A 1921 A2 Gibson mandolin is reunited with a 1921 L2 Gibson guitar after an entire century.
For archtop lovers, there are few subjects more fascinating than the legacy of Orville Gibson.
One of my greatest inspirations as a guitar maker comes from my hope that the guitars I build will roam the planet long after I’m gone. Sometimes, when I’m on my some-hundredth hour of working on a guitar—sanding lacquer and chasing a flawless mirror finish—a vision of the instrument one hundred years from now will flash before my eyes. It’s a powerful reminder that along with a century of battle scars and music comes a certain beauty that only time will bring. With all the hustle and bustle of building brand-new guitars, sometimes I forget: I want to build guitars now, so that someday they will be old.
You see, old archtops are my favorite. Even if they’re not that great, I still find them beautiful. Every time I hold one in my hands, I think about how, once upon a time, it too was incomplete and being obsessed over by someone. Maybe by a factory worker whose name we’ll never know, or perhaps by one of the greatest luthiers of the early 20th century. Each of those luthiers plays a role in the history of archtops, which just so happens to hold some of my favorite stories. It’s a surprisingly not-super-long timeline that begins with a tale of innovation, tradition, mental illness, and mandolins. We only have to go back to the late 1800s to find the man responsible for planting the archtop seed, and I bet it’s a name you already know: Mr. Orville Gibson.
In the 1890s, Gibson was building guitars and mandolins with arched tops and backs, and as far as we know, he was the first to do so. Violins and cellos had been made that way for hundreds of years, but Gibson’s builds were where that construction style began for guitars and mandolins. In 1898, he achieved a patent for a number of his ideas on the construction of those instruments, including the concept of carving the top and back out of solid wood. He sold the patent (and his name), and in 1902, founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His relationship with the company from thereon is unclear. Then, in 1907, he was admitted to a hospital for psychiatric treatment, an occurrence that would take place a number of times before his death in 1918.
Violins and cellos had been made that way for hundreds of years, but Gibson’s builds were where that construction style began for guitars and mandolins.
Yes, believe it or not—the world of music was forever changed by the work this man did inside of one decade, and it may or may not have cost him his sanity. With Gibson’s innovative creations as a blueprint, the company went on to produce archtops that unified the mandolin and guitar family as one. It was 1919 when the company hired a physics-obsessed musician who unlocked the acoustic potential of these instruments: Lloyd Loar. Through applying concepts used in violin building, such as f-holes and tap tuning, Loar elevated the world of archtops to a new level in 1922 with his design and creation of the L-5 guitar and F-5 mandolin. Loar left Gibson two years later to “pursue other interests.”
So, here’s the crazy part: During these first painfully short chapters, Gibson and Loar were responsible for the making of some of the most beautiful and magical-sounding instruments on the planet. I came upon a cluster of Gibson mandolins from the early 1900s at a music store, and I felt the magic before I knew what they were; I just looked at them and they started singing like angels. Trying to describe the experience would be like trying to cover the impact of Gibson and Loar in one column, but let’s just say I left that music store a different person than I arrived, along with a higher understanding of the word “otherworldly.” These are the kinds of instruments that make you a better builder or player just by being around them. They have souls.
The story of Gibson’s role in the archtop evolution certainly goes on from there, but it’s these first chapters and the unprecedented instruments that come with it that laid the wood-shaving-covered foundation today’s archtops are made on. From there, the daisy chain of inspiration continued as the archtop guitar developed in the hands and shops of more brilliant luthiers to come, such as John D’Angelico, Charles and Elmer Stromberg, Jimmy D’Aquisto, and Linda Manzer; but those are stories for another day. These are the heroes of the archtop world, and one of my many reasons for loving old archtops is because it reminds me of them. I want nothing more than to leave behind guitars that inspire others, the way many beautiful guitars left behind by my heroes have inspired me—battle scars and all.
The silky smooth slide man may raise a few eyebrows with his gear—a hollow, steel-bodied baritone and .017s on a Jazzmaster—but every note and tone he plays sounds just right.
