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NGD: Paddock 17" Non Cutaway
Sort of a late NGD, today was nice enough to snap some photos. This is my Paddock 17" Non Cutaway made by Charles (Charlie) Paddock. I'm not sure if anyone around here may have heard of this name or not, Charles made musical instruments (arch top/acoustic guitars, one electric guitar, banjos, snare drum) from 2010 until his passing in 2016. Charles was an engineer for the Fisher Price toy company and held a few patents during his career. Though I've only seen 2 of his guitars so far, without a doubt they're of professional quality. The fit and finish are up there with other professional grade instruments. I actually bought 2 Paddocks (The other one is in for a set up) almost blindly. I had some generous help from an acquaintance of Charles who took time out of his day to make a sound clip for me. The thing that drew me to this guitar was that it was made with a Cedar top, you don't see that everyday. I spent most of my life playing fingerstyle on flat top acoustics and Cedar was always known to make extremely responsive tops which is great for fingerstyle though at the expense of headroom. I can say that this is by the most responsive arch top guitar I've played to date, it has a lovely fingerpicked tone/projection. The color of the Cedar matches the sunbursted sides and back fairly well. Charles' carve on the top and back is just absolutely stunning to me, the curves around the waist are nice and tight with a very pronounced dish around the perimeter. These curves are what makes/breaks it for me cosmetically on an arch top (Yes I'm shallow). The guitar features a bolt on neck consisting of 2 bolts accessible via the input/tailblock using a very long driver, it makes future neck resets a lot less painful. The beautifully burled pick guard is mounted on an angle which is very comfortable to me. The zero fret helps make the action nice and low if need be. All in all, a very well built guitar and well thought out. What do you guys think?
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#2
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Whats not to like? That is stunning.
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"Vintage taste, reissue budget" |
#3
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Beautiful!
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#4
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Quote:
BTW I don't know how long this guitar was played (or by whom) before it came into your possession but archtops, being the finicky beasts they are by nature, not only take longer to "break in" than flattop guitars - I played a number of Big Band-era comp boxes back in the '70's-80's, that were just beginning to come into their own after several decades - but IME once they have a tone "played into them" that's it, for better/for worse/for life. Although your tastes/style may run to fingerpicking (and perhaps extensive use of the open/semi-open positions and alternate tunings associated therewith), I'd also spend a fair share of time whacking out some four-to-the-bar Freddie Green-style comp chords and single-string lines along the entire length of the neck - or enlist the aid of an experienced jazzer friend who can (I doubt anyone in his/her right mind would refuse the opportunity on that guitar) - to help "open up" the full tone/volume potential; as an archtop player since the early-60's the best examples I've found were the ones that were obviously played hard in all positions (and treated with respect and care over their lifetime - there's a big difference between honest wear and abuse, that a lot of the flattop guys don't seem to get) - and while I recognize the difference a cedar top would make, time is on your side in that it would likely tend to mature earlier in terms of ultimate tonal capability. I'd give it a try - meaning over an extended period of time - and see what happens... Gorgeous instrument - use it well and often...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
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Wow! Gorgeous guitar! Congratulations and thank you for posting photos of your new axe!
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“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself” — Miles Davis. |
#6
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#7
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That looks like a very finely crafted archtop ... that IS a floating pickup isn't it?
Cedar is an unusual (unique?) option for an archtop but should make it sonorous for soloing and lead melodies, if not a hard chunky rhythm box .. a more modern sound I guess, so here's the thing ... she looks stunning, but what does she sound like? Gotta put a video or a sound file up for us ! Enjoy you new guitars!
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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! |
#8
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I favor cedar and redwood tops, having made both, and I think that guitar is absolutely stunning. Recurve just means the curve of the arch returns towards the edge, it goes down and comes back up again. Mechanically it is perhaps the most important part of both the top and the back. It's thin thickness is critical to freeing the top and back - archtops have what is called a "live back" that vibrates with the top to produce the tone - and allows them both to respond to the strings. When you hear of tuning and tap-tuning an archtop, what you are doing is carving and finessing that recurve to release the tone of the guitar.
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Brian Evans Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia. |
#9
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I'm also partial to Western Redcedar and Redwood for soundboards. I have several arch top instruments using them. Two mandolins (F5 and F4), an A4 10 string mandola, a 10 string hardanger viola, an F4 octave mandolin and an F4 10 string mandocello. Tight straight grain, beautiful color but most importantly a sweet mellow tone. I'd love to hear your guitar.
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#10
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Last edited by Vee_Voe; 08-06-2018 at 09:09 PM. |
#11
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Thank you for posting the brief bio of the late Charles Paddock and the photos of your exquisitely made Paddock guitar, Vee_Voe. Much admiration for luthiers of this caliber.
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#12
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I'd love to hear a soundclip of a cedar archtop..
Wondering; what is the deal with the gap between the first fret and the nut? Beautiful guitar! |
#13
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There's a soundclip on my post near the bottom. That's actually called zero fret, some guitars are made that way.
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#14
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Those instruments sound fabulous!!!
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#15
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Hey there...I own your Paddock CP-17 Mahogany. On it's journey from you to me, someone installed a humbucker into the top. Still sounds great acoustically, but I can't help but wonder how it would sound if unaltered. Do you still own any Paddocks that remain acoustic or have floating pickups?
Last edited by Kerbie; 01-18-2022 at 07:41 PM. Reason: Not allowed. |