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I made one arch top, and I want to do another. The one is all acoustic, maple and curly redwood. Parallel braced. It is high arched. I think it sounds pretty good, but I don't play very good, and I don't have other guitars, besides the little Stauffer I made that sounds completely different. That one is only 1150g where the arch top is 1670g so the feel a lot different too.

I watched a video of a guy playing an acoustic? Guild that sounds the way mine does. Usually acoustic arch tops sound sort of weak, and like an electric unplugged. I'd call this very open and clear. Pretty even from high to low, but has that arch top sound. Maybe it is just the mics used in the recording? Mine sound fairly pathetic using the mic in my Mac!

I watched some other videos on different bracing and the call the parallel bracing more "punchy." Is that their term for more open? Some of the x braced I heard sound more muddy, or better for chords, where you don't pick out individual notes. Maybe they just weren't very good guitars?

Who knows; maybe the Guild is an X brace, and what I'm thinking is all wrong. I think the parallels are the way I'll go again.

I'm trying to plan out string tension to get it near the one I have now, I thought of adding a 7th string. I noticed that the PB strings are heavy in the middle; but the 80/20's .011-.052 I have on it are heavier in the middle. Maybe that puts some power in the middle, and opens the ends up for a more free sound? I don't know, I think while I type.

Sorry for rambling.

Maybe should add the link?

https://youtu.be/FEWgPL4ox7Q

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Why be normal?

Wow, that sounds amazing to me. Open and clear, good separation of notes, good tonal range. Being an archtop, I wonder how it does when you punch out the big jazz chords? Well, done.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Ken, that is a good clip and for me very timely. I just finished building my first acoustic arch top and I have been struggling to bond with it. I'm not a particularly good player and I play very little jazz style music (one reason to build this guitar is to inspire me to play more jazz). My other guitars are flat topped acoustics in a variety of sizes and woods and they more or less form the basis for my comparisons.

First a little about my guitar. Because I had a shaped back in 16 inch without a cutaway I decided to build that size - the back is pressed not carved. The top is carved from Alpine spruce more or less following Benedetto's plan scaled down to the smaller size. I debated for a long time on the bracing to use, but I was influenced by what Bob says "In general a thinly carved top with parallel bracing will produce a louder voice with greater projection than a thicker top with X bracing, which will typically produce a softer, mellow sound".

In a GAL panel discussion about archtops, builder Steve Grimes was asked the difference - he said that his preference was warmer balanced sound which he got with X bracing, He said "its not as quick, but has more warm and character." It seemed like most of the panel members were building X braced rather than parallel brace.

I voted for warmth over projection and went with X bracing



My reaction to the guitar is that each note is very focused and is very biased to the fundamental. I just don't hear the complexity that I get out of a cedar or spruce topped OM. The guitar is incredibly loud with a lot of head room - I can play it quietly with flesh and nails or loud if I dig in. What I realize from watching the vid is that my guitar actually sounds like an archtop - . What I have to do is adjust my playing and my listening and maybe my music to fit the guitar more.

I'm also hoping that it will open up - other builders talk about how long that process takes and how they are frequently disappointed at first.

As far as strings, I initially set it up with plain old uncoated light gauge PB acoustic strings. There was so much string noise and this thing amplifies it so badly that I switched to coated acoustic strings (Elixer Nanowebs). I have been debating putting flat wounds on it (I use them on my hollow body electric guitar) but they are expensive and I don't know if that is the right string. I'm going to give it a month or so to settle in.

So, while I'm not interested in building another right now (I do have another back and I do have someone who said they will take one if I do) I'm interested in hearing what other say to your question.

Well Steve, I wish it was mine! It is just the closest one I've heard to what mine sounds like. Mine sounds like a beginner playing, because that's who plays it! so I never get what it sounds like.I only play with fingers, not a pick. It still seems like.it.has good attack without even nails. I had Ambra 900's on it at first, and it sounded more.like a classical, but not as deep sounding as a classical.

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Why be normal?