How To Get More Resonance & Better Tone From Your Guitar's Top | Archtop Guitar Pickup Ring Hack
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- Опубліковано 4 гру 2022
- In this video, I show you a little trick that I perform on most of my archtops to make the top have more resonance and to achieve an overall better tone. I simply pull off the pickup rings and add washers beneath the rings at the screw holes. This lifts the rings off the top, which I believes allows the top to have more vibration and create a better sound. I walk you through the process. Let me know if you like the video. Please leave me a comment and thanks for watching!
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I have been playing archtop guitars for at least ten years now and I never thought of this. Thanks for the tip Rich and I always enjoy listening to you jam on your videos
Rich has a niche market. He gets relatively inexpensive guitars, sets them up, demo them, then put them up for sale. Even I consider buying one his specials!
He probably could do at least one guitar a week! I notice they sell like hotcakes!!!! Its a valuable service.
Thanks for this, Rich. I'll never be able to play as well as you, Rich, but I am an engineer and I believe that the word you were looking for is "ferromagnetic". Brass and stainless will not be ferromagnetic, and plated steel will be. In order to avoid added metal affecting the magnetic field of the pickup, one might use plastic washers. Nylon would probabably work. Otherwise I'd use brass washers.
Rich you are a downright guitar genius. This helps a lot 😊Thanks!
Great tip, thanks for sharing! and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
thats a great tip, many thanks i will try it!
Rich, you know all the tricks! Hope you’re well, all the best.
Great video! Thanks a lot.
Thank You Rich! I used tiny tiny rubber o-ring grommets... I used to be a trumpeter & used those to prevent the 3rd-finger tuning slide from clicking into the set screw
Great tip!
I've done this mod on a new Loar thin hollowbody and an old Aria Pro II semi-hollow. It works!
I play on a polytone - this has made me change the whole amp set up - and hey man I’ve never heard such a beautiful sound - Rich you are a master of music man dad eeee oh !
You did this on the ES-175 I bought from you about a year and a half ago. I really do think it makes a difference.
I also use your string gauges on that guitar since then. Tried my usual heavier strings but went right back to yours and
that seems to work really well.
Thank you😊
Thanks!!
Thanks Rich
Grazie Rich!!!!!😮
I did this with my 175 last week, I was surprised at the difference in tone. Thanks for the tip.
Curious what type of washers you used ? Rubber, metal, nylon? Size as well. Thanks .
I used the rubber pickup spacers for a Tele (surgical tubing). I figured they would probably allow a bit more resonance than a washer.
Thanks for this cool tip, Rich. I'm thinking about trying it. My archtop has a fairly bright tone but acoustically it's somewhat muted, although I haven't compared the acoustic sound with other archtops except my semi-hollows. It's also fairly rattly in the pickup area but I don't hear that when I'm plugged in.
Thanks for the tone hack! I did this on my cheap Ibanez and it is a noticeable improvement. Btw, you don’t need to remove the strings to do this.
It’s like watching a game of “operation”…. I though for sure you’d use felt washers they use under strap pins? “Silencers “…. I don’t know… Thanks Rich !
Thanks Rich. I’m still playing my Eastman 503. I think it’s lively enough, but I like this idea. I’m using the Quilter amp with the 8” speaker, but I connect a Razers Edge 10” cabinet to it and I love my tone. I’m going to keep my Eastman. I did some set up work on it and get it playing really well. I’m noticing that getting Eastman guitars is not really easy.
You just can't beat Eastman for the price. I'm doing a lot of GoPro video recording on my gigs and the Eastman and Quilter combo sounds so nice and so traditional. By the way, a few weeks ago on the live show, there was a question about Fender amps. Here is my discovery of what to make an archtop sound great through any Fender: Turn all tone controls to ZERO. Just give it a try and see what happens. It actually worked for me. I hope it works for any of the players out there.
Cool Rich
Thanks for the tip. Maybe you said somewgere else but could you share your view on pickup/pole setup - particularly for Seth Lover? Thanks
thanks nice video, it would have been interesting to hear the guitar before and after. Also how would it be with different material? best wishes from Berlin
Most of the electric guitar sound comes from the magnetized string segment oscillating freely above the pickup coils, generating the electric signal (Faraday's Law). For a solid body electric guitar (e.g. telecaster), that's pretty well it. For an archtop, however, the "soundboard" vibration also seems to affect the final tone. Perhaps the pickup is wiggled by the soundboard, and the distance to the strings can change, also affected by the floating bridge vibrations. This distance fluctuation chnages the net magnetic field received at the pickup coil and thereby also affects the harmonic content in the output audio signal. Using washers might be affecting the transmission of soundboard vibrations to the pickup. That's my theroy. If you guys have another explanation or a published reference, let me know. In short, the physics of the semi-hollow/hollow electric guitar is more complex than meets the ear!
…or maybe the washers move the pickups a little closer to the strings.
