Question for the group - Armrests

[jstream]

@Martin - Sorry you had a bad experience. Peter (the owner) is one of my neighbors and one of the nicest people around here. Are you sure it was he you talked to? Some of the employees can be kind of surly, but never heard of that from him. And apart from Summerfest, Shank Hall is really the only pure music venue left around here, and the artists he gets are all over the board and generally amazing.

See? this is why I posted this here. I love the exchange of ideas. I found a website for armrests from one of the links in one or the other of the forums I've been reading lately. It's a rather small builder (I think), not a large factory so I don't think it's purely a marketing ploy. I can notice a difference if I hold my arm away from the top. Is it a big difference? no. And it's true that thousands of guitar players, and hundreds of "stars" don't use them. I was just curious cause it was something I hadn't really seen before. Thank you all.

[Tony_in_NYC]

Are you talking about an armrest like this:


Or like this:


I am a fan of the second type. Not so much the first type. Chris Paulick is an excellent builder who has a boat load of videos on youtube. Here is a link to a video where he makes the insert part for the armrest. You can find the entire series of how he does these from start to finish. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYrS7Ml2DmY

Tony

[MuddyFox]

Are you talking about an armrest like this:

I take it he's talking about the first one


And I believe the second one is called a bevel and not an armrest. Second one is cool and I've never played a guitar with a bevel simply because I've never seen one around here. Might make one, though. :)

[jstream]

Muddy's is the one I was mostly referring to. It basically sits right on top of the kerfing so it shouldn't effect any movement of the top. Does it really work? No idea, but the theory behind it sounds reasonable enough.

[Woody OKeefe]

HI Guys,

This is just a choice, there is no right or wrong. I've been playing for many years and as I got older My forearm would get sore from the edge of the top. As soon as I installed the Pearse arm rest I noticed a big difference in comfort. AT 65, I can play for 3 hours and not feel sore.

[MuddyFox]

To each his own, I guess... I have a shoulder problem (can't play dreads at all) and anything that adds to body depth is a no-go for me, however good it sounded.

[kencierp]

This is pretty logical

http://www.shabbychicguitars.com/scdreds.htm

I think Charles Fox makes one too What's old becomes new again, (some very old classicals were made this way). I think Linda Manzer was awardred a patent for the steel string wedge guitar.

[MuddyFox]

Absolutely. I love how that bevel looks and I can only assume that it feels good, too.
I hope to try one someday, it just may expand the range of guitars I find useful.

Also, once upon I time I was musing about having a guitar with upper bout with a LOT of bevel and having multiple soundholes drilled through the actual bevel surface. I cannot possibly be the first one to think of it so the question to you gents is have you seen something like that done and would it be more than just eye candy?

[Ken Hundley]

It's the Ryan Fluted Bevel you are talking about. I LOVE the look of it, and have no idea how to do it, and would feel too much like copying it. In one sense, thats why I have put a second sound port on the cutaway of mine....I haven't seen anyone else do it, and I don't know how to do a bevel either.

[Tony_in_NYC]

Kevin Ryan builds some beautiful guitars. That fluted bevel is gorgeous!

Woody, you would LOVE the Wedge Body OM I just finished. It feels like a much smaller guitar and is extremely comfortable to play. Too bad I have to give it away this weekend.