All of a sudden I feel myself GAS-ing for a jazz guitar

[Blazer]

Lately I have been endugling myself in playing fast sleek jazz runs on one of my guitars using the neck pickup and stringing the sucker up with a hefty set of 013 flatwounds (I can't bend a string to save my life.)

So today I went to my regular store and took an Ibanez George Benson model for a spin. That one played and sounded really good but then I got a little braver and plucked a Gibson super 400 of the stand and plugged that in.


I'm a big guy and my regular fenders look really small on me, that BIG body of a Super 400 feels like hugging a big woman and at least it doesn't look small on me.

Needless to say after that I find my fingers craving that archtop neck and my ears craving that tone. I guess once I'll have my finances sorted out, I'll pay guitarshop The String a visit to help them get rid of one of their Guild archtops, vintage for not a whopping lot.

[Joe-Bob]

I've owned several jazz guitars, and I really love them...BUT...if you are a person who really likes to play all the way up and down the neck, the archtop necks are going to get annoying. They are much more like a dreadnaught neck than an electric neck as far as upper fret access goes. Nowadays, I'm doing all my jazz stuff (weekly gig) on my ES-335. I like the thin body, and I like the easier playability when you get up the neck.

[Jean-Baptiste]

A good tele neck p-up with the treble rolled off will give you a very credible jazz tone and it's probably more the feel of a big jazz box that you're really craving.

I've been down that road a few times, but always end up going back to my strats & teles. I have finally figured out that it's mainly because I'm just not a humbucker guy.

Recently got one of those new Korean made Gretsch hollow bodys and I'm really diggin it. Nice chunky neck and the short scale allows me to use heavy guage flatwounds without compromising playability. It's a big archtop, but the 2 1/2 inch depth makes it very comfortable to play sitting or standing. The pickups are US made DeArmond 2000s, a pretty good sounding single coil design that's got a P-90ish vibe. With the tone pot rolled back, I'm getting a Kenny Burrell sound from the neck pickup, but this guitar also has tons of twang. A very versatile instrument and great bang for the buck. It's been radically re-designed in it's first year of production, so if you look around, you may find one from the original batch for cheap. Definitely worth checking out.

[Blazer]

Jean-Baptiste, that's just the point, I can make my Fenders sound like a Jazz box. But I can't make them Feel like a Jazz box.

A Jazzbox such as a Gibson super 400 vibrates, you feel the hollow body breathe that's something that a Fender telecaster can never replicate.

That's also my objection against those Modelling guitars of Line6: they can replicate the sound of a particullar model but they will never feel like the guitar it's immitatting, it's not real, it's fake.

[kp8]

get a tele.

[agent2x4]

I have a Heritage H575 that really spanks. I dunno...I like thick bodied archtops for jazz, and most (not all) jazz players do too. Not too often you see a 335 or a telecaster held by one of the hard core cats. (IMHO)

[Joe-Bob]

Originally Posted by agent2x4

Not too often you see a 335 or a telecaster held by one of the hard core cats. (IMHO)

Actually, there is a really big following for ES-345s amongst pro jazzers.

[Blazer]

Originally Posted by kp8

get a tele.

I already have one, why else did you think I signed up for this forum?

[Joe-Bob]

If you want a Super 400, get you one and enjoy it. I have nothing against big jazz-boxes. But if you play in a jazz band, keep in mind that horn players have no respect for your equipment, and will never look where they walk. I always unplug my guitar during breaks, so the trumpet player won't knock it down by tripping on the cord while walking between my amp and the drums (what, 3 inches apart?) while rushing to get a free cookie before they're all gone.

[Eric Karonen]

I say go for it. The two guitars I play the most in my small collection are the tele and the 355. My tele will never sound like the 355 and vice versa.

[popthree]

there was a little jazz combo playing at a party i attended last evening. guitar and sax...cool combo. the guitarist was playing a martin cf-1. awesome, awesome guitar.....

[Wild Rice Chris]

I love those big bodies. Mine is relatively tiny (16" 1957 Gibson L-48), but it still has the best feel of any guitar I've ever played. Ever. And, yes, I've been through dozens.

Not much for upper fret access, what with no cutaway, but I have a '66 Dearmond Rhythm Chief pickup on there, and I keep thinking about finding another one of those pickups to use in a tele.

[Chris S.]

