Jazz and Funk Amp for Semi-Hollow

[Gitterbug]

We have a young player looking for his first amp, with a budget. People I respect are recommending anything up to a Fender Twin Reverb! I'd look at Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 or Fender Champion II 50.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

But if you can buy a used Fender Hot Rod that would be a very sound choice if you want a great clean sound. Just be aware that those things are hard to control at low volumes.

There's a simple fix for that. For some odd reason, Fender put linear taper pots in them for master volume. All that has to be done is to change the master volume pot for an audio (logarithmic) taper pot and the problem is gone. This is easy if you know how to solder and are willing to pull the chassis out of the cabinet to work on it. If you're not comfortable doing this, it's a quick, cheap repair that any tech can do.

If you do it yourself, you have to know how to work safely aronud power supply capacitors. They hold a charge for a very long time, and there are enough joules hiding in them to cause you some serious damage if you shock yourself. You have to discharge the power supply capacitors before doing anything else. Here's a very nice web page about this.

A lot of amateurs just short the capacitor terminals with a big screwdriver to drain them. This will accomplish the task, but the spark will astound you - it's big enough to cause serous damage. The right way to do this is to use a resistor of some kind to get a slower discharge. I have a pair of insulated alligator clips soldered to the leads of a big resistor. I wear electricians' gloves to further protect my hands, and I just clip the clips to the terminals and leave them there for an hour. Then I check for voltage across the terminals to be sure the caps are discharged.

When in doubt, farm it out.

[rpjazzguitar]

My guess would be that a guy off to college would prefer a guitar that's easy to carry. So, budget for a good case with straps like a backpack, as suggested above. Once the guitar is on your back, I don't think a couple of pounds makes that much difference, so most guitars will work.

The amp situation is less clear. If the college has rehearsal spaces, would there be house amps? Can you depend on that?

In the dorm or apartment are you going to be practicing with headphones? If so, I suggest wireless -- just that much less of a hassle. So you have to figure out where the signal is coming from.

How often will you need to carry everything? Would a heavy amp work if you have a cart? I'd guess a college would have to have ramps and elevators for everything in the US. But it's still easier to deal with lightweight amps.

[DawgBone]

We have a young player looking for his first amp, with a budget. People I respect are recommending anything up to a Fender Twin Reverb!

We just doin' our job!!!

[dconeill]

We have a young player looking for his first amp, with a budget. People I respect are recommending anything up to a Fender Twin Reverb! ...

Unfortunately typical for this population.

[Sunbursted]

Okay folks, thanks a lot for the responses, I really appreciate it and I'm kinda overwhelmed! I'm just going to address the questions and comment on a couple things, consider all of your amps on the list! Except the Twin. The only thing I can afford on that thing is the cover

You might consider a Monoprice tube amp with the single 12". It is pretty much identical to a blues jr. For about $250.

Peavey classic 30 and Peavey delta blues 2x10 also but more spendy.

Guitar-wise I had an Epiphone 339 that was a really nice playing and sounding semi with coil taps. Kind of a little 335.

Yeah, I just prefer the size of the 335, so if I'm getting that style its the 335. I've read good things!

How long have been playing?

About a year.

I am surprised nobody's given the obvious answer, especially to a young guy: a Fender Twin Reverb!

I say that laughing, but there is actually a serious side to it. The TR sounds good in any situation, it just weighs 65 pounds. You will never find a gig situation where you won't have the volume to be heard, but it also sounds great at low volume. There is a reason that they are the standard backline amp for 6 decades in almost all genres of music.

The Fender Tone Master series of solid state amps is worth a look. They're not a perfect replica of the tube amp sound but they're really, really good. I play regularly through a friend's Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and it's a wonderful amp. There is also a Tone Master Twin Reverb version. One of the advantages is that they are light enough for even old guys like me to tote around without too much difficulty.

Again if you're willing to look at used, a Roland Cube 60 COSM amp is worth considering. I've owned one for almost 20 years. You can find them on the used market for $200-300 or so. They sound good, they're reliable and have a lot of tonal flexibility through the various amp model settings. Next to a Twin in my living room, I would say the Twin sounds better; sitting on stage next to the bass player and the drummer, who can tell? The nuances are overridden. One of those or its bigger brother the 80X would stand you in good stead through the rest of your college career.

My Comins GCS-1 has a coil split feature. It works, and it sounds okay, but it does not sound like a Stratocaster for funk rhythm. Advice: make sure you can get the sound you want and buy with a return privilege, because gear sounds different in the store. I wouldn't suggest buying a guitar used unless you really know how to check it out. And, depending on the seller, you might not get a return privilege.

