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This piece is titled "Play for Peace". For this take I wanted to see how this guitar would sound with a flat-pick since my first couple of test pilot runs were done all fingerpicking. I haven't touched a flat pick in several weeks, even though I used to use one exclusively. I switch back to fingerstyle a few minutes into this for comparison, and if you stick till the end you'll hear me talk a little more about this guitar as well as flip it around to show off the back of this double compliant rim 17" thinline Halfling by Tom Ribbecke.
log entry: TP3CR2X
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06-12-2026 08:45 AM
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Any thoughts or impressions from folks here? Thanks for listening!
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I have several thoughts, but of course it is hard to separate the instrument from the musician- this guitar would sound quite different in my hands than yours.
When you switched from the Halfling 17" to the smaller compliant rim model, the change was really noticeable. The Halfling sounds large and resonant, especially in the treble register. There was a lot of bloom to the notes and it sounded well broken in. The smaller CR guitar was crisper and quicker, sort of like comparing a snare drum to a tom drum, but over time developed its own resonance and deepened. Some of that might have been the guitar opening up, some of that might have been you adjusting to it, and some of it might be psychoacoustic on my part as my ears acclimated to that new sound.
Many new archtops sound kind of stiff, a little nasal, a little tight, even stringy. Archtops were designed to replace banjos in big bands before amplification, so this is no surprise. They had to cut, and a dark round sound isn't going to do that. And yet some old 16" L5s that I've heard have a lot of acoustic bottom end, almost balanced like a classical guitar (could be due to mic setup and EQ, though). With the rise of amplification, archtop guitar voicing changed as tops got thicker to resist feedback and reduce warranty claims, and often the acoustic sound became of secondary importance.
We haven't heard a 100% acoustic signal from this guitar, or maybe I've overlooked it, but the electric tone sounds older to me than the guitar is- like it's been played for 10 years. It's round and resonant, rich. This is a sound I like a lot compared to the traditional archtop sound.
I think it would be really interesting to have a side-by-side comparison with this guitar, your smaller CR and your old Halfling- both electrically and 100% acoustically. Nothing like random mofos on the Interwebs ordering you around!
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My thoughts are this is fine guitar for sure played well. To me clearly it is in an electrical bent sound that is different than totally acoustic and recorded as an acoustic. The sound is a bit processed in that sense. Not a bad sense but just another angle to approach playing. Hearing it played completely acoustic and a standard tune in time would be cool. That would be interesting to hear also.
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Thanks, so let’s see now if I’ve got this right. A three guitar shootout each sampled electric and acoustic-only modes. While we’re doing that it should also include with plectrum and fingers, so a total of 12 segments. 30 seconds each and a little talking- totally doable.
Originally Posted by Cunamara
I have several thoughts, but of course it is hard to separate the instrument from the musician- this guitar would sound quite different in my hands than yours.
When you switched from the Halfling 17" to the smaller compliant rim model, the change was really noticeable. The Halfling sounds large and resonant, especially in the treble register. There was a lot of bloom to the notes and it sounded well broken in. The smaller CR guitar was crisper and quicker, sort of like comparing a snare drum to a tom drum, but over time developed its own resonance and deepened. Some of that might have been the guitar opening up, some of that might have been you adjusting to it, and some of it might be psychoacoustic on my part as my ears acclimated to that new sound.
Many new archtops sound kind of stiff, a little nasal, a little tight, even stringy. Archtops were designed to replace banjos in big bands before amplification, so this is no surprise. They had to cut, and a dark round sound isn't going to do that. And yet some old 16" L5s that I've heard have a lot of acoustic bottom end, almost balanced like a classical guitar (could be due to mic setup and EQ, though). With the rise of amplification, archtop guitar voicing changed as tops got thicker to resist feedback and reduce warranty claims, and often the acoustic sound became of secondary importance.
We haven't heard a 100% acoustic signal from this guitar, or maybe I've overlooked it, but the electric tone sounds older to me than the guitar is- like it's been played for 10 years. It's round and resonant, rich. This is a sound I like a lot compared to the traditional archtop sound.
I think it would be really interesting to have a side-by-side comparison with this guitar, your smaller CR and your old Halfling- both electrically and 100% acoustically. Nothing like random mofos on the Interwebs ordering you around!
PS- thanks for actually paying attention to my sound over these years. It’s an incredible gift to have folks like you interested enough in what I’m doing to listen and notice, let alone to articulate observations and analysis.
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Thanks! I was right with you until you added “in time”. That’s a bridge too far my friend Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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It sounds incredible, Mark, and I can tell it inspires you. What more could we want from a guitar.
As for plectrum versus fingers - they both have their uses. There's not reason for it to be an either/or situation.
Above all that, though, is the beautiful playing. Inspiring, as ever.
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Your kindness is inspiring too- thanks for this!! Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut
That's about perfect, LOL!
I go back to the r.m.m.g.j. days* and you posting videos filmed at your kitchen table on an iPhone with a plug-in auxiliary mic, which by the way also sounded great then. Your ability to capture a good guitar sound caught my ear even then. And then in the years during and since the pandemic, you have polished that much further- not to mention that I enjoy your playing quite a bit as well as your sound.PS- thanks for actually paying attention to my sound over these years. It’s an incredible gift to have folks like you interested enough in what I’m doing to listen and notice, let alone to articulate observations and analysis.
* the forum often feels much like those days except with little by way of flame wars
and no wingnut posts from LV. But no Jazz Almanac monthly posts- but, hey! Turns out Joe Finn is still doing them!!!
https://joefinn.net
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Beautiful
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[QUOTE=Cunamara;1470594]
That's about perfect, LOL!
I go back to the r.m.m.g.j. days/QUOTE]
Oh my, now that’s some ancient history to make me feel old
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That group goes back to the late 1990's wow I we posted many things.
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My first thought is: wonderful playing. Great listening, and I can certainly learn a lot from this.
Second thought: I’m not going to run out and buy one, but now I’m curious about Ribbecke. Will have to explore them a bit.
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Unlike many folks these days, Ribbecke doesn't maintain much of a social media presence. I suspect his rep is such that his customers find him. He made a very special acoustic bass guitar for Jack Casady and this interview with Jack, Tom and Bobby Vega is very interesting. These guys think about stuff that I didn't even know could or should be thought about. Originally Posted by coyote-1
There was an interesting thing wherein Ribbecke took on troubled kids as apprentices in luthiery for a while. I don't know how many or for how long.
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I met Tom Ribbecke once many years ago at a guitar show in the oddest of places. It was when Bill Hollenbeck and I went to the Long Island show at 5 Towns. This must have been 1993. At the hotel I had finished the day and went into the jacuzzi they had next to the swimming pool. The 2 others were there and one of them said he was Tom Ribbecke. What I remember was he actually had a health issue of some sorts and the high temp he did not want to overheat.
We did not bring the guitars into the jacuzzi that might not agree with the wood and glue. I was younger, better looking then, and approached the day trying to do everything I could get in as much as possible. Now it makes no difference what I generally look like no one cares, I pace my way through the day to maintain control, and I have much more time to actually play the guitar. I have not played a Ribbecke guitar in many years, but he still is going at it and makes fine guitars.
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