Tone you could eat with a spoon...

[Steve DeRosa]

What all archtop luthiers strive for, but few if any ever achieve:



No "coaxing the velvet out" here - instead this one brings out the best in you...

[terryj47]

Very nice playing! My EXL-1 doesn't sound like that unplugged. Could be me of course. Anyway beautiful guitar AND playing.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi Steve, (et al) thank you for bringing us this video of George Aslaender playing a superbly toned archtop guitar.
It surely has a wide tonality and beautifully rounded trebles.

It occurred to me that in the early days of archtops - which, of course, started with Gibsons.

Back in the Day, Gibsons really did make a great sound ...IF ... played in the way peopoe payed 'em back then.

Here's a 1919 L-1 played beautifully by Jamie Stillway. This was before archtops became "rhythm" boxes :



Of course sound recording volumes and quality will vary on these videos, but here is Larry Chung playing a beautiful , if strange looking "Scrolled"
1917 Style "O"



and here is a 1928 - L-5 . We are now getting towards the Rhythm box but this gent is playing it in the style of Eddie Lang and that tone is very reminiscent.



and to spoil things here's some "dolt" playing a Willie Nelson song on a 1934 gibson L-4 - but hopefully it gives and idea of the soud of a gibson archtop of that era which, I suspect are now being carbved to focus more on the incisive rhythm aspect. I may be wrong - just my impression.



Hope this is of interest.

[rockabilly69]

I really like the way that Jamie Stillway played and brought out the vintage tone in her song