Armrest (or other solutions) for archtop with sharp edge

[Llewlyn]

I have an Eastman 910CE - it's super cool, but the binding has a quite sharp edge that dig into my picking arm when I play. I encountered that already with flattops, and the way I'd solve this would be to put a John Pearse arm rest which has been working great so far.

BUT: I cannot do that with the archtop, as none of their armrests really fits the shape. So I started googling for archtop armrest, but really didn't not find much. The only seems to be this one here which I am going to try.

Any recommendation for armrest on archtop?

Also, perhaps a crazy question, could a tech/luthier smooth out the binding and add a bevel?

Ciao,

Ll.

[Hammertone]

Smoothing / rounding the edge of the binding is easy, inexpensive and effective.

[RJVB]

Look into the Armadillo armrest. It fits perfectly to my Loar, and robustly with its 2 oversized suckers. Plus it raises my arm to compensate some of the height difference between the rim and the saddle.

An alternative to fixing/doing something to the guitar is to put something on your arm: the Luva arm pad (with the hard shell inside) is almost perfect for me as it has less influence than an armrest on my right arm geometry and freedom of movement. It actually improves the latter.

[Llewlyn]

Thanks for the answers!

I am glad smoothing the edge is an easy thing: I'll ask my tech to take care of it.

As per the Armadillo armrest: seems really cool, although I am concerned that the suction cups will damage the nitro finish. Do you take it off after every playing session?

Ll.

[Sleeko]

My Epiphone Elitist Byrdland kind of catches me the wrong way inside my arm but I believe it's the thin body depth as none of my other guitars bother me that way, particularly the Elitist Broadway.

[RJVB]

Do you take it off after every playing session?

Nope. It's been on almost continuously for about 2 years now and there isn't a trace of damage to the nitro finish. I almost wish there were because then I'd know where to put it back if ever it came off unexpectedly

[jazzshrink]

Look into the Armadillo armrest...

The manufacturer says their armrest is made of "pliable rubber". Any concern with nitro finishes?

Also, Armadillo lists the following competitors:

• John Pierce
• Abel Armrest
• Playwood
• Saddle-a-Bout
• Kris Barnett
• Rasgueo
• Mukava
• Plenosom
• Cumberland
• QT Armrest
• Bruce Wei

Might be worth checking out.

[Llewlyn]

I actually found them and checked all of them. I quite liked the one I initially posted on MintString, which is essentially the same idea of the John Pearse, but for an archtop shape.

I ordered both the MintString and the Armadillo

Ll.

[RJVB]

The manufacturer says their armrest is made of "pliable rubber". Any concern with nitro finishes?

AFAIK it's actual natural rubber; if anything I'd be more concerned of the effect a nitro finish can have on that material! I attach it with the edge of the suckers right up to the edge of the binding so the "overhand" doesn't touch the top (the rubber is stiff enough to ensure that). What little contact there is is at the level of the binding.

[Ol' Fret]

Smoothing / rounding the edge of the binding is easy, inexpensive and effective.

Yes, a smoothly rounded binding edge should be standard on all hollow-body guitars. It may be easy, inexpensive and effective, but in reality most industrially manufactured guitars, even more expensive ones, do come without this feature ... I call them arm cutters. Simple cost cutting.

In a smaller workshop, it's probably still best done with a scraper. Just take care that your binding layer is thick enough (one more cost factor) to achieve the desired effect for a larger rounding radius, not affecting the adjacent purfling.
It is also important to ensure that no drastic color differences occur as a result of reworking, especially with 'white' plastic binding color or celluloid on vintage guitars. Original clear layers of finish on a blonde guitar (binding) could either have darkened (Nitro) or the clear top coats are often lightly colored - most players are impressed by a vintage honey or amber look. Ideally the reworked binding has to be refinished.