I've been lucky enough to own a bunch of archtops over the years. I just love 'em for low-volume jazz combo work. :-) Currently I'm using a very nice Guild Artist Award as the main jazz axe, and a cheapo Epiphone Emperor Regent as the backup. One mid-price instrument that's really worth a look IMO is the Hofner Jazzica, a tres cool ultra-contemporary design with a great sound. ;-) In the budget category, some of the new Ibanez models offer a LOT of guitar for the money, particularly the Artcore series.

One thing you may want to explore is the differences between the floating pickup models, and the ones with pickups already embedded in the top. (One isn't better or worse than the other, they're just different.) You'll likely also find that guitars with a true <u>carved spruce top</u> have a different quality than those with any sort of laminated top.

There's actually quite a bit of good arcthop info buried in the TDPRI archives, btw. Try doing a search on "archtop" "jazz box" "artist award" (my personal fave) ;-) etc. Have fun "shopping" and best of luck, CS :-)

[Andy R]

You also might check out the Eastman line of guitars. They're made in China and kinda inconsistent, but the good ones are very good, and they sell around 2K brand new, with carved, solid woods!

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by Andy R

You also might check out the Eastman line of guitars. They're made in China and kinda inconsistent, but the good ones are very good, and they sell around 2K brand new, with carved, solid woods!

Thanks Andy, those do look cool! :-) (Although, aarrgghhh. <u>More</u> G.A.S... ) :-|

Btw, when my lottery ticket hits, I want one of these:

http://laceyguitars.com/

;-) CS

[chubbyjackson]

I use a Washburn J6S for jazz, strung with flatwound .013's. It gets very close to the Gibson in tone and feels very nice to. No, it's not an L5 or Super 400, but you on't need to worry about it at the gig, and they can be had for under $500.

[Jean-Baptiste]

Originally Posted by Blazer

Jean-Baptiste, that's just the point, I can make my Fenders sound like a Jazz box. But I can't make them Feel like a Jazz box.

Blazer, that's more or less exactly what I said. And I went on to suggest you check out the new MIK Gretsch hollowbodies.

While I'm typing, I'll second Chris' reccomendation of the Epi Emperor Regent. Floating mini humbucker & a really nice neck. Great value for the money.

New Gibsons are going for stupid money (IMO) and the quality control's all over the place.

[Tele295]

A Tele and an archtop (like an ES- 295....) covers A LOT of ground. Certainly covers all the bases for me.

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

Btw, when my lottery ticket hits, I want one of these:

When you win the lottery, go for one of these:

http://www.buscarino.com/virtuoso.asp

Click on "Click for details" for the specs and price.

Jim

[Ben Harmless]

Not too long ago I picked up a MIK Gretsch in order to get that "big guitar feeling" (not to be mistaken for "that great Gretsch sound" ). It's not a model that I see around too often, but it got me trying other MIK Gretsches, and I wholeheartedly reccomend them for this purpose. They also play some pretty mean rocknroll.

I'll second Chris's reccomendation of the Guilds too.

Also, though I've got issues with Epiphone's manufacturing practices, I will say that the Epiphone Casino is one of the best guitars ever made, and can make anything you want to play sound good - especially jazz. See if you can find a used MIK model...

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by Ben Harmless

I will say that the Epiphone Casino is one of the best guitars ever made...

Yup, it's basically an ES-330 in "street clothes" (while we're busy seconding each other's recommendations 'n' all...). ;-) I've had my eye on one of those for awhile, too. [sigh] So many guitars, so little time. :-\

Also,

Originally Posted by jwsamuel

When you win the lottery, go for one of these:
http://www.buscarino.com/virtuoso.asp

I will, thanks. ;-) I think the Buscarino will look quite nice next to both my Lacey Premier and the vintage D'Angelico New Yorker I also plan to acquire... hee. ;-) (Now if I can just remember to tell all the hot 20-something supermodels I plan to meet and be dating to be very careful around my guitars... ) =:-O CS

[Joe-Bob]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

Yup, it's basically an ES-330 in "street clothes" ;-) I've had my eye on one of those for awhile, too. [sigh]

Yeah, I've been looking at Casinos, too.

[Blazer]

Originally Posted by Joe-Bob

Yeah, I've been looking at Casinos, too.

I would be very happy with either an epiphone Zephyr Regent...


or an Epiphone ES 295 both of them are cool axes for not a lot of money.