As far as amps go, buying with a return privilege is as important. Others have recommended a number of quality amps, most of which I haven't used, except the Katana. But, generally speaking, I can get my sound, or pretty close, out of a lot of different amps. Factors include sound quality, loudness, weight and cost. I think you get to pick three of those four.

Now, for a stretch. If you're really interested in a funk sound (I don't know how to interpret "bendy"), you want a single coil pickup and maybe you want a Strat or Strat copy. The guitar doesn't have to be expensive and I would suggest looking at the Yamaha Pacifica line. You will still be able to get a jazzy sound out of it, but not Wes' sound. I've played semis (with internal blocks) for years, and continue to do so, but I'm not convinced they sound all that much better or even more versatile than a solid body guitar. Maybe a 330 type (no internal block) would be different - I've never played one.

With the single coil guitar you'll be most of the way to a funk sound. At that point any amp with a decent high end may work. So, I'd avoid the DV Mark Little Jazz, which has a darker natural voice. But the Champ, Quilter, Katana are all likely to work for you. The good news is that quality gear is available at prices I think of as pretty low. So, good luck and don't forget the return privilege.

I'm a big fan of the semi-hollow look coming from violin, and I like the warmer tones. Unfortunately I'm only in the market for one guitar, but if I get another style eventually, strats seem pretty fun.

The Roland JC-120 is the classic, but there are various models of the Roland Jazz Chorus amp combos out there. I haven't done the research, but a used Roland JC combo of some sort strikes me as a robust, inexpensive and good amp for jazz and funk playing.

You know I wasn't gonna let anyone beat me to the punch on that one. I posted that suggestion this morning, lol

A TRRI might be a decent choice but not sure it'd be the best idea for a new/newer player to buy a used SF Twin of unknown condition since that person probably won't have access to a good tech or funds for routine maintenance, and that IMO can be a necessity when buying an old amp. But yeah if you are a go big or go home sort of guy there is an amp that will basically last a lifetime with proper maintenance. A 70's SF Twin and Twin Reissue can be had on average around my area for about $750-900. If a SF needs maintenance that will probably set you back another $400-500 for tubes, caps, and labor. At that stage you're about as close to good to go as you would with a brand new amp but are looking at having over a grand into it initially which is over twice his budget. Granted I bought a Twin in 18 for $500 and put a couple hundred gigs on it before it needed anything so deals can be had for the savvy shopper.

That's a great suggestion. But I just looked at prices out of curiosity and almost fell out of my chair when I saw what sellers are asking. 40+ year old JC60s are $600 - $800. A new JC22 is over $500, and they go up from there to $1400 for a JC100. Things are getting a little out of hand in the marketplace! I'm glad I have enough amps so that I'll never actually need another one. Of course, if my newfangled class D thingies prove not to be durable, I'll be back to dragging a Princeton or a Twin around again.

Classic JGO - just get more money!!!!

lol

But if you can buy a used Fender Hot Rod that would be a very sound choice if you want a great clean sound.

Just be aware that those things are hard to control at low volumes.

But they are solid gigging choice and when I see one in the backline at a festival or club, I’m a happy bunny.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Getting more money is the MO!

There are many, many good choices of semi-hollow guitars available under or around US$1K, including some in the lines of Epiphone, Ibanez, Sire, D'Angelico, and others. Amps similarly. Since you're going to college, get a decent but not too expensive guitar and a decent but not too expensive amp. At some point they'll get beer baths. You'll also want to be able to horse the thing around - lots of carrying - so you don't want anything too heavy or big. If it were me, I'd get a sub-$1k semihollow from the list and a Katana 50 with a headphone jack, a robust gig bag with backpack straps, a cover for the amp, a couple of cables, four or five sets of strings, and a string winder. Maybe a tuner, or maybe not - a pitchfork would serve.

Yeah, definitely not going for anything over 1K, my setup will be as sparse as I can make it while being sturdy and nice sounding. I've got other hobbies and nothing's cheap! I'm going to be a bedroom star until I've got the hang of chords and theory, which I've been able to neglect for years on violin.

We have a young player looking for his first amp, with a budget. People I respect are recommending anything up to a Fender Twin Reverb! I'd look at Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 or Fender Champion II 50.

