F Cutaway Vs. FTC

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    • #2329
      Hank
      Participant

        I am moving slowly forward with the FTC45 but I have played only one FTC. The decision to move forward is more an emotional one than a sonic one.

        I absolutely love the sound of my Maple/German F cutaway and I was very pleased with the voice of the FTC I played at SCGC during the 40th Party.

        But……I am looking forward to hearing from Y’All on the tonal difference Between the two models.

        Please let me know your observations.

        What is “The Major” difference in Volume,Tone, Sustain, etc.

        • This topic was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Hank.
      • #2331
        Acoustic Soul
        Participant

          I have only played one F and no FTC.

          I love how the F just puts right back out what you put in.  I think a punchier archtop sound for it would be welcome though, it was too small for a pick and seemed down on power.

          I think FTC also suits your commemorative philosophy on a really high level, it’s also kind of the fancy Santa Cruz on the block for the past few years so it suits the timeframe now as well.  It would showcase the best work of the shop better since it’s construction is what it is.

          Having said all that both would be awesome!

          How about sharing your perspective and emotions regarding the choice?  The F I played I think was sitka and rosewood.  It was very much asleep on the wall of a guitar shop.

        • #2337
          tadol
          Senior Moderator

            I’m sorry to say that I’ve spent way too much time playing Fs and FTCs, and I completely understand the emotional involvement in the decision.  They are wonderful guitars, and Richard can do some wonderful things with them.  I have Fs in maple, eir, and koa, and F-12s in maple and walnut. As you must know from your maple F,  they have a nice balance with a strong midrange, and just look sexy as hell –

            The FTC shares much of that, but the carved back brings an edge and focus to the tone thats kind of like an archtop, but still has some of the balance and character of a flat top.  I hope to have more insite soon –   ?

            • #2339
              Hank
              Participant

                Tad.

                I was hoping you would comment.

                The FTC project is a emotional/sharing concept and I will eventually (after it returns to the herd after its travels) corral it here.

                But when it returns I will be faced with a problem……my self imposed 5 guitar limit.

                I can’t imagine parting with my Maple/German F…….I try to play all of my guitars at least 3-4 hours a week and ALL have very different voices. But…The F Cutaway seems to always be the first out of the corral.

                The FTC will have to be of VERY exceptional sonic/tonal quality fo me to let ANY of the current Ramuda go.

                I look forward to more input from the “Players In The Park”.

            • #2358
              Matt Hayden
              Participant

                Having spent time with Tad’s FTCs and Fs, as well as a few others, I think Tad is on point. The FTC is not entirely an archtop, nor a flattop. In maple, it has great clarity and power which are useful in a variety of contexts, not least playing rhythm.  Single-note soloing feels like an archtop until the lower register, where it warms up like a flattop.  Alternating thumb picking gets the best of both – great warmth in the bass and lots of volume in the treble. It’s versatile and is more guitar than I need, in the sense that I’ll reach my limits as a player before the instrument imposes limits on me.

                The F has a similar voice but, of course, biased towards a flat top sound.  I like the design – specifically a custom F made for acousticmusic.com in CT some years ago.  It had mahogany b/s, spruce top, and the FS headstock. It was a glorious guitar with an airy open voice that enveloped the player, very warm and clear. And as much as I like them in rosewood, that one was better….

                /mh

              • #2367
                tadol
                Senior Moderator

                  Its good to hear your experience with a mahogany F – I had an all mahogany F, but it didn’t ring my bell. I was searching for a replacement for a ‘29 000, and the F just wasn’t the sound I was looking for. Every FS I’ve seen has been eir,  and almost every FTC has been maple. There was one of the 40th anniversary FTCs in mahogany, which I only tried briefly and lightly, and couldn’t say I was overwhelmed with it (it was VERY pretty, though) and I got a few minutes with the FTC in granadillo that went to NAMM, and that I was EXTREMELY taken by.  Unfortunately, the back of an FTC tales about same amount of material as the backs of 3 regular guitars, so its not likely they’ll make many in the more exotic woods.  My 12 string F in walnut is fantastic to my ear – its a very warm and musical 12 string – and I’m pretty sure that thicker walnut blanks would be more easily available for an FTC, but I don’t know if the walnut would have the right tonal characteristics for a carved back. Maybe Richard has already tried it –

                  But the rest of the FTC is pretty much normal, so there are all the usual options for tops, fretboards, inlays and other decorations – and the maple is a beautiful material that takes toners and stains really well, so you could do some really cool things – Theres a maple archtop I love thats got an incredible emerald green stain thats absolutely gorgeous. And I’ve seen a picture of the same model in an azure blue thats probably just as nice.  A little custom binding, some nice dyed inlay material, it could really be quite sweet.

                  An FTC would make an incredible canvas to create a really special and unique guitar – the hardest part would be deciding on the details that would make it uniquely yours, but Richard would be the perfect person to advise and help make that happen.

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