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Reunion Blues makes a dreadnought size sort-of-soft case that is perfect for this size/depth of archtop guitar.
Last edited by Hammertone; 12-01-2018 at 06:29 AM.
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10-16-2018 09:58 AM
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Awesome HT! I think I may have found a good offer on an original hard shell Gibson es-175 case. The guitar fits perfectly side to side, and the case had an arch. What would you think?
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Finally got the Gibson case. It was a “leftover” for the shop and I got it for relatively cheap (tho still a bit more than I wanted to spend… but you know how it is). It fits like a glove, is made for an archtop, and it was a good deal!
So now the two last nerdy questions I have are:
- Do you see any danger in keeping her in the case for a few days in a row?
- Do you have an idea what finish is on it and what guitar stands would be safe to use with her?
Best to all!
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No danger in storing the guitar in the case. The finish is some version of nitro-cellulose lacquer. Hofner didn't start using poly finishes until the 1960s. The guitar is so old that the finish should be pretty stable by now. The pickguard is acrylic, which is very stable and doesn't emit gas. Any decent stand should do. You can wrap the contact areas with some soft cotton fabric if you are concerned.
Originally Posted by radiofm74
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You are an inter-national treasure and a blessing for all Höfner owners around the world! Thank you! Originally Posted by Hammertone
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Hi omphalopsychos, Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
after about 1 month of experience, I have noticed a few things about the RC and how it compares to a FHC:
1. Both are awesome, each in its own way
2. Both sound at their best with the volume a bit off from full, and require careful testing before you settle on distance from strings
3. The Rhythm Chief tends to like cleaner amps (like blackface amps) much better than the FHC... maybe mine was voiced more having in mind the amps that were its contemporaries (from the knobs I guess it’s a 60s pickup). Of my amps, the FHC seems to like the Champ exclusively. So the RC is probably a more versatile pickup.
4. My overall preferred sound is, perhaps, still the sweet, raw and round tone of the FHC, with a bit of volume off, in the champ. But I also like the more refined RC tone a lot, and I probably still have to get the hang of it completely. I am quite happy to have the RC on the guitar I will use more “professionally” so to speak because I won’t get to choose my amp every time, so it’s good to have a pickup that tends to sound good no matter what.
5. Last Wednesday I had my first big band rehearsal (it was wonderful and I want to have a thread on this). Due to practical considerations I could not do my elaborate set-up of a microphone in the PA for acoustic sound and DeA into the amp for solos. So I just plugged in and used the “rhythm circuit”. The results were quite good: a reasonably good rhythm sound and a marked jump in volume and fullness for when I want to do a solo. I still want to do my own acoustic/electric set-up, but it’s a great feature on the RC and potentially a life-saving one in situations where you are expected to chop 4/4 but have to plug in the amp. I get why they called it the “rhythm chief”
About the guitar: my left hand, which had to do “Freddie Green” chords all evening and pulsate away, really appreciated how comfortable the curvier board of the Höfner is!
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One very annoying problem I have encountered is that the Rhythm Chief rattles, at times very noticeably. I have padded it a bit better underneath, and carefully put the little tag under the pickguard so it cannot vibrate freely upwards, plus used bi-adhesive scotch to keep it from moving from the fretboard. It all improved the situation, but still it rattles especially if I play chord melody.
I trace it back to the fact that the Höfner has a very pronounced arch.
For now I use the “monkey on a stick”. I wonder if going for a professional neck mount installation would solve my problem, but then I have no idea where I could mount the control box. The pickguard is almost flush with the body, so it’s impossible to do the usual trick of drilling a little hole in it and using the switch screw to secure it. Maybe I’d have to get a repro pickguard and new bracket so it sits a bit higher? This one sits so low that I have to remove it every time I want to take the pickup off, which is also very annoying.
Any advice is most welcome. If I take her in to the luthier, I’ll do it at the end of next week (and he’ll keep her forever, sigh…).
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It's possible to mount the pickup and still use the control box. Just eliminate the rod to the pickup which is attached to the neck and mount the box as it is now. Not ideal, but possible. Another possibility is using the Schatten thumbwheel controls. They mount underneath the pickguard, no holes required, and only a few millimeters of clearance needed. I prefer those instead of the usual pots. That's what I would recommend investigating first.
