Perfect Jazz guitar?

[gremboul]

Originally Posted by derek

Actually, I think it was Bill's swipe at Fender, as they had just released the ridiculously high priced Andy Summers model. It mimics AS's guitar pretty well without the crazy price.

Don't regret the archtop. I own 2, an ES175, and PRS Archtop, though I am considering moving the PRS. I don't think I will ever sell the 175 though, is a guitar I play pretty much daily. Just because jazz CAN be played on a tele doesn't mean it HAS to.

Nothing sounds like an archtop to my ears.

I have so many guitars that, once in a while I feel guilty...I love my archtop...Its a washburn. Thanks for your input.

[skei]

Seems to me there are many guitars good for jazz, to me mainly because jazz is such a wide spectre of styles and sounds. I love the thumpy sound of old recordings with those magic players on tough axes with strings like steel pins and not too good material for recording it, and they still made it sound magical. Myself, I tried to get a nice sound from a strat knock off, no go, tried with a Les Paul knock off, no go, today I got my cheap German 335 copy, 300 US dollars, transport to sweden included. It's magic. It said the low price was due to some small scratches, tried to find them. No trace of any damage whatsoever. And it's easy to play on - as compared to all other guitars I've tried, even at that low prize it seems to be very well built, not as heavy as the other two I have (solid body), and even plugged into garageband by way of my Behringer guitar link (usb) the semi hollow body produces good, warm notes just as I like it. It's perfect for me, and it feels like I'm gonna keep this sweetheart for quite some time...

Anybody interested in seeing it may do so at http://web.mac.com/ulfskei
in the 'pictures' section, at the very bottom of the page. It's a new thing for me, and I love it.

[gremboul]

Originally Posted by skei

Seems to me there are many guitars good for jazz, to me mainly because jazz is such a wide spectre of styles and sounds. I love the thumpy sound of old recordings with those magic players on tough axes with strings like steel pins and not too good material for recording it, and they still made it sound magical. Myself, I tried to get a nice sound from a strat knock off, no go, tried with a Les Paul knock off, no go, today I got my cheap German 335 copy, 300 US dollars, transport to sweden included. It's magic. It said the low price was due to some small scratches, tried to find them. No trace of any damage whatsoever. And it's easy to play on - as compared to all other guitars I've tried, even at that low prize it seems to be very well built, not as heavy as the other two I have (solid body), and even plugged into garageband by way of my Behringer guitar link (usb) the semi hollow body produces good, warm notes just as I like it. It's perfect for me, and it feels like I'm gonna keep this sweetheart for quite some time...

Anybody interested in seeing it may do so at http://web.mac.com/ulfskei
in the 'pictures' section, at the very bottom of the page. It's a new thing for me, and I love it.

Saw the picture...beautiful guitar. I have many guitars and I love them all...but my favorite is an archtop I picked-up for 400$. the picture is my avatar...

[skei]

That looks like a very nice guitar!
One day I hope to be able to buy a good archtop, but for now I'm happy with the one I got today. Hope to be able to record some tunes in the near future, when I do I'll post about it, but I'll stick to jamming on things I've picked up in Dirks lessons mainly, I'm just a learner. But I'm happy to say it starts sounding like jazz now, the recordings I've done up to now are just trials at the music I love, now I feel like I'm learning things that might even make the new guitar worthwhile. It's amazingly easy to play on, that's for sure, it fits me like a glove, so to say.

Must get back to practicing, but nice archtop you've got there!
Peace
&
German guitars are nice, at least my new one.
Skei (the developing fast one- finally)

[royswan]

Absolutely, yes!

[gremboul]

I am not familiar with German guitars...can anyone give me names of German Brands?

[derek]

Hofner is probably the most famous brand.

[derek]

Originally Posted by skei

Anybody interested in seeing it may do so at http://web.mac.com/ulfskei
in the 'pictures' section, at the very bottom of the page. It's a new thing for me, and I love it.

Didn't look at the guitar yet, but I have been listening to some of your music you have up. Nice stuff. Who did your drum and keyboard tracks? Very nice stuff. Will keep listening, but it will take a while, you have quite a bit of music up there.

