I'm just worried that my lack of expertise may have missed something critical, and I don't have an archtop expert I can take with me to inspect it.
It has wound strings which I would like to swap out for flats. I'd also like to swap out the pick guard for one with a floating pickup. At the same time, I wouldn't want to do anything to upset the guitar so much that it becomes damaged. Maybe that is the risk with all old guitars?
These are nice guitars. I have a couple of them knocking around the bunker somewhere.
They maintain their value so long as one does not drill too many extra holes in them or chop them up for pickups.
I recommend keeping any old parts with the instrument (in the case pocket), since originality does affect value.
There are lots of replacement parts that can be retrofitted to improve performance without the need to modify the guitar. Modifications affect value.
Unlike old Hofners built for the domestic European market, Hofners like this, built for Selmer for export to the UK, have labels and serial numbers, which makes them very easy to identify and date. Like most better Hofner archtops, they also have dates written or stamped onto the undersides of their tops, easily found using small mirrors and lights.
Please don't change it, that guitar is very original, and looks a particularly nice example as the wood has very strong figuring, it even has the original tuners which often get changed out.
If you decide to add a pickup, just get a floating unit that attaches to a pickguard assembly and put the original guard in the case. That way the guitar can always be returned to stock condition.
I thought it was a quite common location to have muscle aches but it appears not so much, or I haven't yet figured out the correct terms to search for.
Getting old... yeah, no fun, and I don't...
I might suggest taking a peek at the cross section of the wood provided by the cuts of the unbound F holes, or in the case that they're bound in some way, loosen the pickup ring and lift the pickup...
Yes, that's a good one. That'll show you moving sixths, thirds, tenths, and so on, in use. That way you're learning the intervals and a good tune to know at the same time. Notice how he mixes up the...
Based on pics Your guitar has full size humbuckers. I am not sure if there is a MT mini hum that can be installed to a humbucker ring with the side screws, all I find on the net are meant to attach...
Some examples here are more like just duos… I respect and admire many tasteful and skilful players and there are collaborations I really love…. but when you have Trane and Duke… you cannot put...
The side view of the bridge shows it angled to the body more than makes me comfortable; the direction of the down force from the strings aligns approximately with the bisection of the strings' break...
Yeah it's kind of a mish mash of four and how high the moon w the four section kind of serving as an intro of sorts.
Jack Mcduff was known for using arrangements, more so than most organists.
That's a beauty.
Waiting to buy strings in the Totowa, NJ GC last week, I opened up a D'Angelico hard case that was on the counter, something someone apparently just sold to the store. Inside was...
Was in the Springfield, NJ store a few Saturday's ago. Somebody who looked familiar recognized the tune I was playing: Miles' "So What". I gave him the thumbs up for naming that tune. Several people,...
Kenny Burrell, Jack McDuff, How High The Moon...
Yesterday, 10:38 PM in The Songs