Arch Tops?

[MissouriPicker]

Anyone regularly play an arch top?  Like most of us in here, I sure as hell don’t need another guitar, but the bear must be fed.  Anyway, I’ve always kind of been intrigued by them, but always considered them to be “big band” and Jazz guitars.  Last Saturday I saw/heard this gal fingerpicking a Godin arch top and it had a really good acoustic sound.  I thought they were all electric guitars.

[duane v]

I play this sucker often, though I like the sound better plugged in than not. 

 

 

[sparquelito]

I have been through my share of them.

A nice Godin 5th Avenue thingie, and a few Ibanez's to be exact.
Every time I went into it needing that guitar, only to turn around and sell them.

Well.
One of them I sent to the brother of a beloved band mate who had passed away.
I wanted his brother to have something that his sibling had touched and played.

This was that one.
The blue beastie.
She's in good hands now.

😶

[OrdinaryNimda]

I have a cheap Ibanez Artcore with very lousy pickups. It had a warped neck (new 🤡) and my great luthier put 011 strings on it, instead of stock 010s. The neck is now straight and has very low action. I could not do bends 2 years ago. But now the fingers have grown some muscles, and bending is not a problem anymore.

Like everyone else I occasionally look at the 5th Ave Godins (the ones without a Bigsby) and dream of a (new!) ES-175 with 57 Classics. The sound from these on some old recordings (Grant Green and other masters) is really something to be wished for.

There will come a day, when I can play SUNNY on an archtop. I mean, not like Pat Martino, but with decent speed & no errors! 😎

[Larsongs]

I own several Archtops & play them equally to Flat tops.. Although, I do tend to prefer Flat tops.. Particularly the Sound of Jumbo bodies like the J-45, J-160E (Solid Tops), Martin D-35 & higher, Guild D-55’s.. The tend to sound better for the kinds of music I play..

An Electric Archtop I particularly like is the sound of my USA Epiphone Casino.. It sounds fantastic plugged in but it also sounds fantastic unplugged! Both in volume & tone.. Most Casino’s given they are hollow bodies but my USA beats them all! Unplugged it has volume equal to or louder than many Archtop Acoustics & great Tone.. I doubt that was the original intention but a pleasant surprise…

Edited June 7 by Larsongs

[merciful-evans]

The archtops do sound different to regular flat tops. Archtops typically lose the highs & lows to provide a more focused midrange. That’s helpful in a band setting.

Acoustic guitars traditionally have spruce (or similar) soft wood tops. The luthier Roger Bucknall (Fylde Guitars) told me the sound penetrates the soft wood and that it’s vital for the sound. The same was true of old traditional archtops. Those carved spruce top you don’t find so much now. The last one I saw was a Heritage Eagle. It was over £5,000 in Andertons uk last year.

So now you typically get a laminate sandwich pressed into shape for the top, back & sides. Its easier and cheaper. It doesn’t sound like the carved spruce or cedar, but still sounds great, - for electric guitars in particular.

[ksdaddy]

I’ve got a 1947 L-5. It’s cool to say I own it, and it stinks like an old guitar, but I’ve never warmed up to it. I think they are beautiful, elegant, all that. The tone just isn’t what trips my trigger. I’ve also got a Heritage Super Eagle, which is basically a Super 400. It has two humbuckers, a Bigsby, 4 knobs and a pickup switch so that carved top ain’t doing diddley. The Eagle may depart, mostly because the 18” body is a lot, and the nut is like 1-5/8.  I’d like to switch to a newer L-5 CES and just use it as an electric instrument. 

[jdgm]

I have 3 if I include my ES-175 which has a laminate top.

I was playing one earlier today.  Because I played it yesterday too.

🎸

[Dave F]

I've got a few but this '41 Regal Recording King has been getting played the most lately.

 

[kidblast]

Larry,  I have one of the Godin kingpin II w/p90s.  I play it quite frequently.

I had some of the larger bodied Epis, (like a Regent and Broadway)  they were pretty cool for the money, but they were kind of on the wieldy side. 

for the money, these are pretty nice 

Edited June 7 by kidblast

[merciful-evans]

This is my affordable archtop. Hofner HCT-J17 Fully hollow body. The reason I haven't removed the pickguard is because it keeps the pickup on. The only thing wrong with these is the cheap & nasty electrics (not just this one, they all have it). I replaced the whole lot and now have a clean & reliable signal. This is possibly my favourite fingerboard. Ebony and no inlays. 

[Murph]

I'd like to have Dave Rawlings's 1935 Epiphone, but he probably won't let me have it.

[slimt]

I have a few. But they  have not seen day light in 20 some years 

[merciful-evans]

2 hours ago, slimt said:

I have a few. But they  have not seen day light in 20 some years 

Its none of my concern, but that sounds a bit sad.

Are you keeping them for a reason? Or is it just neglect?

[slimt]

2 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

Its none of my concern, but that sounds a bit sad.

Are you keeping them for a reason? Or is it just neglect?

No , I collect Gibson and Martin Archtops .    

[Larsongs]

1 hour ago, slimt said:

No , I collect Gibson and Martin Archtops .    

Do you humidify them? Or do any other other Preventive Maintenance to them? 

[slimt]

1 hour ago, Larsongs said:

Do you humidify them? Or do any other other Preventive Maintenance to them? 

There all in wooden racks in there cases.  Humidity is at 45 to 47 %  Hardwood floors insulated room.  In the basement.    Pretty much 2/3rds of the basement is guitars.  The room gets checked daily to make sure everything is fine.  ,.  

[Narwhal6]

I have one though I've never referred to it as an "archtop".  Seems archaic or too jazzy of a moniker to me.

I don't play it much anymore but when I first got it it's all I played for a good year or so.

 

 

 

[merciful-evans]

This is the first Gibson I bought. It may even be my favourite too. I got it new in Andertons in 2015 and joined this forum shortly afterwards. It gets played regularly enough to need string changes 3 times a year. 

[Larsongs]

Right now my favorite Archtop is my new Gretsch G-6136T-59GE Vintage Select White Falcon.. 

[kidblast]

48 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

Right now my favorite Archtop is my new Gretsch G-6136T-59GE Vintage Select White Falcon.. 

I can dig why!!!

[RBSinTo]

For you Gibson acoustic archtop fans:

Gibson Super 400 sunburst with McCarty Pickguard 1935.

The Twelfth Fret here in Toronto has this guitar for sale, so I've posted this for those of you who like these instruments.

https://www.12fret.com/instruments/gibson-super-400-sunburst-with-mccarty-pickguard-1935/

I have no affiliation with the store or the guitar's owner and post this merely as a courtesy to the Gibsonians of the Archtop persuasion.

RBSinTo 

[SteveFord]

MissouriPicker,

If you do get a Godin please post your impressions.

I was thinking about one years ago but never actually got to try one.  I was afraid it might have that Seagull acoustic feel to it (cheap).

[Larsongs]

I’ve played a few of the Electric Godin Archtops and thought they looked good & seemed like they were built good.. Their Tone wasn’t what I hoped it would be.. But, they may be perfect for someone else… 

[merciful-evans]

2 hours ago, Larsongs said:

I’ve played a few of the Electric Godin Archtops and thought they looked good & seemed like they were built good.. Their Tone wasn’t what I hoped it would be.. But, they may be perfect for someone else… 

I've played a couple. One memorable one was a Kingpin 5th Avenue. It played perfectly. One of the best feeling guitars I've ever played. I would have bought it, but it had an indifferent sound.