Unamplified jazz guitar solos

[Dave Bagwill]

I'm having a difficult time finding vids of archtop players playing unplugged. Any ideas?

I mean, I'd like to hear a 30K archtop, but not through a pickup into an amp for crying out loud - just acoustically.

Thanks

[Kyle Barbour]

http://youtu.be/EOaXOXE9ITg is this kind of what your looking for?

[Dave Bagwill]

Yep, exactly. I would love to hear a benedetto or an Aquisto also. These are (supposedly) the acme of the luthier's art as acoustic guitars, but all I hear are plugged in.

Thanks

[John Link]

That Gibson he played is no slouch (I've walked through the factory where it was made several times, sigh). He sure makes a case for the acoustic arch top. And, I suspect, for "gypsy" and ladder braced flat tops as well. And for 17 inch guitars in general. Once you reject the stereotype and explore what an instrument can do and how to make it work, a lot of things are possible.

Funny how many people want a "cannon" yet won't consider an arch top. But most of them are amplified, that's for sure.

[John Link]

Here is the same guy comparing 4 different unamplified arch tops. The 1935 Gibson takes the cake as far as I am concerned, but I'm a sucker for bass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EASQnDnn0po

[Dave Bagwill]

Yeah, I liked that Gibson.
He also tested a really nice guitar - the Forshage Ergo Acoustic Archtop - I attach a pic of the tailpiece used on this one - wood/brass/wood. I like it a lot - non-obtrusive, simple. I'm going to contact the luthier and see if he can give me some guidance on it.

I'd say my favorite among them was the Gibson 1935 L-12, the specs of which I'm going to try and find.

[John Link]

Dave, this is a 9 minute segment with John Monteleone, who makes 30k archtops. It starts with one of them played, unamplified, for a minute or so. Indeed, the instrument has no pickup. Very good quality video too, one of a three part series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfunXXazE0

(Some more playing towards the end too.)