I just acquired one of these guitars. You said treat it like its own instrument. I have always playing guitars with the center sound hole. I can’t wait to work with this one. I really appreciate your video. It inspires the potential of what can be tried and played. The beautiful sounds that came from it’s belly show casing its range was absolutely amazing…!!!!!
After you made this comment, I watched the video for the first time in years. This 1935 L-12, which I no longer own, really sounded great. So punchy yet warm. Oh well. Good luck with your new guitar!
Thank you! I have a Loar LH300 and an Eastman AR810 - both all acoustic, both non-cutaway - and I love them and find that most people just don't get how to approach this guitars.
I have an archtop and my brother wants to get one but I had a hard time describing the differences and nuances of the instrument. This helps greatly to nail it down.
First the guitar is XXXtop ....and you play very well with contagious energy and authority ( right hand !! ) . Since I almost never play with a pick I rather focus on the natural acousic tone of the guitar . This L- 12 looks very powerful and well balanced through the entire range . One of the main thing I discover after a long practice is to strum directly on the neck ( close the 12th fret as possible ) to epitomize the power and the acoustic touch . I play mainly with a MONTGOMERY's technique and I use according the moment a Gibson ES 150 or a Gibson BYRDLAND or the IBANEZ AF 105 ( which has a very good neck ) . Thanks to share your approach and experience .
Of course it is! I don't play much blues at all. With the right setup and technique, an archtop acoustic can be suitable for jazz, folk, country, blues, or really any acoustic music at all. It's up to the player. Reject stereotypes and make your own voice!
The biggest advantage of this instrument is that you don't have to worry about the bridge pins, you just load the strings into the tailpiece way easier to restring.
Thanks for this vid - it is a great demonstration of the sound and versatility of an acoustic archtop guitar. I love your playing, and your guitar is beautiful!
Thank you VERY much for your video. I am looking for my first archtop now. Hoping to get a Gibson L-7. This video will really help me find the best guitar for me and how to best play it.
I forgot to tell you that Daddario now makes XS Coated Strings for Acoustic and Electric Guitars and the coating makes them feel like Flatwound strings so they'll not scratch the frets but they're flexible so they're quite useful.
Gibsons are amazing - period and you're spot on about the approach having a profound effect on the sound - that looks to be in amazing condition for the age - nice..
I'm glad you're publishing this. Something important to bear in mind is that if this is a 1935 L12 it has an X-braced top as opposed to post 1939 Gibson archtop designed with parallel bracing. A different than later Gibson acoustic archtops. I'd love to hear how this thing sounds without a plectrum! Just with finger picking.
To me (and the Fender company, by the way) a .73mm pick is considered "medium". Of course that is cellulose, not the material in the pick you are using. You get a very pleasant sound from your venerable old archtop! It is easier for most of us, however, to get a pleasant, even mellow, sound from a good flat top. Very few people have an archtop that qualifies as what you call, "an instrument like this"!
+1. From all the money i've spent on "cheap" archtops, i could have had a vintage L5 a few times over ... not that i didn't have fun doing it. Your L12 sounds lovely.
Beautiful. I've been an archtop fan all my life. Unfortunately, I've never been able to afford an exquisite vintage Gibson; but I do own a new Godin 5th Avenue acoustic archtop for playing jazz, and a 1965 Harmony Monterey acoustic archtop for playing slide blues in open G. Your playing is wonderful; the Gibson sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing the video.
@rpguitar That's all I wanted to know! I was just curious because I thought that the f-holes were too small to produce a soundhole like sound. I'm now starting to discover the archtop world and your answer helped me a lot! Many thanks.
good foundational lesson for folks at that level. Valid statements and good demonstration. Nice Archtop, too!! If you were in my neck of the woods, we'd have some fun Jamming...........Cheers!
@CubeableGame - Loud enough for what? Short answer: Yes. They were originally designed to be loud enough to be heard acoustically in the rhythm section of a swing jazz big band.