KingTone’s The Duellist is currently Ariel Posen’s most-used pedal. One side of the dual drive (the Bluesbreaker voicing) is always on. But there’s another duality at play when Posen plugs in—the balance between songwriter and guitarist.
“These days, I like listening to songs and the story and the total package,” Posen told PG back in 2019, when talking about his solo debut, How Long, after departing from his sideman slot for the Bros. Landreth. “Obviously, I’m known as a guitar player, but my music and the music I write is not guitar music. It’s songs, and it goes back to the Beatles. I love songs, and I love story and melody and singing, and there was a lot of detail and attention put into the guitar sound and the playing and the parts—almost more than I’ve ever done.”
And in 2021, he found himself equally expressing his yin-and-yang artistry by releasing two albums that represented both sides of his musicality. First, Headway continued the sultry sizzle of songwriting featured on How Long. Then he surprised everyone, especially guitarists, by dropping Mile End, which is a 6-string buffet of solo dishes with nothing but Ariel and his instrument of choice.
But what should fans expect when they see him perform live? “I just trust my gut. I can reach more people by playing songs, and I get moved more by a story and lyrics and harmony, so that’s where I naturally go. The live show is a lot more guitar centric. If you want to hear me stretch out on some solos, come see a show. I want the record and the live show to be two separate things.”
The afternoon ahead of Posen’s headlining performance at Nashville’s Basement East, the guitar-playing musical force invited PG’s Chris Kies on stage for a robust chat about gear. The 30-minute conversation covers Posen’s potent pair of moody blue bombshells—a hollow, metal-bodied Mule Resophonic and a Fender Custom Shop Jazzmaster—and why any Two-Rock is his go-to amp. He also shares his reasoning behind avoiding effects loops and volume pedals.
Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard.
Blue the Mule III
If you’ve spent any time with Ariel Posen’s first solo record, How Long, you know that the ripping, raunchy slide solo packed within “Get You Back” is an aural high mark. As explained in a 2019 PG interview, Posen’s pairing for that song were two cheapos: a $50 Teisco Del Rey into a Kay combo. However, when he took the pawnshop prize onstage, the magic was gone. “It wouldn’t stay in tune and wouldn’t stop feeding back—it was unbearable [laughs].”
Posen was familiar with Matt Eich of Mule Resophonic—who specializes in building metal-body resonators—so he approached the luthier to construct him a steel-bodied, Strat-style baritone. Eich was reluctant at first (he typically builds roundneck resos and T-style baritones), but after seeing a clip of Posen playing live, the partnership was started.
The above steel-bodied Strat-style guitar is Posen’s third custom 25"-scale baritone. (On Mule Resophonic’s website, it’s affectionately named the “Posencaster.”) The gold-foil-looking pickups are handwound by Eich, and are actually mini humbuckers. He employs a custom Stringjoy set (.017–.064 with a wound G) and typically tunes to B standard. The massive strings allow the shorter-scale baritone to maintain a regular-tension feel. And when he gigs, he tours light (usually with two guitars), so he’ll use a capo to morph into D or E standard.
Moody Blue
Another one that saw recording time for Headway and Mile End was the above Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt ’60s Jazzmaster, made by Carlos Lopez. To make it work better for him, he had the treble-bleed circuit removed, so that when the guitar’s volume is lowered it actually gets warmer.
"Clean and Loud"
Last time we spoke with Posen, he plugged into a Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature. It’s typically his live amp. However, since this winter’s U.S. run was a batch of fly dates, he packed light and rented backlines. Being in Music City, he didn’t need to go too deep into his phone’s contacts to find a guitar-playing friend that owned a Two-Rock. This Bloomfield Drive was loaned to Ariel by occasional PG contributor Corey Congilio. On the brand’s consistent tone monsters, Posen said, “To be honest, put a blindfold on me and make one of Two-Rock’s amps clean and loud—I don’t care what one it is.”
Stacked Speakers
The loaner vertical 2x12 cab was stocked with a pair of Two-Rock 12-65B speakers made by Warehouse Guitar Speakers.
