Archtop Bridges (Son of Lloyd)

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

I've looked at the pics I've downloaded off the net, and a lot don't have the two-foot base.

 

[JazzWest]

Depends on the model of archtop. If you look at T-100's even CE-100's (I believe) use a two foot bridge, whereas an Artist Award or X-500 use a nice full based ebony bridge. Also high end models from Gibson, and pre-Gibson, NY made Epis (kings of acoustic volume) use the the same full contact base. There's a reason....more contact, better top vibration pickup to the strings. For a carved top guitar I would be conscious of this but a laminated maple (not spruce), it may not make a big difference. Personally I pefer the full contact base on all my archtops, that's my Buffalo $0.05....

 

[jp]

Depends on the model of archtop. If you look at T-100's even CE-100's (I believe) use a two foot bridge, whereas an Artist Award or X-500 use a nice full based ebony bridge. Also high end models from Gibson, and pre-Gibson, NY made Epis (kings of acoustic volume) use the the same full contact base. There's a reason....more contact, better top vibration pickup to the strings. For a carved top guitar I would be conscious of this but a laminated maple (not spruce), it may not make a big difference. Personally I pefer the full contact base on all my archtops, that's my Buffalo $0.05....

All of mine have two feet.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Jazzwest,

I think you nailed it. My A-350 has an arched full-contact base. And as I look through my scads of pics, it does indeed seem like Guild put two-footers on the laminate tops, and arched full-contact bases on the high-end jobs. So maybe the laminates without two-footers have non-original bases.
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Yay P Soup,

Are any of yours high end or solid tops?

 

[john_kidder]

not the early ones

 

[jp]

Yay P Soup,

Are any of yours high end or solid tops?

Nope. All budget gits. I like Florentine cutaways!

 

[JazzWest]

Jazzwest,

I think you nailed it. My A-350 has an arched full-contact base. And as I look through my scads of pics, it does indeed seem like Guild put two-footers on the laminate tops, and arched full-contact bases on the high-end jobs. So maybe the laminates without two-footers have non-original bases.
========================================

Yay P Soup,

Are any of yours high end or solid tops?

I have an A-350 too (these are quite rare) and has a full base ebony bridge, identical on what you'd find on a A-500, AA, or X-500. I was mostly describing bridges on what I've seen fitted on post '60 models. I do think the earlier ones all came with flat, non-footed bases?
I know the T-100s came out in late '58? and not sure what kind of bridge but my '60 T-100B has a two footed rosewood one.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

JW,

Re two-footed vs full-contact, I'd like to know Guild's standard practice, but it's hard to figure out from all of my pics because so many guitars have had their bridges changed.

It looks like they might have been making their decision based on one (or a combination) of these variables:
high end vs low
acoustic vs electric
solid top vs laminate

hf

 

[Graham]

Only at the LTG. And Graham hasn't even chipped in yet.

I just started laughing at the title of this thread today. :shock:

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Cousin of London.