Demo of Martin Lewis CF 17" archtop

[wierdOne]

i had my work buddy run the camera... he pressed record and i just played a few songs... this is a simple demonstration of how the guitar sounds...

Autumn Leaves on a carbon fiber archtop...

[seamusknives]

It sounds every bit as good as it looks. I think there'll be a lot of demand.

[wierdOne]

I know... that's why i'm so excited about these instruments... they're incredible... and, I think, they are going to go down in history as landmark carbon fiber instruments..

martin lewis is a luthier...

[Kindness]

Absolutely gorgeous! As great sounding as any archtop I have heard. This luthier has taken it to another level.

[Steve DeRosa]

Hate to resurrect a zombie thread, but I'm curious if anyone knows what happened to this guy; looked/sounded like a quality product, for not much more money than a top-of-the-line Eastman - with the increasing interest in CF instruments I would have thought he had a winner here...

[John Morciglio]

this is not breaking any rules?

NOT trying to sell anything. Just sharing.

First off, NICE guitar!
Looks like my latest project;



This is a Jumbo, (for me)

17" lower bout
hybrid w/ 5-piece Honduran Mahogony full depth carbon stringers

27.5" scale (keep bouncing around with tuning and string gauges)

B-B and C-C are working
A-A is epic but I can't play songs or even normal practice without the pitch/key distracting me.

Making 2 more prototypes;

1 with a classic spruce archtop
1 will be a true (my first) flat top with a carbon top and probably sound holes
in the upper/front bout like Ovation's.
For bracing reasons.

Been researching "double" or "sandwich" tops as opposed to bracing.

Like using carbon/spruce sandwich bracing so I am leaning towards fan bracing on the flat top.
Will run a standard "X" pattern on the archtop.

Neck shot;


Again, if this is flagrant hi-jacking. Mods let me know.

Was gonna post this guitar and ask opinions on double-tops and what people knew about their carbon top bracing (if at all) patterns?

JM

[John Morciglio]

This guitar was designed and built to play at an acoustic "campfire" gig we have
been doing every year at a family reunion.

Wanted my Archtop to hang with the flat tops.
It does :-)

Using 25.5 scale for the next 2.
There is a big "tenon" between the neck and the lightened block that is bonded to the body.

Will do one (probably the Archtop so you could pull the tailpiece) for a
"Take-a-part"

I had to really rush to "almost" finish that build on time for the trip.
Was not able to complete the paint and still have not run the Duncun Jazz II I got for it.

Wanted to run the control knobs recessed on the side but now will just run them on the plate.

JM

[ac]

Thanks for posting, John. Great to see your progess and learn about how you are experimenting to perfect these designs.

There have been some in the past wondering about who makes archtops and I can only think of one other builder that does--but we seldom here much about their designs (I'm forgetting the name--just recall they make high-end guitars.)

Wish you well and please keep us up to date on what you find is working well for your designs.

[J.R. Rogers]

Thank you for the demo. That guitar looks and sounds great. Do you know if Martin is still building guitars? It looks like his facebook site hasn't been updated since 2012. His CF designs look really nice though.

John, what a fantastic looking archtop! I would like to hear what that sounds like. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Please be sure to share it with us here.



JR