Archtops

The soundboard and back of an archtop guitar have a very obvious dome, or arched, shape and is what gives it it’s name. The amount of arching, the graduations of the top and back plates, the size and position of the sound holes, as well as the floating bridge and tailpiece give archtop guitars a distinctive sound. Although this style of guitar is often credited to Orville Gibson in the early 20th century, it has been in existence since the late 19th century.