What can I do with my jazz guitar for beeter sound ?

[kris]

I/ve got not expensive jazz box few years ago and I experimented with it:
I changed pick up for hand made floating humbucker Kent Armstrong,
I put new tone control, I/ve instaled Bob Benedetto professional tailpiece,
I put Dougsplugs antyfeedback,i did new ebony compesation nut and finaly I changed ebony bridge for Gibson ABR-1 with rosewood base plus KTS tytanium saddles.
Now my gutar sounds like very expesive hand made jazz box...:-)
I can say when I put more things from metal the sustain change for better.

[Baltar Hornbeek]

Have you tried a copper bracelet?

[caravan]

I've been experimenting with a dual-source system on my guitars. I mix a mic signal together with the pickup signal.

I bought a nice mic, called the Audio-Technica Pro 70, and mounted it INSIDE my jazz guitar (it can easily be removed or repositioned). It's small, yet very high quality. Since mic cables are very low impedance, it has to be separate from the guitar cable... no big deal, so I have two cables hanging down from my guitar taped together.

The two go into a small Behringer mixer, although I somtimes use a Digitech effects processor for the guitar pickup.

In the world of acoustic guitars, dual source systems are quite common.

I suggest have the mic located near your neck pickup, pointing toward whatever hole you can use, at least 3/4 inch away from that hole.

[AZanshin]

Originally Posted by kris

I/ve got not expensive jazz box few years ago and I experimented with it:
I changed pick up for hand made floating humbucker Kent Armstrong,
I put new tone control, I/ve instaled Bob Benedetto professional tailpiece,
I put Dougsplugs antyfeedback,i did new ebony compesation nut and finaly I changed ebony bridge for Gibson ABR-1 with rosewood base plus KTS tytanium saddles.
Now my gutar sounds like very expesive hand made jazz box...:-)
I can say when I put more things from metal the sustain change for better.

Pics Or It Didn't Happen!

I joke but I would love to hear some sound clips of the hand-made Kent Armstrong pickup. I would have kept the ebony wooden bridge but that's just me.

Could you post some pictures please Also what brand is the archtop?

[kris]

Korean made..D,Aspiranta model New Yorker.
Looks like copy of D'Aquisto.
guit. on photo before upgrade!

[kris]

[quote=Baltar Hornbeek;115583]Have you tried a copper bracelet?
Sure ...work perfect...good inspiration for another changes...:-)

[Archie]

My guitars often sound better when I let someone else play them.

[NiAg]

That run of "D'Aspiranta" guitars were really quite nice in my opinion. A very well made Korean box.

In my personal opinion, there is nothing on Earth uglier than the D'Aquisto type tailpiece. But they work fine, and many people disagree with me about the looks. They are on many of the Peerless-brand guitars.

As for what sounds expensive and hand-made:

In my opinion, many modern players love the idea of a 17' spruce-topped guitar with a floater PU. But they want it to sound like a 175.

I'd love to be a bug on the wall of a large carved-spruce archtop dealer and see how many players try one only to be disappointed - "It sounds like an acoustic,..."

It sounds like your mods have all helped get you the sound you want, so congratulations - way to go.

As for making it sound like a more expensive guitar? There are cheap guitars and expensive guitars. Then there are archtops that are more acoustic -sounding, while others are more fat, sustain-y, and humbucker-electric sounding.

I would not really say that an ABR-1, and f-hole plugs are the key to a higher $$$ sound - just a sound more suited to your playing style.

Again, congratulations on a very good guitar, and getting it to sound the way you want.

[kris]

You are abosolutly right.
But I have also expirience with hand made guitars.
Wood-this is the more important...but guitars made from good wood has another problems.Is it good for live performance? I am not sure.I used my expesive guitar only in studio because I can not to amp it I like.
Feedback is terrible .So I play my korean D'Aquisto with modifications without any problems.This is realy nice jazz box.
Dougplugs works fine and ABR-1 with KTS saddles a little change the sound but not to Gibson 175 sound.
Floating humbucer and compecated ebony nut warm a sound...more woody.Perfect intonation- ebony compensated nut plus ABR-1 works exelent.KTS titanium sddles have very good acoustic respone.
Thanks for talking about jazz guitar problems...:-)

[Bertrand tB]

[quote=kris;115634]

Originally Posted by Baltar Hornbeek

Have you tried a copper bracelet?
Sure ...work perfect...good inspiration for another changes...:-)

No, works only if you believe in it. I'd rather believe in my guitars!

[kris]

[kris]

What guitars you play that you are so happy?

[Bertrand tB]

Originally Posted by kris

What guitars you play that you are so happy?

Well here's my list:
3 jazz boxes (Gretsch, Ibanez, Washburn)
2 thinlines ( DeArmond/Guild, Indie 335 modells)
3 solids (Gretsch, Danelectro, Godin)

I work on them a lot to improve my tone and playing!!

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Archie

My guitars often sound better when I let someone else play them.

Same here, I always thought my guitars benefit the most from a player upgrade.

[kris]

Well here's my list:
3 jazz boxes (Gretsch, Ibanez, Washburn)
2 thinlines ( DeArmond/Guild, Indie 335 modells)
3 solids (Gretsch, Danelectro, Godin)

I work on them a lot to improve my tone and playing!!

Nice colection.
What about hand made jazz guitar?
Holland? I know Elferink guitars are very good.
Jassy van Ruller has great sound!!!

[Bertrand tB]

Originally Posted by kris

Well here's my list:
3 jazz boxes (Gretsch, Ibanez, Washburn)
2 thinlines ( DeArmond/Guild, Indie 335 modells)
3 solids (Gretsch, Danelectro, Godin)

I work on them a lot to improve my tone and playing!!

Nice colection.
What about hand made jazz guitar?
Holland? I know Elferink guitars are very good.
Jassy van Ruller has great sound!!!

I don't want to spent money on hand built guitars, but Holland has some very good guitar builders even in my home town Den Haag!
Jesse van Ruller is one of the best players trom the Netherlands but there are more. Most of them like Jesse took lessons from the
late Wim Overgaauw and are now more or less known in Holland. I myself take lessons from Olaf Tarenskeen (you can YOU TUBE him if you like).
He is very good I think.

Greetz,
Bert.

[kris]

Hello Bert,
Olaf Tarenskeen- great nylon string player.Good teacher.
I like to play nylon string sometimes too.
If you like you can see:
YouTube - Kanaal van karasek52
YouTube - Kanaal van karasek52

Best
Kris

[rpguitar]

Originally Posted by NiAg

In my opinion, many modern players love the idea of a 17' spruce-topped guitar with a floater PU. But they want it to sound like a 175.

Right on. That's 110% true, and describes me about 15 years ago when I bought my first carved archtop, a 1954 Gibson L-7CN. An acoustic archtop makes you learn to play it the way IT wants to be played. It is an inherently more temperamental creature, and harder to play, than an archtop designed mainly for plugging in.

[kris]

[quote=rpguitar;115722]Right on. That's 110% true, and describes me about 15 years ago when I bought my first carved archtop, a 1954 Gibson L-7CN. An acoustic archtop makes you learn to play it the way IT wants to be played. It is an inherently more temperamental creature, and harder to play, than an archtop designed mainly for plugging in

Gibson L-7CN.
Nice sounding guitar.
Acoustic arch-top I think not easy to play.

[Bertrand tB]

@ Kris: Nice playing, not bad at all!
@ RP: Love to see your clips on You Tube, Thanks for answering my question on delay. I know AKAI for (guitar) effects. I bought me a
TC G sharp.