Check the details under the video; I can't remember what was on the L-12 at this time. But now it has D'Addario EXP 80/20 bronze strings in 12-53. Most of my acoustic archtops do.
Magma GA120PBF Flatwound Strings would certainly give it a slick Flatwound Jazz Feel. In fact this applies to Acoustic Flattop Guitars too because you can get a variety of sounds on it the same way.
Oscar, you’ve made similar comments a few times on my videos. Personally I think flatwounds sound like ass on any type of acoustic guitar. Great on electric. Not acoustic. Cheers
@@rpguitar I did however play Waterloo by Abba on an Acoustic Archtop Guitar strung with Magma Flatwound Phosphor Bronze Acoustic strings and it sounded more Melodic.
@@rpguitar Magma Flatwound strings are a bit different because they're actually round wound strings that have had the wrap wire flattened after they wound it around the core.
I switched over to archtop a couple of years ago after 20 years of playing flattop and electric and I love it. It's true, that you have to develop a feel for the instrument. I often recommend people picking up the archtop work on their muting technique first. A lot of the best tones from the archtop come from striking the strings about 4-5 inches from the bridge, closer than most people are used to. And especially on the bass side, closer to the bridge you can get some neat tones.
I 've put some comment about the place where to strum to epitomize power and acoustic " colours " on the archtop up this page . To resume I recommand to strum above the neck ( more than 10 inches from the bridge ! °
@cyberprimate - Yes, good point. I will have a parallel braced 1940 L-5 to compare with in a few days! Should be fun to post a video showing both. Also, my Eastman vs. Gibson video features some finger-picking (although the action was a little low on the L-12 and there was some buzzing; I can do better).
I use an archtop acoustic interchangeably with my flattop acoustic. It depends upon what I want to hear. Archtops are supposed to project better than flattops, but my D-45 projects like a cannon and so does my D'Aquisto New Yorker. Different tones, yes, but equally pleasant and expressive. Oh, and I NEVER play jazz on my D'Aquisto.
Hi, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your video. I am new to guitar and recently purchased a 50's arch top guitar. I really like the tone of the guitar. What kind of strings are you playing. Are the round or flat? What brand/model?
When you said what most people think about archtops, i was like.....those people are idiots. I have a '39 ss stewart archtop.....it's amazing. Never goes out of tune. Sounds really great when playing old hank and johnny songs, but just as nice playing stuff normally played on electric....they were popular in that sweet spot between acoustic and electric.....part 1 of a 2 part process...the next step was adding a resonator....then came electric. Anyone is lucky to possess an original archtop...that's a tangible, and still highly useful piece of quickly disappearing history.
@ondaocho - Thank you. I know; after making that spontaneous comment late in the video, I realized that it's actually a key concept. The "push" attack is a big part of getting a nice sound out of an acoustic archtop.
I love your playing. Just curious what strings do you use on your acoustic archtop guitars. I just got a Hofner Jazzica custom and have Thomastik Bebop 13s...looking for a warmer sound without going to flatwounds...but want to do away with the squeakiness of the round wound strings... any suggestions.
Awesome stuff, Roger. Archtops rule. I'm not really a guitar collector, but I do have a "player's" 1950 ES-175 that is a phenomenal...like a shredder's acoustic haha. My uncle gave it to me in '94 from out of his garage! It's on the mellower end of the spectrum, but still dynamic. Off topic, but after looking at your gear page on your site, is there a sentimental fave of yours?
@zodiacloveteam - Sentimental faves have to be the old Gibsons: '35 L-12, '67 335, '57 175. Plus 3 guitars made for me (2 Forshages, 1 Anders Elliason flamenco). There's enough love for all of 'em though!
I love all the sounds you're demonstrating. On archtops, what type of strings do you use to get all of those different colors. Flat or round wound? And what gauge?
