What's the best way to record an archtop?

[lotuscent]

"good" is subjective, so i say experiment. mic your amp with different placements and different mics, do the same with your actual guitar, get direct signals going through whatever preamps/di's you got, and mic your room as well.
then listen very carefully, solo them or blend them to taste. there are all sorts of gremlins that can pop up if you do all of the above at the same time, but that will just educate you more in as an engineer. or you can try them one at a time, or a couple at a time. nothing like experience through experimentation.
you are bound to find something you like, and will inevitably learn a lot in the process.
best of luck!

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

An assumption here is you're playing a hollow body or semi hollow body instrument designed from the outset to be an electric guitar. However, if you're playing an acoustic archtop, there are some other things to keep in mind. One of them is that the instrument is designed to throw the sound.

So for true carved top instruments or guitars that have had electronics added, you may be able to get some very nice tone getting away from the instrument. Worth experimenting with.

[spiral]

Found this video recently:
Peluso P67 Tube Microphone Demo -- Guitars - YouTube

I found it very useful as it cut right to the sound i had wanted. I got decent results with XY, ORTF, and spaced pairs, but that exact configuration (spacing, angles etc.) from SoundPure really did it for me. It was the perfect balance of projection and intimacy.