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I'm a bit of a technology geek so I love what some Andersen is doing with nomex.
Andersen Stringed Instruments
Here is "how to" of nomex construction.
It could be a great way to construct cool acoustic fingerstyle jazz guitars that are small but sound great.
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01-25-2013 05:08 PM
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I thought this very interesting
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not
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double-tops are very big in classical, as concert artists need to project. the unamplified nylon stringed instrument is not a very loud one.
but a steel stringed instrument, and one with a pick-up no less? i'm scratching my head.
if you aren't going to put a pick-up on an archtop why not just use bigger and more sound holes, like so many luthiers do?
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Acoustically, archtops were made bigger to sound louder and fuller. Then along came pickups and now we can get full sounds out of 14.5" laminate archtops. But they sound like laminates. But what if we want a full acoustic sound from a small, comfortable guitar? What if Nomex double tops could give us that? What if producing nomex tops could be cheaper than the labourious process of carving a solid top? Andersen must be thinking his own thoughts too becuase he's investing time in this.
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Are any luthiers actually making double top archtops? I'm not aware of any. Holst makes double top flattop acoustic guitars, but I haven't seen an archtop with a Nomex top.
The idea of a small, thin double top archtop is intriguing. It could make for a very sweet sounding small guitar. However, I wonder if it would also be more susceptible to feedback.
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i see. small is the thing huh?
well if you're not going to plug in and you want a smallish guitar why not try the PRS cutaway acoustic? They are really punchy in volume. wow! i was surprised when i played one just seconds after trying a Gibson J-200.
a really beautiful guitar too.
PRS Tony McManus Private Stock Acoustic #3887 at The Guitar Sanctuary McKinney Texas
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I thought so, too. That's why my thread regarding Andersen (and a link) who has a prototype.
Originally Posted by Jonathan0996
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That PRS is a beautiful guitar but the tone and vibe are different than an acoustic archtop. I just think the technology is cool and it's cool Andersen is spending time and $$$ on the concept. Originally Posted by fumblefingers
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Duh... I missed that link and went straight to the video. I'm glad to see he's working on this. Originally Posted by DRS
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yep its cool, and has made a really huge splash with Classical guitar luthiers and players, including John Williams and David Russel (Smallman, Dammann guitars).
Buscarino has used it on his Cabaret nylon string guitar. The Cabaret has a pickup but sometimes you may not want to use it, so the nomex makes sense.
i maintain however, that a steel stringed instrument that has a pickup has what it needs for volume, and if its all acoustic without a pickup, an oval hole will do.
just not sure why this is needed on an archtop, i guess we'll see how it goes.Last edited by fumblefingers; 01-27-2013 at 10:11 PM.
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Just from a technology standpoint thought this was pretty interesting. Thanks DRS.
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I'd love to see a gypsy guitar made with this stuff...
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Anyone heard the Andersen? My impression (based on the 3 paragraphs on his homepage) was the nomex lets him build a laminate guitar with similar volume and tone of a carved top. If it means i can afford an Andersen I'm all for it. Any news?
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Steve Andersen actually built 2 archtops with Nomex. His first one was a 16" Vanguard of laminated maple and Nomex top and laminated maple back and rim with a routed in neck pup, Fresh Fish 23, $5800. His second was a 16" acoustic prototype of spruce and Nomex and carved solid maple back and rim with a floating pup.
Erich Solomon discusses his own take on it here: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=313247 . He credits Steve Andersen and another luthier in Maine.
Double-tops have been quite the rage in the classical guitar world for quite some time. However, it is not without its controversy and detractors. Some find that double-tops of Spruce, Nomex, Western Red Cedar (a popular sandwich) lack tonal colours compared with a solid spruce or solid Western Red Cedar top. Double-tops are certainly loud.
It is also worthy to note that the Erich Solomon Nomex archtop has no recurve in the top. I am not sure the Steve Andersen Prototype does either.
Nomex is kind of a cellulose-based honeycomb material, if my reading of it is correct. There was video of Steve Andersen's prototype being passed around a room in an informal setting but it has since been removed.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 10-17-2013 at 06:58 PM.
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LOL. Isn't that a timely thread. Thanks for the link!
The price seems to be about the same. Is the advantage volume for smaller bodies?
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Glad to see my old thread is generating interest. I thought the concept and technology was cool. I like the guitar Solomon built and his assessment of the tone. Maybe Nomex is the answer for small, light weight jazz guitars that sound good both acoustic and electric.
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Tom Painter made one, though he seems to have stopped building instruments.
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I've played both the Andersen and the Solomon. The Andersen was killer. I mean killer! To be fair, the Solomon was a recently completed instrument, in fact not quite completed, and I played it outdoors. But that Andersen - killer!
I'm sorta jonesing for one, but have concerns about the longevity. I understand the double top is supposed to be very stiff, stiffer than a spruce plate, but who knows how long that quality will hold up? They just haven't been around long enough on steel strung instruments to tell.
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Bumping the thread because I just found a great video. Steve shows how the top is made, and some gorgeous sounds from Bill Frisell playing it. The sound reminds me of old Harmonys with the really thin pressed tops ... and I mean that in the best possible way.
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When I saw the words Andersen and double top on the same line, for some reason I thought Pam Anderson.
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Only for readers of a certain age... Originally Posted by rsclosson
For some of the younger readers, yeeech, that old bag. Somewhat like when I heard my dad talk about Jayne Mansfield...
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I'm a pretty old guy myself and I tend to think the same way. No doubt because of all the mileage. However, the double top and Anderson seem to fit together pretty well; especially since the center of the nomex is also man made. ; ) Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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I would like to thank everyone for not making a wood joke.
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Originally Posted by spiral
Nomex and the other (Corning?) are both fire-retardant... Originally Posted by rsclosson
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A really nice pickup in a cheap guitar
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