Ariel Posen’s Pedalboard
There are a handful of carryovers from Ariel’s previous pedalboard that was featured in our 2021 tone talk: a TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Noir, a Morningstar MC3 MIDI Controller, an Eventide H9, a Mythos Pedals Argonaut Mini Octave Up, and a KingTone miniFUZZ Ge. His additions include a custom edition Keeley Hydra Stereo Reverb & Tremolo (featuring Headway artwork), an Old Blood Noise Endeavors Black Fountain oil can delay, Chase Bliss Audio Thermae Analog Delay and Pitch Shifter, and a KingTone The Duellist overdrive.
Another big piece of the tonal pie for Posen is his signature brass Rock Slide. He worked alongside Rock Slide’s Danny Songhurst to develop his namesake slide that features a round-tip end that helps Posen avoid dead spots or unwanted scratching. While he prefers polished brass, you can see above that it’s also available in a nickel-plated finish and an aged brass.
The CAT scanning process helps luthiers better understand the material properties of the tonewoods used almost a century ago.
When reconstructing the sound of a vintage instrument, a data deep dive may be in order.
My interest in the science of sound stemmed from my inability to understand most modern luthiers’ theories or philosophies. One issue I’ve struggled with is why so many of the best examples of vintage guitars that are awesome on so many levels are now approaching 100 years old. Why doesn’t the same abundance of excellent sounding instruments exist in the modern era? Something was definitely spot-on with these older guitars. But when the tonewood stars are aligned, modern makers do occasionally come close to hitting that mark, so I don’t think it’s totally a question of those older instruments maturing through aging. I feel these guitars were good from the start.
So, what do I have to do to replicate the sound of those older guitars? And, most importantly, which sound is my primary goal? I’m sure I’ve said this before, but, just in case, I’ll say it again: The sound of world-class musical instruments is not subjective. They either fall into that category or they do not. However, there are still slight variables at play.
When I was developing my acoustic guitars, I had a blank canvas. All I had to do was make alterations until the instruments’ voice made me happy, and that became my sound. This method is called “form follows function,” because I altered the components until the instrument worked for me.
Reconstructing the sound of existing instruments is a more difficult task. In order to righteously pull it off, you have to replicate all of the components dimensionally, inside and out. Then, you can manipulate the tonewood to adjust the sound. This is “function follows form,” which is a much different, and ultimately more difficult, style of musical instrument making. In my shop, we call this style of backdoor guitar making “reverse profiling.”
Back in the day, I successfully pulled this off with vintage Gibson Advanced Jumbos and J-45s, but the Martin’s sound was more elusive. The added mass of the larger bracing and thicker tops can easily become lethargically dark and less responsive. But if correctly balanced, it’s a pretty special sound. Recently, I decided to move to the next level of reproducing the sound of vintage Martin guitars, specifically the late-’30s Martin D-18.
Unlike a modern sound that is commonly described as wet or lush, the vintage tone is clear and dry.
The first order of business was to locate an accurate example that had the desired sound and feel. There are varying sonic examples from any time period, so a marker was needed to keep the project on track and to compare for accuracy. This kept the project honest. I chose two models to compare: a 1937 D-18 with advanced bracing and wide string spacing, and a 1939 D-18 with non-advanced bracing and narrow string spacing. These were both iconic examples that had unique tones and folklore associated with their bracing patterns.
The next step was information gathering. Reverse profiling is trickier than a fresh build, and we need to understand the materials used a century ago. The data we compile plays a major role in the instrument’s tonal development and is absolutely necessary before we can develop any profiles. To achieve this, I worked with fellow luthier Tom Nania to CAT (Computed Axial Tomography) scan our vintage marker guitars. This way, we could calculate the density of the vintage tonewoods. Then, we physically mapped out the guitar’s weights and thicknesses inside and out. This generated the preliminary formula that was a key step in reverse engineering an existing guitar for reproduction. We established a definite path or, in other words, a recipe. When we make a change, which is inevitable, we will have accurate markers for each attempt.
