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That depends entirely on which sound you are after. There is no such thing as "the best sound". Besides the sound af guitars varies somewhat, even within the same brand and model.
As we say in Denmark: "One man wants the daughter, another man wants the mother - and both get married."
But others can likely chime in with various suggestions for a good small bodied instrument - "best sound" or not.
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04-20-2011 05:44 AM
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The Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass was designed to be just that. Whether it is to you or not is up to you.
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Part of the problem of trying to recommend a guitar is that what's easily available and affordable here in the states often seems to be much more expensive and hard to find in Europe, but here are some thoughts.
The Eastman El Rey series should be on your list: 14-in. (35.5cm) lower bout, 2-in. (5cm) thick, light, available in several different versions. I have the ER-1, which has a mahogany back and sides with a spruce top and a single humbucker. In the US, these sell for about US$1600 new, but can often be found much cheaper used.
Benedetto makes a similar guitar, the Bambino. You can sometimes find one used on eBay for ~US$1600 or so.
Your best bet may be the Ibanez Artcore AG-xx guitars. I believe they are 15-in. (38cm) across the lower bout. The AG-75 sells new here for US$400. Going up the line, the Ibanez GB-10 George Benson signature model is about the same size, but of course is much more expensive.
If I were to rank these in terms of tone, my preferences would be:
The Bambino. This is a real Benedetto. I found that it plays beautifully and sounds wonderful. It also has coil-tapping, so it provides a little more tonal variation.
The El Rey. You can read several other reviews on the forum about this surprising little guitar. It provides a real jazz tone that's much bigger than its size.
AG-75: I've been disappointed in the Artcores I've demo'd in store, but I know that's in part because the factory set-up is surprisingly poor.
The GB-10 is a great, great guitar, of course, but I don't include it because of the price.Last edited by goshawk; 04-20-2011 at 10:16 AM.
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Hmm don't know about the bracing but the Eastman El Rey otherwise fits that description- light small bodied with mahogany backs and sides and a carved spruce top. Plus-- a "Johnny Smih " scale (25") and slightly wider nut (1.75").
Originally Posted by NiAg
I have a 7 string El Rey coming soon -ER1--that should complete my small stable of guitars. Really looking forward to it-under 6 bs, too
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Actually, woods depend on the model. The ER-1 is mahogany/spruce, but the ER-2 is maple/spruce and the ER-3 is maple/maple. Originally Posted by NSJ
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Hey Kris,
I agree whole heartedly with oldane.
IMHO I think you just have to test the waters. Check out the 15inch archtop we have by The Phoenix Guitar Company.
They make great handmade instruments (all high end) and american. With standard configs.
This is a 15inch, Sitka spruce top with maple back and sides and kent armstrong bridge pu with stealth knobs under the ebony pick guard.
Very traditional and very robust.
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The Eastman T165 and 184,185,186 series are also nice. I have demos in the showcase area of the El Rey and the 165. Eastman also makes the 15" 803 which is cool. All of these are hand made out of solid woods (no plywood).
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I heard about Elferink guitars from Holland. The Performer is interesting.
Attachment 73035
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I am pleased with the sound of my Benedetto Bambino. It's so much more comfortable to play, especially when standing than a full size guitar. But, although it sounds darn good, it does not sound as good as my Benedetto Bravo which is a laminated 16" x 2.5" instrument. And if you really want that archtop vibe I don't think the smaller guitars have it.
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Hi John (Link),
I likewise love the Bravo and think the size seems to be about the best balance of playing ease and resonance in a laminated box.
But I played a Collings CL Jazz a while back and was surprised by the configuration. It sounds nothing like a Bravo, but it also does not sound like a plinky little hunk of something. It works, and you get a remarkably balanced resonance all over the FB. Go figure.
I suspect that the Bambino could benefit from a mahogany neck (assuming one considers a larger box resonance as a benefit - arguable at best).
I have not tried an SS-15, but it looks promising as a small box with some resonance.
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i dunno NIAg, maple neck sounds great on my GB10 and on the El Rey and my Heritage guitars
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Don't know which is "the best sounding small body jazz guitar"...It is probable that MY concept of what is the best (of anything, say...cheese, cars, guitars, sound, wine or philosophy) would differ from YOUR ideal...