[royswan]

After searching for years, I finally settled on a Gibson L-5. Wish I had acquired one decades ago. I've tried them all, and found nothing matches it for purity of tone and response.

For many years, I used a Gibson 335. It comes close to the L-5. I put in Graph-Tek graphite bridge saddles and use flat-wound strings --together, they give a very jazzy tone. In a gig at medium volume with a drummer, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between my 335 and the L-5, but at low volumes, the L-5 sweetness is inimicable.

There is no single ideal guitar, however, since no one guitar is appropriate for all styles.

[gremboul]

The Gibson L5 is a dream...like the CES model...in black

[Ged]

I notice that Gravytrain wants a Gibson ES-137. I was thinking about this when I consider that my playing deserves it, particularly because of the vari-tone. The ES-345 I had in the 1960s had this switch and it produced some really interesting tones, therefore it's the ES-137 Custom model that would be very nice.

However, as I've not exactly tried one yet, I am interested in what you guys say about 137 and 175 comparisons. I'm currently using an Epiphone ES-175 with flat wounds which is nice to play but doesn't do much for me in terms of tone. So for anyone who's tried them all, how does this match up to the Gibson version and the Gibson ES-137? Or are Gibson's so overpriced that the difference between these and other makes simply don't stack up? I ought to mention that I like mellow tones with the occasional bit of edge.

(By the way, the guitar in the picture is a Paul Fischer made for me in 1976).

[derek]

Originally Posted by Ged

I notice that Gravytrain wants a Gibson ES-137. I was thinking about this when I consider that my playing deserves it, particularly because of the vari-tone. The ES-345 I had in the 1960s had this switch and it produced some really interesting tones, therefore it's the ES-137 Custom model that would be very nice.

However, as I've not exactly tried one yet, I am interested in what you guys say about 137 and 175 comparisons. I'm currently using an Epiphone ES-175 with flat wounds which is nice to play but doesn't do much for me in terms of tone. So for anyone who's tried them all, how does this match up to the Gibson version and the Gibson ES-137? Or are Gibson's so overpriced that the difference between these and other makes simply don't stack up? I ought to mention that I like mellow tones with the occasional bit of edge.

Let me start out by saying I am pretty opinionated about Gibson. I have had some bad experiences with recent models. However, I do still have a 1970 ES175. To me, the 137 is more of a single cut version of a 335. I am not a big fan as it is heavy and semihollow. However, some guys love them, and they do sound good. Just not my cup o' tea.

The Epi 175 is not going to sound like the Gibbo, if for no other reason, it has a maple neck vs mahogany. That big chunk of mahogany is a large part of what gives the 175 its sound imo. I just sold a 1999 Tal Farlow to a guy in Hungary, and it was a very nice guitar, but I am thinning out the herd.

Personally, I would look for something made in the 80's-90's, as Gibson's quality control has really been lousy the past few years. As far as 175 vs 137, pretty different guitars I think, but both do jazz well. I would think the 137 would do other things better though, like blues, fusion, etc.

[Ged]

Thanks for your views Derek, I've also read about Gibson quality control issue so I'll bear that in mind. It's nearly forty years since I sold the Gibson 345 so I simply can't remember the detailed differences. I'm in London next week so I'll look around there...however, I can't stand these shop sales people. It's like, "for Christ sake leave me alone to get on with it!" And then there's the three finger 'wonders' playing at 200 watts in a bloody shop. Sorry...my prejudices are taking me off the point here... Better still, I'll look around for something with a few years on it.

[skei]

Originally Posted by derek

Didn't look at the guitar yet, but I have been listening to some of your music you have up. Nice stuff. Who did your drum and keyboard tracks? Very nice stuff. Will keep listening, but it will take a while, you have quite a bit of music up there.

Well, my old pal, Mac intosh, only kidding, I did it all in Garageband, using loops or sometimes playing on the keyboard. Some of the loops were found at a place called Looperman, they've got some nice loops there, and I think I used an electric piano loop from there in one tune. I wish I had a band, like in my rocker days, but nowadays it's just me and the old pal Mac, he's always up for a jam though, never fails or lets his band down...

