Flattop Thread, No Archtops Allowed

[Spook410]

Do the piezo pickups suck though? My old Washburn acoustic-electric sounds great when it's not plugged in but not so good when it is (I'm trying to correct that).

Audio Sprockets Tonedexter works quite well but has gotten a little expensive. Thinking there are others applying the same sort of tech that work well at a lower price point.

[Doctor Jeff]

I wish I had a really nice flattop like a Martin, though TBH Taylors fit more in with what I play.

I had a Taylor 12-string that I wasn’t playing much—got it for front porch singalongs during the bad days of COVID—and gave to my soon-to-be son-in-law.

I have a Voyage Air OM with solid spruce top that fits the bill and is a great guitar for traveling or just sitting at home picking. I have a Dean Markley soundhole pickup in case I want to amplify it.

But I wouldn’t mind a “real” flattop, and hope a Martin might come my way someday.

[Woody Sound]

My one "flattop," Carvin AC375. Primarily designed to be plugged in, but with a solid Koa top it works surprisingly well acoustically. I've used it unplugged in smaller public situations. Plugged in it sounds fabulous. (Fishman Prefix Pro system.)

[Mark M.]

I have a Taylor 810, a dreadnaught, it's big and loud. Plays nicely but never use it.
I have 2 classical guitars, one cheap, one quality one.
I think my taste and my ears would love to have a "classical" sounding guitar but with steel strings. Classical guitars can sound so rich!
Can anyone steer me to the guitar that would do that? I know, I know, there's only 1 million out there to choose from, and ya gotta play them first. But I was wondering if anyone out there already been down that rabbit hole?

I don’t know what your price range is, but I love my Martin 0012-28 Modern Deluxe. It sounds so big for a small guitar, and has beautiful balance and playability up the neck. 12 fret guitars like this one have a very rich tone to my ears. This may be my favorite guitar.

[Mark M.]

Right now, I have 3 Martin flat tops: the above mentioned 0012-28 Modern Deluxe, a Gruhn Special 0000-28/45 (28 body styling with a 45 style neck). Both are 12 fret models and sound great. The 0000 is bigger and fuller, with plenty of bass without being boomy. The 00 is more articulate sounding - you hear every note and has a sparkle that is just beautiful. I also have a 000-16 SGNT cutaway with a KK pickup installed. All 3 play incredibly well with low action (after adjustment). All 3 are keepers.

[Hammertone]

I have a Taylor 810, a dreadnaught, it's big and loud. Plays nicely but never use it.
I have 2 classical guitars, one cheap, one quality one.
I think my taste and my ears would love to have a "classical" sounding guitar but with steel strings. Classical guitars can sound so rich!
Can anyone steer me to the guitar that would do that? I know, I know, there's only 1 million out there to choose from, and ya gotta play them first. But I was wondering if anyone out there already been down that rabbit hole?

Huh, I may have exactly the guitar for you, that does exactly what you want.

It's a new Hofner HA-CS7-RLC (RLC means relic). It has a solid spruce top, maple body, alder and maple neck, fretboard and bridge made from smoked oak. I grabbed it from the Hofner booth at NAMM-25, which was the first time it was shown in North America.

Hofner bumph:
"This exceptional steel-string model is beautifully aged with our 'Violin Finish' adapted from our violin making.
The HA-CS7-RLC thus acquires the authentic look and feel of a vintage instrument.
Bone bridge insert, NuBone nut, Nut width 45 mm, scale length 650 mm."

It's essentially the same size and construction as a classical guitar, but braced for steel strings and a pin bridge. It was a big hit at NAMM-25. It sounds great! There was also a non-reliced version, with a wax finish, but this version has a violin varnish finish applied by and reliced by the violin guys. And it has a built-in pickup and MiSi charging system.

Following this, they decided to change the specs a bit with a solid maple back and rims, and alter the model name to HA-MS7-RLC, but made a only a handful of those, because their financial problems got the better of them and they went into bankruptcy protection in December 2025. In March of 2026, they were bought by GEWA, another old, German, family-owned company that focuses on violins and cases. Even if GEWA decides to continue production of classical guitars at the Höfner plant, the likelihood that they will make any more of this model is slim.

