Archtop Guitars Mega Review - 11 fine Jazz Boxes

[rpguitar]

set in pups only make sense to me on laminate boxes--the classic 175 sort of sound.

I used to think that too until I finally took the plunge on an L-5CES.

[jorgemg1984]

would you like to be next PB?...:-)

Ha ha no... I would like to be myself

[jorgemg1984]

That's the classic fully carved, solid tone wood archtop with floating pup sound. Nothing is cut into the wood to dampen the sound and the top vibrates freely, so the actual acoustic sound of the guitar radiates through the amp very well.

Apart from the laminate Gibby HR (which I used to have--with the oval. Hole it made for a bright sounding guitar--which I liked), set in pups only make sense to me on laminate boxes--the classic 175 sort of sound.

I have played some carved archtops with floating mini humbuckers and they don't sound like that... it takes a PAF to give you Peter's sound. I actually think that's the magic of his guitar, fully carved plus PAF, the best of both worlds.

[kris]

Ha ha no... I would like to be myself

All The Best
kris

[kris]

I have played some carved archtops with floating mini humbuckers and they don't sound like that... it takes a PAF to give you Peter's sound. I actually think that's the magic of his guitar, fully carved plus PAF, the best of both worlds.

Yes... I agree.
Only problem is how to instal standard size PAF as floater...It is a little bigger than f.ex. KA hand made floating PAF .
I talked to pickups maker and he told me that it is possible after mods of humucker.

[jorgemg1984]

My luthier said if he'd make the guitar from scratch it would be doable... I think that's what happened with Pete's Zeidler, the original owner requested a PAF as a floater from the beggining and Zeidler found a way.

[jorgemg1984]

Bernstein uses amplification like Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney in his later years...just enough to augment the guitar, not overpower it.

True if playing solo, duo, trio on a mall venue... I saw him playing at Smoke with a loud drummer, a loud horn and a loud hammond - he was sounding much more like a regular PAF archtop trough a blackface. Still, amazing!!

[kris]

True if playing solo, duo, trio on a mall venue... I saw him playing at Smoke with a loud drummer, a loud horn and a loud hammond - he was sounding much more like a regular PAF archtop trough a blackface. Still, amazing!!

Yes...
It can be.
I think this is a nature of pick ups at louder volume/amp/ they change "character of the sound".

[Ronstuff]

I like Bernstein's tone. I have an Eastman 803 that is all solid woods and with a set humbucker. I changed the pickup for a Gibson 57 to get a better electric tone. It is a very bright guitar... Sounds really different compared to Pete's sound. I guess the X bracing gives it that tone color. I actually put some foam inside to tame the acoustic tone when playing with an amp and flatwounds help too. Otherwise it sounds almost too acoustic for me and the electric tone has a kind of 'underwater' character ...The acoustic tone is nice for home and a percussive type of sound, but I like to get a more PAF'ish tone when playing with drums. I know I could use a laminate but I'm trying to get the most out of this guitar.
Amplified solid tops have something different to offer, compare Pete's tone to when he played Gibsons. Later Jimmy Raney is also neat with his Hofner (But Beautiful album).

[3625]

I might get a custom archtop soon and already told my luthier I want a regular PAF in there as a float... now it's up to him

Very Cool... I'm seriously considering doing that myself - I'm thinking laminate 17" X 2.75" with a single mounted paf. I'll make enquiries to see if I could get laminate plates from Roger Borys, since he made the laminate for Jim Hall's D'Aquisto. I saw that Stephen Holst also makes high spec laminate plates for luthiers as well. Sorry, Off Topic lol

[3625]

Yes...
It can be.
I think this is a nature of pick ups at louder volume/amp/ they change "character of the sound".

Yeah, it's like two different sounds - low volume is sort of an enhanced 'acoustic' tone and loud volume more electric. Like NSJ said, the Howard Roberts was a very bright guitar - at low volume it was too bright for me, but when you opened up the amp a bit it sounded fantastic.

[Klatu]

It strikes me that the same amp settings were chosen for all eleven guitars. How close do you think the guitars would have sounded had you altered the settings a bit?

