Armrest question

[Purfle Haze]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

I often comment on products I have no experience with when I know it can't solve the problem it's created to solve.

My experience with a JP armrest is that it works as described. But it's often entertaining to hear what others surmise.

[Wade Hampton]

I also have long arms, and on my guitars equipped with JP armrests the only place where my right arm touches the guitar is when I choose to put my palm on the bridge for palm-muting.

Speculation is fine, but if you’re going to criticize the armrests, you’re going to be considerably more persuasive when you actually know what you’re talking about.


Wade Hampton Miller

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Purfle Haze

My experience with a JP armrest is that it works as described. But it's often entertaining to hear what others surmise.

When I first heard about the armrest, I had a hard time imagining that it could make very much difference. A few years ago, at a guitar workshop, I had the opportunity to try a guitar that had a Pearse armrest. It does the job that it is designed to do and I didn't understand quite how but having the actual experience was enlightening.

There is a quote that I have always appreciated (Yogi Berra might have said it ) and I will share it here: "In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is."

Best,
Jayne

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I also have long arms, and on my guitars equipped with JP armrests the only place where my right arm touches the guitar is when I choose to put my palm on the bridge for palm-muting.

Speculation is fine, but if you’re going to criticize the armrests, you’re going to be considerably more persuasive when you actually know what you’re talking about.


Wade Hampton Miller

I can’t disagree with your assertion. Trouble is, in over 40 years of playing guitar I’ve never ran into anyone who felt they were useful enough to stick them on their guitar. I’ll keep looking and hopefully I can demo one before I die.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

I can’t disagree with your assertion. Trouble is, in over 40 years of playing guitar I’ve never ran into anyone who felt they were useful enough to stick them on their guitar. I’ll keep looking and hopefully I can demo one before I die.

Well, if we have learned anything on this forum, it is that we all hear things differently and things that can make a difference for one player, means nothing to another player. Sound ports sort of fall in this category as well. Some folks really like them and others see them as useless. Different strokes...

Best,
Jayne

[Wade Hampton]

The next time you find yourself in the Anchorage, Alaska area give me a shout and you can play some of my guitars. If you do, you won’t be able to avoid trying guitars with armrests mounted on them, since they all have them.

Look, I don’t use them because I love the way they look - I don’t - and even though John Pearse was a dear friend of mine I don’t use the armrests out of some sort of loyalty to him. I use them because they’re extremely effective in doing exactly what they were designed to do.

Although I now own some fine dreadnoughts, for a long time I used only smaller body guitars onstage because I like their clarity and how easy they are to mic. By installing an armrest on these smaller guitars I can get the fullest bass response out of them that they’re capable of producing - which is a lot more than most guitarists realize, especially those who’ve never played anything other than dreadnoughts.

John Pearse armrests allow me to maximize the tone of my guitars, nothing more, nothing less.

Hope that makes more sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Purfle Haze]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

But I use them on all of my flattop guitars because they do exactly what they’re designed to do: they lift the player’s forearm off the top and allow it to vibrate to its fullest possible extent. They also protect the top from perspiration damage and provide a comfortable rounded edge to place your arm against.

I mounted a JP armrest because, over the years, my forearm had worn a satin-like spot on the gloss top of my guitar. The armrest stopped that problem from getting worse. But I found it to add comfort where my forearm hit the edge of the guitar. Win-win.

And it looks terrific.

[dkstott]

I totally understand those who have misgivings about putting double sided tape on their guitars.

Heck, I regularly encounter people who immediately dismiss my use of a guitar support to raise the neck of the guitar to make left hand fingering easier.

But, I have no patience for the "I don't like it and it won't work" trolls who dismiss anything different without ever trying it.

Some of those same people immediately dismiss guitars with cutaways because of appearance.

There are tons of guitar & ukulele makers out there who are incorporating beveled edges and armrests into their overall designs.

They're doing is because;

#1 Their customers are asking for it & those guitar are being purchased.

#2 because it works


Dave