Floater on a laminate archtop?

[Max405]

would not recommend a K&K unless you want to get an amplified acoustic guitar sound out of the guitar. My philosophy is that it's a tool. You bought it, do whatever you want with it but make sure it's got parallel bracing. Cutting through the bracing is a big NO-NO. A floater should sound good on it but floaters have their own unique tone. Not the same as a set-in pickup.

Sorry, I disagree. The KK Definity has actually stopped me from putting a magnetic pickup in my L7c. It is very versatile. If you play up toward the neck a little, you will get the warm jazz sound. If you want to turn it into a beater and kill its value then by all means, cut into it and turn it into something it's not. From your pictures, you and all previous owners have kept it nice and respected it so I say keep it the way it was intended to be. I can't believe you guys are advocating hacking up a 1962 mint condition guitar! There are plenty of guitars you can buy that will have set in pickups already for $500, but not many mint 1962 Guilds.
Or, you can try the ubiquitous deArmond pickup that to me looks like scaffolding placed on a guitar, but it will sound great..

[jzucker]

Sorry, I disagree * 2. I have a K&K in my Martin. Great pickup but sounds like an acoustic guitar. Not what most folks want out of a jazz axe. Johnny Smith, GB10, L5 or Heritage with a floater, all sound great. None sound like an acoustic guitar. If you're playing freddie green maybe...But then you won't want a plywood guitar.

[said, tongue-in-cheek] I can't believe guys are trying to tell you not to cut up your guitar. It's *YOUR* guitar. Do what you want with it. If you want to run it over or install a strat pickup it's up to you. Would someone tell you what to do with your own hammer or chisel? It's a !@#$ tool, lol.

Sorry, I disagree. The KK Definity has actually stopped me from putting a magnetic pickup in my L7c. It is very versatile. If you play up toward the neck a little, you will get the warm jazz sound. If you want to turn it into a beater and kill its value then by all means, cut into it and turn it into something it's not. From your pictures, you and all previous owners have kept it nice and respected it so I say keep it the way it was intended to be. I can't believe you guys are advocating hacking up a 1962 mint condition guitar! There are plenty of guitars you can buy that will have set in pickups already for $500, but not many mint 1962 Guilds.
Or, you can try the ubiquitous deArmond pickup that to me looks like scaffolding placed on a guitar, but it will sound great..

[kris]

Important. Cheque the sound on live gigs after mods.You can have feedback problems.Every mods in this kind of guitar are experiments.

[Doctor Jeff]

If you don't want to mess with volume controls on the guitar you can run it into a preamp like the Fishman ProEq and use that as a volume/tone control. Personally I'm not one who messes the volume and tone controls when playing - once it's set, I forget it.

[Stringswinger]

I totally disagree with Jack on the idea that guitars are simply "tools". They are tools in a musician's hands to be sure, but they are also art (especially archtops) and are can be rare, examples of antique Americana (and this Guild fits the description of that).

Go ahead and cut a hole in the top of an Asian made laminate guitar if you want to, nobody will ever care and the value of the guitar will not change, but I feel certain that an antique Guild archtop with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard would suffer a diminution of value if altered, and the world will have lost another unmolested example of a Hoboken made Guild archtop.

This guitar may not be a vintage Johnny Smith Award model, but neither is it an Ibanez Artcore.

[Dutchbopper]

What exactly is is the point of a floating pup on a laminate top? I once owned an Ibanez Johnny Smith (1977 model) with two floaters on it but that guitar sounded tinny and trebly due to them.

I can imagine a floater on a carved top or maybe on a very thin and responsive laminate top but on a thick laminate one????

Please explain.

Regards,

DB

[jzucker]

And I totally disagree that they are *NOT* tools. I guess i'm in the minority on message boards where most people spend more time photographing their guitars on the couch then they do playing them. When they become art, I lose my interest. I'm interested in music. The guitars are tools to make music. When they become the art, it takes away from what the guitars were designed to be in the first place. Tools to make music.

D'Angelico didn't design his guitars to be art. I remember talking to jimmy d'aquisto about this. In the later years, most of his guitars were being purchased by hobbiests as lifestyle appointments. He was deeply conflicted about this. He wanted his instruments played by professionals but at the same time, the professionals weren't the ones who could pay the kind of money he felt he deserved. I think his work was the dawning of the guitar as a lifestyle accessory.

I totally disagree with Jack on the idea that guitars are simply "tools". They are tools in a musician's hands to be sure, but they are also art (especially archtops) and are can be rare, examples of antique Americana (and this Guild fits the description of that).

Go ahead and cut a hole in the top of an Asian made laminate guitar if you want to, nobody will ever care and the value of the guitar will not change, but I feel certain that an antique Guild archtop with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard would suffer a diminution of value if altered, and the world will have lost another unmolested example of a Hoboken made Guild archtop.

This guitar may not be a vintage Johnny Smith Award model, but neither is it an Ibanez Artcore.

[Dutchbopper]

Of course they are tools. What else? Works of art? LOL.

