Why play an arch top?

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by bohemian

... Which Eastman did you get ?

I bought the Eastman AR910CE-SB archtop, a sunburst, solid spruce top, solid flamed maple back and sides. I got it from Ted at LA Guitar Sales. Really an ey-opening guitar for me.

- Glenn

[WordMan]

Congrats! What are you finding eye-opening? I am loving the Tenor tone of my archtop - vs more of a baritone(?) lows of a flattop. Almost horn-like in tone - it seems to dictate all the changes I am tweaking in my attack...

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by WordMan

Congrats! What are you finding eye-opening? I am loving the Tenor tone of my archtop - vs more of a baritone(?) lows of a flattop. Almost horn-like in tone - it seems to dictate all the changes I am tweaking in my attack...

Hi WordMan,

Ted is selling my 1998 Guild X150D jazz guitar. http://www.laguitarsales.com/pages/4..._X-150_DAR.htm It's laminated maple with a couple of Gibson '57 humbuckers in it. I liked that guitar, but I could never quite get the sound I wanted from it, maybe because I was already spoiled from my Gibson ES-335. Or more likely, I just am not a good enough jazz player! The Eastman, with the floating Kent Armstrong pickup in it, seems to have just the right amplified sound for me. I am playing it with either a bare thumb or with a thumb pick and my short fingernails. In other words, I'm playing it the same way I play my flat top acoustic guitars.

I am playing songs on it like "Summertime" and "Autumn Leaves," etc. I am playing it through the PA system in my studio after going thru a tube preamp set up for very clean amplification. It's the first time I have had an electric guitar that sounds really good that way, almost like an acoustic guitar, but with just a little something else in there. The sound is like Martin Taylor without the piezo sound, though I hesitate to compare myself in playing ability to Martin Taylor.

I have had a very nice Gibson ES-335 since about 1978. I love this guitar, too, but the sound is very electric, highly colored by the magnetic pickups. The Eastman sound, to me, is in between the flat top acoustic and the ES-335. This is what's "eye opening" for me. A new sound that I really, really like and that works really well with just the style of playing that I am currently using on my acoustics.

I am just getting started with this guitar, but I am liking it a lot. I am looking forward to putting together a bunch of classic American Songbook type songs on it. It's fun to sing with, also.

- Glenn

[jimmy bookout]

I agree with many that have stated that an archtop would be their 2nd choice in a one guitar household after a nylon (one guitar only, that's a sign of the end, isn't it. Good archtops are balanced, "chimey", and a joy to play. On the string front, try pure nickel strings on your archtop, I use them on my Eastman and actually prefer them acoustically to "acoustic" strings (80/20, PB, etc).

Here's my Eastman, recorded using just the mics on a Zoom Q2HD. The guitar is strung with D'Addario Pure Nickel 12 - 51 (wound G).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwSIXrfMqA4

Jimmy

[WordMan]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi WordMan,

Ted is selling my 1998 Guild X150D jazz guitar. http://www.laguitarsales.com/pages/4..._X-150_DAR.htm It's laminated maple with a couple of Gibson '57 humbuckers in it. I liked that guitar, but I could never quite get the sound I wanted from it, maybe because I was already spoiled from my Gibson ES-335. Or more likely, I just am not a good enough jazz player! The Eastman, with the floating Kent Armstrong pickup in it, seems to have just the right amplified sound for me. I am playing it with either a bare thumb or with a thumb pick and my short fingernails. In other words, I'm playing it the same way I play my flat top acoustic guitars.

I am playing songs on it like "Summertime" and "Autumn Leaves," etc. I am playing it through the PA system in my studio after going thru a tube preamp set up for very clean amplification. It's the first time I have had an electric guitar that sounds really good that way, almost like an acoustic guitar, but with just a little something else in there. The sound is like Martin Taylor without the piezo sound, though I hesitate to compare myself in playing ability to Martin Taylor.

I have had a very nice Gibson ES-335 since about 1978. I love this guitar, too, but the sound is very electric, highly colored by the magnetic pickups. The Eastman sound, to me, is in between the flat top acoustic and the ES-335. This is what's "eye opening" for me. A new sound that I really, really like and that works really well with just the style of playing that I am currently using on my acoustics.

I am just getting started with this guitar, but I am liking it a lot. I am looking forward to putting together a bunch of classic American Songbook type songs on it. It's fun to sing with, also.

- Glenn

That's very cool, Glenn - best of luck with your new sound. Thumb only? Wes Montgomery goodness!