The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I know this was raised some months back, but has anyone tried this guitar yet? Its still not hit the UK yet, and I have a couple of friends who want to 'dip their toe in the water' with archtops, and they like the spec of these.
    Loar aren't so easy to get in the UK, for some reason, and these are cheaper, as a starter acoustic jazzer.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by bananafist
    I know this was raised some months back, but has anyone tried this guitar yet? Its still not hit the UK yet
    They are showing up for sale @ GAK, Rich Tone music, Dawsons, Coda, Gear4music. Are you near any of these shops?

  4. #3

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    I'm not too from GAK in Brighton, but parking charges in Brighton are ridiculous! Last time I looked on their site it said 'expected September'. Oh well!
    Beg yer puddin', I see they are now IN STOCK! and also at Guitar Village at Farnham, together with the Peerless MT archtop guitars. I need to plan a trip.

    Anybody actually played one?
    Last edited by bananafist; 07-25-2014 at 01:38 PM.

  5. #4

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    I got all excited when I read about them and had a chance to pick one up at Musikmesse Frankfurt. The guitar itself seemed pretty well made, and nice sounding, but the Neck is a total Deal Breaker for me! Not too much of a fan of V-Necks anyway, and this one is extremely V-shaped! From what I had read and heard before I was actually almost sure that I'd get myself one of them, but after some minutes my hand already started aching.

    Still thinking about buying one and getting the neck reshaped though.

    Paul

  6. #5

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    I'm bumping this thread as I'm liking this guitar too. V shaped necks can be a deal breaker but the 44mm nut width has my interest!

  7. #6

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    Nevada Music in Portsmouth have this guitar in now, so I hope to shoot down the road to check it out within the next day or so.
    Will post after trying it out.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by bananafist
    Nevada Music in Portsmouth have this guitar in now, so I hope to shoot down the road to check it out within the next day or so.
    Will post after trying it out.
    Damn banana fist you must live real close to me. I'm just east of Pompey

  9. #8

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    Pompy! Ha! Nice place but Brighton's better (lol)

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by bananafist
    Nevada Music in Portsmouth have this guitar in now, so I hope to shoot down the road to check it out within the next day or so.
    Will post after trying it out.
    Oo! Nice.

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by jazzbow
    Pompy! Ha! Nice place but Brighton's better (lol)

    Pompey nice? Hmmm lol

    Brightons ok, shame about the beach though

    I will stick with the Witterings if you don't mind :-))

  12. #11

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    Went over to Nevada in Portsmouth this morning and they had to unpack one for me to try! So I literally played one straight out of the box.

    Quite a nice, basic 16” archtop, satin finish, wide-ish neck, though the radius (7.5”) of the fingerboard made it feel narrower than 44.5mm. Neck quite chunky, but not too aggresively Vee’d, my old Rex is more pronounced in this respect. Tone – quite pleasant but arch-toppy, as you’d expect. By this I mean, crisp, short note decay and not especially sweet, particularly when strummed. Quite good for 30s jazz type playing, but not really for song accompaniment. Frets are a bit rough on top and need either pro polishing, or quite a bit of playing to smooth them out. A proper set up would probably be advisable. Not very loud, when played gently, and a bit brash when played firmly-more or less as you’d expect, really. Finish generally acceptable, and as a first ‘try it out’ archtop acoustic, ok. I would think probably not a million miles from a Godin in fact. Solid top at this price point probably means pressure moulded rather than carved.

    My old 1940s 15 1/2" Rex is louder and brasher (!) so I'll keep with that for now.

    GB- I live in Birdham and have also lived in W Witt.

    Jazzbow-ludicrous parking costs in Brighton!
    Last edited by bananafist; 07-28-2014 at 03:57 PM.

  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by bananafist
    Went over to Nevada in Portsmouth this morning and they had to unpack one for me to try! So I literally played one straight out of the box.

    Quite a nice, basic 16” archtop, satin finish, wide-ish neck, though the radius (7.5”) of the fingerboard made it feel narrower than 44.5mm. Neck quite chunky, but not too aggresively Vee’d, my old Rex is more pronounced in this respect. Tone – quite pleasant but arch-oppy, as you’d expect. By this I mean, crisp, short note decay and not especially sweet, particularly when strummed. Quite good for 30s jazz type playing, but not really for song accompaniment. Frets are a bit rough on top and need either pro polishing, or quite a bit of playing to smooth them out. A proper set up would probably be advisable. Not very loud, when played gently, and a bit brash when played firmly-more or less as you’d expect, really. Finish generally acceptable, and as a first ‘try it out’ archtop acoustic, ok. I would think probably not a million miles from a Godin in fact. Solid top at this price point probably means pressure moulded rather than carved.

    My old 1940s 15 1/2" Rex is louder and brasher (!) so I'll keep with that for now.

    GB- I live in Birdham and have also lived in W Witt.

    Jazzbow-ludicrous parking costs in Brighton!
    That review is exactly what I expected. Good job Bananafist

  14. #13

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    Nice one BF, I now want one. I'll have to cycle to Brighton to save on parking fees to afford one...

