Flat Top Acoustic vs Arch top Acoustic

[William2]

I'm wondering if anyone here has played both of these types of instruments. I was listening to a young player who plays vintage archtop instruments most of the time. I was very impressed by the power of this old Gibson he was using.  Does the archtop because of its bracing and with the strings pushing down on the face of the instrument have more power compared with a flat top where the strings are pulling up on the face of the instrument? My only experience with this myself is when I owned an Eastman 805CE with a carved top and solid maple body. I found the instrument powerful and didn't need amplifications. I didn't find it as colorful as a flat top for tonal changes. Do you think the arch top instrument is best suited for plectrum playing or could it work equally well as a fingerstyle instrument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJfmargIkRk

[Silence Dogood]

I don't know anything about bracing, etc, but I do love the way archtop guitars sound.  But they do seem to be a sort of one-trick pony and not as versatile as a traditional flattop acoustic.  I like the way chords sound "jazzy" on an archtop.  Sometimes I can sort of get that sound on my flattop if I hold my pick the right way and strum up closer to the soundhole, as opposed to closer to the bridge.  That guy David Rawlings (Gillian Welch) plays an old archy Epiphone from the 30s (I think) and his sound is unique.  It's sort of brittle and biting and works well for what he does.  I wouldn't mind having one but wouldn't want it to be my only guitar. 

[William2]

I don't know anything about bracing, etc, but I do love the way archtop guitars sound.  But they do seem to be a sort of one-trick pony and not as versatile as a traditional flattop acoustic.  I like the way chords sound "jazzy" on an archtop.  Sometimes I can sort of get that sound on my flattop if I hold my pick the right way and strum up closer to the soundhole, as opposed to closer to the bridge.  That guy David Rawlings (Gillian Welch) plays an old archy Epiphone from the 30s (I think) and his sound is unique.  It's sort of brittle and biting and works well for what he does.  I wouldn't mind having one but wouldn't want it to be my only guitar. 

I guess IO have you agree. I know when I had that Eastman, I didn't play anything else for about a year. But after I pulled out a flat top, it just had more tonal color that than the arch top, something I need as a fingerstyle player. And yet, I am so enamored by the old songs and the sound of the arch top, I keep getting that urge. Most arch top videos have the players using plectrum and the ones that don't, don't play too well and the sound just isn't there. I even like that old, pickup sound as in this example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecug1Xidnbs

[Queequeg]

I have some, though not a lot of experience with archtops. I never owned one of the really good ones.
So, take this for what it's worth-
Archtops will give you volume, and for that you will sacrifice sustain. I think that's mostly a function of bracing.
A flat top produces a warmer tonality vs the archtop's brassier, staccato response.
They don't need to be played with a plectrum, depending on the style or genre.
Of course if you use a pickup you can shape that tone just about any way you wish.

[William2]

I have some, though not a lot of experience with archtops. I never owned one of the really good ones.
So, take this for what it's worth-
Archtops will give you volume, and for that you will sacrifice sustain. I think that's mostly a function of bracing.
A flat top produces a warmer tonality vs the archtop's brassier, staccato response.
They don't need to be played with a plectrum, depending on the style or genre.
Of course if you use a pickup you can shape that tone just about any way you wish.

Thanks for the analysis. You talked me out of doing something. I remember the Eastman as having nice volume. I didn't concentrate on sustain as it was a different animal from what I was used to. But comparing it with a flat top it didn't have the warmth I like and sustain is a big factor for my playing. I'll just listen to these instruments and stick with what I do. It was probably the songs that got me thinking, and I can do those on a flat top.

[B0WIE]

As Queequeg said, it's a matter of sustain. The archtop might be more powerful, but the notes are also more percussive. This is why they excel at jazz and things that benefit from clear note separation. Jazz and blues guitars tend to be more dry sounding.

[unclrob]

I have played both,my archtops were acoustic a 48 and a 49 Gibson L7's,a 65 L48.There are lots of style's you can play on an archtop and how you strum or bare finger playing.Old country,blues some early rock and I liked playing slide.Main thing is use steel strings on them not bronze {I also prefer steel stings on my mando}.Go with a bigger body{17" lower bout}.


keep smilin and keep dancin   

[mike in lytle]

Have always been fascinated by archtops. Started playing them when my dad began bringing guitars home from Sears when he was doing copy for the catalogues in the 60's. Along with the flat tops and classicals, just had a lot of guitars coming and going for weeks/month at a time. Never purchased an archtop for my own over the years however. I did have one lady guitar teacher with an archtop with flat-wound strings..... I really liked that one, it I think it was a Gibson.
Nowadays I am intrigued by the various octave mandolins based on archtop designs. I would like to get one if I could afford it, the basic choice I cannot decide is if it should be f-holes or a round hole. Similar to Irish bouzoukis, the octave mandolin is a "recent" instrument that hasn't gone through decades of refinement, so many designs are available.