 03-17-2019, 09:07 PM
ozarkmac ozarkmac is offline
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Default Jason at Krivo

I'll contact him. Thanks again!
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