Kevin Green archtops

**K. Green** · 12-08-2015, 04:28 PM

By way of introductions and shameless self promotion I've attached some photos of instruments I build. I'll be happy to share any knowledge I have re: building, repairs, etc. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you all...

**Bluedawg** · 12-08-2015, 05:45 PM

Nice

Where are you located ... North America? ... Europe?

Got a link to your website?

Good Luck!

**KAG** · 12-08-2015, 05:47 PM

Thx Bluedawg. My site is Kevin Green Guitars | Hand Made Instruments. I'm in Vancouver, Canada

**Woody Sound** · 12-08-2015, 05:53 PM

Welcome. Cool guitar shape, sort of a 50s beatnik daddy-o nod.

**IbanezAS100** · 12-08-2015, 05:54 PM

Welcome to the forum Kevin, wonderful designs! Really enjoyed looking at your website and build gallery. Very nice blend of traditional and modern aesthetics, sort of D'Aquisto meets Pagelli to my eyes. Tell us more about specs and design (the back is quite interesting) and please share sound clips if you have any.

Edit: just read a bit more on your site and listened to the Lance Keltner YouTube clip. The LG model looks fantastic, is that 14" or 15"?

**neatomic** · 12-08-2015, 07:08 PM

nice!!! interesting about the lute inspired back..was wondering

kudos for the french polishing as well!! great...what oil- olive, walnut or linseed?

much luck

cheers

**Klatu** · 12-08-2015, 07:11 PM

I love the innovating body shape. Godspeed!

**KAG** · 12-08-2015, 08:27 PM

Ha! You have a good eye! French polished using olive oil. And yes, I spent some time apprenticing with a lute maker back in the day. On my site you can see one of the 5 course guitars I've made. Always loved that construction method and it translates well with archtops. Nice and resonant, the back is also ergonomically sound.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-08-2015, 08:30 PM

These are really cool.

**KAG** · 12-08-2015, 08:35 PM

Ibanez, the back is laid up like a 5 course guitar and bent over bracing. The sides are chisseled away in the upper and lower bout to accept the shape. The lower bout curves in towards the front for a good fit against the players body. I haven't made another carved back since discovering how good this method sounds and feels. Thx for the compliments!

**citizenk74** · 12-08-2015, 11:54 PM

Very nice work. Welcome to the forum!

**KAG** · 12-09-2015, 12:40 AM

Thanks all for the warm welcome, it's good to be here!

**Toat** · 12-09-2015, 01:08 AM

I assume from your designs that you understand as many modern archtop builders do, that all any hollow body electric guitar is doing is causing the strings to vibrate differently as a result of bridge contact with the resonant top, and that the acoustic properties of the instrument are irrelevant to the amplified magnetic pickup sound. So let me ask you these questions:

How thick are the tops of your instruments?
Do having sound holes vs no sound holes affect the amplified tone in your opinion?
Aside from reducing feedback (I'm assuming), what difference does the bridge block have on the tone of your instruments?

**KAG** · 12-09-2015, 02:58 AM

Toat, good questions. In my opinion, an electric hollow body will differ from, for an extreme example, a solid body in two (maybe more than two, I'm thinking as I type) important ways. First and foremost is the decay rate of a note, and secondly with a hollow body the sound is richer in over tones. The accoustic properties of a hollow body do telegraph to the pickup at least on that level depending on top thickness, body depth, bracing, etc.
Therefore I use a variety of thicknesses, employ a bridge block, vary box depth, cut sound holes, etc. to achieve different effects.
When I use a bridge block, it's main purposes are to limit feedback and increase sustain. A top without sound holes and without a bridge block is used to achieve the same goal, but only partly so.

Just a thought: Build a 3 inch deep, hollow Telecastor but use the same pickups, scale length, etc. and I'm sure you'd hear a difference in sound coming out of an amplifier.

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-09-2015, 04:47 AM

As a lute and baroque guitar player, and jazz dabbler, I'm very pleased to see that old construction techniques have not been abandoned. I don't believe modern instruments are better, but I do believe they have evolved over time as music and society changed. I think we have a lot to learn from the luthiers of previous eras. Well done. I'd like to try your instruments, so send half a dozen or so over to Edinburgh for an extended trial :-)