Porkpie Hat - 1957 Silvertone Archtop

[geomiezzi]

Maybe it's your personal arrangendgemend of Mingus Tune but it's no bad...

Ciao

Guliano iezzi -jazzitalia

[up2space]

Hi Bob,

I have been shopping around for a guitar ( experienced player) have heard many guitars. But for an old guitar, this is the best that I have heard that can stand up in terms of intonation and clarity. when i hear it here, it does sound like some notes are flatting then coming in tune especially with open strings. just wondering, was the guitar a little out of tune or was it due to fret ware or other factors. just heard the godins but the silvertone is a sound truer to my aims. thanks.

[jeremyarp1975]

Thank you so much for posting this. I have been enjoying this clip for about a year and have done my best to imitate your playing. Wonderful stuff. Pardon my ignorance... is this an original tune you wrote or ? I like it tons!

[bobdwilliams]

Hey thanks Jeremy! Yes I wrote most of the songs I've posted here

[morrissteven]

Whoa, cool! I have that same guitar, but mine was all jacked up when I got it so I fixed it up (straightened the neck, put in a truss rod, added body bracing, real binding and made a new fretboard/bridge). I put some flatwounds on it and it sounds great.

Nice playing by the way!

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks morrissteven...hey what wood did you use for the fretboard on your project?

[morrissteven]

I used ebony for the board. The guitar didn't really have good wood for the neck in general-- in fact the wood grains on the fingerboard are painted on there (kind of like the binding). One of the cool things the guitar has going for it is the one piece top and back. However, even though it's technically an archtop, it's not a carved top. I think it was just a flat piece of wood pressed into the arch shape.

[morrissteven]

If you do something like I did, you might want to add some wood in between your neck and your fretboard so you can put a floating pup in there. My strings ride too close to the body to get one in there and that was a slight dissapointment for me-- but it sounds just fine as an acoustic.

[bobdwilliams]

yep, mine is made the same way...could you re-set your neck to get the clearance? By the way, I LOVE ebony...maybe I'll try that on one of my other G-tar-ahs!

Peace

[morrissteven]

@bobdwilliams Resetting the neck like that would put me back at square one I think. I might get the clearance if I put an enormous bridge in there, but the harmonics would be shot (causing the sharp notes as you ascend). The ebony fingerboard and some flats make this guitar sound like a lot more than I paid for it. I may have put a little bit too much/too heavy bracing on it so it doesn't sustain all that much. It's great for jazz though!

[pickinstone]

@morrissteven why would you put flats on an acoustic archtop. Bronzewounds would really liven up the old war horse here.

[morrissteven]

@pickinstone It may be a personal preference, but I think flatwounds sound a billion times better on an old archtop. It's not set in stone or anything, but I think flatwounds and archtops go hand in hand. if I wanted a bright and lively sound, I'd use flat top acoustic with rounds. To each his own though- if it feels good and sounds good then there's no wrong doing as far as I'm concerned.

[Volvodad]

Very nice playing indeed! I love that tune. Do you know who wrote it? I am trying to find some information on it.

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Volvodad, I wrote this and Register my music with BMI songwriters, composers and publishers.

Peace

[snotmale]

...very disappointed - I was expecting some footage of the hat or at least a Pork pie...

[bobdwilliams]

:-)

[StikPivot]

This is really nice playing and what a lovely guitar

[bobdwilliams]

Stik! Thanks man...I love your playing (great songs to cover) R.I.P. BH :-(

You have posted some very nice clips!

Peace

[Plasticsoul]

another beautiful piece of music. if I close my eyes while listening to this I'm driving down a lonely road surrounded by tall grass...and the bugs are hissing. not sure if I have the porkpie hat on or not..but it couldn't hurt.

great picking, sir!

[bobdwilliams]

thanks man, a summer tune for sure!

[bobdwilliams]

Steven, rock man! Awesome tone very good. You guys in the states?

[ednamaetrip]

seen it. a good one. nice style.

[ednamaetrip]

i love the tune, love the title. great how u filmed showing your hands so clearly. thank you. i love the porkpie hat too, well,if the brim isn't too awfully stingy.

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Ednamae

Daniel Day Lewis had a darkly menacing presence wearing his Porkpie Hat, sizable yet stylish

[daddystovepipe]

Funky picking on a funky guitar!

[blownglasslide]

Awesome, man! What kind of guitar is that? She sure is pretty. I love acoustic archtops:)

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Hunter

This is a 56 or 57 Silvertone. It's hard to date them (lots of flowers & candy)

I re-set the neck & installed new frets. The action is fantastic and quite playable now. I tried to comment weeks ago but the 'tube' had issues. Seems to work now

[writershand]

Uh, I don't think you need to worry about your editing skills. You will learn how to record higher quality videos as you go. In the meantime, your pickin' more than makes up for editing woes.

Keep it up. You're doing great!

[natureswhey]

The way your fingers dance on the strings...Its the bomb!!

Kevin

[bobdwilliams]

yes...I can't edit very well yet

[Ducktowners]

Is that Mic on?