@@toonew24 A closer string will certainly increase the magnetization of the string and the coil's signal strength (i.e., volume). I should measure the Fourier frequency spectrum of the signals with and without washers and sort out this tone "mystery", looking for differences in harmonics mixture. The program "Audacity" easily computes the frequency spectrum from an input audio signal. Thanks for your reply and suggestion.
I am mystified because it should not make any difference but the difference is unmistakable and significant enough to notice
At first I thought it must be due to pick up distance but on my Gibson 175 the pick up guards are nothing to do with the height of the pick up which independent of the black plastic guards
I genuinely thought that this was not going to work - I only tried it for fun but the sound I’m getting is fab
I played the guitar for 30 minutes first and kept the amp settings in my standard set up - it took less than an hour to put the little rubber washers on and then played fir most of the day - it’s definitely a very noticeable improvement and I’m stumped as to how it is working because it shouldn’t in theory make a difference but IT DOES 🤷🏻♂️
Time to get the BIAB tracks today!!!
Got the Latin and Fast Swing! Cant wait to try out my BIAB (that I had for several months without use.).
Rich, do CTS pots have to be specified for tone or volume? I have not changed any out before, but have been told that my 1984 Epiphone Emperor would benefit from better pots. Any tips you can offer are appreciated.
Thanks, James
Very interesting. I wonder if the same could be achieved by scalloping the bottom of the pickup rings, thereby reducing the contact patch...
I'm sure that would accomplish the same result, but sounds like a lot more work.
If string vibrations excite the top to vibrate more, then the strings vibrate less (which is what the pickups see). That's the Conservation of Energy Law as it applies to guitars. And that's also consistent with several decades of complex measurements of real guitars, including semi- and fully-hollow electrics (see for example Ch 7 of Zollner's "Physics of the Electric Guitar"). So unless you think loss of string vibrations are somehow an intrinsically "good" thing, increasing top vibration does not make intuitive sense in terms of actual guitar physics.
Semi-hollow guitars have been measured to lose somewhat more string vibrations than solid-body electrics. And fully-hollows lose a little more again. That is a function of the bridge becoming more "mobile" as the construction anchors it less rigidly to the thinner tops (with/without centre block). As such the bridge's mechanical impedance to string vibrations is reduced. So more string vibrations leave the strings and flow through the bridge to vibrate the top plate.
So how do you perceive that *more* lost string vibrations improves the "tone" ?
Of course tone is subjective, but the notion that more losses improves tone is sufficiently counter-intuitive that, as Carl Sagan said ... "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".
So you really need randomized blinded before/after recordings to tell if you can *really* pick a difference, let alone one that you prefer. Without that, there may not be anything more than wishful thinking going on here.
You are partially ok on this but its the material characteristics for transfer.....Use Brass or Ferrous Steel. I usually mount pickups to solid bodies this way in that I set up the pickup height first in its normal mount....then bypass that mounting to screw the pickup right to the guitar body and use all the same material spacers or "shims"...which amount to just plain washers. Steel has a particular tone to it and Brass has a particular tone to it due to the transfer character. BUT what you are missing is the BRIDGE ! The actual material of the bridge and the individual saddles. The Gibson original had brass saddles which were plated but those brass saddles has a particular MASS as opposed to the modern repro parts available which are LESS MASS. In a solid body the stud is also BRASS and well into the wood deep for transfer. SO on modern guitars...this has to be changed to restore the "vintage" characteristics. Also after the action is set..... The gap between the thumb wheel and the stud to body...I also load the stud with "shims" so there is a solid coupling to the body with MASS. You have 2 contact points with a String...one at the Nut and one at the Saddle for each string which creates a LOOP with the body wood...the more solidly coupled...the more resonance ...but its also the materials....not just the "tone" woods but also the METALS. As with MAGNETISM ......the more ferrous the strings.....the more effect on the magnetic field of the pickups.....so More Mass will produce a THICKER tone. BUT I am the one that deals with ELECTRONICS.......so the guitar electronics as well as Vacuum Tube amplification......My Father was an RCA dealer...so I "know" audio & electronics.....considering my Dad went into business in 1935 and I was a Family Apprentice in the Family Trade ........So the Electronics are critical ! BUT that is based on the Acoustic properties...and maximum transfer of the vibrations in relationship to the string dying out.....which means SUSTAIN and the time factor to the string decay of vibrations. The real energy in AUDIO is in the low end waves...they are LONG waves and that is the factor in the electronics end of things.....at the end of the day.....its the fundamental and the overtones......all the Harmonic content. Considering most players want to sound just like the recordings they listen to and got influenced by and motivated to PLAY and learn to play. It all goes back to RCA and RCA VICTOR and RADIO and the technology of the day
Personally I favor deep cut saddle and nut grooves where the top of the string is flush with the top surface of the saddle or nut...which gives more CONTACT surface area for transfer as opposed to a string riding on top of a saddle or nut and not deep set at all......but the slots need to be highly precision cut.....no slop.......and if you favor a trapeze tailpiece.....the best is the old style Epiphone Frequensator type with the split between the 3 bass strings and the 3 treble strings.....WHY...because you can manipulate the 3 treble strings if you play off the bridge and palm mute at the bridge.....roll your hand back to the tail and its not quite a Bigsby...but some wiggle that's useful.....
