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I currently play a fairly old Suzuki classical guitar. I was seriously considering a hollow body F hole jazz guitar.
Really thinking 2nd hand guitar because that way I can maybe afford a quite nice instrument.No of course I realise that, the try for comfort and fit are essential.
However I don’t know what I don’t know. I was hoping some folk who know better than I do, might be able to wise me up to a few of the fundamental quirks of the traditional style F hole jazz guitar.
For instance, are they just a poor acoustic guitar and a not much good electric guitar. Sort of like a bike with a sidecar, that inherits the worst features of cars and motorbikes and puts them together. My apologies in advance to any dedicated side car owners that love their rigs.
Any opinions, positive or negative are most welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Mal Australia
Image below inspires me.
Mal
Toowoomba,
Queensland
Australia -
Matt, good inquiry ,, hobestly have to keep in mind any quality arch top expensive as they are..has to be treated no differently as any expensive acoustic hollow body guitar..there are plenty of tutorials available TO .. As for which is all preference feel first tone and usually tone indicative to which stuff/artist/musician you enjoy plaing most. gl.. yes but they are as prone to humidity changes as any hollow acoustic guitar just factor that in,, not to mention usually heavier gauge string windings etc.
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They are different from both flattops and solid bodies. They are definitely not inferior versions of either.
The Archtop was designed so the it could keep up with the volume demands of larger orchestras. Thus, it replaced the banjo in early jazz groups. An acoustic Archtop is notable for its projection, brightness, and emphasis of the fundamental. Compared to a flattop, it lacks some sustain, some overlap of overtones, and some subtlety.
There are a few things to consider if you are looking for one. First is whether you want carved top, or laminate. Acoustic players tend to prefer solid carved tops (Gibson L-5 as an example). Electric players are more likely to want a laminate top, which will resist feedback more (Gibson ES-175). Then, there is the question of a floating pickup, or one mounted into the top. Again, the former better for acoustic, the latter more resistant to feedback.
The best archtops are works of art made in small shops by very skilled luthiers: Parker, Benedetto, Monteleone, Comins, Campelleone, etc… They are very expensive. Even budget archtops are pretty costly. I have an Eastman Pagelli, which I love, and it cost $1800 used. Entry level customs are about $5k.
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One thing about hollow body guitars – they are notorious for feedback. One can be set on a stand and the slightest vibration of one of the bass strings can soon build in your amp and soon be screaming.
One mistake that some people make is buying these guitars and thinking that will sound like a amplified acoustic guitar. Archtops are very much electric guitars with their own voice.
Duffy gave a good run down on some of the more important points about the construction of these guitars. They can be very expensive, some professional grade handmade archtops can easily go for $40,000
If you are wanting a decent mid-grade instrument and are willing to look at used ones, look at the Eastman guitars that Duffy mentioned as well as Godin. Godin guitars are made in Canada and are a good quality guitar
Some of the lower priced guitars that are still decent quality guitars that provide a good bang for the buck are Washburn, Ibanez and Aria. Aria guitars aren’t as prevalent as they used to be but their FA-70 and FA-71 archtops are good guitars as well as their Herb Ellis model.
https://www.eastmanguitars.com/electric_archtop
https://www.eastmanguitars.com/electric_signature_archtop
https://www.eastmanguitars.com/electric_thinlinehttps://godinguitars.com/product-category/guitars/montreal-premiere/
https://godinguitars.com/product-category/guitars/5th-avenue/ -
Thank you very much for the feedback. Budget was around the $5000 for a secondhand arch top.
Can you tell me about string gauge?
Is the equation heavy strings give more volume to an acoustic where as lighter strings are easier to play?
Also what about the distance of the strings above the fretboard?
Solid body electric guitars seems to have the strings lower to the fretboard than acoustic guitars.
Is this just a case of heavier strings needing higher string tension and the extra projection comes from the string vibrating through a wider space? Whereas electric guitar pickups can capture a subtle vibration and amplify it to make up for the lack of volume at the string level?
Sorry if my terms are not right or may in fact be confusing.If I purchase an arch top, can I hope to have a guitar that is more suitable than my classical guitar for playing (finger picking is my preferred approach) the sort of blues solos that Brian pops up with every week?
A reasonable question to ask would be, why don’t I just buy a solid body electric guitar? Well one of the problems is the weight. I had a Cort electric and we just did not like each other. The string action was light and while the neck was narrower than I prefer, it was the weight that made it unpleasant to play.
Also I notice that the fretboard width of at least the arch tops I have seen seem to have a wider neck than say a stratocaster, but narrower than a classical guitar. Is this the normal arrangement?
While I totally agree with the advice given, “go out with lots of guitars and see which one falls in love with you.” The only problem is that some people (oh I meant guitars) may get out of bed cranky and after a while be a pain in the A to live with. I guess I am trying to understand what I might be getting myself into before lust gets the better of my common sense.
Thanks to everyone for your feedback.
Regards
Mal
Mal
Toowoomba,
Queensland
Australia -
String gauges tend to be a bit heavier on any Archtop, and even heavier with acoustic archtops. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Heavier gauge strings make it easier to get acoustic volume. Amplified, they don’t make much difference at all. They are harder to bend, but you can use a lower action with a heavier string, so they are not much harder to play without bending, and they are less prone to going sharp because of finger pressure.
I have 14s on mine, and it’s no harder to play than my flattop with 11s.For $5000 US, you can get a nice guitar by Sadowsky, a Heritage, any of the Eastmans, a Comins GCS. Or you could have one custom made for your specs by Stephen Holst of Holst Guitars. He does beautiful work, gets great reviews, and is surprisingly affordable.
http://www.pacinfo.com/~sholst/
If weight is your problem with solid body guitars, maybe you should look into Strandberg headless guitars. They weight 4-5 pounds, are well balanced, and have a patented neck that promotes playing with a more classical technique. Also feature a 20” fretboard radius, almost as flat as a classical. Body is also designed to allow a classical position. Parker Flys are also extremely light, at about 4 pounds. And my PRS Vela weighs just over 5 pounds I think.
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Thank you to all for your thoughts and ideas. Looked at those Holtz guitars, they look terrific. Especially since he seems so flexible with most parameters.
I don’t need a loud acoustic guitar as largely I have an audience of two, my wife and myself.
However it is nice to have a guitar which is pleasant to the ear without needing to plug in the amp.So lots more thinking to do at this end.
Cheers
Mal
Mal
Toowoomba,
Queensland
Australia
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