Joe Pass Gibson model?

[Jackkin17]

I think the thinner ES 175 (135 thickness) joe played, was the guitar I most associated with his sound and style. That's the kind of guitar for his style, and the one that made me think.

[Doctor Jeff]

Who says Joe ain't got tone? That clip shows him at his best. I love the way he puts his whole body into his playing.

I have his signature Epiphone, and I must say in the few videos out there with him playing it he seems pretty careless with his articulation. Like on some of his Virtuoso recordings - i.e., great lines, but not caring much about tone.

Nevertheless, the Epi JP does have most of the features he favored during his playing career - smaller body, thin width, humbuckers, rather narrow bound neck. I realize my imagination is working overtime, but when I play it I like to think he designed it just for me and is listening as I play, encouraging me to play more and work harder.

[3625]

A shallower body, single PU 175 sounds like a good idea, could be a popular model.

Did that custom Gibson of Joe's have rosewood or ebony?

[Chazmo]

The guitar everyone is describing sounds a lot like a Godin Composer. Godin Guitars

[Doctor Jeff]

I don't know why Gibson didn't line Joe up with a 175 deal. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Ibanez got most of the really popular players of the last 30 years - Metheny, Scofield, Benson and Joe (for awhile). Gibson signature models are fine, but who under the age of 60 knows who Johnny Smith is? Not to denigrate the great players who have Gibson models, but JP is an icon who made a generation of jazzers play solo jazz guitar.

I don't know the backstory of how he got the Epiphone deal, but I think he would appreciate the fact that his name is on a guitar that is still popular 2 decades later and that anyone can afford to play. For some reason putting his name on a $4000 guitar just doesn't seem right.

[Philco]

DR Jeff.....If you're referring to the first clip re the tone then as per normal I would have to add that there is an enormous bucket load of compression added after the fact. Listen to the first note "pop". Slow attack and fast release compression.
That compression is either an artefact added unintentionally by the YouTube upload process or an intentional post production addition. (I think the former).

Listen to the amount of compression and distortion on the voice over......ok THAT's probably also on the guitar.

Compression/Expansion sounds great on Arch tops when used correctly. This example is slightly over the top.....but I don't mind it. It also evens out all the notes.....which can be detrimental to the dynamics intended by the player. That's the downside.

I mean....if you had that vey guitar and plugged it into that very amplifier and even had Joe's touch it is NOT going to sound like the guitar on that clip......more to the point.

[Doctor Jeff]

Philco -

I dig that, but what I was referring to was Joe's sometimes sloppy articulation. By that I mean his attention to how his notes sound.

I've listened to his Virtuoso recordings a gajillion times, and I don't think it's just a production thing, I think that Joe just doesn't care about his tone the way that other cats like Kenny Burrell does.

[StevieB]

A shallower body, single PU 175 sounds like a good idea, could be a popular model.

Woudn't that be fairly close to a Jim Hall Sadowsky?

[3625]

Woudn't that be fairly close to a Jim Hall Sadowsky?

You're very right - Jim > 175 > D'Aquisto modeled on his 175 > Sadowsky modeled on the D'Aquisto

But the Gibson JP would have that particular Gibson look and tone for those that want it, whereas the Sadowsky's seem to have their own thing going on.

The Godin Composer is sooo close to being something I'd buy, but not quite. I had a 5th Ave (nc, p90) but moved it on fairly quickly. I currently play a Gibson L4, and am very happy with it - but a relatively cheap axe like the Godin that does the business is a very hip concept. What 175's originally were.

[Eddie Lang]

Another one here who's not much a fan of signature models. If I wanted a JP model, what I would do is probably try to get a genuine 1961 or 64 (or whatever his was) ES-175 with the same configuration. Goes also for any other "Artist" or Signature model I'd ever want: I'd just get the real thing! But that's just me, partial to vintage instruments and sort of a purist anyway (others may call it being obsessive ).

I could tell you how I'd make it!

Bookmatched Flame maple top over thinline chambered mahogany body, no F holes, no pickguard.

Single neck humbucker, strat style hardtail bridge.

Maple neck, Ebony board, no position markers, 1.75" at the nut.

Standard Fender scale (25.5")

Make it in the USA for about $1200 and they'd sell thousands.

I would love to get a jazz Tele, with just a couple changes (to be my idea of a jazz tele ):

• PU: probably a Lollar Special T neck pup or maybe his CC neck pup for Tele
• Scale length: I'd probably go with 24.75" (short scale = less tension = darker tone)

The rest, I'd leave like Mr. B's list.
I should probably spend some quality time on the Warmoth website, just to see...

[3625]

I assume you mean an L-4CES. An under-appreciated archtop, the L-4CES, mainly because no-one of any visibility was seen playing one (save Joe Dioro).

Where's the love for the good not-so-ol' L-4CES?

Yep it's a CES - I've recently switched to the L4 from a 175. Build quality is excellent. Playability is Great. Sounds Fantastic. I encourage anyone to at least consider one if they're looking for that style of axe, given that secondhand they are, you could say undervalued...

[SamBooka]

If I could play an L4 first I would probably give it some love!!! Not many options in my neighbourhood.

[3625]

I could tell you how I'd make it!

Bookmatched Flame maple top over thinline chambered mahogany body, no F holes, no pickguard.

Single neck humbucker, strat style hardtail bridge.

Maple neck, Ebony board, no position markers, 1.75" at the nut.

Standard Fender scale (25.5")

Make it in the USA for about $1200 and they'd sell thousands.

I really dig the Schottmuller Television model - scroll down the page to see

Schottmüller Guitars

[Philco]

I really dig the Schottmuller Television model - scroll down the page to see

Schottmüller Guitars

Yeah!

[Bluedawg]

That's a pretty Tele ... but I'm with Jabberwocky on this one ...

I like the Tele's made from ugly old barn wood myself. The uglier the better. Maybe I'll get one some day.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Fender did make one production run from the sides of an old Indiana barn in 2011. And another from the redwood reclaimed from a dismantled 1890 northern Californian trestle railway bridge. You can hear the cows moo in the former and the train choo in the latter.

They had to switch the redwood on those trestle teles. The wood wasn't working out for some reason.

But I keep coming back to Leo being a business man. If Tuxedo Teles were selling, he'd would make more of them.

[Doctor Jeff]

You guys have completely hijacked the thread. I don't recall Joe ever playing a Tele, not that he couldn't make it sound good...

He did of course play a Jaguar, and maybe there should be a JP Synanon signature Jaguar.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

News release: FMIC announces the Joe Pass Artist Model Tele.

[SamBooka]

p

News release: FMIC announces the Joe Pass Artist Model Tele.

Congratulations! You win the Internets!

[3625]

News release: FMIC announces the Joe Pass Artist Model Tele.

That smirk on his face - "I'll play any damn thing they give me!" lol

My favourite Joe is the stuff on the Jaguar, he plays and sounds great on that axe

[Cunamara]

FWIW, the Joe Pass Epiphone model is based on Bruce Forman's guitar. There is some information out there on the interwebs somewhere in Bruce's own words.