MIMF

I haven't posted anything for years... but I thought I'd show you my latest Benedetto style Classical Archtop. I consider this to be a prototype guitar... as I wanted to build something new... show it around and let some people play it to see if there was an interest. It plays and sounds great... and early indications are I'm going to make some more of these... although I will use a more original sound-hole design.

The top is a cheap Sitka Spruce from some wood I had laying around. It has a small pitch pocket in the upper bout... which was a surprise... but something I could live with for this version. The sound hold configuration I drew and cut on my CNC.... but I basically lifted the idea from the Benedetto book with my own artwork. The top and back started out slightly thinner (.750) so it has a little less arch than my standard. Top was thinned less than my steel string version... and I just sort-of "winged it" but is mostly in the .110 range. Top is braced fan style... and I added a few extra small braces because it felt too loose to me after the initial bracing. The top is slightly colored with a mixture of white and yellow dyes in Nitro lacquer and sprayed to suit my idea of the "Honey-blond".

The body style is my own and one I've used on several 16" Archtops and I've made both cutaway and non-cutaway versions. The back and sides are black walnut finished clear... and the back is figured (although hard to see in these pictures). The Walnut is a local harvest wood. The neck is Mohogony and is 1 7/8 and the bone nut. Neck is a bolt-on style. Fretboard is Guatemalan Cocobolo... and so is the bridge and the dowel in the tailpiece. The Tailpiece is Cocobolo... and is a book-matched piece that is epoxied together. The Tail-piece is my design... and I call it a wishbone... because I hope and wish it holds up. Finish is nitro lacquer with the body filled first with epoxy. I should have added more fill coats... but it's pretty good with just one.

I added a cheapo Chinese pre-amp that I bought on Amazon. It drives a K&K classical pickup and also has a little microphone. The hole for the pre-amp give me a place to insert the screws to attach the neck. The system works pretty good... although the Mic would never be useful in a live situation. It might be useful for some recording... and I've yet to try and do some test recording with the whole setup.

Overall I'm quite please with the guitar and the sound. I really like 16" guitars... they feel much better in my small hands. The Walnut gives it a clear punchy sound. Guitar is reasonably load... but has a sweet sound. I play jazz... and I could see it working for some situations.

Very nice Ed. I would like to see more photos, please.

Yes, more photos lease!
This looks really interesting and the sound holes in the upper shoulders look great.

I am also fond of 16" archtops - I'm not a big guy, with slightly shorter arms and normal size hands. The 16" archtops feel just right hanging from a strap.

How about some additional details like scale length, rim depth, etc.?

I have had really good results with K&K style piezo pickups, though I use JJB versions for cost and he is flexible in terms of custom orders. Over several installations I have dialed in the optimal locations for the 16" archtop guitar and 14.5" octave mandolins I have built. Also sound really good in a nylon string guitalele (Yamaha 6 string uke available from Musicians Friend and others).

//mike

Lovely guitar. I'm doing a fan-braced cross-over archtop, I am planning steel strings but will probably string it up with nylon to see if it works. You really thin the tops of your archtops to .100" - .110"? I follow the Benedetto recipe which calls for .250 down the center for X-braced, .200" for parallel braced. My build is .200" down to .120" in the recurve. I would love to see a picture of your bracing.

Body is 20" and overall it's 3 1/6" deep. Upper bout is 12". Scale length is 25... which I chose for more tension to drive the top. Top is pretty thin... I measured down to .120 and then I sanded some more after it was assembled... so I'm guessing at the final. The upper bout is area is thicker.

The bracing pic here was not the final... but I didn't shoot a picture I guess. I had added some little extra braces to the outside rim area... and glued the top to the rims...trimmed it and then I felt is was a little too stiff. I shave both the Fan bracing and the other braces down a little further... and they are different for bass and treble sides. I just tried to feel my way thru it. I probably didn't need them in the end... but I was guessing a little. I've built a number of archtops off this template... so I was trying to think like a steel string... only less. It worked out OK for now... but we'll know more as it opens up.

I also added a few braces to the back... 3 actually like I do for flat-tops. I had this walnut sitting around here thru spring, summer to fall (Chicago) and it started to cup... so I braced it and then shaved them thin right before I assembled it. not Ideal... but it's what I went with.

I had never built any type of classical... and I had to invent some drill jigs for the tuner holes... and I fooled around with several prototypes before I got it where I was happy. The neck extension does not touch the top at all... and is only 1/2" at the thickest point. Again...everything was done lighter than I normally do. I wouldn't try steel strings on this... because of the top... but the tailpiece would be another area that might implode.

Pictures suck... these are from my phone... and I'll have to do something better as now Apple seems to strip pixels on downloads.

I've looked at the JJB pickups... but I don't like the fact that they really have no company owner or address information on their site. They say made in USA... but they are sure shy to show where. I was concerned about some sort of a credit-card scam site. I'm just cautious these days with anything that looks little fishy. Maybe I'll try them in the future. I like the K&K's and I've used them on many of my guitars and installed them for others. Sound is really good... and they worked well in this situation.

Fascinating concept. And also a beauty.

the connection of the two halves do not need some kind of reinforcement (which is at least to some degree provided indirectly in flattops by their bracing and the bridge)

Thanks for your kind words and comments. It was a fun build and I think I may build a few more of these. I like doing something different from time-to-time. Archtops are my love...but I may do a dread acoustic next for a winter project.

I see a finish on the inside of the top plate, I don't see that to often.

I love the shape! I love the freedom of ideas. I love that it looks musical.

Thank you for sharing. What's next?

I give the inside a coat of Shellac. It's supposed to slow the absorption of moisture... I do it because Benedetto said so... Not sure if it works... but it doesn't seem to hurt either. I coat it after I glue the top to the sides. On the back I do a quick coat but I stay away from the glue surfaces.

I'm working on a 16" cutaway archtop... acoustic instrument now. Steel strings with K&K pickups. A working musician's guitar. Simple with clean/simple appointments... maybe plastic bindings etc. Something you don't mind taking to a gig that just works well.