#16
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A Godin archtop looks like it could suit me well. If I can find one!!! I really need to try one out to see if it's the sort of timbre that would work with my voice and basic cowboy chord accompaniment style. As basically it would be my only guitar so it would go everywhere (camping, local gigs, old timw/bluegrass sessions, pub evenings etc).
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#17
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#18
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#19
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I don't know about the Godin, but the mid-century Harmony archtones aren't "plywood guitars" as people in this thread claimed. They're solid birch top, sides, and back. At least, I think the vast majority were. Mine was a cheap student model (no binding) and is solid birch everywhere, including the nut.
They're shaped like the old expensive "jazz" archtops, but they're extremely lightweight, with pressed rather than carved tops, and ladder braced. It's a different type of guitar, more bark than meow. Better sonic separation of the strings without so many rich sustaining overtones of the heavier archtops. Though it's not too dry - you can hear the reverb and feel it against your body through the guitar's back. You can play it so that the mids really cut thru, and it's light enough for shy fingerstyle to still ring out. There are YouTube demos that show but the gentle folkish and cutting bluesish tones that these guitars can give. The store I went to the other day has a newer Harmony of my model, but with a different finish, for $115. It had a small patch in the back towards the bottom, and the neck had lifted just a tiny bit at the heel, but the action was still pretty good. After seeing that, in a physical store no less, the $400 price sounds like a lot to me... but the 1930s is pretty old, pre-WWII, and that's a cool fretboard and it's probably a less common model, right? The one I saw in the store (Harmony H1215) was probably from the 60s, and mine (H1214) is from 1949. The different number is because of the finish, not the dates. The 1215 is the more common burst, and mine is supposed to be painted to look like flame maple, but ironically it looks more like paper-birch bark, which is awesome! I'm into that, and it's in fabulous condition instead of fair, so I paid more than $115. But if someone just wanted to try this type of guitar out, that $115 one sounded and played the part. They're not that rare or built like a tank, so I think the Reverb prices that I see, for squirrelly condition - even maybe literally - must be California prices, or something. Or maybe the wealthiest people are planning to use old guitars as currency, and they're hoarding all the fancier ones already, so now they're after these? I'd love it if acoustic blues, folk, Americana etc created enough demand for this particular tone and style so that Harmony would make new archtones and so on, in the same way, so they sound right, and not too expensive. By "in the same way", I mean if they originally peeled rather than sawed the wood, then that's what they should do for a reproduction. If the vintage prices keep going up, then they surely will make reissues at some point when the market is ready, if there are enough big birches left. I think maple and similar species could substitute. I'd be curious if anyone makes a contemporary lightweight ladder braced solid birch guitar that can get that similar vibe, but isn't a boutique or custom build. There seems to be a market for new vintage-styled parlor guitars, even though the original ones aren't that expensive, so it's possible. For some reason I assumed the Loar and Godin were designed after the more expensive sounding archtops, but maybe someone can debunk that? |
#20
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I'm used to using Monel strings on other guitars, so I'll give them a try. Thanks for your advice. I'm looking forward to a "try before you buy" weekend.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#21
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I think that Robert Godin has done his own thing with the 5th Avenue archtops, rather than directly copy anything old. This is par for the course with the Godin brands - and does make for guitars with unique character (at a cheap price point). The wild cherry plywood he is talking about they make themselves (it is mostly cherry outer veneers with a maple middle). They make so much of the stuff, all the way from felling the trees to the finished board, that they supply the furniture and motor industries with plywood. But it does make brilliant guitars. There flattops have a lot of punch and ring, but quite a dry sound - like old maple but right out the box. I'm hoping that the 5th Avenue I have on the way will have some of that timbre but with an archtop minimalist flavour. Anyway, I should find out tomorrow! There is a US company making flattops out of Finnish birch (plywood, not solid) and that's Beard. Have a listen to their Decophonic Flattops on youtube.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#22
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Artomas is correct - the old Harmonys are pressed Birch like my Stella/Harmony 12 string flat top that I bought in 1967 (which I still have but is sadly pulling itself apart and unplayable) The plywood guitars I was referring to are the Gibson ES125 type of guitars that were made by several of the old guitar builders and were very common in the 50's. FWIW the Harmony brand lives on - I have a recent Harmony Juno (a quality piece) built in the old Gibson Plant in Kalamazoo where Heritage guitars are made. The recent Harmonys are not inexpensive. Their semi hollow Comet goes for $1500. I doubt that they would build a hollow body acoustic at the quality/price point of the asian guitars being built today.
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#23
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https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...-guitar-bridge Cheap enough, you can slot them to any pattern/spacing you need, and mine (I'm using the rosewood version) needed no fitting whatsoever...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#24
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#25
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#26
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Here's a couple pics:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) Last edited by Steve DeRosa; 02-16-2022 at 09:03 PM. |
#27
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Well the 5th Avenue has arrived. First impression is that the guitar is incredibly "lively". It was fitted with 12-53 pb strings. I found a set of Newton pure nickel 13-56 in a box and they are much better. The guitar needed more relief, a higher action at the bridge, and the bridge moving to intonate the instrument. I'm still finding it very lively, too much presense. I think that it is the Tusq bridge (after all it is a bone substitute). When I tap or scratch the bridge it is all top end. I have a rosewood bridge on the way that I hope will deaden the top end and calm the guitar down. I'm going to have to get used to the instrument. I think that the sparse timbre I want is in it somewhere, I just need to work out how to get at it! It is incredibly light weight, seems well made, and has bags of volume. I just hope that I can roll off that darn presense knob. I have two weeks to send it back if the new bridge does not calm it down.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#28
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Robin W - if you are looking for a more fundamental (straight up) sound you may want to try some flat wound strings - I've used Rotosound Monel Top Tapes on my Kingpin, less expensive than some of the top of the line jazz sets but good enough for a retro/roots sound. Enjoy your Godin 5th Ave - these sound great paired with another player on a flat top.
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#29
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#30
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |