What percentage do you play your electric archtop unplugged?

**rlrhett** · 10-26-2016, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by sgcim

Can you use your guitars purely acoustically in an ensemble with a quiet drummer, and still hear them on single note solos? What type of an ensemble and room would they sound ideal in?
Are the ones with a built-in pickup as loud as the ones without one when they're played acoustically?
Are there any feedback problems when using them with a pickup?
Can you hear them online anywhere?
Are there any dealers selling them in the NYC area?
How much is your basic acoustic model?
What gauge strings do the acoustic ones require?
Thanks, in advance.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but if you would like to PM me I can give you the details. The short answer is that they are acoustically as loud as a good dreadnaught flattop, but with a very different voice. Much more single note separation and mid-range punch. Designed for single lines or chord-melody playing, not pounding out C-D-G chords. Like what an archtop "should" sound like (at least in my mind!

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Bluegrass players play dreadnaughts opposite a fiddle, bass, mandolin and drummer and rarely plug in. If you need more umph, my guitars all come with soundboard transducers (K&K Pure Mini) and optionally a floating pickup (I like the KA hand wound 12 pole). Or you can mic it. Feedback issues are on par with any acoustic guitar.