John Pearse® Jumbo Armrest

Description

By placing your arm against the top of the guitar, you lose between 15% and 20% of the power and projection of the top of the guitar! And we really are talking as much about clarity, quality and projection of sound as we are the volume! That wonderful sound when you strum the strings just before you close the case–that is the true sound of the “unimpeded top” of your guitar!

The John Pearse® Armrest gives your arm a more comfortable contour while helping to protect the top of the guitar from perspiration. But, most importantly, it allows you to play normally while it lifts your arm clear of the top of the guitar, giving you all the sound your guitar has to give! See below for more Details!

In the picture to the left, the shapes pictured are, from left to right: Rosewood Jumbo, Boxwood Right Hand Original, Ebony SlimLine, and Rosewood Left Hand Original.

In the picture to the right are the John Pearse® JUNIOR Armrests! Moving from left to right, they are pictured: Ebony SlimLine Jr., Rosewood Jr., Ebony Jr. and an Rosewood Right Hand Original so that you can compare the size. The two new Armrests which are available are the Ebony Jumbo [as the Rosewood in the picture to the upper left] and Rosewood SlimLine Junior [as the Ebony SlimLine Junior immediately to the right.]

We have scans available so that you can see which model would best accommodate your instrument. Either download the files below, or contact us with your mailing address and we’ll be glad to get a copy out to you.

The John Pearse® Armrest Story 

In retrospect, the idea and purpose of the John Pearse® Armrest seems self-evident. One friend described it as an idea which makes you slap yourself “up-the-side-of-the-head-wondering-why-[you]-didn’t-think-of-it!” It is no surprise to anyone who knows John that he could design this wonderful guitar accessory!

You know that wonderful sound of your guitar when you strum the strings just before you close the case–that true voice of your guitar? Being personally involved in the design and building of all sorts of instruments, as well as being a successful record producer, John was constantly irritated that he could never seem to capture that same tonal richness in the studio or on the stage.

The problem? The player was holding the guitar, of course! Most steel string players have a tendency to “hug” their guitars! Unlike classical guitar players they never learned to keep their forearm off the top of the guitar!

By placing your forearm on the top of the guitar, you lose between 15% and 20% of the power and projection of the top of the guitar–and we are talking as much about the clarity of the notes and quality of the sound as we are about the volume!

The John Pearse® Armrest will give your arm a more comfortable contour over the edge of the guitar while helping to protect the top of the guitar from perspiration. Most importantly, however, it allows you to play normally while it gently lifts your forearm clear of the top–allowing you to experience all that your guitar can give!

The John Pearse® Armrest was originally made out of Acoustron [as seen in the black and white photograph], a polymer developed for lightness and density. They started appearing on professional musicians’ instruments who, literally, “sang” their praises!

Some players, however, would have preferred it were not “plas

tic”. So, when the mold literally “broke”, we decided it w

as time to make them out of exotic woods. And thus were born the John Pearse® Fine Wood Armrests. We took the shape of the original armrest and made it in Ebony, Boxwood and Rosewood [color scan of three armrests to the right] and, for the first time, introduced models

to accommodate LEFT-HAND guitar players.

 

Left-Handed Armrests

If you have a dreadnought-size guitar and hold the guitar so that you are playing down literally on the “end” of the guitar [towards the end pin] you might consider looking at the LEFT-HAND ARMRESTS. The reverse curve works well for Right Handers who play down at the lower end of the Bass bout of the guitar! [Double check where you play against the template for your best info!

The Jumbo and Slimline Armests

We then introduced two new models. The Rosewood “Jumbo” is on the right in the photo with the 4 armrests. It is made to fit the contour of “jumbo” size guitars. The other new model is the Ebony “Slim Line”. It has the same contour as the original armrest but with a much smaller profile, making it ideal for the smaller, more delicate, guitar. Some people call it the “eyebrow!” It is the second from the right in this photograph. On the far right is a Left Hand Rosewood Model, and the second from the left is a Right Hand Boxwood Model, so you can see the comparison of shapes.

 

 

John Pearse® JUNIOR Armrests

And now we have John Pearse® JUNIOR Armrests! The same “shape” as the Original and Slim Line Armrests, they have been “scaled down” to accommodate smaller instruments–like the mini guitars and mandolins! In the photo above, you can see the Rosewood Right Hand Original Shape on the far righthand of the photo. Then moving to the left are the Juniors of that shape: the Ebony Junior and, to the left, the Rosewood Junior. On the far left is the Ebony Slim Line Junior.

 

The underside of the John Pearse® Armrest features a very narrow profile that rests along the top edge of the guitar over the what is called the “kerfing”. That is the name for the slotted flexible triangular wood strip glued to the inside of upper edge of the inside of the guitar’s side which becomes the surface to which the guitar top is then glued. Because this area is sonically dead it has no damping effect whatever upon the soundboard. [You can see the ‘footprint” in the black & white photograph above.]

The outer edge of the John Pearse® Armrest is a compound curve so that it can conform to a wide variety of body shapes. It is attached to the surface by means of a double-sided adhesive strip, developed to hold it securely without harming the delicate lacquer of the soundboard. If you have a guitar which has a high value as a “collectable”, you may want to reflect on the addition of an Armrest because it is not considered “Original Equipment.”

Believe it or not, the Armrest is still a new concept for many players. It is for players who want the full voice of their guitar! If the sound of your instrument is important to you, experiment by playing normally, and then playing while holding your arm up and away from the top of the guitar. You will hear the difference an Armrest will make in the sound and volume of your guitar! If you play in situations without amplification, then you will be amazed at the difference a John Pearse® Armrest will make in the volume and projection of your guitar!

The John Pearse® Armrest is designed as a permanent addition to the guitar–as is a pick guard or a bridge. Although it should only be removed by a competent repair person, attachment should not be undertaken lightly. We will be glad to discuss any concerns that you have directly with you.

ARMREST TEMPLATE

We feel that the best way for you to decide which of the armrests is the right one for your guitar–and for the way YOU PLAY your guitar–is by the use of our templates. The two sheets include the various armrest shapes and sizes for you to cut out and compare with where you play your guitar. PLEASE be careful when printing the images so that you use NO REDUCTION! If you are unable to download the files directly, you can email us, with your postal mail address, and we’ll be glad to send out a hard copy for you.

 

AR-Scansheet.pdf [Color] 897 KB