There's a simple fix for that. For some odd reason, Fender put linear taper pots in them for master volume. All that has to be done is to change the master volume pot for an audio (logarithmic) taper pot and the problem is gone. This is easy if you know how to solder and are willing to pull the chassis out of the cabinet to work on it. If you're not comfortable doing this, it's a quick, cheap repair that any tech can do.

If you do it yourself, you have to know how to work safely aronud power supply capacitors. They hold a charge for a very long time, and there are enough joules hiding in them to cause you some serious damage if you shock yourself. You have to discharge the power supply capacitors before doing anything else. Here's a very nice web page about this.

A lot of amateurs just short the capacitor terminals with a big screwdriver to drain them. This will accomplish the task, but the spark will astound you - it's big enough to cause serous damage. The right way to do this is to use a resistor of some kind to get a slower discharge. I have a pair of insulated alligator clips soldered to the leads of a big resistor. I wear electricians' gloves to further protect my hands, and I just clip the clips to the terminals and leave them there for an hour. Then I check for voltage across the terminals to be sure the caps are discharged.

When in doubt, farm it out.

I do like a tinkering project, that article was quite interesting.

My guess would be that a guy off to college would prefer a guitar that's easy to carry. So, budget for a good case with straps like a backpack, as suggested above. Once the guitar is on your back, I don't think a couple of pounds makes that much difference, so most guitars will work.

The amp situation is less clear. If the college has rehearsal spaces, would there be house amps? Can you depend on that?

In the dorm or apartment are you going to be practicing with headphones? If so, I suggest wireless -- just that much less of a hassle. So you have to figure out where the signal is coming from.

How often will you need to carry everything? Would a heavy amp work if you have a cart? I'd guess a college would have to have ramps and elevators for everything in the US. But it's still easier to deal with lightweight amps.

We just doin' our job!!!

Honestly, I'm not going to college for another ~3 years, so I know nothing about that. These are good questions though, I'll keep them in mind.

[rpjazzguitar]

Okay folks, thanks a lot for the

Honestly, I'm not going to college for another ~3 years, so I know nothing about that. These are good questions though, I'll keep them in mind.

The emotion counts. If you like the look of a semi and it feels good to play it (ergonomically), that's probably the guitar for you. I think you can get a quality semi and an amp for under $1000. I'd look at D'Angelico (an EXDC was my main guitar for several years, although it was voiced a little too dark for classic funk) among others. If you see a semi with a single coil pickup that would be worth checking out carefully. Might be right for you.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

If you see a semi with a single coil pickup that would be worth checking out carefully. Might be right for you.

OTOH, many humbuckers are wired for a coil split switch. If there are 3 or more wires coming from it, it’s probably splittable. Some, like the Benedetto B7 I have, use a signal, a ground, and a coil tap wire that’s connected to the midpoint of the coil. Leave the tap unconnected and it’s a ‘bucker. Ground the tap and it’s a single coil. You can add either a separate switch or a pot with a switch on the shaft to ground it. I used to prefer push-push, because the knob doesn’t protrude when the switch is on. But it’s hard to remember where you left it, and I started a tune with it in the wrong position a few times. Now I use push-pull pots, so I can see whether it’s on HB or SC.

Most humbuckers I’ve seen have 4 leads plus a bare ground. The 4 leads are the ends of the two coils. Installed as straight HBs, the end lead from one coil and the start lead of the other are joined. To create a SC, the two wires are separated and a switch is used to connect them as a HB or split them and use only the first coil.

A coil split switch on each gives you multiple tone options. If you add a phase switch as well, you can get a widervariety of funky tones from a pair of ‘buckers. This is what I’d do on a semi for funk and “bendy jazz”.

[dconeill]

... I'm a big fan of the semi-hollow look coming from violin, and I like the warmer tones. ...

Just so you're aware, a 335-style guitar with a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard will be a little warmer than a similar guitar with a maple neck and/or ebony fingerboard. The differences aren't huge, but they're there. Each wood type contributes its own tonal signature.

Various brands use various woods for necks and fingerboards, and most, maybe all, can deliver good results. But it doesn't hurt to check the specs so you know what you're getting.

I guess the bottom line is, use your ears!

[Christian Miller]

I could never find a soap powerful enough to scrub the digital out of my ears after a gig using that kind of gear. A good 6L6 earnema is the only thing that seemed to help.

