Spruce/Mahogany electrics

[walrus]

I'm curious about these type of guitars. What do they bring to the table? Are there more models out there other than the Baker RF, Hamer Monaco and PRS Hollowbody?

[Ken Ireland]

the Hamer Newport Pro is a nice spruce/mahogany guitar

[Joe]

The regular Newport and the Improv Hamers, as well as the DuoTones all share these build charateristics.

When you hollow out the mahagony and put a spruce top on, you get some of the acoustic snap w/o the feedback issues of a truly acoustic or archtop guitar.

Note the Improv is a true archtop so it does suffer from feedback issues, unlike the Newports or DuoTones.

[bluesman69]

Heritage H-575 MH
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/bluesman69/Guitars/H-575MH.jpg

[TieDyedDevil]

Gibson ES-446. Very lively guitar.

[walrus]

I did see the Newport Pro- nice. I am looking for that smaller "solidbody" look and feel, like the Baker, PRS and Hamer.

[joejazzguitar]

I've been a fan of spruce tops since I played my first Artinger guitar three years ago. I wound up buying an Artinger semi-hollow with a European spruce top, and that has been my main blues and jazz axe for the past three years.

One day in Matt Artinger's shop, I was able to A/B my guitar with the maple-topped version of the same guitar that was reviewed in Guitar Player magazine. The maple top was way too bright and shrill for my tastes.

Since I bought the Artinger, I've picked up both a PRS spruce-topped HB and a Hamer Newport with a Bigsby. To my my ears, ALL of these guitars sound SIGNIFICANTLY sweeter and more mellow than similar guitars with maple tops.


Actaully, my wife got me a maple-topped PRS for Christmas; we went back to the store and A/B'd the maple top against the spruce top, and even SHE agreed that there was no comparison, and she's not a guitarist.

[Stephen Landry]

How does a spruce top affect sustain, or does it? Also, how does a spruce top take overdrive tones differently than a maple top?

[joejazzguitar]

Stephen - compared to the 335's and Ibanez semi-hollows that I have used in the past, the spruce top is a lot more acoustically resonant and harmonically rich than maple-topped or ply-topped guitars. I find that I hear more of note's initial transient attack out of a spruce top, which means that I can play softer and with more feeling without getting lost in the mix.

Along with the snappy attack, I think that the spruce gives the guitar a warmer midrange, which sounds really nice for mildly overdriven tones. I go for a sound that is full and rich, but not necessarily "distorted", and the spruce top excels in that area.

That said, you also have to consider the guitar's other build characteristics outside of its top. The sound quality of my Artinger is head and shoulders above both my PRS and Hamer.

Of all the guitars and amps that I own, the Artinger plugged into a Fuchs ODS 50 pretty much covers any jazz or blues tone I ever need.

joe

[Stephen Landry]

Thanks for the info Joe! Wish there was a HB Spruce to try out locally.

[sonicparke]

You might want to chat with David Myka. He's building some cool Spruce top electric hollowbodies.


http://mykaguitars.com/instruments/017-018/default.htm


www.mykaguitars.com


http://mykaguitars.com/instruments/017-018/pair01.jpg

[HHB]

here's a Newport w/ overdrive clip
http://www.bigblockdodge.com/01.mp3

[walrus]

The Artinger and Myka guitars are fantastic. I still remember that Koll Custom DL (335 style) but maybe with a spruce top instead...

[Mutley]

PRS has a hollow bodied spruce top that is very nice sounding. Played a friend's last weekend and was very impressed with the clean and dirty tones. Midrange was very sweet and overall the guitar had tone you could fall into. Notes floated like the air current moved them up and down when played clean and with some overdrive it was smooth and midrangey. Don't know what pickups were in it. Believe they were PRS of some kind. Impressive sound for around $2K.

[TieDyedDevil]

Originally posted by walrus
The Artinger and Myka guitars are fantastic. I still remember that Koll Custom DL (335 style) but maybe with a spruce top instead...


That's my guitar. (At least I don't think anyone else has had one built, yet.) It's actually a small-bodied semi-hollow, so it's closer to a 336 or 346.

It has some interesting construction details that make it very lively with the maple top. I wonder whether it'd be too much, going with spruce instead.

[Stephen Landry]

joejazzguitar -

Can you compare the tones of your HB Spruce and your Newport? I may be in the market for one of the two, so I'd like to know the pros and cons of each.

Thanks!

[joejazzguitar]

Stephen - actually, I CAN compare the two, and given that both guitars are strung with DR Tite-Fit .011's, the comparison might be somewhat meaningful.

Acoustically, the Newport is definitely brighter and has less low-end response than the PRS. Part of this may be attributable to the fact that my Hamer has a Bigsby and a Tune-o-matic as opposed to the PRS, which has a McCarty-style stop bridge/tailpiece combo.

Amplified, the two could not be further apart. The Phat Cats are phenomenal rock pickups; I get a great rockabilly tone out of the Hamer, and by backing off the volume a bit, I can get some very nice smooth jazz tones 'ala Jeff Golub and Chuck Loeb.

The PRS's humbuckers complement the acoustic sound nicely, and when played through a fat tube amp (like a Mesa Blue Angel) will give you a nice warm jazz tone. The PRS sounds WONDERFUL with moderate overdrive - you can get some amazing tone textures with the PRS HB into a Fulldrive and into a tube amp.

