A real question

firedude · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:16 pm Post subject: A real question

OK here's a real question, my 137 is advertised to have a center block. How does this affect tone. Do many archtop electrics have centerblocks?Also, What would make a hollowbody a be considered a "jazzbox"? Larger body? Single coils?

herb · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:29 pm Post subject:

Back in the days before the electric guitar, "big bands" with many horns were very loud and accompanying flattop acoustics could not be heard. The archtop guitar was designed and while perhaps not actually louder than a flattop; it cut through the mix better and could be heard. The music of the day was jazz, and the archtop then became the "jazzbox". Pickups and amplifiers came later. Thinline archtops were made to eliminate the tremendous feedback problems caused by amplifying full bodied archtops. This was caused by the guitar being designed acoustically to resonate and provide its own sound amplification; when this went through the pickups and the amp and returned to the body, it cause it to resonate even more (multiplying logarithmically), and feedback was the result. Center blocks reduced body resonance further, reducing the guitars capability to amplify its own sound acoustically even further. The tone of a full archtop is more realistically acoustic sounding than a solid body. And as you progress from full archtop to thinline to center block to solid body, the guitar sounds less acoustic and airy and more like the electric solidbody we have come to know.

firedude · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks alot Herb. Good info.

JCP · Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject:

The advantage to the centerblock is increased sustain/less feedback. The material that the centerblock is made of has an effect on tone. I own a couple of 335's (maple cener block) and a 137 Classic (mahogany center block) The 137 is noticably darker sounding than the 335s. Many assume that because the 335 and 137 share similar construction that they'll sound alike, not true. I'm glad for that..I don't need 3 guitars that sound the same.

I play rock, and the 137 sounds more like my Les Paul than a 335. Great guitar...

bosrocker51 · Tadpole Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 22