This guitar is an archtop with a warmer sound than the traditional archtop. The oval soundhole
gives the guitar more sustain than the f-hole top. It has the projection and power of a good archtop,
with the harmonic complexity and sustain more common to the flattop. This makes the guitar very
versatile whether played with a flatpick or fingertips, fast or slow, loud or soft. The overall
design of the instrument is intended to make the guitar as lightweight and resonant as possible.
The only binding is a single strip of rosewood around the top and back of the body.
Standard features:
- Engelmann Spruce soundboard
- 3" body depth
- Scale length: 25.4" standard, 24.9" optional
- Schaller tuners
- Available in 16" or 17" body width
- Pricing information
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Available Options:
- European or Adirondack spruce soundboard
- European maple back
- One-piece back
- Custom inlay work
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This guitar design arose from conversations I had with
Bill Frisell concerning a guitar he could travel with. Since building the first "Little Archie"
for Bill in 1996, I've found the appeal of a small, easily carried archtop to be wider than I had
expected. The lower bout is 14", and the body depth 2". Yet the guitar is "full-sized" in the areas
that really count: Scale length, neck size and shape, and bridge and soundboard design. Because I
consider this a professional or performer's guitar, a "floating" magnetic pickup is included. The
"Little Archie" sounds incredible plugged in, and is surprisingly resistant to feedback.
Standard features:
- Engelmann Spruce soundboard
- 2" or 2.5" body depth
- 14" body width
- Scale length: 25.4" standard, 24.9" optional
- Schaller tuners
- Can be ordered without pickup
- Includes a custom-made gig bag
- Pricing information
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ELECTRIC ARCHIE STANDARD (shown at left)
This guitar is a result of Bill Frisell's interest in a guitar that would work as an
all around traveling and recording guitar. Based on the standard Little Archie, which
Bill also helped design, this takes a big step towards being an electric guitar while
maintaining certain acoustic aspects. It has a carved top and back like a traditional
archtop, but the top has been left full thickness in the center to provide a solid
platform for the pickups. The neck joins the body at the 16th fret providing easy
access to the high notes and the 24-3/4-inch scale makes the guitar very comfortable
to play.
Standard features:
- Electronics include: Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker pickups with single volume and tone controls and 3-way switch
- Waverly tuners
- Sunburst finish
- Depth of body 2"
- Scale length of 24 3/4"
- Neck joint at 16th fret
- Nickel plated tailpiece
- Tortoise pickguard
- Custom-made gig bag included
- Pricing information
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ELECTRIC ARCHIE HYBRID (shown at right)
In addition to the Standard Electric Archie above, I've also made a variation of this model that is a bit closer to a traditional jazz archtop. This hybrid version incorporates a deeper (2.5") body, single pickup, and a fully carved and braced top, for a fuller acoustic tone. An example of this is shown at right. For more photos, see:
FF#20: Electric Archie Hybrid
Standard features:
- Electronics include: Your choice of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker, P90 or Armstrong Humbucker pickup with single volume and tone controls
- Waverly tuners
- Sunburst or amber blond finish
- Depth of body 2.5"
- Scale length of 24 3/4"
- Neck joint at 16th fret
- Nickel plated tailpiece
- Ebony pickguard
- Custom-made gig bag included
- Pricing information
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Learn more about how to own an
Andersen Instrument