Can you hear the difference? Any before/after sound samples?
I’ve used small nylon washers that I think will dent the top less.
Does it matter if the washers are metal or plastic? How about small rubber o-rings? Hobby shops might be a good source for tiny washers.
Omg! Look at that framed picture over his shoulder!!!!! LOL!!!!!!! Lordy!!!!!!
Hi Rich; Just discovered your channel! I have a 1984 Epiphone Emperor that I will try this pickup procedure on.
I want to add a Bigsby but without having to drill the guitar. Do you have a recommendation for which Bigsby will work?
And where would you suggest that I buy a Tune '0 matic bridge from?
Thanks,
James
Stemac for the bridge. There is a Bigsby that doesn't require drilling but the string might be to high. I'd hold off on the bigsby
In the car world we call those "washers", I have a ton of them, will be doing this soon
If the top is plywood, like the es-175, do you want that sound to resonate.?
Hey, to you that have done this.
Do the washers want to match the thread size of the screws, or can they simply slip through whatever the washer’s hole size is? Thanx
The washer size does not have to be exact. Once you screw down the pickup ring the washers will be secure.
Will an O ring be as effective and give more resonance to my Ibanez jazz guitar? Thanks.
Hey! Thanks for the comment! I think it would make a different. I have added them to several Ibanez guitars.
Rubber O rings would work better as they would float the pickup surround with no added vibration which cause rattles.
Neoprene O rings might work even better!
See my reply - I used the one I describe there and I’m happy with the outcome
Rich, is this upgrade working also on solid and semihollow body guitars? Thanks!
Washers made with iron (ferrous) in them will be magnetic. You need to get aluminum washers so they aren’t magnetic.
Have you ever considered using felt washers instead of steel?
I agree, it seems like a good idea.
I use nylon washers from Amazon and they work fine.@@SteveSmith-mr6sk
I thought this was not going to work but WOW - I’ve just fitted them on my Gibson 175 and there is a beautiful and better tone
I bought these from Amazon - they work great and they are black rubber so don’t show so much on the guitar
sourcing map Rubber Flat Washers 7mm OD 3mm ID 1.2mm Thickness for Faucet Pipe Water Hose, Pack of 30
Hey this has made a huge difference- my fingers are sore through playing so much with this great sounding guitar- I don’t understand how it works but it definitely does !!!!!
To be honest, we all know Rich can make any guitar sound good, even a cheap one without this hack. Mind you, he plays directly into a cheap mixing board! Recently, he demoed a $75 yard sale guitar and wasn't satisfied fully with its tone. Heck!!! I thought it sounded great!!!
What about using rubber washers instead?
Hey Vayabroder! Rubber would work! I have used plastic ones as well.
@@RichSeversonGuitar Thinking that being a softer material any possible vibrations would be less detrimental. Rickenbacker guitars and basses are that way. Stock O rings from the hardware store would be fantastic.
What about dust underneat?
THX but what about the dust? Causing no problems?
What about it?
@@alexandergriggs9934 This can cause problems with the sound!
OK, I get it. Hmmm.... You are using a solid metal washer to keep the Pickup ring up off the body. If I were going to elevate the pickup ring I would have just used cheap soft neoprene "O Rings". On the next guitar you try that trick on, just try "O Rings" instyead and check the difference. Personally, I think its not necessary but I'm a realist and I realize the world is full of players who like to try all sorts of things on their instruments.
By the way, musicians and engineers use the same technical wording when we drop a washer into the guitar body...
My Broadway generates plenty of resonance. I need to tame rather than enhance it. George Van Eps invented his string damper to eliminate the sympathetic open string vibrations, and reduce the electro-acoustic guitar’s susceptibility to feedback. Herb Ellis and other players also used it. Despite being great players, they did not rely on string muting technique alone. Fretwraps and other tricks are quite popular these days. Anyway, just wanted to point out a possible downside to increasing resonance. Archtops with 2 pickups will cause less feedback than those with just 1 pickup. The ones with a floating pickup are the worst.
I can tell what the hell he did, hand always in the way!
If the washer is not magnetic it is probably stainless steel.
Oh, don't get to much resonance, because that will cause more feedback!
I wish you were my dad 😔
I don't see how just one washer per hole is enough? Because the guitar top is not flat, so the center of the pickup ring is still touching the guitar. So the plastic ring is not fully off the guitar top, only the four corners are. And the close-up video shows it the ring is till touching the guitar top. Sorry, I smell snake oil.
I use nylon washers from Amazon and they work fine. I use an old credit card to check for clearance and so far there is always a gap between the guitar face and the pickup ring.