Steve Andersen's Double-Top Archtop

In 1989, luthier Matthias Dammann invented the first "double-top" classical guitar. The concept-a guitar with a top featuring two ultra-thin tonewoods sandwiching a core to give it strength-has been embraced by nylon-string players for its projection and sensitivity.
In 2012, Seattle builder Steve Andersen decided to try his hand at creating a double-top steel-string archtop guitar. On Andersen's creation, thin pieces of Englemann spruce (around 1mm thick) sandwich a sheet of DuPont's Nomex for the guitar's top. These days, it's a common construction technique for classical builds, but groundbreaking for a jazz guitar.
In the video above, we interview Andersen about the creation of this guitar and get a hands-on demo as to how it was crafted. We also watch as guitarist Bill Frisell-one of Andersen's best-known customers-tries the new guitar design out, completely unplugged, for the first time.
Go to the FJ's website - fretboardjournal.com - to see even more exclusive interviews, podcasts, performance videos and more. The Fretboard Journal is the guitarist's bible, featuring in-depth interviews with legendary players and builders, photo essays and more. Every three months, subscribers receive a new, 128 page keepsake issue of the magazine in the mail.
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[@TheoWecker]

I'm now watching the Journal Documentaries playlist. Fretboard Journal, your videos are spectacular! I love them so far.

[@Whiskers1949]

Amazing sound. This video answers my questions about how the sandwich is made.

[@GlennMichaelThompson]

It's pretty difficult to find a finer archtop than what Steve Anderson makes. This double top is absolutely amazing! The tone is... immaculate!(?)(hard to find the words). I wish I had ALL kinds of money to buy exceptional guitars like this!!!

[@bluetick1528]

Beautiful sound!

[@tyman96100]

Wow easily the best sounding archtop I've ever heard.. And that's over iPhone speaker. Would love to hear it in person

[@TheBeatle49]

Incredible sound.

[@NemoNepersonne]

Amazing tone! The method is similar to hollow core doors with thin skins of plywood on the outside and a cardboard honeycomb inside. Very light and very stiff. Also similar to stress skin insulating panels used in house construction. Thanks!

[@sakitakungtyan]

It sounds really good!

[@richardamey3763]

The sandwich finally makes beautiful music!

[@chipstern1]

Brilliant.

[@TheJTM45]

I love this construction technique and the finished guitar is beautiful. Bill does a great job of demonstrating the guitar's nuances as well. I was actually wondering about using the double-top nomex construction to build a Thinline Tele style guitar and whether it would work ok. I can't really see why it wouldn't work. I'd obviously have to use quite a wide center solid strip (like a regular Thinline Tele) to support the bridge and pickups. I'm just a bit unsure about whether you could use a whole top made with the double-layer or if i'd have to just make double sections to fit into the hollowed out areas of the body. I suppose a bit of experimentation would be the best thing.

[@frontbum420]

Got that Tele built yet?

[@sie3946]

Is there any album recorded with Steve's double top guitars? I would like to listen more musics recorded with the double top guitars. If anyone knows please let me know. Many thanks!

[@toddbrooks1548]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXKriHhjrJmpjrc kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3arlamQeZqdfMU Here's a ittle bit.

[@garycoates389]

I've played many archtops, the best I've ever played was an Anderson, would love to own one, and the double top, amazing technology

[@jazzman1954]

Is it possible to arch the top after the resin has set? ie like a gipsy jazz guitar is bent onto the struts. I’d be grateful for the advice. I can’t afford a vacuum press. Thanks

[@karelenhenkie666]

I use a 100 euro vacuum bag for this wich works very well. If you want to make an archtop shape really the only way to achieve the curves is to vacuum press against a mold.

[@maxwellspeedwell2585]

He's in Seattle. His shop is a reflection as to the cleanliness of his design. Showed him my archtop project. Asked for his opinion. He only said, "You're ok, you're on-track." Not much to go on but the guitar did turn out to be very nice. It was very gracious of him to give me the time. -"Mad" Max Speedwell

[@coverzbydan]

Did you go to galloup for their master class?

[@timhitt5934]

Does anyone know if he is based in Oklahoma City? If not who is arch top builder in OKC?

[@RonWinter335]

Steve is based in Seattle. No idea about OKC.

[@polishbroadcast]

You are probably thinking of Jim Triggs.

[@shaalis]

wouldn't en epoxy on a moving surface like a guitar top....crack?

[@itamarrodrigues3426]

What type of glue is used?

[@mathew2818]

Epoxy. Not sure what brand. If you check out ken Parker’s arch top series he explain some pros and cons of different epoxy mixtures. Hope that helps!

[@swampfoot1971]

T-88 structural epoxy.

[@howardvaughan3742]

Should'nt guitar tops vibrate so shouldnt be stiff?

[@rjlchristie]

2:00 - 3.15 and on: "Sort of.... um... harmonics...kind of...overtones...um...alive. " He's obviously having trouble explaining what he hears in the double top sound of this arch top construction. Here's my 2 cents. What struck me from this clip is that the spectrum of the sound of the instrument has shifted a long way toward that of the classical guitar compared to the traditional arch top. Being a classical guitarist I regard it as an improvement and because of my bias I would encourage him to go all the way and switch to nylon if that's the sound he's after.

[@jazzman1954]

I suspect he’s already thought about that. I suspect that he owns a classical. He is a world recognised and renowned jazz guitarist but I am sure he will appreciate your advice all the same.

[@davidblakeguitar]

lol that’s bill frisell

[@gabrielzillion]

Bill Frisell is amazing, as always. I am not sure why we call this guitar archtop, it is definitely not arch, instead flattop.

[@gopeace4797]

Toward the end if the video you can see the dome. It appears that he vacuums it down over a mold.

[@eugenedumitrescu2187]

Fake archtop

[@bolijack]

Sh.., theres a gap, does not show how the body is made 😎

[@WesFanMan]

Pretty standard stuff once the top is made.

[@user-us1hv8ic8v]

แพงชิพหาย

[@pakonkamrod7432]

คนไทยก็มาหวะ55

[@davestambaugh7282]

Harmonic opulence!

[@nicoeffem3483]

not the most articulate demo player - whoever he is..

[@Abcdef12396]

Haha, that's Bill Frisell. One of the most famous jazz guitarists today..