-
Message looked at - right now Seventy Sevens are a little out of my price range, but they look like nice guitars.
Originally Posted by wzpgsr
-
11-24-2019 02:54 PM
-
Originally Posted by RomanS
Huh, you must be my "guitar neck preference twin"...
I also play 7-string (a Chapman ML7T - chunkiest solidbody 7-string with a 26.5" scale I could find), and I also like chunky necks (chunky to me means AT LEAST 0.9"/22mm thickness at the first fret - most of the guitars mentioned here in this thread are not even close!); what makes it worse is that I'd like my necks to be both chunky AND have a 1-3/4" nut width - and that's even more rare (my favorite neck is on a partscaster Tele, with a roasted maple neck with 1-3/4" nut, and their Fatback profile - which is 1" thick at the 1st fret).
I wouldnt classify the Godin 5th Ave neck as chunky at all - it's kind of middle-of-the-road, thickness-wise; kind of a hard-shouldered D shape, with a flat back; not Ibanez/Gibson slim taper thin, but not thicker than your average Gretsch neck.
The comment about the Guild X175 reissue on TDPRI might have come from me - I tried those a couple of times when they came out a few years ago with their Newark St series, loved the look and tone, but hated the necks, not only were they narrow, but also thin - maybe that has changed when Guild ownershipvwent from Fender to Cordoba? Haven't tried one in recent times...
Every single modern Gretsch I tried (proline and Electromatic) had a small/thin neck - never had a chance to try a vintage one, supposedly the VS '53 Duo Jet has a slightly thicker neck, but from the specs I've seen, I'd also classify it as middle-of-the-road...
The only archtop I own with a real chunky neck is my Loar LH300 - it has a thickness of 23mm (slightly more than 0.9") at the 1st fret, AND it also has a 1-3/4" nut width. The profile is a soft V, which might take some time to get used to; I only wished it has bigger frets instead of the tiny vintage-sized ones, and that it had better fretwork in general, sound-wise it is great; I electrified mine with a floating CC-style pickup, but there's also the (discontinued) LH309 version, with a P90 (most of the other Loars with pickups & cutaways have smaller necks!)
I also have an Epiphone Zephyr John Lee Hooker LTD reissue that just meets my 22mm at the first fret requirements - but it doesn't have a 1-3/4" neck (1-11/16"); it's a 17" thinline hollowbody; this one might actually meet your requirements if you're not looking for a traditional jazz-box.
Something I've never had a chance to try is an old, pre-60s Harmony or Silvertone, like an H62 or Espanada - they are supposed to have super-chunky and wide necks, unfortunately, over here they are rare, and most of them need quite a bit of TLC to get them playable; if you're in the US, you should be able to find one in your price range, I think...
Good luck on your hunt - report back if you find something that meets your criteria! Me, I'm hoping for a lottery win, so that I can have a luthier build me a 16" thinline archtop with 7 strings, Bareknuckle P90s, and a 26.5" scale neck that's 1" thick from nut to heel...
OK, here are my two chunky neckers...:
Roman5, I think you are the one who said the Guild X-175 you tried out, had a tiny neck on the TDPRI. I don't want to go there again, having played through college in the 1980s, an original Les Paul Signature (basically a 335, with a Les Paul Shaped lower cutaway), that had the infamous "Speed Neck" that so many Gibson hollow and semi-hollowbodies had in 70s. That neck was cramped to say the least! But at the time, I had been playing guitar for less than a decade, so I didn't know any better - I figured you just had to put up with it. Oh and like you, while a 25.5" scale length for a 7-string is OK, I prefer the 26.5" scale length (which the PRS SE Seven I briefly had [and got rid of due to its wide-thin neck [sorry, the neck width didn't compensate enough for its being thin], and my old Schecter Omen Ectreme 7 had). There is one exception to the rule though - if I could get my hands on another Schecter Jazz 7, I could be perfectly happy with its 25.5" scale length. That guitar (like many Schecter 7-strings made up until about 2010 or 2010) had a pretty chunky neck! I wish I hadn't had to sell it 5 years ago, due to being broke! I'd love to have another one, but they're pretty rare. Schecter only made them in 2000.
My Old Schecter Jazz 7 The Day It Was Delivered at My Workplace (I've had bad experiences with home delivery, so I prefer things to be delivered at work)
I didn't even know about the Reissue John Lee Hooker Zephyr. That is very intriguing. I could possibly get into that one, especially considering that my grandpa (Guitar Generation #1 in the family - along with playing guitar, he was also a luthier [he made me my first guitar]) use to play a 1940s Epiphone Emperor in dance bands. As for The Loar - I briefly tried one out, a couple of years ago. It seemed OK, but are there still quality issues with The Loar guitars?
