Are acoustic archtops a design failure?

**christianm77** · 08-17-2018, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

The reason could be the necks are very unusual for jazz. Super wide, with V profile and high action, it doesn't necessarily lead to playing jazz chords easily. I wish National would make a guitar with more or less normal neck and a bridge you can adjust.

Another point, V profiles and high actions were standard for guitars of the day. My Loar, which is a copy of the old L5's has a V profile for instance.

**Hep To The Jive** · 08-17-2018, 06:50 PM

Reso is closer to banjo in sound yes. I play both.

That's the guy I was subbing for for a while, and I got the gig because I had the National haha. I joke that the reso made me more money than any other guitar. Just the amount of busking and acoustic gigs I've been able to make, wouldn't happen if I didn't have it.

**christianm77** · 08-17-2018, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

Reso is closer to banjo in sound yes. I play both.

That's the guy I was subbing for for a while, and I got the gig because I had the National haha. I joke that the reso made me more money than any other guitar. Just the amount of busking and acoustic gigs I've been able to make, wouldn't happen if I didn't have it.

I thought you might know him! That channel swingyoucats is funny - some dude just filming every trad gig in NYC, or so it seems lol.

**citizenk74** · 08-17-2018, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Yeah, I'm not quite sure how many jazz guitarists of the 30s actually played resonators, which seems an obvious solution to the volume problem. Did Teddy Bunn play one?

Lonnie Johnson, for one.

**christianm77** · 08-18-2018, 02:45 AM

Of course!

**pcjazz** · 08-18-2018, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

The imaginative messrs Reed and Foreman have their own solutions to this perennial conundrururrmrmmrmmrmrrrrrmmuumm

Cheap suitcase and brushes was Eddie Condon’s touring solution. I guess the suitcase was also useful for transporting those fifths he didn’t flatten.

**pcjazz** · 08-18-2018, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by citizenk74

Lonnie Johnson, for one.

Lonnie played 12-string in the Lang duets and electric later. I haven’t heard him on resonator.

**oldane** · 08-18-2018, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Did Teddy Bunn play one?

On the pictures I have seen of him, he played an acoustic non cutaway L5, an early Epiphone Masterbuilt as well as a blonde guitar which I can't identify. From his later days there are pictures of him with a Gretsch hollowbody electric. But no resophonic.

**yebdox** · 08-18-2018, 12:10 PM

Tone and playing sure sound nice, String! Of your other (less expensive) guitars, which comes closest in tone, when you play it, to your DA?

**Stringswinger** · 08-18-2018, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by yebdox

Tone and playing sure sound nice, String! Of your other (less expensive) guitars, which comes closest in tone, when you play it, to your DA?

My L-5 Wesmo

**Greentone** · 08-18-2018, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

Cheap suitcase and brushes was Eddie Condon’s touring solution. I guess the suitcase was also useful for transporting those fifths he didn’t flatten.

Condon was one of the best known guys who was a banjo player who converted to 4-string archtop in a dance orchestra.

**yebdox** · 08-18-2018, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

My L-5 Wesmo

Excellent confirmation, I'm keeping mine! Thanks, you sound great!

**citizenk74** · 08-18-2018, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

Lonnie played 12-string in the Lang duets and electric later. I haven’t heard him on resonator.

I've seen pix of him with a National Tricone, IIRC.

**pcjazz** · 08-18-2018, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by citizenk74

I've seen pix of him with a National Tricone, IIRC.

Not doubting you, but if you can post a link or other info I’d be glad to see it. I’m quite keen on Lonnie, having known him briefly when he lived and performed in Toronto towards the end of his life. I had an old tricone in those days and I’m pretty sure he saw it but he never mentioned having used one. At that point he was playing a cherry red Strat in his open D tuning.

**citizenk74** · 08-18-2018, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

Not doubting you, but if you can post a link or other info I’d be glad to see it. I’m quite keen on Lonnie, having known him briefly when he lived and performed in Toronto towards the end of his life. I had an old tricone in those days and I’m pretty sure he saw it but he never mentioned having used one. At that point he was playing a cherry red Strat in his open D tuning.

Sorry, no link. Just my (possibly failing) memory.

**christianm77** · 08-19-2018, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by pcjazz

Not doubting you, but if you can post a link or other info I’d be glad to see it. I’m quite keen on Lonnie, having known him briefly when he lived and performed in Toronto towards the end of his life. I had an old tricone in those days and I’m pretty sure he saw it but he never mentioned having used one. At that point he was playing a cherry red Strat in his open D tuning.

Hah! Amazing, I bet loads of those guys would have thought us mad, trying to play the instruments they played back in the day. They’d be saying ‘we have better instruments now, why not play those? Easier to play and you can hear yourself!’

I can well imagine Django on an SG, joining in the jazz rock movement if he’d lived longer. Don’t ask me why an SG, it’s just kind of what I picture :-)