Hi Alex, I think it says in the info section what was on the L-12 when I made the video. But in general, I string these with 80/20 bronze strings in 12-53 gauge. Occasionally I'll give phosphor a shot too. But 80/20 have a more fundamental tone with fewer brassy overtones, and generally I feel that works better for an acoustic archtop. Thanks for watching!
@jagermeister5 - Oh, they're all over the place, and people try to get exorbitant prices too - usually not successfully. Let's say between $3K-$5K for an L-7 or L-12 in really nice condition, with "issues" causing the price to be less. That's just a range. And L-5's are always more expensive, rarely under $5K.
Is there a big difference between the sound of one of these & a flattop? To me this one sounds alittle fuller, but idk. Also, I'm going for a country sound would this one be good for that or no?
I wish I could help, but it's a personal decision. Play numerous models of both types and decide. Hopefully one will speak to you. They are fundamentally different and I love them both, but I simply hear "my" voice more clearly on archtop. Don't decide based on looks or your imagination. (Especially if you are buying a vintage instrument!)
Hi - the lam archtop electric guitars sound quite a bit better plugged in than the L-12 in my video. ;) It's all about using the right tool for the job. Laminated archtops are not designed to be acoustic guitars, so it's a bit like criticizing a pair of pliers for being a lousy hammer. (Even though I've certainly smacked a few nails with pliers when it was the only tool available!)
Maybe you should switch to Flatwound Strings (Thomastik Jazz Swing 10s) because Archtop Guitars were originally designed for them, & even w/ the Acoustic versions the Flatwound Strings will save the frets from scratches.
This isn't true. The f-hole archtop acoustic guitar was first produced in about 1923 (Lloyd Loar's Gibson L-5) when there was no amplification. Bronze round wound strings were standard fare for the early archtop players like Eddie Lang, Carl Kress, and Dick McDonough. In fact, legend has it that La Bella didn't invent the flatwound guitar string until about 1940, specifically for the new generation of electric jazz players.
@@rpguitar I did a bit more research, Flatwound Strings were invented in 1874 & were originally designed for Bowed stringed instruments as a replacement for Gut Strings cause Flatwounds last many times as long & the Flat surface makes playing them easier.
@@rpguitar The Guitar & Bass Guitar versions came at the same time as the Pickups (around 1935-1940) but yeah the idea of Flatwound strings goes all the way back to that "Transition Period from Gut Strings to Steel Strings". Alot of Orchestral String players use Flatwounds which is why they're alot more popular than many people previously thought. Interesingly enough you can put Flatwounds on an Acoustic Archtop Guitar cause 1) they have the same gauges & 2) they're a better fit for recording as the finger squeak has been fully eliminated from the mix. Thomastik Jazz Swing 10s are what we call "Flexible Flatwounds aka Flexiflats" & they have a Slightly lower tension than the D'addario Chromes cause they're designed like Strings for Orchestral Bowed stringed instruments.
I just acquired one of these guitars. You said treat it like its own instrument. I have always playing guitars with the center sound hole. I can’t wait to work with this one. I really appreciate your video. It inspires the potential of what can be tried and played. The beautiful sounds that came from it’s belly show casing its range was absolutely amazing…!!!!!
After you made this comment, I watched the video for the first time in years. This 1935 L-12, which I no longer own, really sounded great. So punchy yet warm. Oh well. Good luck with your new guitar!
Wow. That Long Train Runnin' segment sent me right back to my childhood. Thanks for that.
5 minutes is all it took to make me an archtop fan!
thank you for demonstrating an archtop with more than just gypsy jazz.
They sound amazing doing jazz, blues, rockabilly, country.....i use mine for hip-hop beats, even.
Thank you for pointing out this technique issue, I am guilty of missing this point when first approached an archtop
Great demonstration! Wonderful playing on a nice vintage guitar, but explained simply and respectfully - thanks for sharing this!
Nice, direct presentation of an intriguing topic. Thanks.
2:57 This is that good old Fashioned Freddie Green Comping sound.