I like the word Jack coined yesterday ... "Lifestyle" guitar. Indeed, there's plenty of folks that rather pontificate on them then play them. The guitar as a "lifestyle" product. You know, like the bank manager with a Harley in his garage.

DB

[kris]

expesive tools...
do you make a hole in Benedetto Cremona?
Cremona cost about $30 000 ...

[mr. beaumont]

What exactly is is the point of a floating pup on a laminate top? I once owned an Ibanez Johnny Smith (1977 model) with two floaters on it but that guitar sounded tinny and trebly due to them.

I can imagine a floater on a carved top or maybe on a very thin and responsive laminate top but on a thick laminate one????

Please explain.

Regards,

DB

I've actually only played one in my life where it seemed to really work--a Godin 5th Ave. Jazz. Great guitar. KA style pickup, but much darker sounding than most pups of that style.

If I had a guitar i liked, I'd do whatever i needed to do to it to make it useable.

But on the floater front, look for a DeArmond guitar "mike"...they pop up for less that $200 pretty often, and they sound great...not a "compromise" pickup, imo. I have one on an old laminate Kay (might be a solid top) Vintage sound, look, and you can attach it yourself in about two beers time, if you're not into cutting the top, or can't because of bracing.

[Stringswinger]

My vintage D'Angelicos get played on gigs and my Harley-Davidson motorcycles get ridden more than most.

They are all art to me. Art that I can use.

Here is a video of me using my 1948 DA on a live TV show a few years ago. A tool? Yes. Art? you bet!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9_KlKqzXhlE

[mr. beaumont]

Sounds great!!! Nice relaxed swinging lines too.

If I owned a guitar like that, I'd treat it like a child. I'm super protective of my kids...but they go EVERYWHERE with me too. How could such a great instrument not be played?

DeArmond sighting as well. Like I said, not a compromise pickup.

[kris]

My vintage D'Angelicos get played on gigs and my Harley-Davidson motorcycles get ridden more than most.

They are all art to me. Art that I can use.

Here is a video of me using my 1948 DA on a live TV show a few years ago. A tool? Yes. Art? you bet!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9_KlKqzXhlE

Nice video !
I can say guitar-artistic tool.
Guitar is a kind of artistic work.

[Hep To The Jive]

It's funny that back in the day when it was made, it was a budget/student archtop, and the electrified version was made as well, Guild X50..... which I also happen to own!



They are absolutely indentical guitars, no difference whatsoever, only X50 comes with Franz(p90) pickup stock. That's where I got the idea to have another one with humbucker. I just love those Guilds, aesthetically, and because they have a fat neck with very narrow nut width. Not many other archtops do.

I want to try a floater first, just because I can always take out and go for set in humbucker later. I do mean humbucker, so no DeArmonds or anything.

I'm thinking either Bartolini J5 or Lollar... The only thing I wonder how a pole pieces pickup would line up with the narrow string spacing the guitar got. I reckon those pickups designed for standard Gibson 1 11/16 neck?

[kris]

what nut width has this Guild?

[Hep To The Jive]

what nut width has this Guild?

1 5/8 both of them

[entresz]

I have a laminated Hofner Senator acoustic. I would never dream of putting a routed pickup on it. It's a great sounding acoustic, very punchy and loud. It is extremely light weight. I use it for gypsy jazz as it has a slightly sweeter sound than a Selmer style guitar, a bit more bottom and low mids.

There are some guitars that should not have floating pickups, as it makes no sense ie. the later Gibson ES165 Herb Ellis models- a heavy laminated guitar with no real acoustic sound.

[kris]

1 5/8 both of them

it is about 40mm...

[kris]

I have a laminated Hofner Senator acoustic. I would never dream of putting a routed pickup on it. It's a great sounding acoustic, very punchy and loud. It is extremely light weight. I use it for gypsy jazz as it has a slightly sweeter sound than a Selmer style guitar, a bit more bottom and low mids. There are some guitars that should not have floating pickups, as it makes no sense ie. the later Gibson ES165 Herb Ellis models- a heavy laminated guitar with no real acoustic sound.

There is version with pick up.Nice sound!

[larry graves]

There's nothing wrong with tools or anything else for that matter having aesthetic value!....L...

[kris]

but this is only internet presentation and experiments.
Gigs,concerts will shaw how new pickup work with old guitar.
Just my 2c.

[Hep To The Jive]

Ok, so just to pass on the info, an experimentation paid for, so you don't have to. Installed the Bartolini J5 first- crap sound, too boomy, too muddy, no clarity. I'm sure it's a fine pickup, just not for the laminates.

Finally, installed RI Rhythm Chief 1100. Yes, that's it!! Fantastic tone, I mean, really beautiful! It got the proper look as well, complete coolness.

So, yes, it's official- laminates can sound awesome with a floater, just needs the right one.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Hi!
seymour Duncan Johnny Smith floating humbucker is the only choice for the most authentic,mellow'tone.
On neck or pickguard (best)mount
cheers
HB

[kris]

KA PAF-is also nice.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

KA PAF-is also nice.

a little bright to my taste
HB