The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Just like it says - which would you pick and why?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I would pick the Zephyr Regent that is in the classifieds of this site. Each time it gets bumped I have to make an effort to resist. Lol

  4. #3

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    The EZR has mahogany back/sides/neck. Eastman is all maple. Both are full-depth archtops, 3 1/8" I think.

    I think also the Eastman has a 1.75" nut, EZR has 1 11/16".

    The EZR likely will be lower priced, though most people replace the stock pickup with something better. Price that into your thinking.
    Last edited by lawson-stone; 08-26-2019 at 12:33 PM.

  5. #4

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    I can't comment on the Eastman as I've never had the opportunity to play one, but I read a lot of good things about them.

    I do have an EZR, and it's a really nice instrument. It's a winner.

    This seriously might be one of those if/or where it depends on the individual guitar as much as anything else. I do agree with Lawson that the EZR might be less expensive, IF you can find one. I think they are less common.

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  6. #5

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    Owned both in the past.

    Zephyr had a narrower, very good neck with lower frets.

    Eastman had a good neck, 1.75" nut, taller frets ( I liked.)
    Eastman was acoustically livelier and slightly lighter than the EPR at 5.5# (yeah, I measure this stuff.)
    My Eastman had the "soft" laq. finish also named "snot burst" for its color under certain lighting.
    I can't speak to the pickups, neither rung my bell. Were I made of money I'd have kept the Eastman and
    tried a Dyanasonic in it. Madness, I know to put a bright pickup into a bright fiddle which, as Lawson-Stone noted
    is all maple.

    I moved on 'cause I could, both examples I owned made me happy.

    I'd pick the Eastman again because of the taller frets, livelier response and lighter weight ('cause I'm old & sore.)

    Nobody almost ever should do anything I do. I've established a history with this spanning decades. Be warned and happy hunting.

  7. #6

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    Hi,
    Although it has two pickups, the GigMaster is Peerless take on the ES175. I own one and love it. It plays great! I used to own a Heritage H575 which had a better acoustic tone, but not by much. With the amp, the GM is hands-down fatter and rounder IMHO. It is a bit thinner body than a real 175 at 3 inches. You might find a used one for a good price. Another feature I like on the GM is the wooden tailpiece which is made out of rosewood I think.
    Good luck!

  8. #7

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    The main thing the Eastman 371 and the EZR have is that they lack the bridge pickup, like the ES165. This gives the top lots more acoustic resonance since that's the prime area of the guitar's top and with the 2 pickup design that area is cut into and damped by the attachment of the pickup. That has its own benefits, of course, and does not entirely remove the qualities of the wood. Still, the neck pickup sits in a pretty dead spot and doesn't interfere with the top very much, and the lack of the bridge pickup gives that wood the chance to do its thing. That's what gives these ES165 types (Eastman 371 and EZR, and of course the L5 Wes Montgomery) such a nice acoustic voice and that affects the electric sound as well.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leftyrealnews
    Hi,
    Although it has two pickups, the GigMaster is Peerless take on the ES175. I own one and love it. It plays great! I used to own a Heritage H575 which had a better acoustic tone, but not by much. With the amp, the GM is hands-down fatter and rounder IMHO. It is a bit thinner body than a real 175 at 3 inches. You might find a used one for a good price. Another feature I like on the GM is the wooden tailpiece which is made out of rosewood I think.
    Good luck!
    I'd really like to like Peerless (had a Monarch for a while) but that scarf joint in the neck turns me off completely. I know it makes no structural or tonal difference, I just hate the look.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by blille
    I would pick the Zephyr Regent that is in the classifieds of this site. Each time it gets bumped I have to make an effort to resist. Lol
    yeah that one looks nice and has some nice upgrades already done.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by 73Fender
    yeah that one looks nice and has some nice upgrades already done.
    "10-4 that, Chief!"

  12. #11

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    I've had the 371 - nice guitar - but now have the Eastman AR503CE, which seems a much better guitar for round about the same price. It has a craved price top, laminated back and sides. Superb instrument.

  13. #12

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    The Zephyr Regent looks like an ES-175 take but with a longer scale length. I had one in my hands about ten years ago and, as I recall, the build quality did not match today's Eastmans (or Epiphones). Overall, an apples to pears comparison due to different woods and necks.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gitterbug
    The Zephyr Regent looks like an ES-175 take but with a longer scale length. I had one in my hands about ten years ago and, as I recall, the build quality did not match today's Eastmans (or Epiphones). Overall, an apples to pears comparison due to different woods and necks.
    The EZR Re-issue scale is just 25" so not that much longer than 24.75. I never even noticed before that it as a 25" scale, feels exactly like the 175s and 165 I have. Learned something new today!

  15. #14

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    Are we talking about the same ZR reissue? The specs I've seen say 25½". For me, the difference is not significant - I alternate happily between an Emperor Regent and an ES-175, but that probably just tells how crude my playing is. Some people are very particular about scale lengths.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gitterbug
    Are we talking about the same ZR reissue? The specs I've seen say 25½". For me, the difference is not significant - I alternate happily between an Emperor Regent and an ES-175, but that probably just tells how crude my playing is. Some people are very particular about scale lengths.
    Could be, I just measured it with a tape measure. There is some variation from string to string due to intonation adjustments, but it's a clear 25 inches.

    I believe the original Ephiphone Zephyr Regent had a 25.5" scale and was over 17" at the lower bout. The re-issue, though, bears no resemblance to the original, being a 16" counterpart to the Gibson ES165 Herb Ellis.

    There was also in the 1990's a re-issue of the actual Zephyr in the original shape and appointments, which just makes this all the more confusing!

    Here is the Epiphone Wiki page on the Zephyr

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skip Ellis
    I'd really like to like Peerless (had a Monarch for a while) but that scarf joint in the neck turns me off completely. I know it makes no structural or tonal difference, I just hate the look.
    I know. I am not that much of a purist in that regard. I am quite happy with the scarf joint as it is safer. Hopefully, I am not gonna see a repair guy soon due to a guitar headstock crack, like I had the last time when my 335 fell inside its hard case at home. I like the scarf joint-way safer.

    Not sure if the Epiphone ZR and the Eastman 371 have a one-piece neck and headstock. Maybe they do

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leftyrealnews
    I know. I am not that much of a purist in that regard. I am quite happy with the scarf joint as it is safer. Hopefully, I am not gonna see a repair guy soon due to a guitar headstock crack, like I had the last time when my 335 fell inside its hard case at home. I like the scarf joint-way safer.

    Not sure if the Epiphone ZR and the Eastman 371 have a one-piece neck and headstock. Maybe they do
    I’m pretty sure the epi ZR has scarf joint and heel splice.


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  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leftyrealnews
    Not sure if the Epiphone ZR and the Eastman 371 have a one-piece neck and headstock. Maybe they do
    The Eastman should have a three-piece maple laminate running the entire length of the neck including heel and headstock. Nothing wrong with that IMO and it's classic archtop neck construction.

  20. #19

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    I am the seller of the one for sale on this site. Anybody interested contact me. Maybe we can work out a JGF member deal?

    Quote Originally Posted by blille
    I would pick the Zephyr Regent that is in the classifieds of this site. Each time it gets bumped I have to make an effort to resist. Lol

  21. #20

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    I’ve played and owned both. In fact, I just scored a used AR 371 and love it. I’m amazed that some other threads had some extremely negative comments about the Eastman. My experience is that it is superior in every way over the Epiphone (and the epiphone is very very nice)