John Monteleone Interviewed by Just Jazz Guitar

Archtop luthier John Monteleone

Archtop luthier John Monteleone was interviewed in 2007 by Just Jazz Guitar magazine. In the eight-page interview, John talked about his "Radio City" model, and his experience building archtop guitars. The interview is a great read, and here are a few snippets from it:

On whether the design potential of the classic archtop guitar has been fully realized ...

John: There may yet be some areas to look into. If I were to wear a lab coat and be financially endowed by some illustrious patron, I could explore various avenues to improve on some aspects. The guitar history is still quite young, but I would say that the main parameters of the guitar have been established already. And when it comes down to it, the archtop must have certain parameters; it must be playable for example. Guidelines must be followed in order to make a guitar successfully.

On tap-tuning the top and back plates ...

Tap-tuning is misleading when people believe that luthiers tap-tune an instrument. That means that you are tuning a specific piece of wood up to a certain pitch. For me, that does not allow for that individual piece of wood to emerge at its best possibility for tonal quality because it does not allow for a lot of things. It does not allow for density or weight, and no two pieces of wood are going to be the same. Everyone knows that. The frequency in the wood is going to vary. When you work with wood, you become aware that it is beginning to vibrate and to pulse in a manner that is familiar to you. At that point, you know that that piece of wood is alive; it starts to shimmer. When I am tapping, it is not so much for frequency, but for the quality of tone, a resonance factor. 

On plastic vs wooden bindings ...

I use both for different reasons. When it comes to it, I can do without the inlay, but the customer cannot. The inlays do not make the instrument; they adorn it. I prefer to use wooden bindings because I have had to repair so many guitars with plastic bindings which have a limited lifespan. 

The interview isn't online, but you can order the issue of Just Jazz Guitar it's in by clicking here.