Archtop guitars are built with the same floating bridge / tailpiece design as violins, cellos manolins etc. That's the key to their strong projection and clear tone. But this design has a downside when used on a plucked instrument ... "clanginess".
Flattop guitars with their push-pin bridges produce overtones that smooth out sound but at the expense of clarity and volume. Dandy Hybrids combine elements of Flattop and Archtop guitars to make sound that lives in both worlds. The strings push energy into the domed soundboard through a raised ebony bridge and terminate with the light weight tailpiece. “Zero” fret assures spot-on intonation with maximum playability.
Archtop guitars have soundboards fashioned from a thick wooden slab carved into an arch. Strings pass over a raised bridge and terminate with a tailpiece originating at the heel of the guitar. The energy of the strings pump the soundboard up and down. The resultant sound is devoid of the “overtones” washing effect originating from a flattop’s bridge configuration.
Flattop guitars have a thin soundboard that is nearly flat. Strings enter the body via the saddle/bridge combination and terminate with push pins. Strings pull upward on the soundboard and also jerk the bridge laterally. The motion of the bridge creates a complex wash of sound often characterized as “overtones”. Other overtones develop as a result of bracing configuration and wood choice.
Dandy Hybrid guitars have thin soundboards that are coaxed into a 16’ radius dome via profiled braces and sculpted guitar body. Like the Archtop, string arrangement is by raised bridge and terminates at the tailpiece but the up and down motion of the soundboard is more efficient. Again, the wash of overtones generated at the Flattop’s bridge are omitted but additional overtones are realized by special bracing working with the thin domed soundboard.
Dandy Hybrids open new worlds of playing styles for flat pick and finger-style players alike. Individual notes are more noticeable within chords and by themselves seem more vivid. The sound is on the dry side but not “clangy” as most acoustic Archtops tend to be.
Our Demo page will offer comparisons to other instruments and performers playing the Dandies in different styles.