The arpeggione was invented by J.G. Stauffer of Vienna in 1824 (he was, incidentally, the employer of a certain young C.F. Martin). It was essentially a bass viol but used the guitar tuning E A D G B E. The neck was fitted with metal frets, rather than gut, and the body was smooth-waisted like a guitar. The sound of this bowed guitar harked back to the music of earlier times and was not easily assimilated into the Romantic era. Franz Schubert named the instrument and composed the only known work for arpeggione still in existence, a lovely piece entitled Sonata in A Minor.
Given the current cross-fertilization of all kinds of music, the arpeggione is a great instrument for the present age. I had one made by guitar maker John Kinkade of Bristol, England. He acquired the plans for building the instrument from a museum in west Berlin. I pitch mine D G C F A D, a whole tone lower than the guitar. I recorded two albums on the arpeggione, Swans at Coole (Run River) and Of Moor and Mesa (Green Linnet) and have since received a number of letters from people in the U.S., Australia, and South Africa who are interested in building or acquiring their own arpeggiones.
--Steve Tilston
I'm going to attempt to construct my own acoustic and have always found tailpieces, especially wooden, to be aesthetically pleasing. I have seen very few six-string flattops with any type of tailpiece and do not recall ever seeing a 12-string with one. Is there a problem structurally?
Wayne Bosinski
Secaucus, New Jersey
Wood tailpieces work very well on archtop guitars. It is a matter of personal preference as to whether wood or metal gives a better tone. Archtop guitars are designed to have a tailpiece. Their tops are carved into an arch and their bridges are quite high. String tension is exerted downward on the bridge, and the strings are held in place by the tailpiece. The arch and graduation of the top support string tension, and the top braces contribute to the instruments tone.
Flattop guitars operate on quite a different principle. The bridge is much lower and the strings are attached directly through the bridge itself, putting upward pressure on the more flexible top. The bracing on the underside of the top keeps it from being deformed by string tension. While some makers have used tailpieces on flattop guitars, in general this design does not put sufficient string tension on the bridge to properly drive the top. Some 12-string flattops were designed with tailpieces simply to prevent the top from warping due to the increased pressure of 12 strings. The preWorld War II Stella 12-strings, such as the one played by Leadbelly, are well-known examples. Most modern makers, however, are of the opinion that flattop guitars function best without tailpieces.
--George Gruhn
Can you provide me with information on Lakeside parlor guitars? When were they made? Are they worth restoring?
Bob Steelquist
Sequim, Washington
Lakeside guitars first appeared around 1910. Lakeside was one of many brands marketed by Lyon and Healy of Chicago. It is unclear if Lakeside guitars were made by Lyon and Healy or made for them by other factories in the area, such as Regal. Lakeside models came in several sizes and styles, from small gut-string models to an early steel-string jumbo over 16 inches wide.
Many Lakeside guitars were made with birch backs and sides with a painted-on rosewood finish, though Ive also seen ones with oak bodies. It appears that the Lakeside brand name was only used for about ten years and that similar guitars were made under different names like Columbus, College Line, and American Conservatory. All these brands, including Lakeside, were lower priced than Lyon and Healys popular Washburn instruments.
It is difficult to assess whether your Lakeside is worth restoring. The smaller models were made in large numbers and sell today for no more than a few hundred dollars when in good, playable condition.
--Richard Johnston
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