Halowords Posted November 10, 2010 Posted November 10, 2010 This one is for the wish list. Probably sometime after my wife forgets about the guitar I'm talking her into purchasing next. So, down the road. Anyway, which of the Heritage Archtops would you recommend for use around the house as a more bonafide acoustic than a Prospect or 535, but still ideally looking for something that can be plugged in (which they all can) with the two-pickup setup? I'd guess any of the hollowbodies, however I'm not sure about the partial-center block models, nor the thinlines. So I'd also be interested in which are the smallest that still sound nice acoustically and also have the perks of an electric. On the other hand . . . What are the pro's & con's in practice of a standard acoustic vs. an archtop? I've read about it and understand archtops are louder & project further and standard acoustic guitars sustain longer, as well as archtops being more closely associated with Jazz and Dreadnoughts and the like being more common in guitar stores & various music styles. I guess I'd be open to people's experiences on what they found to be the differences. I tend to like the idea of getting something like an H-575 because I have read they sound nice acoustically, AND being Mr. Diversity I love the idea of being able to play it unplugged or walking over to the Marshall or the GNX4 and playing clean, Folksy, Jazzy, Bluesy, etc. stuff or maybe putzing around with recording/processing on the GNX4 (which a Dreadnought w/ a pickup could do as well). Any good advice or things to consider here?
Halowords Posted November 10, 2010 Author Posted November 10, 2010 A couple of things to help make sense of my rambling . . . 1) Concerning the Heritage Archtops for this, the ones I'm thinking of are primarily the H-525 (dimensions look a bit more comfortable, not sure how the acoustics are unplugged) and the H-575. The H-530 would be a consideration, but it's a thinline so I'd imagine it would be not terribly dissimilar in volume and function as the 535, no? I'd also hear arguments for the larger ones, but the 525 and 575 at least look like the best considerations on paper . . . er, uh, on screen? 2) Comparing, say, a Heritage Archtop to a Dreadnought, I'm also asking presuming the size & materials were more-or-less the same. That said, I realize there are a lot of differences & variables (materials, hardware, strings, style, individual instruments and specific pieces of wood, internal design, brands, layout of internal braces, etc.), but I'd listen to rough approximations in the difference the designs made.
ingeneri Posted November 10, 2010 Posted November 10, 2010 I'm an arch top guy, so you're on your own in deciding whether to get a flat top or not. Though you seemed to have a pretty good handle on the differences, in addition to volume archtops are known for having more clearer note seperation. This is good not only for single line playing but really hearing those nice altered 7th chords. That's why we jazzers like 'em! As much as I love the 530 and 525 (and I really really do) they're not acoustic guitars by any stretch. You're just not going to get much volume out of a thin line laminate like these. While fully hollow, they are essentially electric guitars (in a very good way). A 575 would be a better bet and the carved top will produce a nice acoustic sound. But if you're really interested in primarily acoustic playing, with the option to occasionaly plug in, your best bet is a carved spruce top with a floating pickup. For Heritages, this would be either the 16" Sweet 16 or the 17" Golden Eagle. The spruce tops vibrate more freely than the maple on the 575, and the floating pup avoids deadening this sound by routing in a pickup. Alot of folks are not fans of the floating pup Heritage uses, but swapping this for a Kent Armstrong is pretty cheap and easy. If you're not going to plug in, you can also boost your acoustic sound/tone with bronze strings. Though, personally, I find nickel round wounds to be plenty loud. Either way, you will need to be using .12 or .13 guage to properly drive the top.
FredZepp Posted November 10, 2010 Posted November 10, 2010 I was thinking of your custom 575 , BigBob. Love the guitar and can't wait to hear it in person...!!!!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.