Best Jazz box for ~$500?

[Richard-H]

Well, now that I've added my Xmas gifts to my birthday gift money, I'd like to buy a Hollowbody Jazz guitar. All toll I have $500, but can go a little higher. What do you suggest would be the best one in that price range?

So far I'm considering Washburns, Epiphones, Ibanezes and, at the top end a Loar LH350. Basically, I'm gonning nuts trying to decide.

The Loar seems to be the best quality, but I'd think that I'd prefer 2 pickups....

At the low end is the Ibanez AF55...a simple instrument...on one hand, I'm afraid that it's a low quality piece of junk, on the other hand, if it's a descent guitar I'd feel like a fool for paying more...

I have a strat, a Washburn semi-hollow w/Seymour Duncans, a Carvin Classical thinline and a washburn acoustic, so I'm looking for a Jazz box with a Lush modern hollowbody sound. (Ruled out the Washburn HB15C since it sounded more like an 1930s sort of sound).

Any ideas?

[hallpass]

I like the higher model Artcores. Especially the Artcore Custom models (AF125, AK105, AF105). If you do a regular line Artcore, I would recommend the AF95 over the AF55. Or the AK95. I think the AF55 will leave you wanting better too soon.

The Epiphones I don't like as much, but the 175 reissue and Zeypher Regent seem good. A used Epi Joe Pass models are easy to find too.

Then there is the new Eastman AR371 for a little more than $500.

If it were me, I would either get an Artcore AF95, AK95 or an Artcore Custom (a used one should be in your range) or the Eastman AR371 if you decide to spend more.

[TruthHertz]

Martinopass has a really good list, and having had experience with all the ones mentioned and many not mentioned, I agree. The AK95 has been a great reliable recommendation and I have an Epi Zephyr Regent (single pickup es-175, nice woody sound, like a Gibson Herb Ellis-make sure it's the Korean single PU one) , both of which are really good, and both of which, pickups switched out at a later date, will let you have a really top quality guitar with really great sound for next to nothing. I put in Duncans (jazz or 59) and with that mod, when you get around to it, will outplay many 3x or more the price.
Hey I just saw an AK85, same thing a year earlier for 400. You can have that and a duncan PU mod for your price range.
Ibanez Artcore AK85-DVS-12-01 Archtop Hollow Body Electric Jazz Guitar -NICE!!! | eBay
David

[pghguitar]

I have a Artcore AK-95 from a few years back, and it has been working out great for me. Other than possibly upgrading the pickups at sometime in the future, I cant think of anything else that I would want to change. I got mine for a decent discount around the beginning of the year, when the shop was trying to get rid of this one to get the new models moved in. Paid about $450 which included a case with a few small rips in the tolex, but otherwise new. A quick google search shows the current price around $579. The shop also included a free setup with the purchase, which would have been another $40-50, but a lot of shops will offer this with a guitar purchase.

Ive also tried Epiphone's (Joe pass model) at GC which is a tad higher (MF shows $599), and also played pretty nice as well. Sound was hard to judge on the amp I was using and the background noise, but from what I could tell it wasnt bad.

Ive also heard great things about Godin Kingpin's (at $699 MF), although I have never personally tried one - havent seen any in the local music stores.

Hope that helps

[LtKojak]

Second-hand Epiphone Broadway.

That's the one I'd look for.

HTH,

[Norman931]

For a one-pickup model, the Godin Kingpin or Eastman 371 (both over $500). If you want two pickups, go for the Ibanez AF75 or AK80 (both under $500).

[Bflat]

Merry christmas all,

Good advice above. I have had 3 ibanez artcores: ak 85, af 95 and 105 custom (floating pickup). The only one i still have is the custom. They are a good step up from the basic models.

I really liked the ak 85 which was my first hollowbody. I paid $420 with case brand new, tax included from a small shop. They ordered it for me from ibanez. I initially saw it at GC but it was beat up and the tag was $450 no case.

I have tried the epiphones but didn't like them as much. I had an eastman too but it wasn't a good fit for me. Neck shape was comfortable on my wrist, a lot of feedback and a very delicate finish so sold it. I keep going back for my artcore custom.

