#1
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Hollow body question
Is an Archtop the same as a hollow body? I have an Ibanez AF 75 that I am really trying to like. The guitar sounds kind of harsh , and trebly. I keep trying different strings to remedy this problem.
I know it’s a hollow body but is it a Archtop? |
#2
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Have you gone to a heavier gauge - IME at a bare minimum you'll need 12's (with a wound G) on a short-scale guitar like the AF75, to get that "woody" tone you expect from a full-hollow archtop electric; I'd also recommend flatwounds - not only are they less "fizzy" and edgy-sounding, but you can drop the action significantly lower than with roundwounds to offset the extra effort otherwise necessary to finger them (a trick all those fleet-fingered '50s jazzers and rockabilly cats knew - and used to great advantage). Finally, you might try a rosewood bridge - they're already compensated for heavier gauges with a wound G, and for around $25 it's a cheap (and quickly reversible) modification which, in combination with heavier strings, should get you the sound you're after...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#3
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Quote:
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#4
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My pleasure - FYI you'll need to make some adjustments when you do:
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#5
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9s to 12s is a big jump.
I had 12s TI flatwound on my Collings I30 and switched to 11s on it. At least for that guitar I didn't notice a significant drop in tone and the playability increase is nice. |
#6
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12s are almost a necessity, but they don’t have to feel heavy; archtops are not hard to set up, as Steve notes. Some of the Ibanez AGs ship with an alternate rosewood bridge, and it makes an enormous difference in tone. I have an AFJ 81 - the larger body with only neck pickup - and the rosewood bridge is much lighter, allowing the top to move much more. It’s a much sweeter-sounding guitar with the RW bridge. |
#7
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The Ibanez AF75 is a $400 Pac-Rim guitar, factory-built to a price from what amounts to glorified wall-panel plywood and equipped with $15/pair generic pickups... Big difference - you need as much string tension as possible to get that dead-wood body into the game, and as much vibrating mass as possible to keep the cheap pickups from sounding harsh and trebly (in other words, "cheap"); as a teacher working with mostly younger students, I had to develop quite a bag of low-cost/no-cost tricks to wring the last possible drop of tone and playability from entry-level guitars (FWIW every one of my kids got a basic bridge/truss rod/intonation/string change setup job - and a "fret sprout" filing if necessary - on me), so I'm speaking from extensive experience here. With a good pro setup, the OP should have no playability issues with 12's - and a whole lot more tone to boot...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#8
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Quote:
Thanks for clarifying. |
#9
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New strings and a rose wood bridge should arrive by mail tomorrow.
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#10
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Archtops can be Hollow Body or Semi Hollow Body (has a centerblock for less feedback and thinner body) |
#11
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Is it an archtop? Put a ruler or a long flat edge on the guitar top. If there is space between the ruler end guitar, it is rounded and therefore an archtop..
My 1962 ES-175D has 14s on it which really drive the body, and allow me to get a very low action - no string bending on this guitar, though 9s will never drive an archtop - you might get away with 11s but 12 will certainly transmit more signal into the body to get a stronger acoustic tone. Monel or flatwound strings will give you a sweeter sound, but it will decay faster with less sustain - this is the sound most jazz players prefer, but it may not be what you want. |
#12
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Nickel flatwounds are pretty cool (especially if you like that sort of "thuddy" sound), but for me unfortunately, they're a No Go, due to the fact that I have a severe nickel allergy (it resulted in mega dermatitis all over my body back in 2014). Ditto for stainless steel (I'm allergic to chromium). So, I am forced to use Ernie Ball Cobalts (typically 11s or 12s - it depends upon the guitar), due to them being one of the few hypoallergenic electric guitar strings available. They work out fine for me for a jazzy tone, due to me typically running the treble on my amp between 4 & 5.
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Play Whatever Brings a Smile To Your Face My Smile Makers: Guild OM-120 Guild F-2512E Deluxe 12-string Eastman E3DE 2013 Ibanez AFJ-95 |