Thank you! I have a Loar LH300 and an Eastman AR810 - both all acoustic, both non-cutaway - and I love them and find that most people just don't get how to approach this guitars.
This applies to all types of Guitars.
Excellent demo about getting the best from an archtop. Gorgeous jazz tone from that old guitar.
Flatwound Strings might help
Thank you for the very informative demonstration of a lovely guitar.
I have an archtop and my brother wants to get one but I had a hard time describing the differences and nuances of the instrument. This helps greatly to nail it down.
First the guitar is XXXtop ....and you play very well with contagious energy and authority ( right
hand !! ) . Since I almost never play with a pick I rather focus on the natural acousic tone of the
guitar . This L- 12 looks very powerful and well balanced through the entire range . One of the
main thing I discover after a long practice is to strum directly on the neck ( close the 12th fret
as possible ) to epitomize the power and the acoustic touch . I play mainly with a MONTGOMERY's
technique and I use according the moment a Gibson ES 150 or a Gibson BYRDLAND or the IBANEZ
AF 105 ( which has a very good neck ) . Thanks to share your approach and experience .
Nice demonstration. Nice playing. Thank you.
hey man, great video! I just got my first archtop and was struggling with how to go about it. you helped a ton!
+Jake Meador - Great! Very glad to have helped at all. Enjoy your archtop. They are the best... I still can't get enough of 'em.
Same here. Thank you!
@@StefanGBucher Daddario Chromes Flatwound strings ought to mellow out the sound
Thanks for sharing your passion and enthusiasm. Lovely playing also, thanks for posting.
Thanks for this video. I appreciate you for taking the time to let me hear this wonderful playing on a nice guitar. -Al
That's a fine-sounding guitar and a good demo. The point about pushing the string instead of hitting it applies to classical technique as well.
And even Electric Guitar too
Thanks man, good video. I've been an Archtop fan and owner for years. I love the punchy sound and I love playing jazz.👍
Of course it is! I don't play much blues at all. With the right setup and technique, an archtop acoustic can be suitable for jazz, folk, country, blues, or really any acoustic music at all. It's up to the player. Reject stereotypes and make your own voice!
The biggest advantage of this instrument is that you don't have to worry about the bridge pins, you just load the strings into the tailpiece way easier to restring.
Great demonstration....
Thanks for this vid - it is a great demonstration of the sound and versatility of an acoustic archtop guitar. I love your playing, and your guitar is beautiful!
This is true for all Acoustic Guitars
Thank you VERY much for your video. I am looking for my first archtop now. Hoping to get a Gibson L-7.
This video will really help me find the best guitar for me and how to best play it.
Great video. I love your "hitting and pushing" concept.
the last minute of this says it all, well done
I forgot to tell you that Daddario now makes XS Coated Strings for Acoustic and Electric Guitars and the coating makes them feel like Flatwound strings so they'll not scratch the frets but they're flexible so they're quite useful.
God I love this guitar! Its sound goes to my heart!!!!!!
Great sound and versatility of tone.
Gibsons are amazing - period and you're spot on about the approach having a profound effect on the sound - that looks to be in amazing condition for the age -
nice..
2:02 I've done the same thing with my Science Teacher's old Harmony Stella Tenor Guitar
Great demonstration. It helped with my Squier x155...thanks
What a stunning guitar and nice playing too.
I'm glad you're publishing this. Something important to bear in mind is that if this is a 1935 L12 it has an X-braced top as opposed to post 1939 Gibson archtop designed with parallel bracing. A different than later Gibson acoustic archtops.
I'd love to hear how this thing sounds without a plectrum! Just with finger picking.
Actually it's designed to be played w/ a Pick, it's a Guitar alright.
Thanks very much, VERY helpful!
To me (and the Fender company, by the way) a .73mm pick is considered "medium". Of course that is cellulose, not the material in the pick you are using. You get a very pleasant sound from your venerable old archtop! It is easier for most of us, however, to get a pleasant, even mellow, sound from a good flat top.
