Official Luthiers Forum!

I don't believe I've posted here before, but I've been learning a great deal from others' posts, and I really appreciate the experience and expertise I see here. I've only built a few guitars. The one pictured I've been using on the rare gig with a jazz combo, and I'm very happy with it.

It is a hollow body--only the humbucker is attached to the top (without a pickup ring, which just seemed unnecessary in this case). It would surprise me if this hadn't been done before, but the stop tailpiece passes through the top and is set in an I-shaped tail block attached to the back, so the top is free to vibrate. Anyway, I liked the idea of being able to adjust the break angle, which seems to me to one of the very few things you could adjust on an archtop once the finish is applied, and the physics of those adjustable archtop tailpieces don't quite convince me (though, like I said, I'm a beginner at this). I haven't yet messed with the break angle, because I've been using the guitar and like it the way it is.

Just thought I'd ask if anyone was familiar with this solution, and what you think about it.

Thanks,
Viktor

Sorry for the large images--I'm not very forum-savvy.

The big thing I think most jazz box guys would notice is feel..... The longer string section behind the bridge of a trapeze alters the felt tension of the string allowing heavier string gauges with the ease of playability of a lighter set. This also improves drive on the top as actual working tensions are higher.

The sharper break angle in this design may allow enough top drive with a lighter set of strings but also likely gives up a bit of warmth in the tone as any supplemental vibration from the non speaking section of the string behind the bridge will definitely be much brighter and will couple in a more direct fashion through the middle of the back rather than in the tail block as in a convetional J-box.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Several years ago I did a variation on that idea on a large 8 string dulcimer I built. It used a tailpiece that had a bolt passing through it and the top and screwing into a block glued to the back. Again, the idea was to adjust the downbearing to change the sound (which it did). I dug it out of the back corner of a dusty closet and snapped a couple of pics.

Berb, I like that guitar.
Awesome finish. More info on the build?
Unclear how the tailpiece connects to the back, and doesn't affect the top.
Oversized holes through the top?
Curious how much feedback you get with that fat boy.
FWIW, I had trouble with pic size, and figured out how to change the pic size
in my digital camera. The list of choices had a size for web pics.
Alan

Thanks to you all for your comments--I hadn't noticed that anyone replied.

Brian, you mention a couple of issues that hadn't occurred to me. I sometimes notice (not just on this guitar) the vibrations produced by the length of string between the nut and the fretted fret. I can really only hear this acoustically, and it sometimes bothers me depending on the pitch. I hadn't thought about vibrations produced by the section between bridge and tailpiece. With a traditional archtop tailpiece, is it your sense that the length of string and the actual tailpiece, whether wood or metal, vibrate as one unit? (I hope that question is clear.)
As for the feel, this set up may suit me--together with heavier strings (flatwound 13s)--because I really dislike it when I'm fingering a chord and notes pull out of tune. This is worse with lighter strings, but may also be effected by a longer string section behind the bridge.

Alan, the finish is French polish--and I can't say I'm too fussy about it. I have an Ibanez laminate hollow body, and this guitar has a little less feedback than the Ibanez. It does have a bit of wolf tone around C#. It had it before I put the finish on (I did a dry run with the pickup before doing the French polish), and it didn't change after the finish was on. This surprised me and made me wonder whether the neck is a larger factor than the body. I still have checked whether adjusting the break angle will effect the wolf tone.

I appreciate hearing from people with so much more experience than me.
Viktor