This is as clear, informative, and professional as it gets on youtube or anywhere I've seen. I went through this exact decision when getting my first (since solved by getting one of each, of course ;-) but the playing is spot-on what's needed. Hope this earns you a lot of business - you deserve it.
Great vid. I see I’m late to the party, but glad I came nonetheless. I have a floating pickup Eastman that I love. Sounds very much like the one in this vid. The set pickup Pisano in the vid also sounds amazing.
@Gigo312 You can install a pickup on just about any guitar! electric or acoustic. There are some factors involved, such as what kind of pickup, which position you install in (bass mid or treble) and if you would prefer a pickup as apposed to simply sticking a good microphone in front of your acoustic. Many choices! glad the video helped you consider this project
This video was very helpful for me. I have a Esp LTD arc 6. It had a preamp and piezo pickup on it which isn’t working anymore. I am planning to install a fixed pickup on it. Maybe neck and bridge both.
Good post. The archtop of choice deserves the finest rosewood and spruce used in the great classical guitars. Coupled with the great "Rhythm Chief" by Dearmond the acoustic and amped resonance will surpass every other arrangement. Few sounds caress the acoustic nerve without a trace of listening fatigue. And those woods in both classical & jazz meet the superlative standard.
@samship8 yes, there can be a little more noise with the floating pickup, but it really depends on the brand. Many people replace the pickup in an eastman archtop the minute they get it. There are some great choices out there that will improve the overall tone. Thanks for the kind words about our videos! We'll keep 'em comin!
@pickinstone Thanks for your input on the acoustic qualities of the archtop! It's true, they achieve much more than just a great plugged in tone. The 605 and 905 are great choices for purely acoustic archtop tone.
Thank you for this! To me the fixed one sounds too dull and the floating one sounds too plinky and overly acoustic... Going to have to do some digging to find a floater that sounds a bit more funky or soulful or find a fixed one that is a bit clearer.... maybe if the tone wasn't rolled down so low on the fixed pickup? If anyone has any comments to share with me please do
@soundpurestudios It will be very interesting video on the technique with the microphones. I think it would also be interesting a comparison of solid jazz amps: AI + RE, Henriksen, JazzKat, Evans, ... It is one of the most important dilemmas of who wants to buy an amplifier for jazz.. Thanks
@soundpurestudios; You guys are one of my favorite youtube destinations, I only wish I lived near by so I cold visit. You always have great reviews and cool stuff to present. I refer others to your store often. Always very professional and I am shocked that you read my response! LOL. Best wishes to you all and continued success.
@cvgbbc Did you check out the recording technique video just posted? As far as amps are concerened, we sell all but the JazzKat. The little Henriksen is incredible for accurate reproduction, in a less expensive pacakge, the AI and AER amps have a great clean tone with lots of features in a nice package, and of course the Evans has that great warmth and coloration control to dial in a different kind of exceptional tone. A cross-sectional video could be useful, but there are so many models!
@metalcore929 Thanks! It's true though, and when the instruments are of a high level of quality (as it is in this case), it really just boils down to your personal preference. We hope our videos are helpful to people who might not be able to make these sort of comparisons themselves!
I noticed a lot more hum with the floating pickup set up. Is it due to the pickup itself or the amp? Is there generally more hum involved with a floating pickup? Thanks again for your wonderful videos.
What pick up is on the John Pisano guitar? It looks similar to the Kent Armstrong Handwound PAF set in Jazz pick up but has screws instead of allen wrench poles. It sounds fantastic whatever it is!
an important point about these Eastmans is that they are quite acoustically loud regardless if the set or floating pickup design. I record with a 803 when I do acoustic duos with my friend and we balance perfectly, even though I'm no plugged in and he's using a flattop or classical.
The both pickup should have be similar. The fixed one has KentArmstrong 12pole PAF which is well known for dark and pat sounding pickup, and the floating one has Johny Smith type mini humbucker which makes thiner sound than full size humbucker.