I have always been impressed with the sound of vintage guitars. Unlike a modern sound that is commonly described as wet or lush, the vintage tone is clear and dry. If we can nail down this sound, we’ll gain a better understanding of tonewoods and their stability. This is only the beginning of a much bigger picture that will unfold over the next few years, and this 1937 D-18 is only one of the projects in the works. So far, our findings and progress are encouraging. I can’t wait to see where it ends up, but I expect good things.
This clean 1938 Martin 00-18 is the sort of checks-all-boxes, bucket-list vintage guitar that only comes around once in a blue moon.
Sure, the economy isn’t what it was a few months ago. But what do you do if you find the one?
Guitar shopping is certainly different than it was 18 months ago. And we’re all grateful that manufacturers like Martin and Taylor are shipping more new guitars. That means your favorite music store probably doesn’t have as many empty hooks as it did during the crazy days of Covid. Stores that sell new instruments are also moving inventory more slowly as recent Wall Street jitters over inflation and the economy filter down to dinner-table talks about family finances. Even worse, personal budgets for music gear have to compete with vacations, events, and dining out. As a result, some guitar shoppers are wondering if that new guitar purchase should be postponed, especially considering that most new models will be available in the future when the world will hopefully feel at least a little more secure and predictable.
The put-it-off brakes are harder to apply, however, when it’s a bucket-list vintage instrument you’ve been looking for since long before we even knew how to spell “Covid.” What do you do when a guitar turns up that has everything you’ve wanted and the condition is just what you were hoping for, with the right combination of real-life wear and originality? It has the sound and playability you’ve been after and doesn’t need any work, so there’s no guessing about whether a neck reset and gluing those loose braces will change the sound, but in the wrong direction. And what will make passing up your bucket-list special even more difficult is knowing you might have to wait years before another example comes along that checks all those boxes.
“Even if only a few hundred Gibson J-185 models from the early 1950s, for instance, have survived in playable condition, there will still be significant variation in those examples today.”
This is where the differences between players who buy new guitars and those who buy used and vintage become obvious. Those who search for new models are often looking for the right combination of woods, body style, and neck shape, but within a known set of parameters determined by the builder. A new Taylor is always going to have a certain feel and look that’s distinctly different from any Martin or Gibson, for instance. But Taylor offers a lot of variety within the boundaries of “Taylorness,” especially when you add torrefied tops and different bracing patterns into the mix. Taylor probably offers more distinctly different steel-string models today than all American guitar manufacturers combined were putting into music stores in the 1960s. Martin and Gibson now offer multiple options of the same model, depending on how far back you want to turn the clock. The reissue of a D-28 from 1937 is different from a reissue of the 1954 version, which is different from the Standard Series D-28, and so on. Martin and other instrument manufacturers more than hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to offering variety, yet all new or nearly new guitars have one thing in common, and that is while they do vary, they are not unique. This is partly because current manufacturing methods are so dialed-in thanks to technology like CNC, but it’s primarily because those guitars haven’t lived a guitar life yet.
In contrast, a production guitar that’s many decades old is often very different even when compared to other examples of the same model from the same year. Yes, guitars back then were made more by hand, so even siblings from the same batch will often vary both in how they sound and how they feel. But the biggest difference is usually because of what happened to those guitars after they left the factory. A few lived ideal under-the-bed-in-a-case lives, some were played often but carefully, some got played a lot—often carelessly—and show it, some were heavily modified, and some were simply played and cracked and cooked and traveled until they were worn out. Even if only a few hundred Gibson J-185 models from the early 1950s, for instance, have survived in playable condition, there will still be significant variation in those examples today.
Those who seek out vintage guitars usually have their own standards for what kind of wear and repair they will tolerate. Some are more focused on originality of all parts and finish and will tolerate small cracks and repairs; others can’t live with a cracked soundboard no matter how superb the condition of the rest of the guitar. So, when a vintage-guitar seeker finds the right combination of features in an old instrument … well, you can see where this is going. Fiscal uncertainties may prevail, and the purchase of a new guitar will get postponed. But when the just-right old guitar comes along, many of us will go for it, even if the price is steep. As one true vintage hound told me years ago, “I’d rather buy the right guitar at the wrong time than be dreaming about the one that got away years later.”
