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 Post subject: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:15 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 10:11 am
Posts: 2142
Curley Koa back, sides and one piece neck.
Ziricote Fretboard, bridge, pick guard, head veneers , tailpiece and binding.
Sitka spruce top
25 1/4 inch scale
1-3/4” nut width
3” deep
Kent Armstrong pick up encased in ziricote With stealth controls
Custom tuner knobs made by Bill Wise of Charis acoustic.
Nitro finish

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These users thanked the author Brad Goodman for the post (total 3): Michaeldc (Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:32 pm) • kyle.medeiros (Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:49 am) • Chris Pile (Sat Mar 18, 2023 9:02 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:23 pm 
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Ridiculously cool.


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:49 pm 
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That's tasty!

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:01 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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First name: Brad
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Got dizzy trying to quickly scroll down to the pics of the back. :D I scrolled back up to eye guzzle the rest. So good.


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:34 pm 
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Location: Napa Valley
First name: David
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Zip/Postal Code: 94558
Country: USA
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Status: Amateur
Ya gotta love the Ziricote with the Koa

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:39 pm 
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Buttery golden beauty.

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:57 pm 
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Mahogany
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Posts: 87
Location: Ontario, Canada
First name: Colleen
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Status: Amateur
OMG, spectacular!!


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:19 pm 
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Suhweeeet

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:33 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Very nice. Did you make the tuner buttons too?


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:05 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Posts: 5924
Lovely - Dream Guitars material!
I like the grain matchup between the pickup cover and pickguard. What kind of finish did you use on those items?


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 1:18 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Barry Daniels wrote:
Very nice. Did you make the tuner buttons too?

No, they were made by Bill Wise of Charis acoustic he has a website he makes them on a CNC machine they’re absolutely incredible


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 1:19 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Clay S. wrote:
Lovely - Dream Guitars material!
I like the grain matchup between the pickup cover and pickguard. What kind of finish did you use on those items?

Nitro.


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:07 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Absolutely beautiful!


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 Post subject: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:11 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:17 pm
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City: Escondido
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Is that a flat or carved back?

More importantly, how is being used? Is it being played principally as an electric in a group? Solo? Acoustically? Finger style or plectrum?

Are you pleased with the sound (acoustic or electric)? Any serious feedback issues?

What do you have it strung with?

Absolutely gorgeous, btw.

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:17 am 
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Mahogany
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Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:54 am
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First name: Victor
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State: MI - Michigan
Zip/Postal Code: 49266
Country: United States
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Status: Amateur
Wowzer!! I drool over well executed archtops. Beautiful.


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 9:46 am 
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First name: Bob
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Beautiful Archtop Brad, I would be interested in hearing how it sounds.

Very nice!

Cheers,
Bob


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 11:33 am 
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Koa
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Posts: 1270
Location: Calgary, Canada
Status: Amateur
Another gorgeous guitar Brad!


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:03 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Posts: 2142
rlrhett wrote:
Is that a flat or carved back?

More importantly, how is being used? Is it being played principally as an electric in a group? Solo? Acoustically? Finger style or plectrum?

Are you pleased with the sound (acoustic or electric)? Any serious feedback issues?

What do you have it strung with?

Absolutely gorgeous, btw.

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It is an arched back carved from a full 1 inch bookmatched piece of Quartersawn curly koa.

All the archtops I build are first and foremost acoustic instruments amplified by a floating pick up as not to hamper the acoustic sound.

It can be played in any of the ways you described but at this point it doesn’t really get played because it’s not sold yet- it is for sale.

I’m very happy with the way it sounds it’s got what I call that great Archtop “quack”
No real feedback issues I used Kent Armstrong handmade pickups.

It’s strong with the Addario nickel medium strings 13 to 56


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:04 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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RusRob wrote:
Beautiful Archtop Brad, I would be interested in hearing how it sounds.

Very nice!

Cheers,
Bob

I’m definitely trying to figure out someway to get a sound sample I need to find a real jazz player and they’re pretty rare around these parts…
Frank Zappa said “Jazz isn’t dead, it just smells funny”


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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 4:59 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm
Posts: 1092
Location: Goodrich, MI
First name: Ken
Last Name: Nagy
City: Goodrich
State: MI
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I love the guitar Brad.

The tailpiece is cool, but how is it attached. It seems like some are hinged? All I know is the adjustable tailgut. If I ever got out, and looked at guitars, maybe I would know more about what I am doing!

Do archtops have more power with the bronze strings than the nickels? Are the bronze more trouble to use with a pickup? I've never tried a pickup; don't have a speaker! Never put on a pick guard. The stings are so high; is it mainly for something to lean against? Looks? Mount and adjust the pickup?

Yeah, I don't know much.

I do know that they sound cool acoustically.

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 Post subject: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:18 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Ken Nagy wrote:
I love the guitar Brad.

The tailpiece is cool, but how is it attached. It seems like some are hinged? All I know is the adjustable tailgut. If I ever got out, and looked at guitars, maybe I would know more about what I am doing!

Do archtops have more power with the bronze strings than the nickels? Are the bronze more trouble to use with a pickup? I've never tried a pickup; don't have a speaker! Never put on a pick guard. The stings are so high; is it mainly for something to lean against? Looks? Mount and adjust the pickup?

Yeah, I don't know much.

I do know that they sound cool acoustically.

Ken,
The tail piece is attached by a piece of brass that I simply bend and then I drill some holes and inlay it into the bottom of the Tailpiece and use machine screws and tap the Ebony. It actually works great.
Most of the factory guitars and some anime guitars use a hinge with an all metal tail piece sometimes with a wood overlay just for aesthetics but they tend to be much heavier.

You definitely get more power with the bronze strings but the problem is the pick up won’t work as well with them.

The pickguard does serve several functions. It Allows you to mount the pick up without touching the face of course also some people do like to rest their hand or their pinky on it while playing.
Actually some people do colder finger rest not a big guard because there’s no way you got it at the top of a guitar with a strange being an inch off like you said

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These users thanked the author Brad Goodman for the post: Ken Nagy (Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:05 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 3:28 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Ken Nagy wrote:
I love the guitar Brad.

The tailpiece is cool, but how is it attached. It seems like some are hinged? All I know is the adjustable tailgut. If I ever got out, and looked at guitars, maybe I would know more about what I am doing!

Do archtops have more power with the bronze strings than the nickels? Are the bronze more trouble to use with a pickup? I've never tried a pickup; don't have a speaker! Never put on a pick guard. The stings are so high; is it mainly for something to lean against? Looks? Mount and adjust the pickup?

Yeah, I don't know much.

I do know that they sound cool acoustically.

Image
Here’s a picture in process of how I attach the metal bracket to the tail piece


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These users thanked the author Brad Goodman for the post: Ken Nagy (Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:17 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:21 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm
Posts: 1092
Location: Goodrich, MI
First name: Ken
Last Name: Nagy
City: Goodrich
State: MI
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks for that Brad. I hadn't given any thought to the tailpiece on the little archtop. Now I can sketch out some ideas.

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:17 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm
Posts: 1092
Location: Goodrich, MI
First name: Ken
Last Name: Nagy
City: Goodrich
State: MI
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
A couple of questions Brad:

I have 1/32 brass. I that what you used, or thinner?

Wood screws to attach the brass to the end block?

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 Post subject: Re: Koa 16” Archtop
PostPosted: Sat Mar 18, 2023 9:04 am 
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First name: Chris
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City: Wichita
State: Kansas
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Status: Professional
Have you got a buyer yet?

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