[ah.clem]

I love the floater sound, think it shines brightest (no pun intended) in finger-style playing. I hear built-ins as kinda rolled off, compressed; not in a bad way, just different. The floaters sound much more acoustic (at times almost a classical sound) and present, but that is what I strive for in my tone, so it makes sense that I prefer the floater sound. That said, for blues playing, the built-in HB is what I like to play and hear. Just my opinion.

[uburoibob]

Not a bad tone in the bunch, but this is more evidence of what I have already thought...to my ears, a set humbucker beats a floater every time...

i think my fave was the L4.

I agree - a guitar that was built to be an electric guitar should sound better as an electric guitar every time. And vice versa - a guitar meant to be played acoustically SHOULD always sound better, acoustically, than a guitar with pickups mounted on it. Two different worlds.

Floaters came along so that guys playing dry boxes in big bands didn't need to sell their wonderful guitars to go electric. Jim Hall changed that way of thinking and the far less expensive and utilitarian 175 became popular.

To me, solid spruce top guitars with pickups cut in CAN and often DO sound great (Kenny Burrell, Wes, etc) but ultimately, I don't think playing a press-wood lam top would have changed a thing about anything they played. The acoustic Archtop players were the original JazzGuitar.be guys and acoustic Archtops had always been the grail. Adapting them to the new music became an objective, and, in some cases, an obsession. Sound like us?

Bob

[Pat Clare]

Not a bad tone in the bunch, but this is more evidence of what I have already thought...to my ears, a set humbucker beats a floater every time...

i think my fave was the L4.

+ 1 I also prefer a set humbucker

[2bornot2bop]

Yeah I'm all over the floater sound with the right guitar, pickup, amp, setup, and... Most importantly... touch.

U took the words right out of my mouth. Having a floater in ones arsenal, alongside a set humbucker, feels as right as rain to 2b. Anyone who heard a Loar LH-650 mated with a Bartolini 5J would be amazed how good that setup is. There's nothing "bright" about the 5J. I found it to reveal greater wood resonance than any set pup I've owned.

+1 for the GE with the Heritage #3 pup.

[3625]

Anyone who heard a Loar LH-650 mated with a Bartolini 5J would be amazed how good that setup is. There's nothing "bright" about the 5J. I found it to reveal greater wood resonance than any set pup I've owned.

I'll be trying out a 5J tomorrow (NGD - D'A exl-1) for the first time and am very interested to see what it's like - mostly my guitars have been paf's, so it'll be fun to work with something different.

[2bornot2bop]

I'll be trying out a 5J tomorrow (NGD - D'A exl-1) for the first time and am very interested to see what it's like - mostly my guitars have been paf's, so it'll be fun to work with something different.

Congrat's on the EXL-1! While the LH650 isn't a laminate, I'd be interested to hear how the Bartolini 5J sounds on the EXL-1. Did someone replace the EXL-1's stock asian floater with a 5J?

[3625]

Congrat's on the EXL-1! While the LH650 isn't a laminate, I'd be interested to hear how the Bartolini 5J sounds on the EXL-1. Did someone replace the EXL-1's stock asian floater with a 5J?

I've had it for a few hours today - yep, previous owner replaced the stock pup. Kinda busy atm but will do a NGD thread either tomorrow or the next few days, and try to do a soundcloud clip with photos. For The Money (groan) it's a great jazz box. Despite being very happy with my purchase, it does need a pro setup job - action's a bit high despite the bridge being at it's lowest setting. I'll take it to my repair guy who does fantastic work and all shall be good.

5J - high quality pup. Quite balanced despite not having individual string adjustment like a paf. To my ears, it's got that modern floater tone, meaning a tad sterile in character but very responsive and even in regards to your playing. I'm liking the fact it's different to a mounted paf which is what I'm overwhelmingly familiar with. I'm probably more of an old school dude in terms of guitar tone, but this pup is cool - digging it for now.

[bob dullam]

they all sound great. But if I had to choose one, I would choose the Gibson L-5. it has the classic jazz guitar sound. The wes M. sound am really into that sound these days.