Let us know what you choose and how you like it. Happy shopping!

[Richard-H]

Thanks all for your advice!

Right now it looks like I won't actually be able to get my hands on my own money 'till after the first of the year (that's what I get for letting my wife handle the finances!)

So please continue with your advice - it's greatly appreciated!

[mongrel]

Originally Posted by Richard-H

Thanks all for your advice!

Right now it looks like I won't actually be able to get my hands on my own money 'till after the first of the year (that's what I get for letting my wife handle the finances!)

So please continue with your advice - it's greatly appreciated!

Lots of empathy here since I got a wife like that too. Couple of years ago I had a $500 budget for a full hollow archtop and tried a bunch of them in stores and settled for a used Epi Joe Pass with new hard case. Its a beautiful looking guitar but its on its third (or fourth, I forget) set of pickups, replacement tailpiece, cobbled up bridge with nylon saddle pieces. I actually had a bit more than $500 cash since I had just sold an old Les Paul at the time and, in retrospect, should have had more patience and waited for a good old archtop that could have been had for a hundred or two more. A week or two after I got the Joe Pass, my favourite pawn shop had a run of Gibson ES 125's and 225's pass through. The owner must have only paid $300-400 for them because he told me he sold them for $550-600 each after he made one phone call when each one came in. If I had gotten on that list, I would have been a lot happier. An Epi Regent, Zephyr or Broadway would all be good. Although I think the Broadway is a semi, its a huge body with big tone. Also, I like older Cort Yorktownes and the Samick ES 175 clones but both are rare to find.

[Randy Smith]

merry Christmas!!

Nothin much to add, but

epi joe pass, first choice
ibanez AF105, second choice.

can find great deals used.

[Retroman1969]

Some good used choices in this price range...

Epiphone ES-175
Misty - YouTube

Epiphone Joe Pass
Joe Pass & Epiphone Joe Pass - YouTube

Epiphone Broadway
Joe Pass Blues intro - YouTube

Oscar Schmidt OE-40
Archtop Jazz Guitar Oscar Schmidt Great Tone $349 Call Steve 714-548-0385 Pay Pal OK - YouTube

The Loar LH-350
The Loar LH 350 Archtop Solid Carved Top FREE CD For Sale $599 Call Steve 714-548-0385 Pay Pal Ok - YouTube

Hard to find anything halfway passable new in that price range except for the Epi 175 which goes for $499 new.

Best of luck, the search is half the fun!

[gary mitchell]

Prestige A Guitar Company From Canada.

[calgarc]

i picked up my epi es-175 for $290 then layed down just over 200 bucks for a case and some upgrades

i get a nice warm tone out of it

i would also check out a company as large as samick... they make some decent instruments, als you can never go wrong with hittin up rondomusic.com and checking out the agiles

[bborzell]

I paid $499 for a new Godin Kingpin that had been hanging from the ceiling in an "all rock, all the time" music store. Worth every penny and then quite a few more.

I would suggest extreme caution on a Loar purchase unless you can find the model that interests you in stock at a dealer who can both inspect and set it up for you. There are increasing reports of seriously sub par construction Loar archtops being sold through online dealers. Twisted and/or badly set necks have been mentioned several times.

When I looked to find a stocking Loar dealer, out of three contacts, two Loar mandolin dealers told me that they were not ordering any more Loar archtop guitars because of quality problems an the third who is both a storefront and online dealer and who does quality setups of all ordered instruments said that Loar was sending poorly constructed guitars more often than not.

You can get a good one, but you have to work at it.

[Retroman1969]

I should probably add on the Loar suggestion that it would be best to buy from a source that has a return/exchange policy as I've read both excellent and horrible reviews about them.

I would have added the Godin Kingpin to my list, but I bought their acoustic archtop new awhile back and while it was a good looking, fine playing guitar, it had a few quality control issues... The mega cheapo bridge on it was frozen and couldn't be adjusted without vise grips, the nut fell off on the first string change, the neck joint was sloppy, and there were chunks of splintered wood down in the truss rod cavity that had to be ripped out by needle nose pliers before you could even get an Allen wrench down in there. Maybe I got the only bad one as everyone really raves about them.