It's like my musical diary, when I started getting interested in jazz I decided that in one year I'd play ok jazz guitar, not good, but acceptable, that was in december - some 4 1/2 months ago, and by next christmas I'll hopefully be acceptable. I've had pain in the fingers, strings through my skin, practically no free time, but these last two weeks I've passed some kind of level, I'm learning at a pace I didn't think possible. But then again, I do nothing else but play and listen to jazz all day long now, and look for a job, but that takes some twenty minutes a day, so there's a lot of practice. And thanks to this great guy we all know as Dirk, and his great course, things are happening now. I'm working on some three tunes now, mainly incorporating things I've picked up in the course, well, some of my own thinking too, but mostly working the material I learn here. And of course, I listen a lot to mr Coletrane too, and a guy from britain, a guitarist playing with some guys from Manchester, I think his name is Mike Walker (but I'm not sure, he's in my computer, so I'll look him up later) who plays very nice guitar indeed.
I like Chris Standring too, it's another type of jazz, but then again, jazz is a multifaceted gem, there's no one way to go.

But Coletrane is probably the only role model as far as notes go that I can think of.

One day I'll play guitar like he played sax, or die trying to.

Peace
&
Arpeggios
Skei (the 'jazz heals me' one)

[zydecosoultrain]

Hi there, this is first post from me. Congatulations in an informative discussion.

I agree that Fender strats and tele's make great guitars for jazz and I've used an Am Std strat for my jazz lessons for years. However, I bought a second hand Heritage H-535 about a year ago and still can't put it down. It is shaped like a Gibson 335 but with unusually nice timbers and a good old fashioned wider style neck. The tone, with a Seymour Duncan jazz in teh bridge and through a fender Deluxe, is addictive.

The guys that make these guitars are from the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo and were kind enough to answer my email query's prior to buying the guitar sight unseen via ebay.

Much as I like the H-535, the Heritage version of the Gibson 175 has a solid carved top (Heritage guitars are a bit hard to come by in Australia) - must be one pretty fine guitar though.

Cheers and thanks
Z

[wizard3739]

I gotta add my 2 cents worth. I have always been an acoustic electric archtop fan. I have had a super 400 Gibson, A Johnny Smith Gibson, a D'Angelico (1929 non-cutaway) A Gibson 335, a fender strat (late 50's) a fender tele and several low end archtops that really ddin't cut it for me. I also now have a Taylor T5 and a Stroup Benedetto copy and I just received (a few hours ago) my Sadowsky Jim Hall Signature model. Of all these great guitars, the Stroup has undoubtably the best low-volume acoustic electric sound I have ever heard but I don't use it for my gigs because of the feedback problems associated with all the acoustic electrics I have used. The T5 is the most versatile of the group and has been my gigging guitar for the past year. However, After plugging in the Jim Hall model, I have a new favorite. With the short scale and wide neck, it is the easiest playing guitar of the batch. Although I don't usually make snap judgements on guitars, this one ((JH Model) seems to be better for my tastes than any of the others and will become my gigging guitar as soon as I get new strings on it. It is the most sound-balanced instrument I have ever played and seems to be able to produce almost any sound I need to use. Check out my new avatar!
wiz

[DMatthewsBand07]

Originally Posted by Jazz Classic

At 85, this gives me a lot of hope! Who is this guy and where can I hear him play?

hey man. I just saw Dave Brubeck Quartet at the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz festival and maaaaaaan was he good. I believe he's 88 right now. He could hardly walk to the piano on his own but he was tearing it up. Laughing and carrying on, too. Telling jokes between songs and clapping with the rhythm when the sax was soloing. When I closed my eyes I could swear it was 1960. He was incredible. And at 88. Les Paul at 90. Your neeevvvvver to old for music. never. And as for guitars. I'm broke as a Joe so I play an Epiphone copy of a 335. It may be cheap but it was my first real guitar that I bought with my own money (you know how that it) and it's versatile and sounds great and I love it. Actually I was playing a show one time (battle of the bands with a couple of my friends.) and the guy who introduced us asked me what year my guitar was. I think he thought it was some vintage gibson. Didn't know whether or not to tell him it was a four year old epiphone. I won't lie and tell you it sounds like a gibson but I love it. Anyway. I don't have much experience in the high end archtop area so that would be my two cents.