You seem to have a very fine, classy store happening there. It is mid boggling how difficult it is to find a sensible and classy store aimed more at serious musicians than indie rockers, especially here in Europe. We usually have to get in touch directly with luthiers and these little boutique manufacturers. I spent a weekend once in London visiting all of the shops there and apart from a specialised vintage (overpriced compared to us) archtop shop it was very difficult to get anything good.
What pickups were used in this video? I found it searching for Benedetto B6 hoping to find a review. Really like the floating one too. Did I miss it somewhere?
Gentlemen, thanks for demonstrating the "General" differences between a floating pickup vs. "fixed" pickup on an archtop. However, equating one as modern and one as traditional is misleading to younger players. It is just a difference in tone and doesn't necessarily have to be characterized by style. It is like saying a 12 string is for folk; listen to John Stowell play a 12 string tuned in fourths, or Ralph towner play a 12 string? I enjoyed the review, but let the tone speak for itself.
@ButchBolesGuitar Sorry if it wasn't 100% clear that we were speaking in generalities. We completely agree with you. We are in the business of splitting hairs here, but really this video was designed to put it out there so that people comparing two identical guitars with two completely different pickup decisions might get some idea of differences that they could anticipate- obviously, the comparison between two different guitars is one entirely based on tone- absolutely. Thanks for clarifying
i know im randomly asking but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid forgot the password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Jayceon Julien thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im trying it out atm. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
In my experience most stores that have hanging guitars, especially acoustics and especially where the wall is made of rough material, don't have them hanging so that the guitars are touching the wall and have padding stuck on the wall in case the guitar happens to swing that way
@cvgbbc Thanks for the very nice comment- we have a nice video coming soon that will discuss the microphone technique that we used. If we can ever be of any help with archtop guitars, guitars in general, or recording techniques, please let us know!
Doesn't it all depend on the repertoire and style you wish to play? I have a fixed p/u Gibson that sounds great on most gigs but for a small intimate gig I prefer my Epiphone with a floating p/u. One costs about £4k the other cost less than a tenth of that. A guy who knows about these things thought the Epi was the business.
@cvgbbc If you'd like to discuss the really subtle differences between the makes and models, please do call us. A couple of us here field this kind of question VERY often, and depending on the artists's needs, can usually point them into the direction that is the perfect fit for them.
@BorysPomianek Thanks! We try to match the quality of our instruments by providing the best experience we can for our customers. Buying boutique guitars is a serious decision, and we want people to be as informed and comfortable as possible. If you are interested in any of the guitars on our website or have any questions, please feel free to email me at jared(at)soundpure(dot)com. If you're ever in the area, we'd love for you to stop by and see us!
You have to compare apples to apples, and not apples to oranges! In order to hear what the real difference is, you have to have an identical guitar including all hardware, pickups are magnetic therefore they don't care about holes in the guitar body, you may see some slight difference on a scope, but a human ear can't hear it.
Definitely not... common in most modern archtops, the cutaway is by no means a necessity. Really depends on what you are after tonally, cosmetically, and whether or not your playing dictates the need for the cutaway - in fact there can be a small sonic sacrifice in having the cutaway, although it has become fairly typical these days. I'd love to talk to you more about archtops, so please don't hesitate to give me a rind +1-919-682-5552. Thanks for the question, Jared.
@metalcore929 Thanks, well, we do ship our instruments all over the world, and would be glad to help you out any way that we can. We have really one of the largest selection of serious jazz guitars, and can definitely help you narrow down to something really wonderful that falls within your budget. Please don't hesitate for reaching out to us... you can always reach one of us in the jazz guitar area at archtops@soundpure(dot)com
A fixed, soundboard mounted pickup sounds different because the Guitar is different . The feed-back difference is because the Guitar is different ! There are some changes to the design of the guitar that are at play here. Second is the pickup. A mini pickup can be equal to a full sized if designed properly. The characteristics you are discussing are superficial and misleading. I can build an archtop with a floating pickup that has less feedback issues than an ES 175 for example. You are a talented player but you don't know guitar design but few do.
