model 33 B&H Zenith archtop (photos added)

mr-mac · March 2017

Would 13's pure nickel be a good starter for 10 or do I need to go heavier?

mr-mac · March 2017

And thanks for help and advice. still wondering if should knock up a temp top to bridge to hold an old tune o matic which would allow me to at least adjust intonation so I can see if id need an offset or not. Just map the intonation positions out as it were then build a permanent one with intonation spot on

ICBM · March 2017

Good idea.

Pure nickel 12s or 13s is what I would go for, you probably don't need heavier.

mr-mac · March 2017

Cool, assume that gives option of unwound or wound third around the 12-13 switch over iirc... Superb... Tbh when got it this was gonna be a practise at home machine and maybe just a stick on piezo for odd use at the band jam/open mic I run...

Having played it though its too good to play and awesome looking not to do something with it to make it my go to slide/acoustic machine hence plan changed massively from sling on strings and have fun to hmmmmm ok what can it do.

Not even sure what scale length is supposed to be, guess that would be a good start and work out which string to measure that on to place bridge spot on (especially before I try and see where intonation needs to be)

mr-mac · March 2017

Guess if I measure 0-12 and double it that would give me scale length but then which part of bridge do I place at scale length bass or trebble end or middle

as saddle is curved along whole length

ICBM · March 2017

Generally the top E needs to be almost dead on the scale length (within 1mm usually), the rest staggered back a bit from there.

mr-mac · March 2017

Might try and source one of these bridges. Actually seen a number of framus from that era with this type bridge

mr-mac · March 2017

mr-mac · March 2017

Will figure out piezo after but maybe some compression type like what k&k do.

My bridge however touches arch whole size of bridge, would it need to be the same or would this type where it touches at either end be fine???? If has to be full width I'll just make new top part fit old bottom part

mr-mac · March 2017

Electric pickup will come down to what I find, either scratchplate and pickup I was thinking or if see a cheap all in one framus scratchplate and pickup unit may go with that (though will depend on price and tbh design as some are nice others look silly)

mr-mac · March 2017

Ordered rosewood bridge as above from Germany as was cheapest place by about £10 as same bridge in UK... Will get restrung and sorted for a strap and look at where new bridge needs to be and intonation on the bridge. Once I see what that looks like and how bridges sound I'll decide which I'll use.

got a reasonable wee stick on two sided piezo I'll use to get going at band jam and play it a little for acoustic uses. If happy with everything I'll continue with getting proper piezo and pickups sorted

musicman100 · March 2017

ICBM said:

I'd be highly surprised if any of them aren't all-laminate. As far as I know all that era of German guitars are laminate, right up to the top-of-the-range Hofners - the only exception being the Golden Hofner.

They can sound very good with a Fishman Powerbridge-type piezo pickup, through a good preamp - and an electric guitar amp for proper vintage tone .

Yeah I think right regarding Hofners been laminated apart from the golden.
Ours has a lovely sound to it

mr-mac · March 2017

We'll that's a bit manly.... 25.5" scale

ICBM · March 2017

mr-mac said:

We'll that's a bit manly.... 25.5" scale

Archtops usually are longer scales - some old jazz-era ones even went up to 26" if I remember rightly. They were designed to give as much percussive attack as possible, to compete with the other big-band instruments. Of course no-one was bending strings back then, so the action could be set very low (especially with flatwounds) and they don't seem to hard to play even with heavy strings on.

mr-mac · March 2017

Bending is a bit much on 12's (shhh I play 24 3/4 on 10's usually). And baring is just a tad harder but getting there, doesn't take long... New bridge arrives and fitted but need to tweak intonation a little

mr-mac · March 2017

Think the smaller zeniths were shorter than 25.5

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model 33 B&H Zenith archtop (photos added)

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