Whats a good electric guitar to get?

**brock957** · 04-22-2011, 09:10 PM

Just starting to play some jazz style music. What are good electric hollow or semi hollow body guitars. Can spend up to about 450.00. Yea I know that's not much. What are some good guitars to choose from. And also ones to avoid.
Thanks for your help,
Blair

**Soon** · 04-22-2011, 10:00 PM

Hi brock,
I have a bunch of guitars. A few accoustics, a few electrics. Some are very good, some are OK and some are a bit shabby. Fitting into the OK slot is my Epiphone Emperor II Joe Pass. It doesn't have an acoustic sound I'd rave about but plugged in at modest practice volume it does a 'good' job. I had to take off the pick guard because it buzzed like a SOB. Mine is a Korean '04 and I spent within your price range used at GC. I'd be wary of a new one from an Indonesian factory.

I just saw an '02 on my local craigs list for $375 w/case.

You could do better, but you could also do worse. I like mine.

**brock957** · 04-22-2011, 10:09 PM

Thanks, the Joe Pass is one of the one I'd like to find. I'll use my Martin 000 for acoustic work.

**pollysurfs** · 04-22-2011, 10:54 PM

i have 2 martin 000's my 15s sounds really nice with jazz chords and happens to be my favorite guitar, the closest thing to being one,

artcores are in your range and have been reviewed well here, hofner hct17 also

**brock957** · 04-22-2011, 11:04 PM

looked up the Hofner, wow what a beautiful guitar. Thanks. Am looking for used artcores too. And some epi's too. My Martin does a nice job with acoustic work. Has the elispe system with a piezeo and a condensor mic.

**ptrallan01** · 04-23-2011, 12:32 PM

Artcore line has a pretty good variety in it for the price that you want. If you go used you can get one of the "upgraded" models i.e. AF105 for a little bit more. Suggest you also look at Hagstrom H series and the Hofners. I would love to have an opportunity to play that Samick that you mentioned in your other thread. From what I've seen Samick is the Hyundai of the guitar industry you get very good value for your money but it ain't a Lexus or Benedetto in this case

**brock957** · 04-23-2011, 12:51 PM

Thanks Ptall,
The guy is a friend of mine and he just offered me his older samick, pre greg bennett line. Full size jazz box thats about 3 1/2 to 4 inch thick body. single cutaway, all gold hardware. Lots of inlay. It's like new condition. He has over 60 guitars and plays them all in rotation. each one gets played maybe once a year. It was their top of the line at the time and went for over 800.00 new. I'll probably get it from him tonight or tomorrow.

**brock957** · 04-23-2011, 12:57 PM

The guitar is a Samick HJ650 blonde

**superlightweight** · 04-23-2011, 12:59 PM

I'm partial to the Artcores too, I have an AF and an AS. I also had an Epiphone Emperor Regent that I had to sell off.
If you watch CL, there are a lot of players that buy a jazz box and then decide it's not for them and have a hard time selling it. There was a guy here that had a nice Washburn L5 for $200, he just wanted it gone.

**brock957** · 04-23-2011, 01:02 PM

Thanks,
Looks like I'm getting a Samick HJ650 Blonde unless someone tells me here that I shouldn't.

**pierre richard** · 04-23-2011, 01:31 PM

the Ibanez line of archtops is very good...

two of my students have them..AF75 and AG75..

I play a 1977 2355 (es175) which I bought in 1979...TI 014 flatwounds...medium action..through a Polytone Mini Brute...oh the sounds...

time on the instrument..pierre

**Kojo27** · 04-23-2011, 11:09 PM

Gotta quickly cast another thumbs-up for the Ibanez Artcores. I'm an acoustic hollowbody player (surprise - the pic over there), but I do own a transparent black AF-95 that's not only shockingly pretty, but plays very close to an ES-175 (has a soft cutaway though), and is a true hollowbody, no blocks or posts in there at all. With this kind of guitar, so much is in the amp, and I'm still in need of a good one, but the AF-95 sounds great run through a GNX3 effects board, on "Clean Chorus," or "Pat Jazz," -- several other settings -- and an old solid state Fender amp.

This one has the wooden floating bridge w/tune-o-matic saddles, which I'm not crazy about (my acoustic roots snaking back in there) -- but it's a good guitar. They're about $699 new, but I found this one one eBay, never played, brand new, for $350. Just gotta look around. You could gig with it.

**brock957** · 04-24-2011, 05:54 AM

Everyone leans towards the artcores it seems. I may have a chance at a gold one, fat body or a Samact hj650. We'll see.

**Drumbler** · 04-24-2011, 08:26 AM

Hollowbody, semi-hollow, telecaster, strat style, LP.

They are all good. Really it's how you play.

The rest is all in your desire to "look" like a jazz player.

I have three guitars around the house on stands. A hollowbody, a telecaster, a strat. They all work.

