Trenier guitars

[Betz]

Yes- and that is what enables the top to sing- due to less severe break angle, but yet it will still have that projection and prewar bark.

It’s Old World styling with all the refinements for the modern day player.

My Trenier Broadway is equal in every-way to my 35’ D’Angelico snakehead.

Apologies for resurrecting an old comment, or if this has been discussed in detail elsewhere, but my Trenier Broadway has the adjustable tailpiece bracket. It came to me with the tailpiece elevated and a fairly flat break angle which is how I left it (the middle of the mounting screw slots). Coming from a flat top background, a steep break angle (at the bridge and nut) was critical for a strong and clear tone. Why is this not the same for an archtops?

Thanks!

[deacon Mark]

Apologies for resurrecting an old comment, or if this has been discussed in detail elsewhere, but my Trenier Broadway has the adjustable tailpiece bracket. It came to me with the tailpiece elevated and a fairly flat break angle which is how I left it (the middle of the mounting screw slots). Coming from a flat top background, a steep break angle (at the bridge and nut) was critical for a strong and clear tone. Why is this not the same for an archtops?

Thanks!

Flat tops and archtops make sound quite different. The flat top has the bridge moving top anchor right there. Archtop has the whole bridge being moved from a long anchor point not touching the soundboard.

In reality very different physics and production of sound. Flat tops tend to be less versatile over an entire spectrum of musical styles. They certainly are much more changeable without doing anything structural to the guitar. With a flat top you get what you get. Archtops allow many changes in set up to craft different aspects of sound.

[Betz]

That is what really stood out to me with the carved archtop. With the flat top, you do get a change in tone as you move your picking closer to or farther from the bridge, whereas with the Broadway there is this spectrum of available tones by varying picking position or dynamics.

I guess I was thinking that a steep break angle would transfer more energy to that large top, and therefore more sound / clarity / complexity.

[gitman]

That is what really stood out to me with the carved archtop. With the flat top, you do get a change in tone as you move your picking closer to or farther from the bridge, whereas with the Broadway there is this spectrum of available tones by varying picking position or dynamics.

I guess I was thinking that a steep break angle would transfer more energy to that large top, and therefore more sound / clarity / complexity.

My experience with this movable tailpiece-anchor on my old Borys and my new Trenier has been this : moving the thing DOWN resulted in a brighter tone withe a somewhat quicker attack (great for classic style comping) , sliding it UP
made the tone smoother, softer with prolonged sustain and less piercing - since these guitars are meant to be played plugged in these artifacts did not carry over that significantly into the electric tone of the guitars. It was less noticeable tone-wise
but the feel of the action and string tension also differed so I played around with it until I found the sweet spot and I kept it there.
Different types and gauges of strings have a more pronounced effect, no doubt.
YMMV and one aspect should be very clear : the guitars I mentioned both have laminated tops - a solid carved spruce top will def. be more sensitive to changes in string pressure onto the bridge....

[Betz]

The tailpiece anchor is currently mounted right in the center of the range. Your description of smoother, softer, and less piercing is spot on. It is almost keyboard-like finger style. There is an initial attack and bloom with a pick, but it is not sharp. I am going to have to spend some time adjusting this up and down to hear what happens. I initially got the guitar for finger style but it is so damn beautiful with the pick. Makes me want to learn Autumn in New York as it has ‘that sound’ in my head.

Thanks!