The Archtop Jazz Guitar borrows heavily from design of the violin and mandolin.The Archtop Jazz Guitar borrows heavily from the construction of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar, the Mandolin, and Violin depending on the builder. Some violins are able to be heard over an entire orchestra due to the way their arched soundboard reflects internally, amplifies, and projects externally the sound energy. Orville Gibson and other American and European builders experimented with archtop designs and even shared ideas eventually arriving at designs for Guitars that could be played and heard in Big Band settings. Initially, these instrument replaced banjos and essentially functioned primarily as rhythm instruments until the introduction of electronic pickup amplification. The original Archtop Jazz Guitar is also referred to as the Full Archtop since the body of the original instruments was at least 4 inches deep. This contrasts with newer models today that can be as thin as 2 inches deep. Also, the Full Archtop was likely to have been 18 to 20+ inches across at the lower bout. Today's Archtop Guitars can be narrower at about 16 inches. Charlie Christian was the first guitar player to extensively employ melodic solo lines in the manner previously reserved for horn players. He was so effective that he overcame the initial doubts of bandleader Benny Goodman and became a featured soloist in the Benny Goodman Band. There also exist recordings of Charlie Christian playing at a few Jam Sessions at Minton's Playhouse in New York alongside artists like Thelonius Monk and Dizzy Gillespie. Charlie Christian played a Gibson ES-150 with a bar magnet pickup. The Archtop Jazz Guitar represented an Art Form of Grand Visual Design rivaling that of the automotive industry of the 1920's to 1930's. The Builder who most epitomized this era was John D'Angelico. The Headstock, Pickguard, and Tailpiece of a typical D'Angelico Archtop bears unmistakable resemblance to the design appointments of Chrysler & other large automobiles of the era. The Art Deco design looks perfectly placed and integrated with D'Angelico's works of art. Jimmy D'Aquisto, who apprenticed to John D'Angelico, continued the guitar building tradition and modernized many elements of Jazz Guitar design. In many respects, Jimmy D'Aquisto eclipsed the accomplishments of his legendary teacher. The works of both men are highly sought by collectors. To meet heavy demand, prior to his death, Jimmy D'Aquisto licensed his guitar designs and his name temporarily to Fender Guitars and to Hagstrom. Current builders who continue the tradition of D'Angelico and D'Aquisto include John Monteleone, Bob Benedetto, Dale Unger, Linda Manzer, Tim Grimes, and others. To keep up with demand, Bob Benedetto has licensed his designs to Guild Guitars, now a subsidiary of Fender Guitars. Gibson Guitars still builds Archtops in its Nashville, TN factory while importing less expensive models under its Epiphone brand. Ibanez Guitars continues to demonstrate solid commitment to the Jazz Community with its own line of Archtop Jazz guitars and has models endorsed by George Benson and Pat Metheny. You can also find Archtop Jazz Guitars from companies like Eastman, Stromberg, Yamaha, and Gretsch.
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