Official Luthiers Forum!

Why don't I see more armrests on guitars? The theory of preventing arm resting on tonewood and degerdation from sweat.

Perhaps because they seem really hard to do well and they make the soundboard smaller compared to a guitar of the same size without an armrest? It could also be because they are not traditional so most customers don’t request one, or people are used to playing guitars without one and don’t really feel the need it; that or they haven’t tried a guitar with an armrest so they don’t know what they are mission out on… I do think they can look and feel great, but I have not had the courage to build one myself.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

and then there is the issue of cost. take a look at what the builders who offer them as options charge.

Collings tried a Laskin style on one guitar - it took 1000 bucks of labour to do it - they never bothered again. I did one fully bound one as well - then came up with my own take thats easier to do - Howard wouldnt like that way of thinking but thats my choice . As its been said, its a lot of hand work, extra bending, carving and fitting vs a pretty easy bind in that area. Ribrests are even worse ....


As for sweat wrecking finishes - most factories are using polyester or polyurethane .. that stuff is impenatrable. If its nitro its somewhat different, but the armrest provides MORE surface area for your arm, not less.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Don't blame me!

I'm building one with an armrest right now

Bob,

Did you mean an armrest like the John Pearse ones that sit on top of the bass side lower bout or the built in beveled type like Grit Laskin?

I've built a few with the John Pearse type and find they do stop your forearm damping the top. here's a snakewood one that I did to cover what happened when the guitar interacted with a fire escape release bar :

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

The difficulty level is probably the biggest reason....

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I don't make anything harder just for the sake of difficulty, Tony.

I'm about to raise the price of the armrest option. Binding a Laskin style rest is difficult.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Howard,

What impact does the Laskin-style armrest have on tone?
I'm assuming that it can restrict a lot of movement in the all-important lower bout...seems like the bass could suffer. Thanks.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I've been very impressed with the flawlessness of Kevin Ryan's armrests and the way the binding blends into the armrest.

I'm going to go see him next month....i may have to ask!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

All I was saying Howard was that I made it easier, and a bit less elegant (no side purfling) - I know that the look comes with a price, and much effort - but all of my clients seem to like the way I do it for the price, so I am good with that. If someone had to have it, thats OK too, but the price goes up with the effort - they are a PITA, I agree.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

One other reason is some folks have no need for an armrest depending on how they hold the guitar body - the Dwight Yoakam/ Johhny Cash wrap your arm around from the tail pin kind of hug sees no benefit - you have to play in a more classical style with your arm sitting on the upper bout corner edge at at an angle, otherwise with or without the rest the guitar feels about the same.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

er, tony.... don't you mean the lower bout?

Has anyone used this armrest?
http://www.maplestreetguitars.com/show_item.php?dep=11&cat=A CCM&sku=75366766177

The tone/sound difference is very noticeable when the forearm is not resting on the top of your guitar.

er .. right, lower bout, UPPER side    - sometimes, as Billy G says "Me so STUPID".

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Here is a link to David Schramm's website and a pic of the arm rest he does for his Smallman type classicals. I talked to him about it and he said he simply epoxies them on.

Arm Rest

There is a clown face on the butt of that guitar, I swear.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

[QUOTE=Bob Garrish] There is a clown face on the butt of that guitar, I swear.[/QUOTE]

I see it too Bob.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=Bob Garrish] There is a clown face on the butt of that guitar, I swear.[/QUOTE]
Looks more like Jabba the Hutt to me!

I think another way to look at the arm bevel issue is the learning curve. It takes some time, maybe a lot of time depending on your experience, to learn how to do it to Laskin's professional standard. That's time spent on something that isn't requested often, and that a lot of people can't afford, even if they want it.

Speaking of professional standards--did you notice, in the recent "custom guitars" issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine, the photo of Bryan Galloup's incredibly beautiful bevel? Wow!

Does anyone know how David Schramm would make that arm rest? Does he just take a big chunk of wood and carve it out?   

[QUOTE=Graham Steward] Does anyone know how David Schramm would make that arm rest? Does he just take a big chunk of wood and carve it out?    [/QUOTE]

Drop him a note and ask him. He's quite accessible. He also frequents the MIMF. You might catch him there.