[skei]

Here is a link to the german store where I bought the guitar, the guitar brand is 'Harley benton'. I have no idea as regards its reputation or anything, to me it feels like a lot for the money, considering that the equivalent guitars at stores in my hometown are like 3 times the cost...
Link:
HARLEY BENTON HBE-1335 II CH - Svensk International Cyberstore

[skei]

Originally Posted by DMatthewsBand07

hey man. I just saw Dave Brubeck Quartet at the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz festival and maaaaaaan was he good. I believe he's 88 right now. He could hardly walk to the piano on his own but he was tearing it up. Laughing and carrying on, too. Telling jokes between songs and clapping with the rhythm when the sax was soloing. When I closed my eyes I could swear it was 1960. He was incredible. And at 88. Les Paul at 90. Your neeevvvvver to old for music. never. And as for guitars. I'm broke as a Joe so I play an Epiphone copy of a 335. It may be cheap but it was my first real guitar that I bought with my own money (you know how that it) and it's versatile and sounds great and I love it. Actually I was playing a show one time (battle of the bands with a couple of my friends.) and the guy who introduced us asked me what year my guitar was. I think he thought it was some vintage gibson. Didn't know whether or not to tell him it was a four year old epiphone. I won't lie and tell you it sounds like a gibson but I love it. Anyway. I don't have much experience in the high end archtop area so that would be my two cents.

I love mr Brubeck's music, ever since I first heard 'Take five' I've been a fan of his.
I even did a thing in 5/4 just to try the beat. Special and wonderful to play. I'm an old rocker with little experience of beats other than 'straight on r&r' so it's special to me. Mr. Brubeck is a neighbour of one of the members of a douglas adams boards I frequently visit, so that's how I heard of him, and I sure would have enjoyed seeing him live!
Peace
Skei

[jack_curio]

Originally Posted by gremboul

I am not familiar with German guitars...can anyone give me names of German Brands?

Framus is worth a check: Framus International
They have fine AZ archtop line and AK 1974 model. Also look for some of their "oldies" - they are flawless: Framus Vintage

P.S. It's my first post, so greetings everyone and excuse my for the poor language quality.

EDIT: I've almost forgot - anyone heard about Cort's TRG (Jim Triggs) models? Cort TRG-2

[cherokeebat]

Hi I play a Ibanez Af105nt (Artcore) and It sounds fine. I went to Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island NY and was blown away by the sound coming out of a Gibson L-4.(same as ES-175 except the L-4 has a wood top not laminate.)

[mike gatien]

You Tele fans really need to try a McInturff Terrycaster (2 or 3 pickup). The midrage control & construction quality are miles above the Fender & similar boutique models. This is a new level of the instrument. He is also building semi-hollow models with rosewood necks that kill as traditional jazz guitars and much more. Matt Artinger is also building extreemly impressive post modern arch tops.

I have played and owed countless Gibsons, Fenders, DiAngelicos, Guilds, etc. and no longer have interest in any of them.

[Butch]

Hey Wizard...congratulations on the new guitar.

I have recently been on a guitar hunt. I'm 51, the kids have moved out and my wife is telling me...."Go get what you want?" Good place to be.

After countless searches in the Seattle area, playing many fine guitars I decided to keep my Carvin 7-string.

However, I did buy a Gretsch 6119 (admit it<g>...we all like Chet Atkins<g>) so I could have an archtop in the house. Seriously, I was driving along listening to Chet and was thinking about how beautiful his tone allways was. Very clear but warm. So, I started checking out the Gretsch's that are made in Japan.

I didn't find a bad one...everyone I played was outstanding and for me was a better choice than the venerable ES-175. It has plywood for days<g> - like an ES-175, Filtertron Humbuckers and is just an outstanding guitar. It is narrower than an ES-175 (I'm using the 175 as a reference because everyone generally knows what those are like and I am not critisizing those of you who use them). Mine also has a 25-1/2 inch scale length with an ebony fingerboard. There are options with 24.6 inch scale lengths. An ES-175 has a 24-3/4 inch scale length. The Filtertron pickups are brighter than standard humbuckers, but retain the warmth.

