Jazz Hollowbody Recommendations

[CTG]

Hi All,

I was hoping you could give me some recommendations for guitars to try out.
I am looking for a 16" Hollowbody, 1.75-2.5" depth, relatively light wt.
With a really warm tone.
If I have to talk about necks, my favorite size profile is on my 1967 Gibson Super-400 CES.
Price range is $1500-2800.
Looking for a really good working and travel guitar.
Any suggestions are really appreciated.
All the best, wishing you Happy Holidays and New Year!
Chaim

[dconeill]

Hi All,

I was hoping you could give me some recommendations for guitars to try out.
I am looking for a 16" Hollowbody, 1.75-2.5" depth, relatively light wt.
With a really warm tone.
If I have to talk about necks, my favorite size profile is on my 1967 Gibson Super-400 CES.
Price range is $1500-2800.
...

Many such guitars have a scale length that's shorter than the Super 400s by about 0.75 inches.

Comins makes the GCS-16-1 and -2
D'Angelico makes several models that might suit
Eastman makes several models that could fit your requirements
Some Godin 5th Avenue models might work
Peerless, if they're available to you, have a few models like this.

[Cunamara]

I would suggest looking for a used made-in-Japan Ibanez GB10. Should be able to find one around US$1800-2000. It's a touch smaller, about 15". I have had mine for nearly 30 years and it's a wonderful guitar. It has a wide range of tones- including warm and fat- that you can find by twiddling with the knobs, there are plenty of other discussions about that on the forum.

[DMgolf66]

I have a Fender D'Aquisto Elite model posted for sale on the For Sale section here. A lot of guitar for the money and an outstanding reputation.

[DMgolf66]

Hi All,

I was hoping you could give me some recommendations for guitars to try out.
I am looking for a 16" Hollowbody, 1.75-2.5" depth, relatively light wt.
With a really warm tone.
If I have to talk about necks, my favorite size profile is on my 1967 Gibson Super-400 CES.
Price range is $1500-2800.
Looking for a really good working and travel guitar.
Any suggestions are really appreciated.
All the best, wishing you Happy Holidays and New Year!
Chaim

Here are specs:

Fender D’Aquisto Elite Hollowbody Archtop with case #101035 — Guitars 'n Jazz

[Boze]

The D'Aquisto is 2.75" depth. If the OP is okay with the extra depth an Eastman AR403ce might suit. Recommend replacing the Asian KA humbucker with a 57 Classic.

An ES-125T or ES-125TC is a good option if you like a P90. Not as warm as a humbucker and perhaps too dear for a travel guitar. Very light and comfortable though with surprising acoustic tone for such a slim body:

1958 Gibson ES-125T Hollowbody Guitar Sunburst ES-125

[CTG]

Thanks so much. I will look into these more.
Much Appreciated.
Happy Holidays to Everyone!

[58flame]

Guild X-170

[CTG]

Thank you for the recommendation on the Guild. It funny. I have never played a Guild hollowbody but have always heard good things about them.
I will definitely try it out.
All the best in the New Year,
Chaim

[lammie200]

Gibson ES-165 if you can find one. Never got the love that ES-175s got but they are a slightly more appointed version. They used to be way undervalued in comparison to 175s for odd reasonings.

[RyanM]

I would try to find an Archtop Tribute model from Japan

[GuitarJay]

Guild X-170

I second the recommendation for the Guild X-170 Manhattan. I got one recently, blond, super flamey, in near mint condition with OHSC for less than the low end of your budget. After I set it up with TI 12 rounds, it plays like a dream and sounds like a million bucks. I couldn't be happier. I can't believe I got a classic made in USA electric archtop for such a price. They are definitely a sleeper in today's market.

[2bornot2bop]

The OP will be hard pressed to find a $2k guitar that’s better than a Guild X170!

I’ve owned 3 of them and they’re the epitome of a thinner bodied archtop. Extremely well built! Great tone too.

But if someone already has a Super 400, why would they desire a guitar recommendation? Spending 5 minutes on Reverb will yield a plethora of solid guitars in that price range. In fact, I don’t get why there are so many of these guitar recommendation requests. I never once asked for a recommendation for a guitar. And I’ve purchased more than my share!

[CTG]

I have a limited number of guitars that I can buy. In today's market it's harder to just go into a shop and try out some brand models without really doing your homework and tracking them down. There are also alot of models like the Guild X-170 that I don't see in alot of the local shops. This way I can take advantage of the experience of others. Ultimately it is my choice based on the feel and sound of the instrument but it opens up my thinking about different instruments and lets me take advantage of the experience of other musicians. Don't really see a downside to that.

[CTG]

Thank you.