Would a 15” carved top be too bright?

[RJVB]

A 'hog neck and shorter scale might tame some of that brightness if you're worried about it.

I don't understand that. If shorter scales led to less bright sound, wouldn't short-scale bass guitars be the default?

[Greywolf]

+1 on Maegen Wells her small archtops are exquisite and she's a wonderful luthier

[sgosnell]

I don't understand that. If shorter scales led to less bright sound, wouldn't short-scale bass guitars be the default?

Regular scale bass guitars are about as short as possible, given practical string diameters. And I've never heard anyone complain about a bass being too bright.

[RJVB]

Regular scale bass guitars are about as short as possible, given practical string diameters. And I've never heard anyone complain about a bass being too bright.

My underlining and point exactly... but I do think that there are short(er)-scale bass guitars, not to mention the tiny ones (U-bass, I think? Aquila also make one). Doug Macleod's regular bassist often plays one, and I wouldn't believe it wasn't a run-of-the-mill bass e-guitar if I didn't know/see it.

[Woody Sound]

All things equal, long scale basses are usually brighter than short scale. They seem to want that.

[muzi]

I have two Eastman ar-145 which are a knock off of a Gibson es-140, you know the baby 175. The Eastman have a full scale length. The guitars sound huge and I’m convinced it’s the 3inch depth. They are 13 inches wide like a less Paul. Best guitar size I have ever played in my 32 years of playing. Small from the front and deep on the sides. It makes a difference

[JazzMuzak]

Bump. This has all been helpful, but wondering if there are any other additional perspectives.

[WahmBomAh]

Saul Koll builds a 15" Ultraglide model.
I have 2 and we dreamed up the body shapes together since I have #1.
Mine have no F holes for volume. In my experience the smaller body shape can sound mid pushed more than bright (especially with no F Hole).
The trick is to have the builder make it respond evenly across the freq range. It won`t give you the bottom of a 17" but through an amp the hardest thing to do is to get the bassy boom out of a 17" so the potential to dial in a great jazz tone that can stand up to a drummer who hits hard is what made a 15" attractive. Saul is the man!! His builds tend to lean towards the electric side of the jazz world but he can build and carve and brace his way through any wood.
This is NOT too bright. To offset the mid push I sought out a hifi but vintage pickup and found the guitar's mate was a 1960's Guild antihum. Amps? Still tough. THe Henriksen BUD is great. I suspect i`d be happiest with a heavy and pricey tube monster but I travel for gigs so THe BUD and a Milkman Amp50 do the trick
Thsi video is through a BUD.
https://youtu.be/rhbewMEqRfg?t=125

Of course you may have to find the pickup and amp that fine tunes where you want the EQ to take you.

[marcwhy]

Saul Koll builds a 15" Ultraglide model.

Thsi video is through a BUD.
https://youtu.be/rhbewMEqRfg?t=125

Of course you may have to find the pickup and amp that fine tunes where you want the EQ to take you.

Great stuff, Paul - thanks for posting! Saul is definitely the Man, and I think the kid in your band playing percussion is going to be leading his own group soon!



Marc

[WahmBomAh]

thanks Marc

[charleyrich99]

Hello all,

I’m having a luthier custom make me an instrument and was thinking of going with a 14.75” to 15” carved top floater. Think of a premium George benson style guitar.

The luthier, however, recommended against it. Saying that it would be bright and untamable.

Does anybody else have experience with a guitar with these specs?

I’ve played an es-446, which I liked quite a bit and is an even smaller body with a carved spruce top, but it has a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard, whereas I was planning on mine having a maple neck and ebony fingerboard.

thanks

I have a Tim Bram archtop that is 14" and it is not over bright. It has a very balanced sound both acoustically and plugged in with a Kent Armstrong 12 pole pickup.

Feedback has not been a problem even with a 5 piece band.

Try another luthier.