Is there such a thing as electric flattop?

[Tal_175]

As opposed to electric archtop. I don't mean flattops with sound hole pickups or piezo type pickups. I mean a hollowbody flattop design with flattop style bridge and humbuckers.
Does that exist?

[hotpepper01]

It does exist. Cole Clark has one, but there will probably be more of such a model out there. Can't really call that a flattop, it is more a thinline...

[John A.]

As opposed to electric archtop. I don't mean flattops with sound hole pickups or piezo type pickups. I mean a hollowbody flattop design with flattop style bridge and humbuckers.
Does that exist?

There have been a few. Off the top of my head:
- Gibson J160e ( John Lennon played one); there’s also an Epiphone copy,
- Martin D-18 and 28e

I think there were also some Guilds (they make one with a soundhole pickup now)

[Stringswinger]

Gibson J-160E - Wikipedia

The Beatles used them. A plywood flattop with a built in pickup.

[mr. beaumont]

There's this thing from Gretsch, the kings of subtlety.

Gretsch Guitars G5031FT Rancher Acoustic-Electric Guitar Sunburst | Guitar Center

[Tal_175]

I was thinking of a more electric design. Sort of like the Cole Clark guitar in the first post. Imagine an ES175 type guitar but flattop with a flattop style bridge. I'm wondering if that type of design would have a woody, hollow attack of an electric archtop but with more sustain?

[John A.]

I was thinking of a more electric design. Sort of like the Cole Clark guitar in the first post. Imagine an ES175 type guitar but flattop with a flattop style bridge. I'm wondering if that type of design would have a woody, hollow attack of an electric archtop but with more sustain?

How about a Godin A6

or

Taylor T5?

[wintermoon]

I thought of the J160E but the op said humbuckers, the J has a single coil.

[Tal_175]

How about a Godin A6

or

Taylor T5?

Yeah, that's right I forgot about the T5. I've been intrigued by those. These types of guitars seem to be marketed as "more versatile" alternatives to stage oriented acoustic guitars. I think they are intended to be used with phosphor bronze strings.
I guess it's unrealistic to expect similar designs that are more targeted towards the "jazz box" market given the traditional and aesthetic constraints of the style.

[John A.]

Yeah, that's right I forgot about the T5. I've been intrigued by those. These types of guitars seem to be marketed as "more versatile" alternatives to stage oriented acoustic guitars. I think they are intended to be used with phosphor bronze strings.
I guess it's unrealistic to expect similar designs that are more targeted towards the "jazz box" market given the traditional and aesthetic constraints of the style.

If you're not wedded to the idea of a flattop style construction, but want a guitar that sounds like a flattop unplugged and an electric plugged in, maybe take a look at one of the old Tacoma archtops (IIFC, the model was AJF22 or something like that). They come pretty close to that.

[TAA]

Maybe an electric flat top….

Here is a 1973 Martin D-35 that has a Barcus Berry pickup attached on the underside of the top, on the RH diagonal brace. Look close @ the photo. The output jack is in the bottom strap pin.

Also included is a small box that has the tone and volume controls. The guitar cord goes into it and then another cord leaves the box and goes to the amp.

I bought this one guitar new in 1974. In 1975 I had the artwork applied to the pickguard and at the same time had the pickup installed. This guitar has never left the house for playing jobs. I used my L-5C for that task. I would like to sell the D-35.

Tom

[Easy2grasp]

I believe the Gibson J160e had a solid top in 1954 and switched to laminated the next year, making the 1954 more collectible, but I don't know if one worked out better than the other as far as feedback. It also had ladder bracing which wasn't too good for the acoustic response. It was going to be the "Les Paul Flattop", but Les Paul would not sign off on it due to feedback. It reportedly sounded like an electric guitar and not an acoustic. Even after the switch to laminated, Les never endorsed it. And as Wintermoon pointed out it is not a humbucker, but I still would like to have one, especially John Lennon's!

[jim777]

I've never played one of these Virtuo models myself, but I absolutely LOVE my Emerald X-20 Artisan.

Virtuo - The Ultimate Carbon Fiber Performance Guitar

[TAA]

Does a Zager guitar qualify? A friend has one and really likes his. He does not play jazz though. There is a small “control unit” mounted on the rim of the guitar. They are not real expensive, if that matters. But it is a flat top and it is electric.

Tom

[Tal_175]

Does a Zager guitar qualify? A friend has one and really likes his. He does not play jazz though. There is a small “control unit” mounted on the rim of the guitar. They are not real expensive, if that matters. But it is a flat top and it is electric.

Tom

Almost every acoustic guitar comes with acoustic electric amplification these days. My Gibson's and Taylor's all have guitar cable input jacks in the strap buttons. As I said in the OP, I don't mean those type of electric-acoustics when I say electric flattop.

[orabbit1]

[Doctor Jeff]

Dayum, I’d love to hear Billy Strings or Kenny Vaughn go to town with that.