Now, this small body jazz guitar is close from MY paradigm of small bodied jazz guitars:
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A Jazz 12-string?
OK, really a nice design in my opinion. What are you running for strings (6, I know,...)?
I am struggling to come up with a headstock shape for a new guitar I am doing - maybe a sort of asymmetrical "wave" along the lines of your Eastman could work.
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Dutch builder Daniel Slaman makes two small bodied models, the Jazz Junior and the Jazz Compact.
Interesting is the 'dual thickness top' that is a lot thicker in the part surrounding the pick up, making it more feedback resistant (should also add sustain I think).
Haven't tried this particular models, but his other guitars are simply great.
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I've got his prototype jazz junior; 141/2' body, 25" scale, carved top/back: sounds like an L5, plugged in. Great for cramped gigs; easy to carry. Slamans are wonderful guitars, though inevitably not cheap.
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to me it would be the Ibanez GB10 (Benson). Inexpensive, built like a tank, holds its value and sounds amazing.
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Agreed. This one is OK too: Originally Posted by jzucker
GB15
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I know we've hit this subject in the past but would like a fresh update on whats out there. The 17 and 16 archtops I own today are great but for me they are a bit unconformable for long seated sessions. I would really like something around a 14 inch. Here is the catch, I want to sound more on the side of an archtop in the sense of being "woody", light and responsiveness then your typical run of the mill semi-hollowbodies. So yeah, I know the physics are not there to make a 14 inch sound like a 17 inch but I do not want it sounding like your everyday small bodies semi-hollow. Feedback is not a concern as I play mostly solo stuff. I only need a neck pup.
Price range is no more than $3200 and I want something that is readily available. New or used is fine. Thanks in advance.
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My go to recommendation for this is an older Japanese-built Ibanez GB10. Phenomenal guitars, very reliable. Jack Zucker had described them as having a sort of "mini L5" sort of thing going for them. I've never played an L5 so I don't have the comparison. I've got a 1981 GB10 natural that I bought used in 1986, 30myears ago now. Holy smokes. Every time I pick it up I think "oh yeah, this is a great guitar." It was my first archtop and is, I suppose, sort of my benchmark sound. I think I will pull it out for tonight's gig, in fact.
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First off, Anyone who interested in selling to Rick is making a great choice. Rick is OUTSTANDING to deal with and he is a great player and great dude.
I absolutely agree with Cunamara. The GB10 is an excellent guitar in all respects. The neck is amazing. A lot thinner than the 175. The tone is bold and well defined. Great Sustain. And Rick you are a working musician and you will appreciate the substantial nature of the GB10. They are not lightweight by any means.
A great lightweight small guitar is a PRS Hollowbody. It has a chunkier neck than the GB10, closer to your 175. Its thick woody sound defies its size. And the workmanship, fit and finish are par excellence!
Make sure you can transition easily from the neck on the 175 to the neck on anything you buy. It doesn't sound like a big deal but if you get cramped hands your gonna wish you kept to a similar neck.
In both cases, you can get away with spending approx. $1600 - 2800. You will have money leftover to take your beautiful wife to Ruths Chris in Princeton..
Nice to see you around Rick.
Joe D
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Older GB10
Nothing better...
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I like the GB10 but I'm not crazy about the majority of 15x2.5" & 16x2.5" guitars on the market. I've owned the painter, holst, benedetto, eastman and several others and IMO, the GB10 is the best choice of all of them in terms of tone, playability, etc. Particularly if you're looking for an L5'esque type of tone.
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The epiphone joe pass is one of the easiest playing guitars I have tried, despite the overall cheap build quality.
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The Guild Aristocrat might be of interest..13.75"...Chambered body with spruce braced top. Guild’s compact and lightweight M-75 Aristocrat model expertly evokes its predecessor of the early 1950s, with a gracefully sculpted single-cutaway hollow body specifically designed to produce the resonance of a larger instrument.
pickups are lower wind p90's
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You can sometimes pick up a used Sadowsky JBruno or SS-15 in the low 3k's. I thought there was a natch Bruno advertised here recently.
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Has anyone tried the JHS Clover preamp pedal?
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