So, I have a question...how come more jazz guys don't play Gretsch's? They are very similiar to an ES-175 they can help you get a different sound (I think establishing a unique "signature" tone is very difficult to do and a very worthwhile pursuit). Also, there are so many options available with different scale lenghts and different body sizes that it is kind of like picking a semi-custom 175. I encourage all of you to check them out. I have even seen vintage Gretsch's for sale at a fraction of the cost of Gibsons. Also, they all seem to be in the $2,000 to $3,400 range for a new one. Not cheap, but I bought my new on Ebay for $1,100! It is just a killer guitar with great sustain and a classic look.

Pros on the Gretsch:

I believe that they are made better than all of the newer Gibsons I have seen. Certainly, in the price range I am talking about they are not only better built but have more choices for fingerboard wood for this price range. Some models have flamed maple as an option.

Filtertron pickups are not "overused" in the jazz community - a chance to grab a unique tone. They also come with the old De'Armond single coils or the HiLo pickups which are single coils as well.

I always get compliments on how beautiful the guitar is.

If you want to buy an American made vintage Gretsch they are priced well below comparable Gibsons, Guilds and Fenders.

Cons on the Gretsch:

The Bigsby tremolo is fun, but I have been thinking of turning it into a doorstop. It could fit between the door and the wall and the spring could keep the door knob from hitting the drywall. I think I could do this without any modifications to the door or the Bigsby<g>. Gretsch does make some models with a standard tailpiece. All models can be retrofitted with a standard tailpiece.

Some models have way too many knobs and switches, but I can live with this.

I kept the Carvin because it is made from premium materials, looks OK and plays extremely well, ,and feedback is not an issue. It is not a lower quality guitar to Paul Reed Smiths or any other high end solid body. I have a Koa top with an alder body, so it is very warm sounding.

I didn't buy an expensive hand built archtop, because I don't think they are worth it (IMHO). I used to own a 1976 Guild Artist Award that was at the NAMM show in LA. Very nice guitar, but as I have posted elsewhere, not versitle and it is heartbreaking to spend that kind of money on a guitar when I had a telecaster that was better at all volumes above a whisper. All of my favorite guitar players do not play pedigree instruments for the most part - and what initially attracts me to a player is their sound. If I had a D'Angelico New Yorker I would sell it to a rock star and pay off my mortgage<g>. I mean...what do you get for your $20,000 $50,000 that you can't do for much less?

Good luck to all of you, as their is no right answer here.
Butch

[gremboul]

Originally Posted by kkonopatzke

I've been looking at possibly replacing my neck pickup with something that bucks hum a little more aggressively like a mini-bucker or cool/hot rails by Duncan I believe. I just don't have a good understanding of what the custom shop provided for pickups. If they don't make use of any of the noise reduction technology that has been developed since 53 then I think I would like to try a Duncan model in the rhythm position. This is not to say that noise is really a problem but my current pickups have a lot of bite and snarl at gig-volumes. I'll Have to look for a mini-bucker equipped instrument to check it out.

I haven't done a lot of experimenting with strings but Fender .009 super 250s are the strings that bring the highest level of playability out of my tele. I think I prefer .010 guages tonally as they are are a little less twangy or sharp but bending and hammer-ons etc. are somewhat hindered at EADGBE tuning. This is more the concern of a blues guitarist however.

I remember the coated Elixer strings I used once being very "warm" or "full" as would be desirable for jazz applications. Perhaps a better description would be that they had a less metallic character in the high-end when amplified.

Which strings have been best suited in your experience?

I'm also curious to learn:

What sort of amp do you prefer with your 52? What are your feelings if any about the Vox AC30 (1) Generally for use with Tele and (2) For Jazz.

I didn't buy mine with jazz tone in mind but I find it offers a range of good tones for jazz even if it is a bit more aggressive (high treble and prone to overdrive) than is likely conventional for strictly Jazz guitarists.

Any opinions regarding Vox AC30?

What a surprise...I use the Brian May VOX with original vintage specs the VBM1...The AC30 is excellent with the tele...a very clean amp. Also excellent with all my guitars...you can even run alot of gain on the VOX and get clear note distinction.

[gremboul]

Originally Posted by Butch

Hey Wizard...congratulations on the new guitar.

I have recently been on a guitar hunt. I'm 51, the kids have moved out and my wife is telling me...."Go get what you want?" Good place to be.