[Dad3353]

There are Hofner archtop models in that price range, with one or two hb pups, or a floater...
Just thought they were worth a mention; hope this helps.

[jmstritt]

Go for that Eastman ES-175 copy!

[Norman931]

Quality control is definitely a factor. I had one of the bad Loars, and it was a crying shame that such a beautiful, classic instrument had a twisted neck.

[Retroman1969]

Originally Posted by jmstritt

Go for that Eastman ES-175 copy!

If you don't mind shelling out a bit more ($150-$200), this is probably the best choice.

[82Benedetto]

Go for the Eastman.

The Loar has also gotten a bit better in terms of build quality (at least, what I've played as of late.)

[Norman931]

I haven't played the new Eastman 371, but it looks like an amazing value for the money. Of course, it's a one-pick-up model, which many of us prefer, but the OP mentioned a preference for two pick-ups. I just purchased a used Eastman AR 810 with NO pickups, and I couldn't be more pleased.

[Doctor Jeff]

I have an Epi JP I got used for $400 and a Godin Kingpin I got new for $450. They are both very nice guitars, slightly different approaches to an archtop but versatile and great-playing. I will vouch for the quality of both of them, especially the Kingpin which in my case was flawless.

Just for the heck of it I will throw in the Epi Sheraton 2, which with proper strings and tone adjustments can achieve a nice warm jazz tone. I was never thrilled with my Dot, but I played a Sheraton last week and really enjoyed it. Very versatile and cool-looking guitar. If I were in your position today I would have a hard time not bringing one home from the guitar store.

[Jazzman301]

I would like to add that maybe you buy from Zzounds.com or AMS with their pay as you play plans. Depending on your situation you may be able to get a little more instrument since you can spread the payments out.

The Epi Joe Pass and 175 are solid jazz boxes. Nothing special but sound decent. They liven up with a pickup change. The stock electronics leave much to be desired to my ears.

Another option is a nice used Dearmond X155 or X135 they are on ebay quite a bit for right about your $500 price tag. Also check gbase.com thats another good place to search.

dearmond guitar | eBay

Also, though not a full tilt hollow body, the Dearmond M75 is an archtop Les Paulish guitar with a chambered body. Its like a poor mans Benedetto Benny(I think thats the model). I love mine and at $330 its a great instrument and replicates that Martino tone rather well with the stock Dearmond USA gold pickups.

My experience with the Ibanez stuff is limited. I was not impressed with them BUT they seemed like decent instruments. I would put them in the same category as the Epiphone stuff in a similar price range. Poor electronics.....

'Mike

[Norman931]

In regard to the Dearmonds, I had a X135, a pretty blonde one. Like most pretty blondes I've known, the attraction didn't last long. Definitely a good guitar; neck was fine, action was good, lovely tone. BUT, it was HEAVY, and had an alarming tendency to produce screeching feedback even at low volumes. I sold it after a year or two, and haven't missed it at all. Like my last gf. . .
I really prefer sunbursts ...

[mongrel]

Originally Posted by Jazzman301

I would like to add that maybe you buy from Zzounds.com or AMS with their pay as you play plans. Depending on your situation you may be able to get a little more instrument since you can spread the payments out.

The Epi Joe Pass and 175 are solid jazz boxes. Nothing special but sound decent. They liven up with a pickup change. The stock electronics leave much to be desired to my ears.

Another option is a nice used Dearmond X155 or X135 they are on ebay quite a bit for right about your $500 price tag. Also check gbase.com thats another good place to search.

dearmond guitar | eBay

Also, though not a full tilt hollow body, the Dearmond M75 is an archtop Les Paulish guitar with a chambered body. Its like a poor mans Benedetto Benny(I think thats the model). I love mine and at $330 its a great instrument and replicates that Martino tone rather well with the stock Dearmond USA gold pickups.

My experience with the Ibanez stuff is limited. I was not impressed with them BUT they seemed like decent instruments. I would put them in the same category as the Epiphone stuff in a similar price range. Poor electronics.....

