Oval Hole Archtops

[AKA]

A beautiful Wyatt Wilkie custom 15" with salvaged old-growth Redwood top. (Not mine)

[Hammertone]

Solomon Phidelity - 16", x-braced, and a joy to play.

[Hammertone]

Campellone Standard Custom - 17", extra-wide neck, extra-deep body, parallel-braced, full of nutty custom goodness.

[cmajor9]

Trenier Motif:
Trenier Motif — Trenier Guitars

There have also been a few recent examples on archtop.com - unfortunately none of them mine

[ThatRhythmMan]

Here are a few….

Tone of Four Oval Hole Archtop Guitars Compared - That Rhythm Man Guitars

I still have the Benedetto and will soon be taking the Grimes back in on trade.


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[RJVB]

This thread was missing some less stratospheric content



Late 40s/early 50s "Troubadour" made by/for the Kirschnek family, apparently mostly for the UK market. All laminate birch or (plain) maple.

(top was warped so the once-round soundhole was just a tad oval )

[AKA]

Here are a few….

Tone of Four Oval Hole Archtop Guitars Compared - That Rhythm Man Guitars

I still have the Benedetto and will soon be taking the Grimes back in on trade.


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Loved the tone of the L-4.

[Dennis D]

.......Any builders do an oval hole w/ a port ? Or has that been shown to be ill-advised or ?

Thanks for the photos - -those sure have a mystique about them - -for me anyway !

: )

[ThatRhythmMan]

.......Any builders do an oval hole w/ a port ? Or has that been shown to be ill-advised or ?

Thanks for the photos - -those sure have a mystique about them - -for me anyway !

: )

People are definitely doing oval hole archtops with sound ports. Just off the top of my head if memory serves correctly, I’ve seen them from Monteleone, Trenier, and Rancourt at the least.


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[ThatRhythmMan]

Loved the tone of the L-4.

The only potential drawback with that L-4 is the 12th fret neck joint. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic guitar.


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[Dennis D]

The only potential drawback with that L-4 is the 12th fret neck joint. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic guitar.


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Weren't the necks wrist killers ? ( ' baseball bats ' ) ?

[ThatRhythmMan]

Weren't the necks wrist killers ? ( ' baseball bats ' ) ?

Large, yes, comfortable to me, but would certainly not be for some.


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[skykomishone]

Steve Andersen, 2003, 'Oval', 16" x-braced.

[AKA]

People are definitely doing oval hole archtops with sound ports. Just off the top of my head if memory serves correctly, I’ve seen them from Monteleone, Trenier, and Rancourt at the least.
E

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These in-progress photos, I believe, are also Wilkie builds.

[AKA]

An Eastman 16” Oval hole .

AKA

[Dennis D]

Large, yes, comfortable to me, but would certainly not be for some.


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Trusting your knowledge, were 12 fret models of this vintage as large as Gibson necks got ?
I'd played a model from this era, ( L-3 ? ) at a show once and felt real disappointed because the neck was just prohibitive for me. I already had a ' 30's & '50's L-7, so I thought I'd be used to most of them, but was wrong.

Also really liked seeing and hearing that Western Star !

Thanks.

[AKA]

Solomon Phidelity - 16", x-braced, and a joy to play.

l imagine there’s been discussion here of the unique tailpiece (or lack thereof). I’d love to play one someday.

AKA

[Sam Sherry]

This thread was missing some less stratospheric content

Perhaps the only guitar that splits the difference between the top-notch boutique builds and antique low-line Regals & Troubadors: The Tacoma AJ22 / AJ28.
Solid tonewood but lots of raw CNC work inside, and that awful self-stripping finish.



I had it twice. In fact, at one point I was down to one guitar and the AJ22 was that one.
But the rash, man. Urgh!

[rlrhett]

Are you asking for photos of oval archtops? If so, here’s one I made about five years ago. I donated it to a school just before the pandemic. Honestly one of the nicest archtops I ever made.


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[John A.]

I'll take one of these, please ...



The sound Pat got with that was by far my favorite of his, and a candidate for my favorite, period.

[Hammertone]

l imagine there’s been discussion here of the unique tailpiece (or lack thereof). I’d love to play one someday. AKA

.......Any builders do an oval hole w/ a port ? Or has that been shown to be ill-advised or?

Erich uses sideports in all of his archtops, IIRC. I think they're great!

[wintermoon]

I've long admired this 19" D'Angelico Special. Last I saw it was @ a guitar show along w/ Scott Chinery's Blue Guitars exhibit.
Unfortunately, when I tried to play it the strings were loosened and looked as old as the guitar.

[mr. beaumont]

I've long admired this 19" D'Angelico Special. Last I saw it was @ a guitar show along w/ Scott Chinery's Blue Guitars exhibit.
Unfortunately, when I tried to play it the strings were loosened and looked as old as the guitar.

Man that's a beauty.

[AKA]

Erich uses sideports in all of his archtops, IIRC. I think they're great!

A bevy of beauties!

AKA

[marcwhy]

Forshage "Orion"