I'm just worried that my lack of expertise may have missed something critical, and I don't have an archtop expert I can take with me to inspect it.
It has wound strings which I would like to swap out for flats. I'd also like to swap out the pick guard for one with a floating pickup. At the same time, I wouldn't want to do anything to upset the guitar so much that it becomes damaged. Maybe that is the risk with all old guitars?
These are nice guitars. I have a couple of them knocking around the bunker somewhere.
They maintain their value so long as one does not drill too many extra holes in them or chop them up for pickups.
I recommend keeping any old parts with the instrument (in the case pocket), since originality does affect value.
There are lots of replacement parts that can be retrofitted to improve performance without the need to modify the guitar. Modifications affect value.
Unlike old Hofners built for the domestic European market, Hofners like this, built for Selmer for export to the UK, have labels and serial numbers, which makes them very easy to identify and date. Like most better Hofner archtops, they also have dates written or stamped onto the undersides of their tops, easily found using small mirrors and lights.
Please don't change it, that guitar is very original, and looks a particularly nice example as the wood has very strong figuring, it even has the original tuners which often get changed out.
If you decide to add a pickup, just get a floating unit that attaches to a pickguard assembly and put the original guard in the case. That way the guitar can always be returned to stock condition.
Great idea for a thread.
First of all you need to make a decision on your direction and, that done, you then need to "know" your audience.
So, are you going to plough an original furrow, a...
Oh, I didn't mean that, Jarrett is a genius! I was referring only to his improvisational approach of developing motifs, which is outlined in that pdf I shared.
If you aren’t already playing banger known tunes like Take Five and Impanema, you need to start. Other than repertoire, get a strap so you
can dance and move to feel the music,
look up and smile at...
Mick, this sounds like a bit of a superiority complex sometimes. I think if you refer to your own improvising as "a la Keith Jarrett" at any point, you might've taken a wrong turn somewhere.
And...
Mick..much of what you have posted lately has been much of my harmonic/melodic foundation studies..which has reinforced alot
of the Ted Greene material-that I still review often-which seems related...
Thanks very much for that. Figured they might have had something to do with it. They came with the guitar and I liked them immediately. Very dark and dead sounding, which is my preference. Also I've...
That’s your problem. Tapewounds exert much less tension at pitch than metal wound strings, and they vibrate over a wider envelope. You have to set up the guitar very differently for them or they do...
No, it's just that my visual cues are not based on chord shapes/forms, which is what we are discussing, correct?
You could say my visual map is much wider, I am not a position player, I know how...
1. Play tunes that most people are familiar with.
2. Sing. Most people prefer music with vocals over instrumental music.
3. Smile and acknowledge people in the audience, even if it is a BGM...
I've been playing Quilter for several years. I have BD12HD, BD10 and ToneBlock 202.
My guess is that with a somewhat less capable Cub for quite a bit less, and a more capable Mach3 for not a...
Played it again today and it feels real solid to me.
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