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Hello everybody,
I have been playing for many years and now I would like to give myself a jazz archtop but trying that of a friend I noticed that during the alternate picking with the sixteenth notes and going from one string to another, I cannot be as fluid as on my strat, and this it happens both sitting and standing, as if something hinders the movement of the wrist and the guitar is hard to play.
Could it be the thickness of the body that forces the forearm to a different position, and to me more uncomfortable than a stratocaster ? My fear is that I may find it difficult to switch from one guitar to another.
Any suggestions ?
Many thanks
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10-25-2022 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by jazzlove
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It is not an easy task to set up an arch-top guitar so that it is comfortable to play.
it largely depends on the quality of the instrument, the strings, the pick, etc.
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Did it have a pickguard? I prefer the looks without, but I need it for proper picking angle.
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The strings are effectively on a different plane and that is something your picking hand/arm has to make adjustments for. So you've got the thicker body added into the ergonomics, the top of the guitar several inches farther away from your body in addition to the plane of strings even higher due the the higher bridge and elevated neck of an archtop. So it's no surprise that you feel a big difference compared to your solid body.
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In the 70s I kept the guitar quite low and the right hand was extended downwards with the base of the thumb resting on the body and consequently the pick a bit tilted forward and when I started studying jazz, I started to raise the instrument and also the hand, consequently I kept the plectrum almost parallel to the strings, obtaining a nice round sound but losing speed. Now even with the electric I play more seated and when I'm standing, changes the world to me.
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Originally Posted by kris
So long as your neck is set right for your strings, you can come up and down as needed.
On the 335 I have to slacken the strings off.
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Originally Posted by vintagelove
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
besides, the arch-to hollow body - it's not just about the electric sound.
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Originally Posted by kris
In fact for an old school acoustic archtop the action was almost the volume control. Crank it for big band rhythm, take it down for chord melody. But even on 175 I also find it straightforward to adjust how it plays.
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I don't think archtops per se are more difficult to adjust than semis, or versa. It depends on the specific features of the guitar. For instance, my archtop and semis both have tune-o-matic style saddles, so intonation adjustments are identical. A truss rod is a truss rod, so that's a tie, too. But they have different post/adjustment designs:
The archtop adjustment wheel (black) is easier to turn under string tension; the semi is harder because the adjustment wheel is smaller and harder to get to. Adjusting the archtops's action on the fly is easy. Adjusting the semi's impractical. My strat has more adjustment points (height and intonation of individual saddles, bridge radius, whammy float and tension, neck tilt), that all interact with each other, so you have more control over set-up, but that also means more ways to mess it up, and all of them require tools. I don't think there's any difference in terms ease of alternate picking with any of them, but I'm so used to these guitars that if I ever did perceive a difference I've forgotten about it.
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This is not what I meant when I wrote about the guitars set up.
Most often, bridge height and other settings are done before playing.And that's probably not a problem.
The arch-top hollow guitar has a specific sound (acoustic and electric) and with the right setup you can get it or not.
For example I don't like low action on my hollow guitar.
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Originally Posted by Christian Miller
I mean jazz guitars with pickups, but mostly with acoustic sound.Setting the right height of the bridge has an effect on the tones, and this often requires more experimentation.
16" 1920s/30s L5
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