Music

Anderson Guitarworks has long been revered amongst musicians for its commitment to innovation and quality craftsmanship. Amongst their illustrious lineup, the Anderson Drop Top stands as a testament to their pursuit of excellence in both design and sonic performance.A Unique Design PhilosophyThe Anderson Drop Top guitar is instantly recognisable, thanks to its striking exotic wood top. The "drop" in Drop Top refers to the innovative technique where the maple top is bent to create a comfortable forearm contour. This not only enhances the guitar's ergonomic feel but also adds to its aesthetic allure with sweeping body lines that catch the eye.Before the Drop Top's introduction in 1990, guitars with a maple top designed in this manner were non-existent. Anderson's decision to use a 3/16-inch body top thickness further enriches the instrument's sonic character, ensuring a rich and resonant tone that complements its visual appeal and Alder body back.Design and Construction DetailsThe Anderson Drop Top features a traditional 25 1/2-inch scale length, a standard in the industry known for its balanced feel and versatility. Finished in the stunning Natural Mocha Burst with Binding, the guitar boasts a captivating appearance, enhanced by a black headstock that adds a modern edge.The neck is crafted from caramel maple and paired with a rosewood fingerboard. Anderson's choice of a fingerboard radius ranging from 12 to 14 inches ensures optimal playability, facilitating effortless string bending and smooth fretting across the entire range of the guitar.Neck Profile and FretworkOne of Anderson's standout features is their Even Taper +.030 neck profile, favoured for its sleek and fast feel. This profile maintains consistent depth from the nut to the 12th fret, ensuring a comfortable playing experience even as you move up the neck.The guitar's nut width measures 1 11/16 inches, providing ample spacing for precise fingering. Anderson equips the Drop Top with "Heavy" stainless steel frets, which are renowned for their durability and smooth feel. According to Anderson, these frets offer enhanced playability with silky smooth string bends and vibrant vibrato, elevating the guitarist's performance capabilities.Electronics and HardwareEquipped with Anderson's vintage tremolo system and HF2 and SC1 pickups, the Drop Top delivers a versatile tonal palette. The HF Series humbuckers are designed to produce a balanced sound with muscular midrange, musical upper-mids, and sweet highs, ideal for a wide range of playing styles from vintage rock to contemporary fusion. Add in the hum-cancelling, musical, single-coil SC1 paired with a 5-way switch and Splitter switch, you have a plethora of tones to choose for a variety of applications.Buzz Feiten Tuning SystemAnderson incorporates the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, enhancing the guitar's tuning stability and overall intonation. This system, adopted by Anderson since 1996, ensures that chords and single notes sound more harmonious across the fretboard, enriching the playing experience for both studio recordings and live performances.