Linda Manzer (right) and Maegen Wells play one of the guitars assembled in the “Nickel Wound Chef” competition at Fretboard Summit 2022.
After several years away, luthiers and enthusiasts gathered across the country in 2022. Here’s how it went down.
After two years of being locked up in our shops, guitar makers everywhere were eager to be reunited in 2022, when many beloved industry events returned. These guitar shows allow qualifying luthiers to showcase their work and connect with players and buyers. More importantly, they’re a wonderful opportunity for the guitar-building community to come together, and I couldn’t wait to see what my friends had been gluing up.
If you’re a guitar lover, attending any of these events is like walking into a dream world. The air is filled with the same passion, love, and excitement that went into building the instruments on display. It’s a contagious energy that hits you the moment you walk into the room. For us builders, these weekends are filled with life-validating moments as we get to hear our creations come to life in the hands of so many players and admirers. After investing hundreds of hours into each guitar, I can assure you there is no better feeling on the planet than watching someone fall in love with their next musical companion. This symbiotic inspiration becomes the pulse of these events, and a poignant reminder for both builders and players to keep following these crazy dreams.
Here’s a glimpse into some of the most inspirational guitar shows of 2022: the Artisan Guitar Show, Fretboard Summit, and Rocky Mountain Archtop Festival.
After investing hundreds of hours into each guitar, I can assure you there is no better feeling on the planet than watching someone fall in love with their next musical companion.
The first reunion was in April at the Artisan Guitar Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The AGS takes place in a large and elegant conference room of a very nice hotel, and perfectly walks the line of being a classy yet comfortable show. With 50-plus guitar makers displaying, this show does an excellent job of representing different styles and variations of the guitar. The result was one of the most dynamic and balanced showcases of handmade guitars that I’ve ever seen, and the quality of work was top shelf all across the show. It had everything: archtops, flattops, semi-hollow electrics, solidbodies, and beyond. It was a true guitar lovers show. The variety of guitars and music I get to experience inspires me more than anything, which is why this show is one of my all-time favorites.
All summer long, everyone was buzzing about the return of the Fretboard Summit, which took place at the legendary Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois. It was a jam-packed weekend with lectures, workshops, and performances from the very best, such as luthier TJ Thompson and mandolinist Sierra Hull. This time, they decided to throw a handmade guitar show into the mix. So, after the Molly Tuttle workshop, you could wander over to the luthier’s display, and actually get your hands on some Preston Thompson Guitars. There was even a competition held in front of a live audience and a panel of judges, where luthiers Creston Lea and Duncan Price raced to assemble an electric guitar kit in one hour. It was the perfect combination of genius and madness, and something that would only go down at the Fretboard Summit.
The grand finale was September’s Rocky Mountain Archtop Festival hosted by Henriksen Amplifiers in Arvada, Colorado. For one weekend in September, some of the best archtop builders and players in the world assembled to celebrate this enigmatic instrument. More than 30 builders had archtops on display, and the archtop goodness literally spilled out of the showroom and into the lobby of a very lovely and accommodating Hilton. It was there you would find guitar legends Jimmy Bruno and Frank Vignola casually leading some of the most face-melting jam sessions you’ve ever witnessed. The energy at the show reached an all-time high as the Chinery Blue Guitar Collection—22 instruments built by some of the most prominent luthiers in the archtop world, curated by collector Scott Chinery—was revealed in a stunningly powerful display. To be in the presence of so much great history and beauty was emotional and inspiring for everyone at the archtop party. But it didn’t stop there. This infectious energy spread throughout all of Arvada. That evening, the town’s water tower lit up with blue lights in honor of this iconic collection and the magical weekend surrounding it. It was pure bliss. It was pure archtop.
That’s a wrap on 2022! From coast to coast, it was an epic reunion for guitar lovers and builders everywhere with the most successful show circuit I’ve experienced in over a decade. Filled with music, inspiration, and some pretty great memories, guitar builders are now tucked back into their workshops with their wood and glue, preparing for next year’s season of guitar shows. I invite you to come check out what my friends and I have been gluing together at any one of these exceptional events in 2023!