What's the difference between a flat top and an arch-top?

[Finalannsa]

Forumites,

                In plainspeak what are the differences between the flat-top and the arch-top?  I'm not talking about the physical differences because most are obvious.  I'd like to know what one achieves by playing one over the other. What type of music does the arch-top excel in?  What are the tonal differences?  Why does the archtop pick guard hover above the soundboard? I am under the impression that the arch-top is mainly used for Jazz.  If so what properties of the arch-top make it more applicable to Jazz?

This is just something that I've wanted to know-

Finalannsa

[ronmac]

http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic/browse_frm/thread/ebfb9d7a08cbbfaf/388be4c95502fca8?tvc=1#388be4c95502fca8

[unclrob]

Being Cool?



No just kidding.There tonal diff's that just IMHO makes one better for the feel and tone of a tune.Right tool for the job.

[Finalannsa]

Thanks for the replies.  I checked out the link that Ronmac provided.  What I gather is that they are dogs unamplified and just passable when amplified.  I agree that they are pretty cool to look at but other than that what's the point?  Maybe I'm missing something. Any other thoughts guys and gals?

Finalannsa

[unclrob]

My Gibson L7's give me an old time jazz tone that works for some stuff tonally that I just can't get with a flattop.I also prefer playing slide on them as that old blues tone is right there.I also think that for me its an anal thing,I want a certain tone that I just can't get from anything elso.

[Tycho]

What I gather is that they are dogs unamplified and just passable when amplified.

I wouldn't say that.  As someone said above, they do very different things.  Generally, jazz players want a different kind of tonality from bluegrass or folk-fingerstyle players, and they get it from archtops.

Having said that, I saw up-and-coming jazz singer Susie Arioli last week, and while her main guitarist (Jordan Officer) was using some kind of archtop, her second guitarist spent most of the night playing a Gibson dreadnought!

[jimmyd]

There are a million examples of the variety of sounds gotten from a flat top. For great archtop playing you might listen to some old jazz recording of guys like Freedie Green. Those old arch tops had incredible punch and just throbbed when hit hard.  Forget trying to keep up with a banjo. Try to get your flat top to cut rythmn chords through a 17 piece orchestra with a full horn section unamplified. If you want to hear remarkable playing on an amplified arch top there are a lot of jazz greatd to choose from.

[Fergy07]

I think it depends on the archtop type certainly if you include guitars such as the Gibson ES 335, they are meant to be amplified, but remember that the orginal Gibson L5's and such were the loudest guitars of their day not plugged in. The nice ones from Anderson and such, are something to be drooled over in the sound department and a good number come without any amplification.

Andy

[Ratishna]

What jimmyd said.  Archtops are also good blues pcikers, but to put them down because they don't sound as good as flat tops isn't fair.  They aren't meant to sound that way.

E. Shoaf

[Gemnoc]

Having said that, I saw up-and-coming jazz singer Susie Arioli last week, and while her main guitarist (Jordan Officer) was using some kind of archtop,

That kid (Officer) sure can play!

[Calvin]

1. They sound different, very different.  Eat some normal chinese restaurant rice, and eat some Uncle Ben's brand rice.  That's basically sums it up.

2. Most acoustic archtop is very expensive and is out of the reach of most buyers.  I believe the archtops can do most stuff any other guitar can do (cept maybe bluegrass or country), but they are definitely less accessible do to the price.