Archtop guitar
- Thread starter James2244
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Condemned soul
New member
Re: Archtop guitar
Are you interested in a specific guitar, sound or some end result? If so, please do us a favor and expand on that you are interested in.
Are you interested in a guitar with one of these styles:
Epiphone ES-330 fully hollow thin body
Gibson ES-335 thin body with a center block
Gibson ES-175 thick hollow body jazz guitar
Or maybe one of these. They all have advantages and disadvantages.
Are you interested in a specific guitar, sound or some end result? If so, please do us a favor and expand on that you are interested in.
Are you interested in a guitar with one of these styles:
Epiphone ES-330 fully hollow thin body
Gibson ES-335 thin body with a center block
Gibson ES-175 thick hollow body jazz guitar
Or maybe one of these. They all have advantages and disadvantages.
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Archtop guitar
LP's have arched tops.
LP's have arched tops.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Archtop guitar
Not clear if you are asking about an acoustic archtop like an L-5, or an electric archtop like a hollow Gretsch or solid body Les Paul.
For the solid body and semi-hollow, one con is certain hardware (like bridges, pickup rings) is non-interchangeable with flattops, so some experimentation is limited (but the reverse is true for flat top guitars, so what's the difference really?). For an L-5 acoustic, one con is finding a case that fits it.
The pros, I find archtop electrics (semi and solid) more comfortable to play. The neck is angled back so it puts the guitar right in my hands where it belongs. Flat, solid electrics tend to feel like a surfboard plank against the body by comparison. I feel like I'm reaching for the neck at the lower frets.
Not clear if you are asking about an acoustic archtop like an L-5, or an electric archtop like a hollow Gretsch or solid body Les Paul.
For the solid body and semi-hollow, one con is certain hardware (like bridges, pickup rings) is non-interchangeable with flattops, so some experimentation is limited (but the reverse is true for flat top guitars, so what's the difference really?). For an L-5 acoustic, one con is finding a case that fits it.
The pros, I find archtop electrics (semi and solid) more comfortable to play. The neck is angled back so it puts the guitar right in my hands where it belongs. Flat, solid electrics tend to feel like a surfboard plank against the body by comparison. I feel like I'm reaching for the neck at the lower frets.
activeseal
New member
Re: Archtop guitar
well if you do love acoustic / jazz music then there is no cons for archtop guitar. if you are planning to buy, you might want to consider the Gibson ES-175 as it is the most popular for jazz and the brand has been known and proven for years already.
well if you do love acoustic / jazz music then there is no cons for archtop guitar. if you are planning to buy, you might want to consider the Gibson ES-175 as it is the most popular for jazz and the brand has been known and proven for years already.
synzzzer
New member
Re: Archtop guitar
I think I could write for days about archtops. I love them. I started out playing cello in Jr. high school, and when I went to playing guitar I knew I had to have an archtop. The biggest con, is you can't go cheap. Cheap archtops are worse than cheap solidbodies. There is so much that can go wrong when they build them cheap.
However, the good is that once you crank her up, you can feel your guitar singing. Sometimes you can get uncontrolled feedback. But you can learn to control your feedback like a lot of punk bands who use archtops (like Rancid.) Another good/bad is that it's best to use higher gauge strings. For me, it's not a problem after playing cello strings. Also, I like the feel of holding an archtop. They seem to sit right on me.
So my advice would be to try a lot of them out. Ibanez is known for their shredder guitars, but they do make a lot of archtops. Some of the Epiphones would be good for a first archtop. Again, try a bunch of them out, and see if one speaks to you. It either means you like it or you are hearing voices, and should immediately see a doctor.
I think I could write for days about archtops. I love them. I started out playing cello in Jr. high school, and when I went to playing guitar I knew I had to have an archtop. The biggest con, is you can't go cheap. Cheap archtops are worse than cheap solidbodies. There is so much that can go wrong when they build them cheap.
However, the good is that once you crank her up, you can feel your guitar singing. Sometimes you can get uncontrolled feedback. But you can learn to control your feedback like a lot of punk bands who use archtops (like Rancid.) Another good/bad is that it's best to use higher gauge strings. For me, it's not a problem after playing cello strings. Also, I like the feel of holding an archtop. They seem to sit right on me.
So my advice would be to try a lot of them out. Ibanez is known for their shredder guitars, but they do make a lot of archtops. Some of the Epiphones would be good for a first archtop. Again, try a bunch of them out, and see if one speaks to you. It either means you like it or you are hearing voices, and should immediately see a doctor.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Archtop guitar
pros: Archtops are awesome
cons: none
pros: Archtops are awesome
cons: none