It's a lovely guitar.

[Gilpy]

This is my “Acousticaster” by Tucson luthier James Larsen. He made several of these in the early ‘90s, long before Fender made the “Telecoustic”. He then produced the “Girlbrand” guitars, no two of which were alike and featuring pickups made of meteorite iron.
This guitar is made from a slab of mahogany hollowed out with a spruce top and bolt-on neck. It’s great for doing acoustic stuff with a loud band.

[StefanoGhirardo]

I've been looking for a flattop I can fall in love with for a while now. Lately, I've been intrigued by the Furch Vintage 1 OM-SR, partly because of its action-adjustment feature, the Furch CNR System Active neck design. Has anyone tried this guitar or the CNR System Active?

[ArcaJazz]

Just got this '02(?) Seagull S6. Cedar top, lam cherry back and sides.
It is really a good sounding instrument. First acoustic I have had for a long time.
It plays pretty darn nice, but it is the sound that is just amazing to me. Nice and full, open; can be loud/really project if you want. Has an easy neck too.

[JDNC64]

Here is a Bluegrass version of Sunny recorded using a Martin D-18 Sinker Mahogony

[Gitfiddler]

Here's my Ltd. Ed. Gibson J-200M Quilt Parlour acoustic-electric.

I love the slightly smaller body size (compared to its big brother J200) for playing comfort as well as its unique sweet tone.

She's easy on the eyes also. :-)

[Hammertone]

Here's my Ltd. Ed. Gibson J-200M Quilt Parlour acoustic-electric.
I love the slightly smaller body size (compared to its big brother J200) for playing comfort as well as its unique sweet tone. She's easy on the eyes also. :-)

Is it just a pimped-out J-185 or something else?

[Gitfiddler]

Is it just a pimped-out J-185 or something else?

Haha! Yes, it is a 'pimped-out J-185...', AND something else. It's one of Gibson's limited edition "Guitar of the Month" series, and offshoot of the very limited (identical) 75th Anniversary J200M.

Gibson has mastered the art of marketing a wide variety of "limited edition" models. The downsized J200/J185 were also similar to the Emily Lou Harris (L-200) model.

Whatever they named if, I really love the comfort, tone and beauty of this acoustic.

[Hammertone]

Yeah, it's gorgeous. I always liked this body size - J-185, Everly Bros, J-200M, and so forth - all good. This trim package looks great!

[Ol' Fret]

HOPF Mini Jumbos for the bad guys.
I'm convinced these machines kill fascists.

[Hammertone]

HOPF Mini Jumbos for the bad guys. I'm convinced these machines kill fascists.

Do those Hopf-branded flattops have solid tops? Most of the Höfner and Framus "westerngitarren" made in Germany are terrible, mere guitar-shaped plywood boxes.

[Ol' Fret]

Do those Hopf-branded flattops have solid tops? Most of the Höfner and Framus "westerngitarren" made in Germany are terrible, mere guitar-shaped plywood boxes.

Yes, vintage Höfner and Framus flattop steelstrings were hardly the real thing. One exception are the (earlier) Framus steelstring parlor guitars with solid spruce top, arched (braceless) back and tailpiece - that is if you can find one in good condition. A Martin or Stella parlor sound for a fraction of the cost.
And while some A. Hoyer flattops sound and play fine, they do not have what I'd call a classy look.

These Hopfs are different. The tops are made of solid spruce, back and sides are laminated mahogany. So they deliver what you'd expect: a mixture of crisp and mellow.
These Mini Jumbos (no official term) seem to be made on the almost-no-bling side, but are my favorite flattop guitars: light-weight, 17 inches wide, moderate side depth, no dreadnaught sound, no excessive overtones, no boomy bass, but a very good tone separation and overall balance, easy to play, cheap to acquire since nobody seems to know them.
Almost perfect flattop guitars, IMO, for archtop afficionados. The only question is why Tom Waits had used one on his 'Blue Valentine' recording, at least for the cover?

According to the handwritten dates inside they were manufactured inhouse by Hopf in the early to mid 1960s.