Do you actually stick the vacuum tubes into your lug holes? I need to know for… science.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gitfiddler]

Okay folks, thanks a lot for the responses, I really appreciate it and I'm kinda overwhelmed! I'm just going to address the questions and comment on a couple things, consider all of your amps on the list! Except the Twin. The only thing I can afford on that thing is the cover



Yeah, I just prefer the size of the 335, so if I'm getting that style its the 335. I've read good things!



About a year.





I'm a big fan of the semi-hollow look coming from violin, and I like the warmer tones. Unfortunately I'm only in the market for one guitar, but if I get another style eventually, strats seem pretty fun.









Getting more money is the MO!



Yeah, definitely not going for anything over 1K, my setup will be as sparse as I can make it while being sturdy and nice sounding. I've got other hobbies and nothing's cheap! I'm going to be a bedroom star until I've got the hang of chords and theory, which I've been able to neglect for years on violin.





I do like a tinkering project, that article was quite interesting.




Honestly, I'm not going to college for another ~3 years, so I know nothing about that. These are good questions though, I'll keep them in mind.

Since you're going to Sweetwater, I'm sure they'll have amp recommendations for you. The main thing for you to consider is your budget. Give yourself a maximum amount you're able to pay for your rig...and try to stay within that budget. Next check the amp features and weight. You'll want something that gives you the sounds/tone you want, but it also should be light enough to carry. Solid state amps tend to be much lighter than tube amps. Finally, consider buying a new amp that has a decent warranty. Amp repairs can be expensive. Good hunting!

[rpjazzguitar]

OTOH, many humbuckers are wired for a c”.

I appreciate the info re coil splitting and the reminder about phase switching.

I have limited experience with the coil split function. On my GCS-1 it sounds okay, but nothing like my Strat. It's a push pull on the tone pot which is a little awkward and it drops the volume, of course, which means I have to compensate for that. On a good day, it cleans up a muddy HB sound. On an average day, I don't use it. Caveat: I'm not in a funk band.

Is there any physical reason that a coil tap can't sound like a true single coil?

Iirc correctly, I had a phase switch on a guitar many years ago, but the drop in volume made it hard to use effectively. Or maybe it was the issue of not always realizing how it was set. Not that somebody else couldn't have done it, but I have enough to worry about when I'm playing.

[DawgBone]

Do you actually stick the vacuum tubes into your lug holes? I need to know for… science.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

136dB coming out of a Twin will wash the digital harshness right out of your ears.

[DawgBone]

Unfortunately typical for this population.

There is probably not a more classic rig than a good semi hollow plugged into a Twin Reverb so it is just good practice to mention it, even if is just something that sticks in his mind until after college. Just think, if he had the semi and the Twin already he'd probably quit college....

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Is there any physical reason that a coil tap can't sound like a true single coil?

No. But the coils and magnets in HBs are not the same as those in purpose built single coil pickups. So there’s no reason to expect half of a humbucker to sound like a Tele pickup.

Single coil pickups have widely varying tones, and none will sound the same in every guitar. A P-90 is a single coil. So is a Charlie Christian. So is a Strat pickup. Put each in the same location on an archtop and they’ll all sound different through the same amp.

Humbuckers are certainly brighter and clearer in SC mode. But splitting a humbucker in an archtop doesn’t make it a Fender.

[Sunbursted]

OTOH, many humbuckers are wired for a coil split switch. If there are 3 or more wires coming from it, it’s probably splittable. Some, like the Benedetto B7 I have, use a signal, a ground, and a coil tap wire that’s connected to the midpoint of the coil. Leave the tap unconnected and it’s a ‘bucker. Ground the tap and it’s a single coil. You can add either a separate switch or a pot with a switch on the shaft to ground it. I used to prefer push-push, because the knob doesn’t protrude when the switch is on. But it’s hard to remember where you left it, and I started a tune with it in the wrong position a few times. Now I use push-pull pots, so I can see whether it’s on HB or SC.

Most humbuckers I’ve seen have 4 leads plus a bare ground. The 4 leads are the ends of the two coils. Installed as straight HBs, the end lead from one coil and the start lead of the other are joined. To create a SC, the two wires are separated and a switch is used to connect them as a HB or split them and use only the first coil.

A coil split switch on each gives you multiple tone options. If you add a phase switch as well, you can get a widervariety of funky tones from a pair of ‘buckers. This is what I’d do on a semi for funk and “bendy jazz”.

Yeah, this is a good explanation. I thought the wiring and writeup here was very good. I'm going to do a gradual split so I can find the right balance.