**brock957** · 04-24-2011, 12:12 PM

I just read the thread on "Why Tele's" Now my head hurts. To many decisions and my friend I'm going to buy from has over 60 guitars. So he has about every style I'd be interested in. I'll probably go with a jazz box, unless they just feel to uncomfterable playing. Shouldn't be the case though since I play acoustic. As soon as I decide I'll be posting another thread about what strings to get. Sometimes the high E string cuts into my first finger on the backside of large knuckle when I'm doing a lot of bar chords.

Baltar Hornbeek · 04-24-2011, 12:14 PM

My opinion aint worth squat really, cause I've only ever played a couple of jazz boxes. But the other day, I got to check out one of them there Epiphone Joe Pass models.....boy was it nice. Instantly wanted it. Now I'm afraid to try a high end box, for fear the gas it may ignite.

**Drumbler** · 04-24-2011, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by brock957

I just read the thread on "Why Tele's" Now my head hurts. To many decisions and my friend I'm going to buy from has over 60 guitars. So he has about every style I'd be interested in. I'll probably go with a jazz box, unless they just feel to uncomfterable playing. Shouldn't be the case though since I play acoustic. As soon as I decide I'll be posting another thread about what strings to get. Sometimes the high E string cuts into my first finger on the backside of large knuckle when I'm doing a lot of bar chords.

A jazz box is good. I'm just saying that while there are tonal differences between guitars it doesn't really matter. Obviously you would look a bit odd playing jazz on a 80's banana headstock Kramer.

But don't expect to sound better on a jazz box. It's the playing that makes the difference. A jazz box doesn't make you sound jazzy.

With $450 to spend you are looking at the Artcores or a Chinese made (some are good!) hollowbody.

**brock957** · 04-24-2011, 03:44 PM

Thanks Drumbler. I'll probably never be a real jazz player. I just want to be able to add some jazz sound to some of the music I play since I've gotten a new singer that I'm starting to work with that has a jazz, gospel style to her voice. While I do a lot of acoustic work, I want to incorporate electric for what she does and what we'll write together. What I'll be playing at first won't be true jazz, and I may never play real jazz because I realize my limits as a guitar player. I've been playing with minor 7ths and am just starting to work with major 7ths. I'll probably learn a few other chord shapes too, but a lot of what I do will be that with some jazz sounding licks.

**ptrallan01** · 04-24-2011, 09:59 PM

Tele's are great! My first guitar love is a korean lite ash tele that I won't sell. I have plenty of guitars, chinese, korean, mexican, indonesian. They all get the job done! Play something comfortable. That is the first step to good music. Great musicians make bad instruments sound good, but its more fun to play something you like.

If you're like most of us you will try several before deciding which is best. That's part of the learning curve. If it stays in tune, if it doesn't have dead spots on the neck. If it doesn't hurt to play. AND you just don't want to put it down then that's the guitar for you.

I currently have 9 guitars and I am looking at selling at least three and maybe 5! It's taken a couple of years to understand what I like and now that I have I can concentrate on just the few insturments that make me feel like I can learn.

As others have said Jazz isn't in the instrument but how you play it. That's why some guys use tele's some gibsons, and others horns pianos drums and vibes.

Just find something comfortable and have fun. The rules are more for how you play than what you play! I once took my tele into a recording studio that specialized in rap. We were playing gospel. The guy running the place gave me a dirty look. After we were finished he was surprised because he didn't know a tele could do anything but country.

Choose carefully and if it doesn't work out you learned something from that too.

**brock957** · 04-25-2011, 05:14 AM

Thanks Ptral,
I will be playing some Jazz flavored gospel. So I was automatically thinking a big old jazz box. I've been playing Contemporary CM. I do a couple of songs with a jazz, gospel flavor to them. God has just placed me with a female singer that's a jazz gospel singer. I helped her by recording "more love more power" the way I play it. All minor 7ths. with some smooth licks. I was going to put other musicians around her when my wife said, "why not just use the band you already have?" So we will be doing more than just jazz gospel.
I was helping a young man who just turned 21 learn to play bass and letting him practice with the band and be a part of it. He started going to church all the time and gave his life to the Lord. A tree fell on his car and killed him. His father gave me his electric guitar. It's the ESP. I had a set up done, and I'm actually able to play it. I put 10's on it. First electric I've ever felt comfterable playing. I'm hearing a lot about Tele's here. Got to admit I think they're awfully country looking too. But I may take another look at a Preston Higgens a friend has. That way I'd have Chris's ESP with the Humbuckers, and single coils from the Tele. It's Chris's guitar in my profile picture. I don't know how such a cheap guitar can play and sound so sweet, but it does. I'm not really a jazz player and even though I've started studying it I won't be, I write and play songs with 3 to 5 chords, and some mellow licks.
Again thank you for what you said. I've just got to get this image thing out of my head. I'll be playing a bunch of guitars a friend has and I'll go with the one that speaks to me when I play it, and not just the image I think the guitar portrays.

**Modalguru** · 04-28-2011, 02:50 AM

Get an Ibanez Artcore or a used Tele. A Tele can do anything. I love to play mine under circumstances, where I don't want to bring the expensive jazz-guitars with me (e.g. small bars without a stage), or when we do an evening covering many styles.

Cheers, Modalguru