The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 06-09-2013, 03:22 PM
Muffinhead Muffinhead is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Winston Salem, NC
Posts: 1,202
Default Why play an arch top?

Is there a particular type of music that an arch top is particularly suited for? Would one ever fingerpick or bluegrass flatpick with an arch top guitar? Does the unique shape of an arch top impart a particular tone that flat tops do not have?
__________________
"Your green eyes they don't miss a thing,
they hold me like the sun going down,
warm me like a fire in the night, without a sound."

Kate Wolf

Epiphone Hummingbird Studio
Martin 000-10e
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-09-2013, 04:07 PM
bohemian bohemian is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 3,508
Default

Archtop shapes vary as much as flat tops. I believe it is the arch that gives the unique tone and playing characteristics.

Were I to own only one guitar, it would be a classical/flamenco.
If I could own two, the second would be an archtop.

Anything played on a flattop can be played on an arch top. No restrictions.

I persoanlly see and hear more color and tonal variety and nuance in an archtop than a flat top. The archtop to me is the violin of guitars, it can play anything.

I fingerpick, and do use an archtop. Lots of folks flat pick them consdering the number of jazz guitars whi use then. But they are ocassionaly used for Gypsy Jazz and many styles of American music.

Owning and playing an archtop , in my opinion, singles you out as someoene who has a special ear and appreciation for something often held in disdain by others.

Go for it ;be that unique individual who dares to be different. Listen to Rawlings wail on his small body archtop with Gillian Welch.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-09-2013, 04:12 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

Beacause theyre loud, clear, great for chunky rhythm or cutting lead, theyre gorgeous, easier to adjust than flattops...sheesh...why NOT?
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-09-2013, 04:53 PM
Diamond Dave Diamond Dave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains, VA
Posts: 3,034
Default

My electric is an archtop and you don't look dorky playing almost any style of music with it...except maybe death metal, for which you need one of these:

__________________
"You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room."
--Dr. Seuss
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:01 PM
jersey jersey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,150
Default

Why not? They have a unique tone.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:16 PM
jpbat jpbat is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,604
Default

Archtops are good. Go buy one immediately.

(I don't use flattops anymore -except the Brunners because they are foldable, and made to my specs- archtops and resonators all the way for me since a few years. BTW my last purchase is a cheap spider cone resonator from Gretsch, and I witness that the pleasure to play is not in proportion of the price of the guitar you play on)

Archtops are good. And resos too.
And Macaferris, also.
__________________
Jean-Paul Bataille

http://www.youtube.com/user/batzic
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:40 PM
JCave JCave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Zig Zag, Oregon
Posts: 2,131
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamond Dave View Post
My electric is an archtop
Yipper. Ever played on through an acoustic amp?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:44 PM
Diamond Dave Diamond Dave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains, VA
Posts: 3,034
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JCave View Post
Yipper. Ever played on through an acoustic amp?
Everyone knows that would create a rift in the space-time continuum. Duh.
__________________
"You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room."
--Dr. Seuss
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:47 PM
ruger9 ruger9 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NW New Jersey
Posts: 1,706
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont View Post
Beacause theyre loud, clear, great for chunky rhythm or cutting lead, theyre gorgeous, easier to adjust than flattops...sheesh...why NOT?
Indeed. .
__________________
2018 Farida OT-22 (00)
2008 Walden CG570CE (GA)
1991 Ovation 1769 Custom Legend Deep Bowl Cutaway
2023 Traveler Redlands Spruce Concert

"Just play today. The rest will work itself out." - Bob from Brooklyn
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-09-2013, 05:50 PM
paullouisf paullouisf is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA
Posts: 205
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bohemian View Post
...
Were I to own only one guitar, it would be a classical/flamenco.
...
Why would you have a classical/flamenco as an only guitar? I have been thinking about getting a classical and making it my only guitar. I am curious as to what other people think about it.
__________________
Relearning after a 30 year break.
--