After countless searches in the Seattle area, playing many fine guitars I decided to keep my Carvin 7-string.

However, I did buy a Gretsch 6119 (admit it<g>...we all like Chet Atkins<g>) so I could have an archtop in the house. Seriously, I was driving along listening to Chet and was thinking about how beautiful his tone allways was. Very clear but warm. So, I started checking out the Gretsch's that are made in Japan.

I didn't find a bad one...everyone I played was outstanding and for me was a better choice than the venerable ES-175. It has plywood for days<g> - like an ES-175, Filtertron Humbuckers and is just an outstanding guitar. It is narrower than an ES-175 (I'm using the 175 as a reference because everyone generally knows what those are like and I am not critisizing those of you who use them). Mine also has a 25-1/2 inch scale length with an ebony fingerboard. There are options with 24.6 inch scale lengths. An ES-175 has a 24-3/4 inch scale length. The Filtertron pickups are brighter than standard humbuckers, but retain the warmth.

So, I have a question...how come more jazz guys don't play Gretsch's? They are very similiar to an ES-175 they can help you get a different sound (I think establishing a unique "signature" tone is very difficult to do and a very worthwhile pursuit). Also, there are so many options available with different scale lenghts and different body sizes that it is kind of like picking a semi-custom 175. I encourage all of you to check them out. I have even seen vintage Gretsch's for sale at a fraction of the cost of Gibsons. Also, they all seem to be in the $2,000 to $3,400 range for a new one. Not cheap, but I bought my new on Ebay for $1,100! It is just a killer guitar with great sustain and a classic look.

Pros on the Gretsch:

I believe that they are made better than all of the newer Gibsons I have seen. Certainly, in the price range I am talking about they are not only better built but have more choices for fingerboard wood for this price range. Some models have flamed maple as an option.

Filtertron pickups are not "overused" in the jazz community - a chance to grab a unique tone. They also come with the old De'Armond single coils or the HiLo pickups which are single coils as well.

I always get compliments on how beautiful the guitar is.

If you want to buy an American made vintage Gretsch they are priced well below comparable Gibsons, Guilds and Fenders.

Cons on the Gretsch:

The Bigsby tremolo is fun, but I have been thinking of turning it into a doorstop. It could fit between the door and the wall and the spring could keep the door knob from hitting the drywall. I think I could do this without any modifications to the door or the Bigsby<g>. Gretsch does make some models with a standard tailpiece. All models can be retrofitted with a standard tailpiece.

Some models have way too many knobs and switches, but I can live with this.

I kept the Carvin because it is made from premium materials, looks OK and plays extremely well, ,and feedback is not an issue. It is not a lower quality guitar to Paul Reed Smiths or any other high end solid body. I have a Koa top with an alder body, so it is very warm sounding.

I didn't buy an expensive hand built archtop, because I don't think they are worth it (IMHO). I used to own a 1976 Guild Artist Award that was at the NAMM show in LA. Very nice guitar, but as I have posted elsewhere, not versitle and it is heartbreaking to spend that kind of money on a guitar when I had a telecaster that was better at all volumes above a whisper. All of my favorite guitar players do not play pedigree instruments for the most part - and what initially attracts me to a player is their sound. If I had a D'Angelico New Yorker I would sell it to a rock star and pay off my mortgage<g>. I mean...what do you get for your $20,000 $50,000 that you can't do for much less?

Good luck to all of you, as their is no right answer here.
Butch

The Gretsch archtop is excellent...Chet Atkins tone...I tried the Tennessee Rose model...I do find it somewhat brighter than the Gibson...or other archtops...If I find one at a good deal (already have too many guitars), I would probably use flatwound strings.

[derek]

Butch,

I have tried Gretch guitars thru the years, but they always feel a bit stiff (how to explain that? ), and I never got a sound I liked out of them due to the pups they use I guess.

I think this is a great example of why there are so many different guitars. It would be pretty boring if we all played the same model. I have tried several times to go with something more unique. I have been thru a couple of Jim Triggs archtops, a PRS archtop, an Eastman archtop, a Gibbo Tal Farlow, a 335 clone, and have a Forshage Ergonomic guitar on order.

