Possible to convert a flat top into jazz guitar?

[Lionelsax]

[daniel52587]

The easiest way to convert it into a jazz box: play jazz on it.

But the piezo is likely not going to give you the preferred sound, so I would do as already suggested: mount a magnetic pickup into the soundhole (and slap some flatwounds onto it). Myself I would be tempted to fabricate a brace or bracket to mount a regular humbucker - say a Classic 57 or so - into the soundhole. Or a nice P90.

This is what I am kinda wanting to do. I seen the Bill Lawrence pickups and that might be a good and cheap temporary solution. But I would love to have a custom bracket that can somehow let me mount a Classic '57 into the sound hole. I just can't find any except some ugly plastic adapter by Tone Gods. I don't want the adapter to be visible or put holes into the top.

[daniel52587]

Yeah, piezos...its a very particular sound, and if you're listening to old jazz records, you're not hearing that sound.

I might recommend a soundhole pickup-- the cheap "Bill Lawrence" soundhole pickup. It's a lousy pickup as far as getting an acoustic sound. But it can make acoustic sound like an electric guitar plugged in quite well!

Amazon.com: Bill Lawrence A245C Acoustic Guitar Soundhole Pickup Black: Musical Instruments

I think Ill get one of these until I figure out how to do a permanent mount with a classic '57

[daniel52587]

Is there a good reason why no one has suggested a floating mini humbucker? A couple of chaps have suggested flatwounds or semi flats in a heavier gauge but what about the glued on stop bridge, it could just break away as I have seen these glued after finishing so the bond is not at it's best and even if it holds the top could possibly distort. It would not be a big job to fit a tailpiece (low angle) and the peg holes could be filled with a hard wax or coloured shellac, both available from antique furniture restorers. Nice looking guitar, hopefully and mod's will not detract. Good luck with the project, nice to see the boundary's being pushed.

I would like to do this. Im sure the strings could pass over the existing bridge just fine. I think it would look cool, but I feel kinda bad about putting screws into the guitar... Do you really think flat wounds would damage the bridge or body like that? Is there really that much more tension? That would be a real bummer.

[daniel52587]

I think flattop jazz sounds terrific, just not the same as archtop tone.
Piezo electronics can be OK, but my experience is that the LR Baggs system on my Gibsons gives a much better jazz tone than the Fishman system. One approach that helps is don't use an acoustic amp. Instead, plug into a tube amp and use a little drive from a dirt pedal in front. Works great, and you don't have to mess up your guitar.

Do you use flat wounds? Another poster said they could pull up the bridge or distort the top. Im guessing its been okay for you?

[va3ux]

[entresz]

Flats would only pull the bridge/distort the top if they're really heavy - if they're a similar gauge to the normal strings I can't see how it would make a difference.

If it was me I would fit a magnetic pickup to it - would be fairly easy to make a bracket to mount a humbucker. In my opinion piezo pickups never sound good.

[Longways to Go]

Do you use flat wounds? Another poster said they could pull up the bridge or distort the top. Im guessing its been okay for you?

No I just use round wound 12's. That's what I like on my archtops too

BTW, the Bill Lawrence pickup is very good -- I have a couple of those.

I will say again I think a good tube amp makes a big big difference, especially as you are not using a traditional electric archtop (or a tele!) LOL

[mrcee]

There's a video somewhere of Gabor Szabo playing using regular a HB mounted in the soundhole with a bracket but I prefer his tone with his usual De Armond. (I believe it was a D A) It could be other things though

[Socraticaster]

Check these guys out. They seem to have sound hole brackets for pickups: Pickup Mounts - EurekaSound!

[Mellow-G]

I would like to do this. Im sure the strings could pass over the existing bridge just fine. I think it would look cool, but I feel kinda bad about putting screws into the guitar... Do you really think flat wounds would damage the bridge or body like that? Is there really that much more tension? That would be a real bummer.

As someone else has suggested, if you keep to lightweight flatwounds it will probably cause no damage but as heavier strings require more tension I thought it was worth making you aware that damage may be a reality.
Your conclusion for lighter flats and the cheaper sound hole pickup appears to offer a good test that would be reversible should it not be to your liking and is also cheap as guitar mod's go.
Good Luck
Graham

[Lionelsax]

I think it comes the way you play.

One has got a magnetic pickup, the other one maybe has got a piezo.

With the right EQ and the way of playing, everything can be done but I can agree archtop can have the easiest sound to found.

Another video that explains something...

Jeffrey appears on the right...

Something else... a warm sound...

He put something to prevent from feedback, on this thing the pickup is put, no hole, no modification.

Maybe what you're looking for !

[john_a]

Almost played a hole thru the top of this old toss-around flat top Gibson LG-0, you can see the Willie Nelson marks that were started by the previous owner.
Right after I bought it, I fitted this De'Armond soundhole mount humbucker, really a pretty good design as it would clamp securely and had an integral thumbwheel volume control. Had to drill a hole in the side, to mount that 1/4" jack, but I was not concerned with the irreversible nature of that.

For Jazz sound, a full Humbucker can get 'dark' easier than most of the normal acoustic pickups, and on a mahogany (neck+body) guitar like this, a guitar that never had a great ringing out folk guitar sound, it was OK to use at parties where my L7C would be at risk.
John