The best way to get more volume from an acoustic archtop.
Feb 12, 2023 13:05:22 GMT -5
Auf Kiltre, pdf64, and 1 more like this
Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Feb 12, 2023 13:05:22 GMT -5
Yeah, I know...trick question.
I've had this Gretsch 9550 for about 10 years now and I don't play it much at all because it's not very loud, even the heavy strings. But the neck has a nice soft V and it plays easily. The top is solid spruce, but it's fairly thick as carved tops go--and that is why it's not exactly lively sounding. Very blah and uninspiring.
Over the past few years I've been kicking around the prospect of electrifying it...and this past week was Go Time. I installed a mid-power Gibson P90 under a dogear cover (had to cut out some of the top), with volume and tone and an output jack. It sounds really good. Very smooth and mellow and jazzy played clean. It's okay with some dirt added, but a little too much makes it howl just like every other fully hollow archtop with pickups in it.
But I am digging it! It may make a great slidemonster.
Before:
After: I like the look of this without the pickguard. For now, at least. The strings are not that far from the top, so a typical archtop finger rest is really not necessary. The tailpiece is a retrofit of a more modern Gretsch unit, replacing the stock trapeze type.
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I've had this Gretsch 9550 for about 10 years now and I don't play it much at all because it's not very loud, even the heavy strings. But the neck has a nice soft V and it plays easily. The top is solid spruce, but it's fairly thick as carved tops go--and that is why it's not exactly lively sounding. Very blah and uninspiring.
Over the past few years I've been kicking around the prospect of electrifying it...and this past week was Go Time. I installed a mid-power Gibson P90 under a dogear cover (had to cut out some of the top), with volume and tone and an output jack. It sounds really good. Very smooth and mellow and jazzy played clean. It's okay with some dirt added, but a little too much makes it howl just like every other fully hollow archtop with pickups in it.
But I am digging it! It may make a great slidemonster.
Before:
After: I like the look of this without the pickguard. For now, at least. The strings are not that far from the top, so a typical archtop finger rest is really not necessary. The tailpiece is a retrofit of a more modern Gretsch unit, replacing the stock trapeze type.
