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Full view of the archtop guitar

Archtop Guitars

  • Top, view from the neck
  • Top, view from tail piece
  • Back with cutaway
  • Detail of the cutaway
  • Signature head stock
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Archtop guitars are a relatively recent addition to my work. I had built the first one as my 30th anniversary project and now, years later, they are very much part of my building program. Typically I manage to build only a couple per season and those are mainly ordered, but I hope to have at least one archtop guitar available in my inventory of instruments.

Just like with my other instruments I mainly use hand tools in the building of the arch-tops. Using gauges and finger planes to carve the top and back gives me the freedom and flexibility in shaping the arching and contours of the plates. This slow and careful approach allows me to optimize the acoustic quality and balance it with the amplified sound of the archtop guitar.

Since initially I used Bob Benedettos book to guide me, my starting point has been the traditional shape and size of the archtop guitar.  Of course being a designer at heart, I re-worked the shape and appearance just a little bit, slimming down the bulbous S-curve of the cutaway and adding my own headstock and F-hole designs.

I avoid using the white plastic bindings, preferring Macassar ebony to create a contrasting framing for the blonde curly maple back and sides. In keeping with this simple elegance, I leave the fingerboard unadorned. The tailpiece is sculptured out of ebony and attached solidly to the body by a brass bracket. The string pull-through design makes string changes fast and convenient.  All the other fittings are also made from ebony.

My standard pick-up is a floating Kent Armstrong Humbucker with adjustable pole-pieces. Unobtrusive, but easily reached and adjusted, mini wheel pots for volume and tone control are fitted underneath the ebony finger rest. 
There are several custom pick-up configurations available. Besides the magnetic pick-up, a transducer bridge pick-up for a more acoustic sound, or a combination of both of them, could be installed.

Most of the archtop guitars I’m building are the slightly smaller 16 ¼” model, however I’ve added the standard size 17” model in the recent years. For the coming season I’m planning a 16” acoustic model.

For more information on the Archtop Guitar, please go to

Specifications and Dimensions