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The blessing of Overtones
Most would agree that the early Flattops leaned toward a
more dry sound. I once played a wartime J-45 at our friend Anne P's
house. I couldn't put it down... the notes were so clear within the
chords. I didn't realize it at the time but it was the lack of
Overtones that created the magic for a certain type of playing.
Modern Flattops produce a wide spectrum of Overtones and for players
that mostly strum, Overtones are a blessing. Strike a chord
and it's like a mini-orchestra backing you up. But for players
more interested in the accent notes or for playing solos, the
Overtones just get in the way. You will see acts today with
the singer playing mostly rhythm and the second person playing one
of those old timey acoustic Archtops ...the crisp notes with minimal
Overtones make a great contrast! A good example of
this is the terrific Gillian Welch & David Rawlings duo. |