Cordoba C5 (2015)
Yamaha FS700S (2014)
Conn F-1512 (1977)
Epiphone EA-250 (1973)
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 06-09-2013, 06:17 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Bohemian's comment about being the "violin of guitars" is very apropos, not only in terms of construction principles but also in terms of technique - simply put, if you try to just slam it like a dread chances are it's going to sound like garbage; old-time big-band players (who were still plentiful when I was a kid taking lessons back in the early '60s) used to speak in terms of "coaxing the velvet out." That clear, rich, tone-you-can-eat-with-a-spoon - the Holy Grail for us archtop aficionados - requires a bow-based rather than pick-based approach: think "glide" rather than "pick," "stroke" rather than "strum," and let the guitar do the work. There's a lot of nuanced tone color (and far more projection than you think - what the old-timers called "cutting power") in even a middling archtop; the best of them are, in the words of a recent Ibanez ad, guitar royalty in every sense of the word. In addition, true to their violin heritage they also take a longer time to open up than flattop guitars; I can recall playing Big Band-era Gibsons and Epiphones back in the '70s (when almost nobody wanted them...) that were just coming into their own, 30-40 years after they first saw the light of day. If you're considering getting into archtops, listen to a variety of players, decide on the general tone you prefer (I'm partial to Duke Robillard's solo work and the rhythm tracks on Johnny Mathis' early cuts) and find yourself a tech who really understands what constitutes a good setup before you buy; archtops are by nature somewhat finicky beasts, and subtle tweaks that might go largely unnoticed on a typical flattop can often have a significant impact on tone and playability - many techs who do first-rate work on flattops and electrics don't really "get it" when it comes to making them sound and play their best. Thanks to a revival of interest over the last decade there are some nice affordable pieces on the market; $500 will get you a Godin 5th Avenue or Loar LH-300 - not in the same league as an old D'Angelico or Stromberg, but they'll give you an idea of what the excitement is all about...
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 06-09-2013, 06:24 PM
blue blue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: WetSiiiide! WA
Posts: 7,851
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Muffinhead View Post
Is there a particular type of music that an arch top is particularly suited for?
Not anymore. They evolved to cut through a band situation without amplification. Today you can play anything on anything, but the beauty, and unique tone of an archtop is absolutely undeniable. If you happen to play the music they were built for, why not use one of the most beautiful instruments ever built?

As to playing other types of music, I've owned and used roundhole archtop for country blues, back when the only resonators available were originals, and I was a broke student. They do a phenomenal job. They are more versatile than you would expect. Selmer style "gypsy jazz" guitars are also underrated for versatility.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 06-09-2013, 07:09 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by paullouisf View Post
Why would you have a classical/flamenco as an only guitar? I have been thinking about getting a classical and making it my only guitar. I am curious as to what other people think about it.
A good classical is as expressive and dynamic as a guitar gets...ill have one someday...in the meantime ill get my technique working...
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 06-10-2013, 03:23 PM
Archtop Guy Archtop Guy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The Golden State
Posts: 679
Default

Kudos to all of you above who encourage such an open minded, unstereotyped, non-limiting view of archtops!

Back to the original post, I'll list some of the reasons I choose an archtop over a flatop:

1. Balance. The bass does not dominate on a good archtop. The treble does not dominate. When I play a scale form the lowest E to the highest A, all the notes are the same volume. For some styles of music the booming bass is an asset, but for me, walking bass over a chord melody or comping alongside a standup bass, or just soloing, I want balance.

2. Projection. The natural EQ of a good archtop cuts through the band. It stands out either in a big band or in a small group of guitars.

3. Dynamic range. When played softly they can be smooth and luscious, or when hit hard they bark like a big dog. Both sounds are good, both are useful, both are musical.

4. Acoustic and electric versatility. The very first electric-acoustic guitars were archtops. An acoustic archtop with a floating pickup can cover a huge amount of ground.

And all of the above work together to make an archtop what it is. Lately I've been playing straight up jazz, but I think archtops work for a wide range of musical styles. They accompany voice well, they mix with other instruments well. The limit is not the guitar, it's the player.
__________________
Find your voice and tell a story!

Circle 'Round the Sun
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 06-10-2013, 03:33 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 5,744
Default

I play bluegrass with a small, vintage archtop. Many say that's against the dogma, which is part of why I enjoy it so much. more importantly, I love the peculiar sound. Google Dave Rawlings on YouTube and you'll understand.

Last edited by DesertTwang; 06-10-2013 at 03:47 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:26 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=