Acoustic Archtops?

Quantum Strummer

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FWIW, I think archtops need a pick-up--preferably magnetic. You lose 1/2 of what the guitar can do without one. And a floating pickup detracts nothing from the acoustic tone.

I have discovered though that my archtop sounds more natural with electric strings -- even if it's unplugged - as it usually is.

The late '30s/early '40s Gibson L-50s (mine's probably a '40, as mentioned earlier here) are weirdos. The neck angle was lessened, so there's no space to mount a floating pickup to the neck and no room between the strings and the guitar's top for a neck pickup anyway. At the same time Gibson started using top-quality wood and construction for the body: carved top; solid flamed arched back & solid sides. I've used a Teisco gold foil pickup blu-tacked at the bridge with decent results, but it would sound better if it was inset into the top a bit. Thomastik Jazz/Swing electric flatwounds, as they sound more balanced than a typical acoustic set.

-Dave-
 

mavuser

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Thanks again for all of the contributions here. I thought it would be awesome to show up to an acoustic jam, or something of that nature, with one of these in sunburst and the awesome stair-step pickguard. But from the 3 threads on LTG posted on this in the past week, it appears it really needs a pickup, or to be mike'd, or something, which kind of defeats the whole purpose for me, of having an acoustic guitar that looks just like an electric.

but since we have come this far...could you just install a K+K mini type pickup? or does it need to be the Artist Award type/flotation device pickup?
 

ronbo

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I've owned an Eastman fully carved mahogany archtop and have played a few others. Percussive is the right word for the tone, bass is pretty good but not what you get out of a big-bodied flattop. I actually used to play mine with the local bluegrass jam band and it held up quite well, everyone heard it just fine and it definitely had it's own character. One of my problems with them is that they sound great when you're in front of them (like in an audience), nicely balanced and loud, but less so when you play them. I can't hear them as well as a player as I do on a dreadnaught or Grand Symphony style flattop, so try to compensate by playing harder. I seem to hear the round-hole style (like a Gibson L4) a little better, seems like better bass response to me as the player. Would love to find one of those that isn't in the $3K range...

K&K does make a couple of pickups specifically for acoustic archtops which are supposed to sound more like an acoustic, vs electric/magnetic pickups (like Charlie Christian's), which to me just sound like an electric guitar, albeit, somewhat muffled. The real problem for me with most electric archtops I've played is that acoustic, phosphor-bronze strings don't sound that great with magnetic pickups, and most nickel wound strings don't seem to have the acoustic tone and frequecy response that I like to hear, so there is a definite tradeoff, IMO.

I've never tried any of the Guild versions...might have to look around for one!
 
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Neal

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Phosphor bronze strings sound decent on an electric archtop if you turn the pole pieces of the unwound B and E all the way down, and those for the wound strings all the way up so the pickup can "hear" the steel cores more evenly.
 

parker_knoll

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Phosphor bronze strings sound decent on an electric archtop if you turn the pole pieces of the unwound B and E all the way down, and those for the wound strings all the way up so the pickup can "hear" the steel cores more evenly.

some companies actually make "Archtop strings" although what the hell difference is, who knows? Personally I like to use 11 or 12 gauge roundwound nickel strings on all my guitars, acoustic and electric.

Incidentally, it can be very cheap to dabble in acoustic archtops as there's lots about and they're not widely in demand. In Europe, Hofners are two a penny, and sound good as part of an ensemble, or playing against a flat top acoustic like Rawlings.
 
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