Very few people have an archtop that qualifies as what you call, "an instrument like this"!
+1. From all the money i've spent on "cheap" archtops, i could have had a vintage L5 a few times over ... not that i didn't have fun doing it. Your L12 sounds lovely.
You might wanna try Rouxinol R-30 Strings which are Silver Platted Copper.
@4:25 "pushing" the strings. Great analogy -very helpful!
Really an excellent tone esp when you pick...a sweet jazz character..I'd be tempted to put a floating neck pup in there with that kind of tone..
Very kind of you to post. Thanks!
Nice tips, and really love the sound of the guitar
Beautiful. I've been an archtop fan all my life. Unfortunately, I've never been able to afford an exquisite vintage Gibson; but I do own a new Godin 5th Avenue acoustic archtop for playing jazz, and a 1965 Harmony Monterey acoustic archtop for playing slide blues in open G. Your playing is wonderful; the Gibson sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing the video.
Very, very nicely presented. Your work on the guitar is a treat for us!
@rpguitar That's all I wanted to know! I was just curious because I thought that the f-holes were too small to produce a soundhole like sound. I'm now starting to discover the archtop world and your answer helped me a lot! Many thanks.
good foundational lesson for folks at that level. Valid statements and good demonstration. Nice Archtop, too!! If you were in my neck of the woods, we'd have some fun Jamming...........Cheers!
Thank you for posting... now I know why I couldn't get the right sound out of my last archtop guitar.
@CubeableGame - Loud enough for what? Short answer: Yes. They were originally designed to be loud enough to be heard acoustically in the rhythm section of a swing jazz big band.
thanks for your video, you took away the questions from my mind! i'm agree with you, it's about the strings' attack
That is one beautiful instrument.
@goreri - I use 12-54 gauge phosphor bronze strings on this L-12, either D'Addario EXP or Martin SP usually.
nice video! i like your playing and your ideas and i gotta mention: that is one beautiful guitar you've got =)
Great Demo man Nicely done
Check the details under the video; I can't remember what was on the L-12 at this time. But now it has D'Addario EXP 80/20 bronze strings in 12-53. Most of my acoustic archtops do.
How about Magma Phosphor Bronze Flatwounds?
@mrsexsymbol - Thanks for the nice compliment. Glad you checked it out.
Magma GA120PBF Flatwound Strings would certainly give it a slick Flatwound Jazz Feel. In fact this applies to Acoustic Flattop Guitars too because you can get a variety of sounds on it the same way.
Oscar, you’ve made similar comments a few times on my videos. Personally I think flatwounds sound like ass on any type of acoustic guitar. Great on electric. Not acoustic. Cheers
@@rpguitar I did however play Waterloo by Abba on an Acoustic Archtop Guitar strung with Magma Flatwound Phosphor Bronze Acoustic strings and it sounded more Melodic.
@@rpguitar Magma Flatwound strings are a bit different because they're actually round wound strings that have had the wrap wire flattened after they wound it around the core.
This is my first video of yours I saw and I've completely fell in love with your playstyle! How can I learn to play like you?
Thanks, I was thinking about buting one Great Demo.
very good instructional aide
wow thats beautiful!
I just looked at this vid for a bit of research, but damn those were sweet sounds.
You can turn it into an Acoustic-Electric by changing the pickguard to one that has a pickup added to it
@jukka84 - Thanks. I have a 40's L-5N that will be the subject of the next archtop oriented vid if I can get my act together one of these days!
I switched over to archtop a couple of years ago after 20 years of playing flattop and electric and I love it. It's true, that you have to develop a feel for the instrument. I often recommend people picking up the archtop work on their muting technique first. A lot of the best tones from the archtop come from striking the strings about 4-5 inches from the bridge, closer than most people are used to. And especially on the bass side, closer to the bridge you can get some neat tones.
