Floating vs non floating pickup

[kath]

I need help deciding if I want a floating or non floating pickup on my Golden Eagle that I am about to order.  Also, trying to decide between a sharp florantine cutaway or standard rounded cutaway.

Thanks for any input that you may have

[Andy R]

Top mounted gives you a traditional fat jazz sound, and a floater will give you a more delicate, more acoustic voice. Depends on what you're looking for.

[Dick Seacup]

I can't remember if the GE is fat or thin body.  If it's fat, I'd go for the sharp horn.  I think the rounded horns on deep jazz boxes looks, well, ugly.  But, that's just one man's opinion.

[Gitfiddler]

Keep in mind that a top mounted pickup will have a bit less feedback issues (but still will howl!) than a floater.  Also a floater is set at a specific distance away from the strings and cannot be raised or lowered, thus limiting some tonal options.  On a Golden Eagle, the 17" body can really be sonically sensitive to the pickup type and location/installation.

 

What style of music do you play?  Remember, Wes always played a top mounted pickup L5 CES, while the great Johnny Smith preferred the floating set up.

 

As far as the shape of the cutaway, that really is a personal choice.  However, remember that Heritage actually has 3 types now.  They have the standard sharp cutaway (Florentine), the rounded and now the Kenny Burrell style Florentine that is a bit more open.

 

I'd recommend you work closely with a Heritage dealer and try a few archtops with both pickup styes.

 

Good hunting!