@soundpurestudios It will be very interesting the video about the technique with the microphones. I think it would also be interesting a comparison of solid jazz amps: AI + RE, Henriksen, JazzKat, Evans, ... It is one of the most important dilemmas of who wants to buy an amplifier for jazz. Thanks.
This is as clear, informative, and professional as it gets on youtube or anywhere I've seen. I went through this exact decision when getting my first (since solved by getting one of each, of course ;-) but the playing is spot-on what's needed. Hope this earns you a lot of business - you deserve it.
Great vid. I see I’m late to the party, but glad I came nonetheless. I have a floating pickup Eastman that I love. Sounds very much like the one in this vid. The set pickup Pisano in the vid also sounds amazing.
Thank you very much! We believe the best way to learn is to create an open forum were information can be shared.
@Gigo312 You can install a pickup on just about any guitar! electric or acoustic. There are some factors involved, such as what kind of pickup, which position you install in (bass mid or treble) and if you would prefer a pickup as apposed to simply sticking a good microphone in front of your acoustic. Many choices! glad the video helped you consider this project
Very helpful thx 4 posting .. researching options 4 my L5 acoustic
This video was very helpful for me. I have a Esp LTD arc 6. It had a preamp and piezo pickup on it which isn’t working anymore. I am planning to install a fixed pickup on it. Maybe neck and bridge both.
Wonderful info. Very informative, and correct! Nice playing, as well!
Great video and superb playing!
Good post. The archtop of choice deserves the finest rosewood and spruce used in the great classical guitars. Coupled with the great "Rhythm Chief" by Dearmond the acoustic and amped resonance will surpass every other arrangement. Few sounds caress the acoustic nerve without a trace of listening fatigue. And those woods in both classical & jazz meet the superlative standard.
What are the pickups in the Fixed Pickup guitar? The sound is amazing!
@samship8 yes, there can be a little more noise with the floating pickup, but it really depends on the brand. Many people replace the pickup in an eastman archtop the minute they get it. There are some great choices out there that will improve the overall tone. Thanks for the kind words about our videos! We'll keep 'em comin!
Great info and FANTASTIC playing... Keep up the great work!
Insane tone mate ! Thanks for the great educating video !
thanks for playing the guitars so as hear the differences : )
@GrumpyMJK Thanks a lot for the very nice comment!
@pickinstone Thanks for your input on the acoustic qualities of the archtop! It's true, they achieve much more than just a great plugged in tone. The 605 and 905 are great choices for purely acoustic archtop tone.
Thank you for this! To me the fixed one sounds too dull and the floating one sounds too plinky and overly acoustic... Going to have to do some digging to find a floater that sounds a bit more funky or soulful or find a fixed one that is a bit clearer.... maybe if the tone wasn't rolled down so low on the fixed pickup? If anyone has any comments to share with me please do
Glad u made this video. Because u can't tell diff between pickup type sounds until after u bought the wrong guitar.. It is a very subtle thing!
What are you talking about?
Wow what was that about? I forgot since such kick ass playing was done.
@soundpurestudios It will be very interesting video on the technique with the microphones.
I think it would also be interesting a comparison of solid jazz amps: AI + RE, Henriksen, JazzKat, Evans, ... It is one of the most important dilemmas of who wants to buy an amplifier for jazz.. Thanks
@SIRONEDRAGON It's our pleasure, lots more archtop vids are coming soon!
@ButchBolesGuitar Thanks so much for saying so. Please let us know if we can help, anytime!
Thanks a lot for the video. Beautiful tone in both guitars.
Thanks for saying so!
@soundpurestudios; You guys are one of my favorite youtube destinations, I only wish I lived near by so I cold visit. You always have great reviews and cool stuff to present. I refer others to your store often. Always very professional and I am shocked that you read my response! LOL. Best wishes to you all and continued success.
