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Bill Comins is a well known and highly regarded Archtop Luthier in the Philadelphia PA area. As with several other prominent Luthiers from his period - Bills Guitars evolved from a Benedetto Style and posses his own unique voicing which emulates certain qualities found in older traditional Archtops-such as D’Angelico and early Gibson’s. I spent the afternoon with Bill reviewing his new GCS-16-1 single pickup model. Here are the basic spec info and my impression.
This is a 25 inch scale , 16 inch lower bout 2-1/2 depth , parallel braced , spruce top laminate construction with figured maple back and sides. It’s fitted with a single KA pickup. The fit and finish is impeccable and the neck is laser straight. The sound holes are very tastefully done and the unplugged acoustic voice projects surprising volume, and a nice woody characteristic. The body shape and laminate plates were specifically designed by Bill and involved considerable investment. As with any Comins - the nut slotting , fret work and fingerboard polishing is second to none - and playability is superb. In fact, its every bit as good as the $800 refret I had done by Norio on my 35’ DA snakehead.
The guitar is very comfortable to hold and it’s weight distribution is balanced while sitting in your lap. Plugged- in is where this guitar really shines- it has a fat rich traditional jazz tone and perfect balance - faithfully reproduced by the KA pickup. Every note on this 22 fret fingerboard rings true- without a single buzz.
This guitar will likely suit anyone looking for a non Gibson single pickup ES - 175 Style , or a Benedetto Bravo- where a traditional jazz sound is desired. You can rest assured in knowing the setup will be perfection - as with all Comins.
Of course sound and playability is very subjective - but in my opinion it’s a beautiful instrument - it’s not a copy of anything else and
it certainly fills a niche in the mid to higher end jazz laminate market- especially due to the single pickup offering. For those looking at a 5k Bravo - you might want to check this out for $2200.
I learned of this guitar before Christmas and ordered one. Bill has been swamped with interest and the Honey Blonde single pickup seems to be the number one order of choice. It also comes in many gorgeous burst versions from a light tangerine to a Violin shading.
Just wanted to share with the members here.
Here are few pics of mine.
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02-09-2018 07:39 PM
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nice!! great overview & pics
change the pup to handmade ka, and u'd probably have a killer...beyond
as i commented in other thread , would love to have a dogear p90 in there tho!!
go bill c!
cheers
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That’s a great price for an awesome guitar. Jimmy Bruno has been using his and it has made me want to get one - I’m not in the market for any more guitars right now but when I am I will certainly be looking at these. The blonde looks amazing too.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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Rio,
Originally Posted by rio
I certainly didn’t need another guitar - but I couldn’t resist - it’s a fine instrument and I’m glad I bought one.
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Very nice! What is the nut width?
Originally Posted by QAman
Bill Comins is a well known and highly regarded Archtop Luthier in the Philadelphia PA area. As with several other prominent Luthiers from his period - Bills Guitars evolved from a Benedetto Style and posses his own unique voicing which emulates certain qualities found in older traditional Archtops-such as D’Angelico and early Gibson’s. I spent the afternoon with Bill reviewing his new GCS-16-1 single pickup model. Here are the basic spec info and my impression.
This is a 25 inch scale , 16 inch lower bout 2-1/2 depth , parallel braced , spruce top laminate construction with figured maple back and sides. It’s fitted with a single KA pickup. The fit and finish is impeccable and the neck is laser straight. The sound holes are very tastefully done and the unplugged acoustic voice projects surprising volume, and a nice woody characteristic. The body shape and laminate plates were specifically designed by Bill and involved considerable investment. As with any Comins - the nut slotting , fret work and fingerboard polishing is second to none - and playability is superb. In fact, its every bit as good as the $800 refret I had done by Norio on my 35’ DA snakehead.
The guitar is very comfortable to hold and it’s weight distribution is balanced while sitting in your lap. Plugged- in is where this guitar really shines- it has a fat rich traditional jazz tone and perfect balance - faithfully reproduced by the KA pickup. Every note on this 22 fret fingerboard rings true- without a single buzz.
This guitar will likely suit anyone looking for a non Gibson single pickup ES - 175 Style , or a Benedetto Bravo- where a traditional jazz sound is desired. You can rest assured in knowing the setup will be perfection - as with all Comins.
Of course sound and playability is very subjective - but in my opinion it’s a beautiful instrument - it’s not a copy of anything else andit certainly fills a niche in the mid to higher end jazz laminate market- especially due to the single pickup offering. For those looking at a 5k Bravo - you might want to check this out for $2200.
I learned of this guitar before Christmas and ordered one. Bill has been swamped with interest and the Honey Blonde single pickup seems to be the number one order of choice. It also comes in many gorgeous burst versions from a light tangerine to a Violin shading.
