What is the difference between AA (select), AAA (premium) and AAAA (elite) quality wood ?

The differences are almost entirely cosmetic. In sound, there will be no difference as in the end it all comes down to how the wood is worked to the final thickness in the plates. The AAAA elite quality is old (15 + years since the tree was felled) and extremely high quality European spruce and maple.

 

If you consider ordering a North sea guitar the available wood suited for your guitaris discussed with you before the building proces starts.

How can I learn more about archtop guitar making ?

Archtop guitar maker Bob Benedetto has published an excellent book and a video about archtop guitar making. The site of Dave Weimer shows many of the steps involved in making an archtop guitar. You can find them on the Links page of this site.

How does a guitar with a floating pickup compare to a guitar with a built-in pickup ?

From an acoustic point of view, the guitar with the floating pickup is superior. The archtop guitar is designed to sound well with two f shaped soundholes. Cutting a hole in the top for a pickup is not a very good idea. However, the full size pickup in the built-in type of guitar has a superior sound to the floating pickup which has to be limited in size to fit between the top and the strings. If amplified playing is more important to you than acoustic playing, this might be a consideration.

Why does it take at least six months to build an archtop guitar ?

Quality handmade archtop guitars are pieces of art that can not be rushed. Besides that, more time is taken to let things settle down compared to factory production. Freshly glued pieces, especially important joints like the two halves of the top or back or the fingerboard and neck, are given some weeks to dry completely before they are worked. This ensures long-term stability in the joints and in the entire guitar.

Why is the top as well as the back, always in two pieces instead of one ?

The first reason is that it is extremely difficult to find pieces of wood that are wide enough for a one-piece top or back. The second reason is that a two-piece top or back is more stable because of the symmetry in the two halves which a one-piece top or back would lack. In recent years Daniel has offered three-piece backs that can have a pleasant look and be very stable at the same time (see News section on this)

Why does a carved archtop guitar often sound better than a pressed or laminated guitar ?

It's all about stress ! The top or back of a carved guitar starts out as a 1 inch thick block of solid wood. This is carved on the outside and inside, resulting in a stress-free top or back. This stress-free wood can be precisely tuned to the desired characteristics of the guitar. Pressed or laminated wood is not stress-free. The development of the tone is influenced by the stress in the wood. However, pressed or laminated guitars can have an excellent amplified tone.

How old are the trees that are suitable for archtop guitar woods ?

Trees that are suitable for guitars are from 200 to 500 + years old. If you take a look at the top of your guitar, each dark line is one year of growth. By counting the lines from the middle of the top towards the edge you can estimate the minimum age of the tree ; probably some wood was cut off during the building proces. The wider grain near the edges is the oldest wood. The narrow grain is the youngest. I have once used a Sitka spruce one-piece top that had over 500 grain lines. This tree was growing in America when the New World was discovered by Columbus !

Why is a handmade archtop guitar expensive ?

Compared to a flattop guitar, the archtop guitar is a lot more work because of the carving of the top and back. Especially the hard maple for the back is hard work. The tuning of the plates takes up a lot of time. The perfect set-up of the guitar takes time in a handmade instrument. An archtop guitar can take up to 150 hours to produce.

Are other woods than spruce and maple suitable for archtop guitar making ?

For tops, almost any softwood could be used. Some makers have made good guitars with Western Red Cedar topwood. I sometimes use alternative woods like Alaska yellow cedar and Douglas fir; both woods make excellent guitars. The back and sides can also be made in walnut, mahogany or even rosewood.

Is the top more important than the back for sound production ?

Definitely not ! In fact, the back is just as important as the top. The archtop guitar produces the sound through the vibrations of the back. The top is not free to vibrate at all due to the tremendous downward pressure of the strings. The back is free to vibrate without braces or stress of the strings. Tuning the back in combination with the top is crucial in the sound production. Ever wondered why Freddie Green was holding the guitar the way he did ?