@cvgbbc Did you check out the recording technique video just posted? As far as amps are concerened, we sell all but the JazzKat. The little Henriksen is incredible for accurate reproduction, in a less expensive pacakge, the AI and AER amps have a great clean tone with lots of features in a nice package, and of course the Evans has that great warmth and coloration control to dial in a different kind of exceptional tone. A cross-sectional video could be useful, but there are so many models!
@metalcore929 Thanks! It's true though, and when the instruments are of a high level of quality (as it is in this case), it really just boils down to your personal preference. We hope our videos are helpful to people who might not be able to make these sort of comparisons themselves!
I noticed a lot more hum with the floating pickup set up. Is it due to the pickup itself or the amp? Is there generally more hum involved with a floating pickup? Thanks again for your wonderful videos.
No problem! We're here to help :)
What pick up is on the John Pisano guitar? It looks similar to the Kent Armstrong Handwound PAF set in Jazz pick up but has screws instead of allen wrench poles. It sounds fantastic whatever it is!
@bhstephe Thanks for the very nice comment, have a great weekend!
an important point about these Eastmans is that they are quite acoustically loud regardless if the set or floating pickup design. I record with a 803 when I do acoustic duos with my friend and we balance perfectly, even though I'm no plugged in and he's using a flattop or classical.
The both pickup should have be similar. The fixed one has KentArmstrong 12pole PAF which is well known for dark and pat sounding pickup, and the floating one has Johny Smith type mini humbucker which makes thiner sound than full size humbucker.
@danielorp Thanks for the nice comment!
Wonderful video & playing!
what is the brand of the last guitar on the video??? the one that looks like a Benedetto... sounds and looks GREAT!
Why wouldn't you demo acoustic playing between fixed / floating pickups? You mentioned acoustic playing, but never had a demo of it!
You seem to have a very fine, classy store happening there. It is mid boggling how difficult it is to find a sensible and classy store aimed more at serious musicians than indie rockers, especially here in Europe. We usually have to get in touch directly with luthiers and these little boutique manufacturers.
I spent a weekend once in London visiting all of the shops there and apart from a specialised vintage (overpriced compared to us) archtop shop it was very difficult to get anything good.
What pickups were used in this video? I found it searching for Benedetto B6 hoping to find a review. Really like the floating one too. Did I miss it somewhere?
Gentlemen, thanks for demonstrating the "General" differences between a floating pickup vs. "fixed" pickup on an archtop. However, equating one as modern and one as traditional is misleading to younger players. It is just a difference in tone and doesn't necessarily have to be characterized by style. It is like saying a 12 string is for folk; listen to John Stowell play a 12 string tuned in fourths, or Ralph towner play a 12 string? I enjoyed the review, but let the tone speak for itself.
@ButchBolesGuitar Sorry if it wasn't 100% clear that we were speaking in generalities. We completely agree with you. We are in the business of splitting hairs here, but really this video was designed to put it out there so that people comparing two identical guitars with two completely different pickup decisions might get some idea of differences that they could anticipate- obviously, the comparison between two different guitars is one entirely based on tone- absolutely. Thanks for clarifying
What is the pickup on in the fixed example? Is a Kent Armstrong but is the PAF-0 or what is it? Thanks
@jamestdawson It's our pleasure- thanks for the very nice comment, and look out for some more videos coming soon on Archtop guitars
i know im randomly asking but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid forgot the password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Andre Demetrius Instablaster =)
@Jayceon Julien thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im trying it out atm.
I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Jayceon Julien it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thanks so much, you saved my account :D
@Andre Demetrius no problem :D
wow never knew this..im learnin'!
@natedog642 All Eastman archtops come with Kent Armstrong pickups. Nice warm jazz tone! If you have any other questions, let us know! Thanks
That guitar player is incredible!!!!
Ouch...those sensitive, costly guitarbacks against that rough stonewall! Hope it's wallpaper. Nice vid.