Each time I wind up going back to my 175. I will always own a few different guitars since I play a variety of music, but the 175 is king for me. I am glad you found one that speaks to you. Btw, I have one of those wives also, can't be beat!

[zamar]

Originally Posted by fret15

It's interesting to see that people favor the Tele as a jazz guitar...just didn't think of a Tele that way. That might seem weird, but you know...

I'd think, without having played either of them, that a big old Gibson ES-175 or 335 would do the trick really well. But for the money, I'd probably go for an Epi Sheraton II - I hear they're relatively inexpensive.

Ed Bickert played on a Tele, and he did very well! Tele's are the best guitars ever built, no nonsense, great sound, superb playability...The thing is of course, if you want the right sound you have to be able to find a pre CBS Tele, and those are for the rich only
So, I updated my Epi Joe Pass a little; I've made an ebony tailpiece, and replaced the Epi HB with P90 soapbar pick up's from Seymour Duncan, works very well. Also it looks more expensive with the ebony tailpiece, and the scratchplate removed
I also have a Epi Sheraton, and again I've changed the pick up's for Seymour Duncan HB's. Epi HB's really suck.

[Dr.Fred]

I've been trying to find an Epi Elitist Broadway...but they are all backorderd and none of the stores I frequent have any. Anybody know when Epi is going to make them available? I'm looking for a jazz box and have tried several, including the famed ES 175. I was expecting to be overwhelmed by it, but was disappointed considering in was a Gibson. I like the upper end Gibsons alot but it would kill the family budget if my wife found out :>)

Fred

[vikinin]

Thank you Matthew for the 13 guitar round-up ("So you want to buy a jazz guitar") published on the web page. It should prove helpful to many. My only regret is that there's way more than those 13 axes suitable for jazz, not mentionned there.
What about Sadowski or Heritage? What about other entry models from Ibanez and Hagstrom or the AES 1500 and SA 2200 from Yamaha?
Well I am not a pro player but I own several guitars (a headless Steve Klein, a small Hagstrom archtop, a special edition koa strat with duncans and a Yamaha SA 2200 hollowbody) ;
I love them all and I am quite certain you can play jazz on all of them. Quite a number of contemporary players play on headless Kleins (Andre Bush, Tom Miller, David Torn...) but these babies are certainly leaning more on the *electric* verge than solo chord melody a la joe pass.
The koa strat i only bought recently : it's a "special edition" korean machine with "stock" staggered alnico Duncans single coils. I had the nut changed to a tusq one and the guitar has a beautiful round tone and lots of sustain. the woods and tusq and PU give it a character not typically standard fender and well suited for round warm and darker jazz tones.
The SA 2200 is a 335 type guitar absolutely flawless as for its make and finish, with an ebony fingerboard plus abalone inlays and killer tones. I recommand anyone looking for a 335 type guitar to give this axe a try : it's an absolute bang for the price (well at least in Europe).
my only concern is that I'd like to catch a decent Roland chorus 120 sound from my tech 21 trademark 60 ! Good amp though, very versatile and loud enough for club gigs.
rgds.

[derek]

Originally Posted by vikinin

Thank you Matthew for the 13 guitar round-up ("So you want to buy a jazz guitar") published on the web page. It should prove helpful to many. My only regret is that there's way more than those 13 axes suitable for jazz, not mentionned there.
What about Sadowski or Heritage? What about other entry models from Ibanez and Hagstrom or the AES 1500 and SA 2200 from Yamaha?
Well I am not a pro player but I own several guitars (a headless Steve Klein, a small Hagstrom archtop, a special edition koa strat with duncans and a Yamaha SA 2200 hollowbody) ;
I love them all and I am quite certain you can play jazz on all of them. Quite a number of contemporary players play on headless Kleins (Andre Bush, Tom Miller, David Torn...) but these babies are certainly leaning more on the *electric* verge than solo chord melody a la joe pass.

Here is a clip of a guy I study with in the summer, playing chord melody on a Klein. See what you think.

YouTube - Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Improv - Jody Fisher

BTW, since you can't get a Klein anymore ($5000+ used on ebay), Chris Forshage is making an ergonomic version that takes some design ideas from the Klein. Here is a youtube video of one Chris made. Mine will be a black burst.

YouTube - Forshage Ergonomic Headless Guitar