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Beautiful guitar! Congratulations! What amp do you play? The blonde Fender in the picture? It looks like a combo made from a bf Tremolux..
I also sometimes use the RC 1000 switch like you did. It can work very well in certain venues. For some reason it seems an undervaluated option.Last edited by jpb; 11-09-2018 at 01:36 PM.
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Myself, before I'd start changing the current setup, I'd do everything I can to determine where the rattle is and see if I can find a way to dampen it. The guitar looks so cool with it's clear pickguard, I think attaching the pickup directly to the pickguard and then adding a Schatten thumbwheel underneath it would take away from its charm. And there's no guarantee that it would eliminate the rattle. Did you check the monkey bar? Maybe it's rattling against the body. I've had that happen before.
By the way, the Shatten thumbwheels are good units. If you go that route, depending on the size of your f-holes, you might be able to stick it inside the treble side f-hole and then the only visual difference would be the cable from the pickup going into the f-hole. It'd look a lot like the picture you showed of the guitar in the case.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do!
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Thanks a lot everyone! I finally decided to take the guitar to the shop today for a first consultation and the luthier gave me the same advice as archtopdaddy. He already did a few minimal adjustments to have the pickup move a bit less and there seems to be improvement. In the coming days I’ll test it again, if there’s a rattle I’ll carefully tap around, find the source and hopefully fix it. Otherwise I’ll try go for one of the solutions sgosnell indicated. The DeArmond came to me with a “short rod” to be fixed at the neck and an additional clamp from which this short rod was cut (… so it’s a clamp with half the rod). If all else fails, I’ll fix the DeA at the neck and the control box at the “rod-less” master clamp.
@jbp. Yes it’s a 1964 BF Tremolux that lost its cab during its long life and came to me in that “combo” format. I have since got me a repro cab and I think it sounds better. It certainly is easier to lug around. As said, I thought that I’d use my DeArmonds exclusively through my little tweed, but it turns out that the Rhythm Chief likes the BF amp quite a bit!
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I had forgotten about the clear pickguard. You cannot make it look good with that pickguard and the wires and pots under it. The thumbwheels will fit into the treble f hole, though, and be inconspicuous. That might be a better solution than hanging the control box on the strings, but either way can be done.
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I will stick to the control box no matter what. I love it’s little “rhythm” function, I fear that without it the pickup would not sound the same, and I also like it a lot aesthetically, clunky and conspicuous as it is… such a cool 50s vibe. The only hassle is that I have to remove it every time I put the guitar back in its case because I am afraid that it would press down hard on the top. I’ve had a mini-jack inserted in the (non-original) cable from pickup to box for just this purpose. It’s no big deal… Originally Posted by sgosnell
Today, I will do the fine work of seeing if there’s still vibration and locate it. Wish me luck
PS: it was the pickup vibrating against the rod (or if you prefer the rod vibrating in the pickup hole). Shoved a little piece of wood in there and now it's a-ok. I don't doubt that I'll have to routinely get busy with dampening vibrations but she rings like a bell now, both acoustically and electrically. Yipeee!Last edited by radiofm74; 11-10-2018 at 08:36 AM.
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Glad you got it sorted out. The controls you use is entirely up to you. Play it in good health, and have fun.
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Thank you sgosnell! Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Hey radiofm74 -- Post a pic or two when you have it set up the way you want!
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Will do! Originally Posted by archtopeddy
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I’ve tried a bit of things, and with careful screwing of the clamp, checking the pickguard (main offender)… the rattle would go. Originally Posted by archtopeddy
But I’ve found that without the pickguard the guitar sounds better, and as it’s transparent the aesthetic change is not so great. So: Schertler putty!
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What a German blonde beauty. Congrats to this find and great that you care so much about this guitar. Hope you have so much fun playing that old "German Fräulein".
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Looks really great radiofm. Nice and clean. I'm wondering though... what did you decide to do about controls -- are you using the Shatten thumbwheels? BTW, the Schertler putty is good stuff, huh? Originally Posted by radiofm74
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No, no. I kept the control box. Only I remove it when I am not playing electrically or when I put the guitar back in its case. Originally Posted by archtopeddy
Here it is in full battle array, with a “Jonathan Stout” rig
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