Of all the musical genres, jazz and country most often feature the music of the archtop. ---I don't care if we are talking about a 1935 17" Gibson L-5, a 17" L-7, Super 400, an Epi Broadway/Triumph, or a 1925 Gibson L-5 like Eddie Lang. © 2020 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide, 6 Advantages of Downloading Songs From the Internet, Music Book Review - The World of Music by David Willoughby, Costa Blanca Arts Update - Claudi Arimany in Mozart and Marco Tezza in Schubert, The Four Frank Zappa Songs I Would Like Played At My Funeral, Different Ways to Present Identity on MySpace, Costa Blanca Arts Update - Zelia Rocha and Spanish Brass, Reflections on String Quartet No.1, Kreutzer Sonata, by Leos Janacek, Flattop Vs Archtop Guitars - Sound Holes and Soundboards, https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Victor_Epand/59895, http://ezinearticles.com/?Flattop-Vs-Archtop-Guitars---Sound-Holes-and-Soundboards&id=1551587. If you’re interested, however, go to Wikipedia for more info. This combined with the hollow inside presents a different sound than a typical flattop guitar. Posted by u/[deleted] 5 years ago. Rather than using the vibration of strings anchored within a bridge mounted to the top itself, as it’s a case with flat-top guitars, archtops receive their acoustic energy from the strings mounted in a trapeze tailpiece, that are exerting pressure on a “floating” bridge of the guitar. Among the many divisions in the guitar family is that of flattop vs. archtop. Shawn Farner. Submitted On June 07, 2012. Rather than using the vibration of strings anchored within a bridge mounted to the top itself, as it’s a case with flat-top guitars, archtops receive their acoustic energy from the strings mounted in a trapeze tailpiece, that are exerting pressure on a “floating” bridge of the guitar. A flattop guitar is one with a flat top, the part of the instrument usually referred to as the soundboard. The archtop, on the other hand, arches up and does not have a level top. The archtop is named for the arched top, which distinguishes it from a flat top guitar. 68 Articles, By The archtop guitar, on the other hand, has an arched top and a sound hole or holes carved in the (approximate) shape of an "f." The latter instrument was invented at the end of the 19th century. Close. Here are a few of the differences between archtop guitars and flattops. We will never sell or rent your email address. These pickups allowed the guitar to be played as either an acoustic or electric instrument. A tremolo arm, for example, is a lever attached to the guitar's bridge. Any suggestions and discussion are welcome. Today, the list of companies that make archtop guitars includes Eagle, Yamaha, Epiphone and others. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shawn_Farner/1339032, Arts and Entertainment: Music The names are very simple and descriptive. They were sometimes referred to as a "high hat with strings" - more of a percussion instrument than a melodic one. This design is after a mandolin which has an arch. 3. Shawn Farner independently authors articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. SEM clients like archtop guitars website Fine Archtops. On an archtop, these sound holes are actually called "f-holes," and are borrowed from the same holes found on violins. How does the archtop guitar work? What are the differences. The sound hole of a flattop guitar is found and placed under the instrument's strings. Archtops certainly project well. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Victor_Epand/59895, Arts and Entertainment: Music Hence the term "flattop" never existed until the innovation of the archtop guitar made it necessary. Author There’s a lot I could say about this, but to be honest, I find it a little boring to continue with the construction and historical details. A flat top guitar is a type of guitar body model which has a flat top (as opposed to archtop). In 1951, Gibson released the L5CES, an archtop that featured two electric pickups. These are some of the major differences between archtop guitars and the original flattop guitars that preceded them. The innovation was immediately popular and such models became the standard for archtop guitars. If you put a guitar down on a flat surface, the flat top guitar with have a flat, level top. The term "flat top" is usually used to refer to the most popular type of steel-string acoustic guitars; however, electric guitars such as the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson Les Paul Junior and Special can be described as "flat top". The instrument's first incarnation was the Gibson L5; featured the violin-inspired F-holes that would eventually become the archtop's trademark. These pickups are usually humbuckers, which use two coils of reversed polarity to reduce noise and interference. Archtop vs flat top. The archtop, on the other hand, arches up and does not have a level top. By knowing why one has certain design features and the other takes a different approach, you can better determine which guitar is right for you, and start looking at different guitar manufacturers or luthiers to find the next guitar you want to add to your collection. 2 comments. Archtops are capable of putting off a nice acoustic sound, but many of the models that are produced also have electrical pickups that allow the sound of the archtop to be amplified. If you put a guitar down on a flat surface, the flat top guitar with have a flat, level top. This design is after a mandolin which has an arch. Also, you can adjust the bridge higher or lower to set the action and, if you have a tunamatic bridge set the string length so it will note perfectly at the 12th fret. Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. r/Guitar: Welcome to r/guitar, ... Archtop vs flat top. Expert Article Source: share. A flat top guitar is a type of guitar body model which has a flat top (as opposed to archtop).The term "flat top" is usually used to refer to the most popular type of steel-string acoustic guitars; however, electric guitars such as the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson Les Paul Junior and Special can be described as "flat top".. Sound generation | Submitted On October 03, 2008. Shawn Farner | When you sit an archtop guitar next to a normal flattop guitar, there are obvious visual differences. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, archtop, flattop [http://www.4guitars.info], sheet music, guitar tabs [http://www.4sheetmusic.info]. We will never sell or rent your email address. Both terms are really quite self explanatory. The two guitar types have unique benefits, which is why you'll find fans of both in the guitar community. The strings of this guitar are generally thicker longer and thicker than those of a flattop, and the body is deep and usually hollow (although some semi-hollow models are manufactured). Archtop guitars are often used in conjunction with attachments designed to create or increase vibrato, a slightly tremulous effect that adds warmth and expressiveness to music. If you are going to play fingers style, an archtop is never going to sound big and open like even a mid level flat top. How does the archtop guitar work? The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only, and not those of any other person, company, or organization. The names are very simple and descriptive. I have both - an archtop The Loar LH-300VS (based on 1920s Gibson L5 specs) and a flattop Silver Creek OM (based on Martin OM specs) - and find they are the same but quite different. Archived. Acoustic Archtops vs Flat Tops. 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