Just so you're aware, a 335-style guitar with a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard will be a little warmer than a similar guitar with a maple neck and/or ebony fingerboard. The differences aren't huge, but they're there. Each wood type contributes its own tonal signature.

Various brands use various woods for necks and fingerboards, and most, maybe all, can deliver good results. But it doesn't hurt to check the specs so you know what you're getting.

I guess the bottom line is, use your ears!

Thanks, I've never had to give the materials that much thought going instrument shopping, very interesting.

Since you're going to Sweetwater, I'm sure they'll have amp recommendations for you. The main thing for you to consider is your budget. Give yourself a maximum amount you're able to pay for your rig...and try to stay within that budget. Next check the amp features and weight. You'll want something that gives you the sounds/tone you want, but it also should be light enough to carry. Solid state amps tend to be much lighter than tube amps. Finally, consider buying a new amp that has a decent warranty. Amp repairs can be expensive. Good hunting!

Ah, I forgot that Sweetwater has reps. I'll make sure to get a warranty, thanks!

I appreciate the info re coil splitting and the reminder about phase switching.

I have limited experience with the coil split function. On my GCS-1 it sounds okay, but nothing like my Strat. It's a push pull on the tone pot which is a little awkward and it drops the volume, of course, which means I have to compensate for that. On a good day, it cleans up a muddy HB sound. On an average day, I don't use it. Caveat: I'm not in a funk band.

Is there any physical reason that a coil tap can't sound like a true single coil?

Iirc correctly, I had a phase switch on a guitar many years ago, but the drop in volume made it hard to use effectively. Or maybe it was the issue of not always realizing how it was set Not that somebody else couldn't have done it, but I have enough to worry about when I'm playing.

Yeah, coil splitting varies by the circuit and the base pickup. There are ways around the limitations.

No. But the coils and magnets in HBs are not the same as those in purpose built single coil pickups. So there’s no reason to expect half of a humbucker to sound like a Tele pickup.

Single coil pickups have widely varying tones, and none will sound the same in every guitar. A P-90 is a single coil. So is a Charlie Christian. So is a Strat pickup. Put each in the same location on an archtop and they’ll all sound different through the same amp.

Humbuckers are certainly brighter and clearer in SC mode. But splitting a humbucker in an archtop doesn’t make it a Fender.

I'm considering taking a shot at making pickups (there will definitely be a learning curve) and I might do it in reverse; building a humbucker from two teles. Pickups in general are very interesting, another rabbit hole.

[rpjazzguitar]

No. But the coils and magnets in HBs are not the same as those in purpose built single coil pickups. So there’s no reason to expect half of a humbucker to sound like a Tele pickup.

Single coil pickups have widely varying tones, and none will sound the same in every guitar. A P-90 is a single coil. So is a Charlie Christian. So is a Strat pickup. Put each in the same location on an archtop and they’ll all sound different through the same amp.

Humbuckers are certainly brighter and clearer in SC mode. But splitting a humbucker in an archtop doesn’t make it a Fender.

Thanks. I understand that there are relevant design differences. I was wondering If there was anything fundamental to the HB design that made the split sound less than optimal. You answered that, so thank you.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Thanks. I understand that there are relevant design differences. I was wondering If there was anything fundamental to the HB design that made the split sound less than optimal. You answered that, so thank you.

You're welcome. TBH, I love the SC sound of my Benedetto B7 in my Ibanez AF207. It's bright and clear, woody, old school, and really cool. I've been pleasantly surprised that the output is nowhere near as low as I feared it would be. I have to turn up when split, but IIRC it's about as hot as a stock '50s Gibson P-90.

The only thing I don't like about it is the typical SC noise. The club in which I was house band leader for years had the most electrical interference I've ever heard on a stage. there were banks of overhead stage lights, and there was a cell tower right outside the window. Worse, the building was next to the 25kV Amtrak electric rail lines - the train ran right outside the windows on the stage side. Even with all that, the B7 was truly silent as a humbucker. Split, it picked up a lot of the electromagnetic interference when I sat in some positions. But I could rotate my stool to positions that were almost quiet, and at no time did it have the "sound of Fender". Some of the original old Strats and Teles that showed up were so noisy that they were almost unplayable.

[Sunbursted]

Hey everyone, thanks for your help! My dad said he'd cover the case so I was able to get an Aviator Cub to go with my new Gretsch! Sounds fantastic!
Edit: Since originally posting this I've found my preferred jazz and funk settings between the amp and the guitar. Very pleased I can get pretty staple sounds for both!