Tacoma Archtop

john_kidder

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
3,103
Reaction score
6
Location
Ashcroft, BC, Canada
I didn;t know the Tacoma people had ever made an archtop guitar.

This TACOMA ARCHTOP looks quite lovely and simple (although I can't say I'm a big fan of the bolts (?) at the heel). Gives one hope for possible future Guild archtop production from the same folks?
 

Squawk

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
757
Reaction score
0
Those are probably the thumbwheel tone & volume controls as I do not see them on the pickguard (or anywhere else). If the neck was a bolt-on, I would assume there would be a metal plate as if those were bolts holding the neck, they would wear right through the back as this is a hollow body.

Interesting design, but not very Guild-like.
 

Walter Broes

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
5,892
Reaction score
1,962
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
They look like neck bolts to me, that would be about the most unpractical spot for controls too.

Not to offend anyone, but I think that is one ugly guitar!
 

Squawk

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
757
Reaction score
0
The description specifies thumbwheel tone & volume controls - which it could have without a preamp. Or it could have a preamp on the other side of the endpin jack. They weren't too clear.
 

sfIII

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
386
Reaction score
0
Location
Jamestown, KY
Guild Total
59
I have one of these... I don't play it.. Indeed they did have a bolt on neck the first year or so. Then went to a set neck. I think I heard that George Gruhn was involved in the design. The body was machine carved. I dont think there is a preamp involved. The tone and volume knobs are under the pick guard and the pickup is attached to the neck (floating). Here is a link to a review:


http://www.adirondackguitar.com/accoustics/Tacoma/TacomaReview.htm

My review.. acoustically it is not in the same league as any of my flat tops. But is better unplugged than an unplugged archtop. If lounder is better. Perhaps it will get better with age. Plugged in it is not near as nice sounding as any archtop I own. Well last time I played it I A/B'd it with my X-160 (the older model with the humbuckers - no contest, if I'm playing an archtop it will be the X-160. My Tacoma has the stock pickup replaced by a Bartolini, and the neck pickup on my X-160 is a Benedeto. Both guitars have flatwound strings. In sum: Guild made much better archtops than Tacoma.
 

Squawk

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
757
Reaction score
0
I have 2 archtops with floating pickups - it makes all the difference in the acoustic sound, but much less in the amplified sound as sfIII indicates.

Regardless, no Tacoma-styled guitar has come out with a Guild branding, so I would suspect if any Guild archtops show up, they'd be more like traditional Guilds.
 
Top