'Mike

Since you have an M75, you might want to pay a visit to the Torres Engineering website. In case you never heard of them, they sell pickups, electronics and lots of other guitar stuff as well as amp modification kits. The proprietor, Dan Torres, has or had an M75 that he modified in an attempt to turn it into a pure jazz guitar. The last mod was an invention of his he called the "Jazz Jack", a guitar jack with some custom circuitry. If you find his website, look for a link to the Jazz Jack. He wrote it a couple of years ago and I've given up waiting for it on sale.

[Jazzman301]

As for the X155 and/or X135 I would say they are a higher quality instrument than similarly priced Epiphones or Ibanez guitars. I would prefer the X135 myself but I think both are quality instruments that can be had relatively cheaply.
Also there is that new Eastman that is more or less a single pickup ES175(there is a recent post about it maybe an AR371 model??) From what I hear its a nice instrument for the money.

'Mike

[Abaddon2005]

Another vote for the ibanez ak95, they just have a really solid range from that price point on.

[Richard-H]

Thanks again to all for your advice.

I know that ya'll sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to hear my decision: ;-)

I've decided that it would be best to wait until tax return time and spend a bit more than I was originally planning, so at this time it looks like it's between egtting an Ibanez AF105, an Ibanez AF95, or possible an Epiphone Joe Pass.

If I were to get the Ibanez AF95, I'll put a set of Seymour duncan '59ers in it. The Af105 sounds considerably better - I assume because of better quality pickups. I like the color of the Af95 better than the AF105.

I like the sound of the Joe Pass - a deeper richer sound - but I'm not a dedicatated Jazz guitarist and think that the Ibanez's are a bit more versatile. Of course the fact that George Benson and Norman Brown play Ibanezes impressed me.

In the end, it will probably be determined by whatever happens to look like a good bargain on ebay. I may buy new, but I've been amazed at some of the deals I've seen popping up.

I'm also planning on taking a trek to West 48th street in NYC, so I can play and compare models - local music stores don't carry much variety. I feel a bit guilty trying out and deciding on a guitar in a music store, but purchasing online, but hey the savings on taxes are too much to pass up.

The best thing about this search is that it's rejuvinated my jazz playing. I'm mainly a classical/rock/blues player. I know jazz theory, but haven't really focused on jazz for about 10 years.

Holy moly the internet has so many incredible players and so much great information on jazz!

[Richard-H]

Originally Posted by Bflat

Merry christmas all,

Good advice above. I have had 3 ibanez artcores: ak 85, af 95 and 105 custom (floating pickup). The only one i still have is the custom. They are a good step up from the basic models.

I really liked the ak 85 which was my first hollowbody. I paid $420 with case brand new, tax included from a small shop. They ordered it for me from ibanez. I initially saw it at GC but it was beat up and the tag was $450 no case.

I have tried the epiphones but didn't like them as much. I had an eastman too but it wasn't a good fit for me. Neck shape was comfortable on my wrist, a lot of feedback and a very delicate finish so sold it. I keep going back for my artcore custom.

Let us know what you choose and how you like it. Happy shopping!

BFlat -

Could you tell me if there's any substantial difference between that AF105 and the AF95, besides the pickups and that the AF105 comes with a case?

I prefer the color of the AF95 and am considering getting one and putting in a pair of Seymour Duncan '59ers. Th two guitars appear to be the same otherwise - are there some features to the AF105 that aren't covered in the basic specs that make it a better guitar?

An new Af95, plus the '59ers and hard sell case would cost $800, while a new AF105 costs $900 with HSC. However, there seem to be a lot of good deals on used AF105s on ebay - almost none for the AF95. I guess that's becuase a lot more Af105s are being sold...

[Richard-H]

The worst review on UTube:

Epiphone Joe Pass review - YouTube

This guy has no perspective - nobody expects a $600 guitar to look, sound or play like a $3000 guitar. What's worse is the way he insults Joe Pass's integrity - there's nothing wrong with endorsing a product that's a good value.