I 've put some comment about the place where to strum to epitomize power and acoustic
" colours " on the archtop up this page . To resume I recommand to strum above the neck
( more than 10 inches from the bridge ! °
@@jean-lucbersou758 Yes, I've found for rhythm, right near the end of the fingerboard gives a more balanced tone with more bottom end.
@@andy16666 This is true for Flattop Acoustic Guitars too
Great video , thanks !
KF110 Flatwound Strings would sound great on it
What scales are you doing around 2:10?
@cyberprimate - Yes, good point. I will have a parallel braced 1940 L-5 to compare with in a few days! Should be fun to post a video showing both. Also, my Eastman vs. Gibson video features some finger-picking (although the action was a little low on the L-12 and there was some buzzing; I can do better).
I use an archtop acoustic interchangeably with my flattop acoustic. It depends upon what I want to hear. Archtops are supposed to project better than flattops, but my D-45 projects like a cannon and so does my D'Aquisto New Yorker. Different tones, yes, but equally pleasant and expressive. Oh, and I NEVER play jazz on my D'Aquisto.
@25i - That's a good analogy. And probably the most salient point to be gleaned from this video (push the strings, don't hit them).
Excellent demo and a beautiful sounding Gibson archtop.This would be great for Freddy Greene style rythm playing.
Ken, Toronto
Hi, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your video. I am new to guitar and recently purchased a 50's arch top guitar. I really like the tone of the guitar. What kind of strings are you playing. Are the round or flat? What brand/model?
When you said what most people think about archtops, i was like.....those people are idiots. I have a '39 ss stewart archtop.....it's amazing. Never goes out of tune. Sounds really great when playing old hank and johnny songs, but just as nice playing stuff normally played on electric....they were popular in that sweet spot between acoustic and electric.....part 1 of a 2 part process...the next step was adding a resonator....then came electric. Anyone is lucky to possess an original archtop...that's a tangible, and still highly useful piece of quickly disappearing history.
@ondaocho - Thank you. I know; after making that spontaneous comment late in the video, I realized that it's actually a key concept. The "push" attack is a big part of getting a nice sound out of an acoustic archtop.
This is true for Flattop Acoustic Guitars too.
I love your playing. Just curious what strings do you use on your acoustic archtop guitars. I just got a Hofner Jazzica custom and have Thomastik Bebop 13s...looking for a warmer sound without going to flatwounds...but want to do away with the squeakiness of the round wound strings... any suggestions.
Try Flatwound Strings, they do away w/ that Squeak & they're also very smooth feeling under the fingers
Awesome stuff, Roger. Archtops rule. I'm not really a guitar collector, but I do have a "player's" 1950 ES-175 that is a phenomenal...like a shredder's acoustic haha. My uncle gave it to me in '94 from out of his garage! It's on the mellower end of the spectrum, but still dynamic. Off topic, but after looking at your gear page on your site, is there a sentimental fave of yours?
amzing sound. how much they go for?
Very useful vid. Thanks, bro!~
Sounds great,what kind of strings were you using on this? Thanks for sharing
Those are D'addario 80/20 Bronze Strings, but he's switching over to Flatwound Strings cause they'll save the frets from scratches
@zodiacloveteam - Sentimental faves have to be the old Gibsons: '35 L-12, '67 335, '57 175. Plus 3 guitars made for me (2 Forshages, 1 Anders Elliason flamenco). There's enough love for all of 'em though!
great movie and playing! keep it up :)
best wishes
I enjoyed this. May I enquire on the type of bridge you were using?
@rpguitar thank you!
I love chords!
are you playing roundwound or flatwound string on this demo? apologies did not hear you mentioning
@MatthewBearne - Haven't seen it, guess I'll have to Google it now!
Is that some Los Lonely Boys at 1:30?
+OperatorAce Doobie Brothers - Listen To The Music
Redbulldozer13 Long Train Running
I love all the sounds you're demonstrating. On archtops, what type of strings do you use to get all of those different colors. Flat or round wound? And what gauge?
What's the action like?