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzbow
    Nice one BF, I now want one. I'll have to cycle to Brighton to save on parking fees to afford one...
    From Glasgow? You'll be fit when you get there. :-)

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by oldane
    From Glasgow? You'll be fit when you get there. :-)
    Lol.

    I've just moved to the Merseyside area into a new job. This means I'm half way there!

  17. #16

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    JB they've got them in stock at Guitar Guitar in Edinburgh, if you prefer to cycle across the country rather than down.
    They are a £1 more though..............

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by bananafist
    JB they've got them in stock at Guitar Guitar in Edinburgh, if you prefer to cycle across the country rather than down.
    They are a £1 more though..............
    Jazzbow is all for saving cycle rubber! But that extra £1 is better in the pocket!

  19. #18
    What really bothers me about it, and not only archtop, but pretty much everything that Gretsch made in the roots series, is that nasty, nasty, cheap walmart like satin finish on it. Godin also has satin finish, but it looks and feels classy. I mean, they can put okay looking finish on 150 dollar Chinese guitars made of laminate, what's wrong with Gretsch ? It really looks cheap from distance away, even for the price they ask for it. Same about resonators and mandolins. Pickguard is junk too, and headstock is not prettier either.

  20. #19

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    I know the satin finsh is not to everyones taste, and yes, you can see where cost savings have been made in quality of pickguard, etc. However, these are budget instruments, at what is still a pretty low price, nowadays, for a playable instrument. This guitar is easier to play than my first archtop, a 1959/60 Hofner President bought new when I was a teenager. The Hofner had a (for me,) horrendously narrow fingerboard/neck and a pretty dire 'cheese-grater' action, but it was as good as a youngster could get in post-war Britain.

    By comparison this guitar played fine out of the box, had a wider nut and was much more player friendly for me. Not as refined a tone as the 'Orfner, as they were called back in the day, but more volume and punch.

    Horses for courses.

  21. #20

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    I actually got to try one of these today at a music store. Really nice acoustic sound and I didn't really notice the v-shaped neck until I hung it back on the wall. That was a pretty extreme V tho. I didn't get to plug it in. It did play and sound really well but the guitar looks and feels pretty cheap. I'm thinking it must be quite close to the new Guild A150 savoy (which I haven't tried...)

  22. #21

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    If this is anything like my 48 Gretsch 6050 New Yorker, I'm sure it sounds nice.

  23. #22

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    I've tried the Gretsch G9550 and own a new Guild Savoy A-150.

    They are not alike. Did not play the Gretsch electric-flavored variety.
    The Gretsch is heavy, which may be desirable for some who can
    really "hammer away" at it.

    The Guild, at about twice the price, has a pressed solid top and there is a
    good resultant feel & sound, but it is really shines as an electric guitar.
    The neck & taller frets on the Guild are also more to my taste.
    For about five times as much (as the Guild) you can also get a
    nice new pressed solid top from Gibson, which in fact may be worth the $.

    Godin 5th Ave. is a better-sounding, more responsive entry-level acoustic archtop;
    also, there's plenty of space to add a floater should you ever wish to.

    I'd love to try that '48!

  24. #23

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    I got to play a G9555 and I didn't like the neck, and between it and the "finish" they were deal breakers but it sounded rather good. I don't know how much more in retail cost a bit better finish would be but I think it would not be much and would sell a bunch more guitars.

    Now take the G400, nicer finish, and it almost looks like they wanted to justify another thousand+ dollars for the finish by adding HUGE fret markers and gold plated Imperials (which are less than $100 retail) and hardware.

    But putting the guitar in perspective the cost makes the G955x series about the best value in acoustic archtops on the market, a GREAT beach or campfire git.

  25. #24

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    I bought the G9555 'out of box' at GuitarCenter in Pasadena,Ca. for about $500-ish OTD..about 3(+-) yrs ago. I played it for a while and kind of like it. But I went back to classical guitar and don't play it too much these days.
    I don't understand the beef about the pick guard quality. Of course it's fake turtle shell. But what isn't plastic these days ? It has a sexy shape and strong enough to have the volume control mounted on it (instead of the top, which is solid spruce)..I have no qualm about the V neck..It's different. And there must have been a reason the 1940s one had it..
    The finish: I believe we think it's cheap looking because of the matte finish. Sure, I'd rather have the glossy look. One could easily spray a urethane or paint shellac gloss on it, probably not even needing to remove the matte.. But, it is this matte finish that makes it look unprofessional / flimsy, say. I'll bet if they were all glossy most would say nicer things about them. I.E. I believe It's a mind set.
    The 3 things I don't like are that I had to file down the ends of many frets, the nut is a plastic, and could use a heftier bridge/saddle..
    I didn't notice til much later that the 'GRETSCH' name on the head is pearly, and not white paint as I'd believed..That's kinda nice..Could be a bit bolder so we would notice.
    It may be my partial deafness, but I think the DeArmond single floater pickup does an adequate job.....M, Los Angeles

  26. #25

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    I am going to try one this week.. a guy in my area sells it - it has KA floarting humbucker installed instead of original single pickup... I will see how it works.
    I am wondering about its acoustic possibilities first.