Advice on Buying a Cheap Jazz Guitar

[lammie200]

I might have gone with a Loar if the nut width weren't so **** wide. Kinda killed it for me. Godin are great looking to me but I just couldn't get used to the neck profile. I have had two different Seagull acoustics and had the same issues. All nice guitars though I am sure.

[keith]

One more comment:

Although we try to lump guitars together in groups of quality, sound etc to me they're all different beasts within the groups so one needs to really play the individual guitars to see what they're about. I bought a Godin Kingpin in the past and was in a pinch time wise so basically tried all the archtop brands in the store in a certain price range. The one I bought was the best playing and sounding to me but certainly not the most attractive. There were 4 or 5 Kingpins there also to trial and a big difference was noted in the quality between them so basically I couldn't say one brand was superior but one guitar was above the rest. I think there's a greater degree of variability in the lower priced guitars so play them all to find the gem!

[jazzimprov]

1. Ibanez PM2

- working man's Sadowsky Jim Hall ( I do own the Sadowsky Jim Hall )
get the GC $150.00 off coupon over $799.00 and pick it up for $850.00 includes case.

Excellent quality--similar to the JH model above I would say.
--deep full sound--

2. Epiphone 175 premium -- same deal, get the $150.00 of coupon and get that for $850.00 needs case
--same deep full sound as above--

Excellent quality

can't go wrong with these 2!

[jads57]

Eastman, followed by Loar!

[coolvinny]

I'd go Eastman AR371

[pubylakeg]

I'd avoid absolute bottom rung, entry level archtop. Save your money a little longer, and you have Ibanez Artcore Expressionist, Epiphone, Washburn, Godin, and Loar to choose from. Also, don't overlook the Asian made Guilds on the market just now.

PS, the real cheap Asian Hofner Ignition series violin basses don't have a zero fret, but the Asian built Hofner Contemporary Series (HCT) do.

[entresz]

I too would recommend the Godin 5th Avenue guitars. They're a professional quality instrument and very inexpensive. The only thing about mine that I don't like is the 16" radius on the fingerboard. I'm used to the more traditional 12" radius. From what I've read, a lot of people actually prefer the 16" radius.