In my experience most stores that have hanging guitars, especially acoustics and especially where the wall is made of rough material, don't have them hanging so that the guitars are touching the wall and have padding stuck on the wall in case the guitar happens to swing that way
thanks for the quick reply sir
is cutaway a must in archtop guitars
@gbear4 Thanks! Glad that you know Paul!
@cvgbbc Thanks for the very nice comment- we have a nice video coming soon that will discuss the microphone technique that we used. If we can ever be of any help with archtop guitars, guitars in general, or recording techniques, please let us know!
That guitar player is awesome :)
Doesn't it all depend on the repertoire and style you wish to play? I have a fixed p/u Gibson that sounds great on most gigs but for a small intimate gig I prefer my Epiphone with a floating p/u. One costs about £4k the other cost less than a tenth of that. A guy who knows about these things thought the Epi was the business.
@cvgbbc If you'd like to discuss the really subtle differences between the makes and models, please do call us. A couple of us here field this kind of question VERY often, and depending on the artists's needs, can usually point them into the direction that is the perfect fit for them.
Can anyone recommend me some great jazz pick ups. Preferable fixed
@gekehenky Thanks for the nice comment- as always, let us know how we can help!
@TheTdub2011 He is going to really like this comment- and, stay tuned, we have a lot more of Paul's great playing coming soon!
the idea was good
@BorysPomianek Thanks! We try to match the quality of our instruments by providing the best experience we can for our customers. Buying boutique guitars is a serious decision, and we want people to be as informed and comfortable as possible. If you are interested in any of the guitars on our website or have any questions, please feel free to email me at jared(at)soundpure(dot)com. If you're ever in the area, we'd love for you to stop by and see us!
@maxauto44e Stay tuned, lots more tips, tricks, etc. coming soon! Thanks for commenting!
A distinction needs to be made between an arch-top and a carved-top.
@RAYGproductions Thanks
Nice...
Kent Armstrong Pick
Can he play lines that make less sense?
chandler, is that you?
Good.
Set pickup clearly sounds more mellow
and then single coil or HB pickup differences are just as important..
You have to compare apples to apples, and not apples to oranges!
In order to hear what the real difference is, you have to have an identical guitar including all hardware, pickups are magnetic therefore they don't care about holes in the guitar body, you may see some slight difference on a scope, but a human ear can't hear it.
Definitely not... common in most modern archtops, the cutaway is by no means a necessity. Really depends on what you are after tonally, cosmetically, and whether or not your playing dictates the need for the cutaway - in fact there can be a small sonic sacrifice in having the cutaway, although it has become fairly typical these days. I'd love to talk to you more about archtops, so please don't hesitate to give me a rind +1-919-682-5552. Thanks for the question, Jared.
Pisano guitar sounds much better than the ones I've played.
@metalcore929 Thanks, well, we do ship our instruments all over the world, and would be glad to help you out any way that we can. We have really one of the largest selection of serious jazz guitars, and can definitely help you narrow down to something really wonderful that falls within your budget. Please don't hesitate for reaching out to us... you can always reach one of us in the jazz guitar area at archtops@soundpure(dot)com
A fixed, soundboard mounted pickup sounds different because the Guitar is different . The feed-back difference is because the Guitar is different !
There are some changes to the design of the guitar that are at play here.
Second is the pickup. A mini pickup can be equal to a full sized if designed properly.
The characteristics you are discussing are superficial and misleading.
I can build an archtop with a floating pickup that has less feedback issues than an ES 175 for example.
You are a talented player but you don't know guitar design but few do.
@bugaboo8302 Thanks a lot!!
I find flatwounds very very boring no matter what guitar. pıck up. amp. style etc.
Floating pickup sounds terrible
@soundpurestudios It will be very interesting the video about the technique with the microphones.
I think it would also be interesting a comparison of solid jazz amps: AI + RE, Henriksen, JazzKat, Evans, ... It is one of the most important dilemmas of who wants to buy an amplifier for jazz. Thanks.