Just wanted to share with the members here.
Here are few pics of mine.
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Mine measures 1.710
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Nothing not to like about this guitar QAman.
The headstock is very cool. Like an italicized snakehead!
Lots of luck and enjoy the Guitar.
JD
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Thanks Max405- it’s nicer than I thought it would be. The ebony appointments are done very well - and I love the polished fret board and fret surfaces - just a classy touch. It’s real impressive sighting down the neck to see every fret beveling perfectly aligned, rounded smooth and the fret plane straight as an arrow. Bill did a terrific job with this model. Originally Posted by Max405
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An excellent review in both senses of the phrase. The instrument is gorgeous and appears immaculately crafted. The soundholes are the nicest version of the post- D'Aquisto look I have seen. Thanks for posting. Congratulations, and play it in good health!
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has to be evaluated as a sadowsky type entry
asian crafted, but fine tuned/tweaked in usa..at way less $$$$
a few tweaks further and you're set
get'em now..
cheers
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Did you purchase it directly from Comins, or do you have a dealer that you prefer?
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Is the neck shape thin,med,fat?
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This whole package is very appealing to me. The only cosmetic feature I'd prefer would be a dot-less fingerboard.
Love to hear some audio, if you're willing QAman.
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Beautiful guitar, but for some reason the headstock shape bothers me a bit. I’d likely feel otherwise if I had the instrument in front of me. I’ll have to go to Comins’ website and see if there are photos there that might give me a better vibe. Great price. Originally Posted by Max405
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Very pleased for you, QAman. What a great price! Is it made in China, and finished by Bill, or is it all his own work? I can't imagine the latter, given the price. Looks beautiful.
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I had seen preliminary alternative prototype designs from Bill privately back in 2016 when he was still designing it and played earlier prototypes at last year’s Artisan Guitar Show. It really seems like an ideal guitar for a gigging musician.
Congrats on your new purchase...
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Congratulations QAman, I cannot think of one criticism, of your new Comins.
It looks nothing less than superb, and hardly surprised at your comment that
Bill is overwhelmed with interest. To me, it looks more appealing than a Bravo
having had one and being somewhat disappointed with it.
It would also be interesting to know the neck contour fat/medium/slim ?
presumably a C profile. with a 43.4mm nut width. The fretting is outstanding.
I would expect Bill Commins will be inundated with orders at that very acceptable
price too. Thank you for posting the terrific pics.
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Bob, Originally Posted by Bob P.
Purchased it directly from Bill.
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Jad57, Originally Posted by jads57
The neck is a medium plus - and for me would be perfect with a slightly thinned cheek, but after a few minutes of playing felt real good .
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Bob, Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Its made in South Korea. The entire fret leveling , polishing and overall set up and visual inspection is performed by Bill - which to me be adds the value. The fit and finish is fantastic. He obviously has found a great source which meets his high standards.
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AKA, Originally Posted by AKA
These are not yet on Comins website. I’m sure if you call or write Bill he will provide photos and availability. He has a wall full of them in different colors. He’s been swamped with satisfying prior orders and trying to keep up with demand.
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Thanks for the kind words. It’s a fun new offering in the jazz guitar world and I think it will be well received. The sound holes are very elegant and they exude a richness not found at this price point. Originally Posted by citizenk74
An excellent review in both senses of the phrase. The instrument is gorgeous and appears immaculately crafted. The soundholes are the nicest version of the post- D'Aquisto look I have seen. Thanks for posting. Congratulations, and play it in good health!
Last edited by QAman; 02-10-2018 at 06:05 AM.
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I learned about this guitar from watching Jimmy’s videos - he’s very impressed with these guitars for good reason. Originally Posted by rio
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Silverfox, Originally Posted by silverfoxx
Bill is overwhelmed with the response on these guitars - and he’s having a hard time keeping up with the demand - and for that reason has not posted these on his website.
The neck on mine measures 1.710 and is a medium plus cross section and if anything could use a slight reduction in the cheeks for my personal taste - but nothing distracting or uncomfortable .
Anyone buying one of these will not suffer the inconsistency in set up or somewhat ( to be kind) disappointing fret work found on many of the recent CME Memphis blowouts. I purchased one of the 335’s and did return the first for fret issues- but the second was acceptable.
This guitar has the finest fret work and
Set up one will find on the best Luthier built guitars - a no risk purchase when it comes to workmanship excellence, and therein lies its strength and value from a competitive standpoint.
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I added a pic of neck plane and a photo of nut area and workmanship one could expect with this guitar. Hard to get a great focused pic of neck with cell phone - but it’s straight as can be.
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