| Author | Message | ||
| blackelan
Member Username: blackelan Post Number: 72 Registered: 7-2007 |
As in the entire front of the guitar or bass has a facing and the neck laminates are not showing. Tom Anderson refers to this as "Drop Tops" on his guitars and puts a one piece laminate on top of the body of his guitars. Can Alembic do this? | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 2157 Registered: 6-2002 |
Yes, they offer the BTC or bookmatch-to-center option. No idea if they will do a non-bookmatched, one-piece top. I think "drop top" is when the top laminate also covers the elbow cut, so the core wood doesn't show. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 495 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hmm, I thought a drop top was when they used a very thin laminate, and then glue it to the top allowing it to bend across the contours of a carved guitar. From the Giffin website: "The Maple tops on the Drop-tops . . . [is] bent around the arm contour which is a comfort feature preferred by some people. The Maple is out of necessity fairly thin (about 1/8 of an inch), and it doesn't make a lot of difference to the tone . . . Maybe that's just the way he does it though. Edit: Okay from Anderson's site: "The Drop Top features a beautiful piece of book matched maple, koa or walnut that is actually bent (or "dropped") over a tonewood back to create the same comfortable forearm contour of our other models. As a result of this design, we've chosen a top thickness of 3/16 of an inch which actually enhances and richens the sonic character of the instrument. The result is a guitar that not only plays effortlessly, is extremely comfortable, and sounds amazing but is so darn good looking that if you don't dress well it just may upstage you. All neck, electronic and bridge options are available." Seems like one says it does something for the tone, the other, not. (Message edited by hydrargyrum on April 05, 2009) | ||
| blackelan
Member Username: blackelan Post Number: 73 Registered: 7-2007 |
The Anderson "Drop Top" is thicker so I imagine it would change the tone. But to be specific can Alembic do the Anderson style "Drop Top"? | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 496 Registered: 3-2004 |
You're probably right, but he does say about 1/8th inch. I would say 3/16 is pretty darn close to an eighth of an inch. I am a little skeptical about the influence on tone, but hey, what do I know? (Not much as my wife often reminds me). I can't recall seeing a drop top on this site, but there are tons of guitars here, so one could easily miss it. I'm thinking a direct email, or call to the shop might be the quickest route to an answer for you. | ||
| benson_murrensun
Intermediate Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 121 Registered: 5-2007 |
I had a "drop top" VW Beetle once... | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6027 Registered: 6-2000 |
The closest thing to a drop top that we've done is the Alembird custom as far as I can recall. On the Alembird, the contours around the fingerboard on the front of the body were carved in the Mahogany, then the thin Maple top was clamped and glued to conform. On an Alembic guitar, I would expect the top wood to contribute a little less to the sound since it will be thinner than our traditional tops. IT worked this way on the Alembird. |