Hi Alex, I think it says in the info section what was on the L-12 when I made the video. But in general, I string these with 80/20 bronze strings in 12-53 gauge. Occasionally I'll give phosphor a shot too. But 80/20 have a more fundamental tone with fewer brassy overtones, and generally I feel that works better for an acoustic archtop. Thanks for watching!
I only use Optima Golds and I humbly strongly recommend them :))))))
@@rpguitar How about Chromes Flatwounds? They have a more fundamental tone & finger noise eliminated
@jagermeister5 - Oh, they're all over the place, and people try to get exorbitant prices too - usually not successfully. Let's say between $3K-$5K for an L-7 or L-12 in really nice condition, with "issues" causing the price to be less. That's just a range. And L-5's are always more expensive, rarely under $5K.
Ten years ago the "vintage shop " in PARIS propose a nice L5 for 12000 euros ( nearly
15 000 USD ) .
@bendotjackson - Thanks. Please refer to 4:57 in the video for that info.
Is there a big difference between the sound of one of these & a flattop? To me this one sounds alittle fuller, but idk. Also, I'm going for a country sound would this one be good for that or no?
Nice tone
Very Nice :-) I have a 42 Banner L 50 . . . I have been noticing the vastness of variation available . . . what string type and gauge are you using?
Those are 80/20 Bronze Strings. He's planning on switching to Flatwound Strings cause they'll save the frets from scratches.
I wish I could help, but it's a personal decision. Play numerous models of both types and decide. Hopefully one will speak to you. They are fundamentally different and I love them both, but I simply hear "my" voice more clearly on archtop. Don't decide based on looks or your imagination. (Especially if you are buying a vintage instrument!)
Hi - the lam archtop electric guitars sound quite a bit better plugged in than the L-12 in my video. ;) It's all about using the right tool for the job. Laminated archtops are not designed to be acoustic guitars, so it's a bit like criticizing a pair of pliers for being a lousy hammer. (Even though I've certainly smacked a few nails with pliers when it was the only tool available!)
Maybe you should switch to Flatwound Strings (Thomastik Jazz Swing 10s) because Archtop Guitars were originally designed for them, & even w/ the Acoustic versions the Flatwound Strings will save the frets from scratches.
This isn't true. The f-hole archtop acoustic guitar was first produced in about 1923 (Lloyd Loar's Gibson L-5) when there was no amplification. Bronze round wound strings were standard fare for the early archtop players like Eddie Lang, Carl Kress, and Dick McDonough. In fact, legend has it that La Bella didn't invent the flatwound guitar string until about 1940, specifically for the new generation of electric jazz players.
@@rpguitar I did a bit more research, Flatwound Strings were invented in 1874 & were originally designed for Bowed stringed instruments as a replacement for Gut Strings cause Flatwounds last many times as long & the Flat surface makes playing them easier.
@@RockStarOscarStern634 Makes total sense for violins and such, but not guitar strings! :)
@@rpguitar The Guitar & Bass Guitar versions came at the same time as the Pickups (around 1935-1940) but yeah the idea of Flatwound strings goes all the way back to that "Transition Period from Gut Strings to Steel Strings". Alot of Orchestral String players use Flatwounds which is why they're alot more popular than many people previously thought. Interesingly enough you can put Flatwounds on an Acoustic Archtop Guitar cause 1) they have the same gauges & 2) they're a better fit for recording as the finger squeak has been fully eliminated from the mix. Thomastik Jazz Swing 10s are what we call "Flexible Flatwounds aka Flexiflats" & they have a Slightly lower tension than the D'addario Chromes cause they're designed like Strings for Orchestral Bowed stringed instruments.
@@rpguitar Even then the Flatwounds will save the frets from scratches.
hey man, do they sell these guitars with floating pickup and piezo? :)
Hey man, what strings are you using on your guitar?? Sounds great by the way.
Those are 80/20 Bronze Strings but he's switching to Flatwounds which save the frets from scratches
Incredible axe helps! ;)
nice microphone!