By comparison, the Hamer has more growl, snap and bite when you overdrive it.

The PRS would be my choice if you were looking to cop a more traditional "jazz archtop" tone with the added flexibilty of adding mild amounts of overdrive to the sound. The Hamer, to my ears, lives more in the smooth jazz/rock/rockabilly world.

One other thing to note is that the necks on these guitars are markedly different. They are both chunky, but in different ways. The Hamer neck just seems BIG, kinda like a Les Paul standard, while the PRS feels thicker front-to-back - more of a U-shaped neck. I would advise you to try to get your hands on both before you buy, but if you're the type of player who goes for a "wide/thin" type of neck carve, neither of these guitars will feel instantly comfortable to you.

All that said, if I had to choose one guitar to cover all my jazz/blues/rock bases, I would take the Artinger semi-hollow hands-down. It simply is the most tonally flexible intrument that I have ever played.

Hope this helps....

[Stephen Landry]

Thanks Joe. You answered what I was getting at - for my needs the PRS sounds like a better fit.

Thanks again!

[walrus]

Well I've finally surrendered to the spruce/mahogany mojo and got a Baker RF! Wow, what a smooth, FAT, articulate tone! The look and feel, the craftsmanship, the resonance and tone- this is a seriously killer guitar.

[Lucidology]

GB10 Ibanez .... wonderful guitar!

[Hipster Dofus]

I played a PRS AT Spruce for years. I loved that guitar. Deep lows, top end sparkle, and warm midrange. I think the best tone I have had with that guitar was with an early Matchless Clubman set about 1/2 way up.

It was very comfy in the Blues or even droped D stuff like AIC's.

[artandink]

I have several Spruce-top electrics, and one more being built by USACG.

Here's my take.

Fender Chambered Spruce over Ash with custom Rosewood over Mahogany board Tele. DeTemple Alnico II pups. My most eye-turning guitar (not visually, but aurally). Resonant, sweet attack, subdued bridge shrill. The combo of Ash and Spruce gives you the tight bottom end and liveliness from Ash and the sweetness of Spruce.

*Joe - you heard this guitar at the NGW's night out at Black Ey'ed.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10027/Spruce_T_body.jpg

Three Bakers:

Robben Ford - Chambered Spruce over Alder with Ebony over Maple neck. The Chambered body adds to the acoustic liveliness and the Ebony board adds a little snap and sizzle to the Spruce over Alder. A '59 SD in the neck and a Custom 5 in the rear, gives me a nice jangly rhythm and beefy lead.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10027/Baker_RF_Body.jpg


RF Junior (BJC)- Chambered Spruce over Mahogany with Ebony over Mahogany neck. SD Jazz up front and Pearly Gates in the back. Except for the bridge pup (more sizzle), this guitar sounds very similar to the B1 Ford. Although, a touch brighter acoustically than the B1 Ford (splitting hairs).

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10027/Baker_BJC_Spruce_Body.jpg


Super B Hollow-body Spruce over Mahogany with Ebony board over Mahogany neck. Tom Holmes pups. I never take this out so I cannot give a stage assessment. At bedroom levels; a magical and harmonious agreement of sweetness, resonance, sustain and tonal separation when you strum a chord. Not too warm, not too bright (tastes great, less filling). I wish I felt comfortable taking this out to open mics.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10027/Baker_SuperB_Spruce_Full.jpg


USACG Thinline/Deluxe Tele (currently being built) - Spruce over Hollow-body Ash body (one f-hole) with Rosewood over Mahogany neck. Other specs: Two Fralin P92s, vintage hardtail bridge, Vol/Tone and 4-way control. Assessment will have to wait.


BTW - HEY JOE - I have a video clip of you playing the Hamer Spruce-top, do you want me to post it? :Devil

[hollowbody]

The Grosh set neck has a much thicker spruce top than the one on a PRS Archtop. It's much more like the top of a "real" archtop.

http://pg.gilroyware.com/photos/gilroy.jpg

http://pg.gilroyware.com/photos/gilroy-top.jpg

[artandink]

The Grosh set neck has a much thicker spruce top than the one on a PRS Archtop. It's much more like the top of a "real" archtop.

http://pg.gilroyware.com/photos/gilroy.jpg

http://pg.gilroyware.com/photos/gilroy-top.jpg

Hey Paul,

Real beaut you have there.

Are you still in CT?

[Clorenzo]

Never played one (I wish) but the Benedetto Benny is chambered mahogany with a spruce top. I was going to give a link to Benedetto's page but it seems to be down at the moment. Here's a picture I found somewhere else:

http://www.archtop.com/PageMill_Resources/Guitars/02benny_.jpg

[Dave Orban]

I love the look of a spruce top... much moreso than most maple tops.

[george4908]

Here's my Nickerson Skylark:

http://snipurl.com/10ph4

Carved spruce top over a hollow, flat-backed mahogany body, mahogany/ebony neck and a Gibson '57 Classic. Soundpost under the bridge, but otherwise fully hollow. Just a tad larger than a Les Paul, and a superb lightweight jazz guitar. Unfortunately, Brad Nickerson no longer builds.

I've played two solid bodies (apparently, unless they were chambered) that were carved spruce over mahogany with maple necks and P-90s, and in both cases they were superb. It must be acombination that just works. One was a Baker, the other was a small builder whose name I don't even know. I've thought of custom ordering something in that combination.