My first Archtop!

[koko61]

This Höfner 456/S is my first archtop. She is in excellent cosmetic condition, but the action is a little high, I will have to send her to my luthier to make her a little more comfortable to play.
It comes with flat wound strings, but I will probably change them for strings that contain nickel (Martin Retro Monel or D'addario NB) that give me a good acoustic sound but at the same time are somewhat magnetic, because I plan to install a floating pickup, type Kent. Armstrong.
I would like to know your opinion and some advice. Thank you so much!

[JKA]

It's a beautiful guitar and will be a lot of fun to play. I hope it inspires you try and learn some jazz, if you don't already play this genre. Once you get it set up playing to your style if will give endless enjoyment.

Think about having a D'Almond Rhythm Chief 1100 pickup fitted. It will look fabulous and sound even better.

Enjoy it in good health.

You'll be wanting an amp now, if you don't already have one. Take a look at Acus or AER's

[RLetson]

About pickups: I have both an Armstrong humbucker (the model that came with my Eastman) and a DeArmond 1100 (reissue, on my Epi Broadway), and as much as I like the DeArmond's single-coil voice, the pickup doesn't like RF-noisy environments. The bar where I play regularly has ancient wiring and dimmers on the lights, and the combination makes for a constant hum via the DeArmond. Not sure what the RF threshold might be--the DeArmond might be quite happy in a room that's more up-to-date electrically. (As it is at home.)

[mr. beaumont]

Very fun! The monels are a great idea string wise, should you want to install a pickup but also retain the acoustic character.

If you have any interest in playing old school swing rhythm guitar, this instrument will be great! But archtops are surprisingly versatile too...

[koko61]

Thank you. I'm looking forward to getting it ready, but I'm going to wait a little while for it to acclimatize in my city.

[L50EF15]

Gorgeous instrument. Congratulations!

For an amp, I can recommend the DV Mark Jazz 12. I’ve had one for about nine years now and it’s incredible.

[koko61]

Thanks, but I have a Fishman Loudox mini which is the one I use for my acoustics and I really like it. Since the use I am going to give the Hofner is normally going to be as an acoustic, I will make do with that amplifier. I also have a Fender Acoustasonic in the country house.

[koko61]

This week he will go through the workshop. We are going to try to improve the height of the strings, clean and polish frets and I am going to install a pickup, a Kent Armstrong replica, with its volume and tone potentiometers. My luthier recommended it to me since he has installed several and says that the differences with the original are barely noticeable. Everything is installed on the pickguard, so you don't have to play the guitar, only the hole for the input jack, which will be on the strap button.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi Koko, I think that a very high percentage of Baby boomer guitarists started or had a Hofner archtop early in their playing life. I certainly did!

In the early '70s.

Earlier in the '50s when "skiffle" emerged, most music shops had classical guitars and archtops and flat top steel string guitars were rarely seen.

I see that the bridge is pretty low on your Hofner, which means that the neck is raised -ideally requiring a neck reset, which might be a little expensive.

If it can be avoided for an inexpensive guitar for a while it should serve you well.

Let us know the situation when you have seen the technician.

[koko61]

Thanks. I think the bridge is in a correct position, coinciding with the engagement of the pickguard. It is true that the neck has some curvature, but I think that the height of the strings can be improved without needing to do a neck reset. All the Hofners that I have seen of this same model have the bridge at practically the same height.

[Murphy Slaw]

Very nice.

[Mandobart]

On my Eastman archtop I mounted a Kent Armstrong floating neck magnetic pickup, and a twin head JJB passive piezo under the soundboard. I wired both to a TRS endpin jack. The magnetic pickup goes to the tip and the piezo to the sleeve (but it doesn't matter which goes where, other than which one you want if you plug in a mono cord).

From the output jack I run a short TRS cable to a Baggs Mixpro preamp on my belt. With this I can blend the two pickups or go all piezo or all mag. The preamp output is a standard mono (TS) 1/4" jack.

Of course you don’t need both pickups, the Kent Armstrong will work fine by itself. I use Curt Mangan round core medium monel strings. I got my Armstrong pickup from Stew-Mac and bought the archtop pick guard (I see your guitar already has one) and pick guard mounted volume and tone pots at the same time. Very happy with the whole setup.

[Glennwillow]

Pretty guitar. Congratulations!

- Glenn

[Everton FC]

She's a beauty. I've seen a few up here for sale. Too much $ for me, though.

I just got a '66 Harmony H1215 yesterday for CDN$80.00. No neck issues, all it needed was a new nut! Now I've got my second archtop (sold the first, an old Kay that needed a neck reset).

Enjoy!