EllenLast edited by EllenGtrGrl; 11-24-2019 at 09:39 PM.
-
Can't comment on Loar quality issues - mine is the only one I ever tried. No problems with the finish (which is sometimes mentioned), but the frets could have needed a dressing right when it came new (and there's not much to work with, as those are small vintage-size frets).
But it does sound great, and I love the neck.
That model is currently not in production, anyway, AFAIK...
-
Thanks for the additional Peerless info. I think I might steer clear of them. As for a Starcaster - I had the opportunity to play an original one about 28 years ago, and a current version one. I'm going off of my memory, but the original ones had marginally thicker necks than the current ones. The current one I tried was an MIC model about a year or two ago, and I though its neck was a little thin. Still they are cool guitars. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
Ellen
-
Thanks for the info. As for small frets - those are no big deal, and narrower necks are not the end of the world for me - up to a point. I can deal with necks as narrow as the necks my Ric 360s used to have (about 1.63"/41mm),as long as the neck isn't thin. Below that neck width? No thank you, I'll pass. Originally Posted by RomanS
-
Consider a Warmoth partscaster.
All sorts of neck size/shape and fret options.
All sorts of body options - hollow mooncaster, chambered strat or tele, and so forth
Lots of hardware and finishing options from which to choose and you'll get a guitar that does what you want, with a neck that you want, for under $1,200.
I'd be happy to walk you through this anytime, as would some of the other members here - I've put together a pile of them because Fender simply doesn't make any necks in the sizes I prefer.
-
For a high quality, thick neck semi-hollow, you might consider the Ibanez EKM100 (Eric Krasno) model.
EKM100 | EKM | HOLLOW BODIES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
Ibanez EKM100 | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine
Also, their Scofield model has a fairly chunky neck, but less so than the Krasno.
JSM100 | JSM | HOLLOW BODIES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
-
Gotta' disagree here. As a Gretsch owner, I can say the Godin 5th neck is definitely and noticeably chunkier than the Grestch neck. The Godin was big enough I wondered if I would get on with it, over time. I think the Godins are definitely worth the OP's time in trying to find one to play. Originally Posted by RomanS
-
Ibanez was actually the first guitar brand I considered, when I started looking into getting another archtop hollow or semi-hollow. I've had a couple in the past that were nice guitars: an Artcore AS73 from 2005 to 2008; and an Artstar AS120 for most of 2009. It's great that the Ibanez website lists (and even shows pictorially) the neck dimensions for each model. I wish more websites did so (Washburn for instance - I used to play Washburn acoustics years ago, and I'd give their electrics more consideration, if they went to the trouble of posting the neck dimensions of their guitars). That in mind, the JSH100 Schofield model has a little thinner neck (20.5mm at the 1st fret, vs 21mm for the Artcore and Artstar models) than I normally like. I LOVE the Krasno's specs, but the price seriously gives me pause. I am almost considering as a fallback an Artcore, or better yet an Artstar, due to my previous good history (albeit more than 10 years ago) with Ibanez semi-hollowbodies, but that's going to be a throw of the dice - it's been my experience that occasionally the Artcores and Artstars have enough manufacturing variation in their neck dimensions, to make more than a few of their necks too thin for my taste. It would be best for me to try some out, but Ibanez archtops are not as common around here as the Ibanez super-strats. Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
Oh Well,
Ellen
-
The AS-153 is one of my fall-back guitars. Originally Posted by Lobomov
The top Korean Ibanez semi .. Is it AS153? .. Something like that anyways. It has a nice neck on the chunky side .. Should be able to get one of those used within your budget
-
I tell you!!! It's dangerous to be on vacation (for the first time in my working career, I have 4 weeks of vacation for the year, so I took off the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgving). It's given me time to reflect even more on the issue. OK, time to shoot myself in the foot:
Due to playing Gretsch Country Clubs for several years (2008 to 2017), I've gotten spoiled. I've come to a definite realization today that I not only want an archtop with at least a Medium C neck in thickness, I definitely want it to be a hollowbody, and have 17" lower bout (like my Country Clubs were). I'm also pretty sure that I want a body depth of 2.5" (again, like my Country Clubs) or deeper. I've just made things harder for myself, but I guess I don't want to settle for substitutes anymore. By the same token though, there is NO WAY that I can afford to get a custom made guitar.
EllenLast edited by EllenGtrGrl; 11-26-2019 at 06:52 PM.
-
I think you need a Gretsch Country Club....
-
Or perhaps a Gretsch G5422T, it’s much more affordable but has a 2.75” body depth, double cutaway and the Gretschy features you are looking for (don’t know about neck thickness though):
-
So the specifications are:
-Archtop hollowbody with cutaway
-17” lower bout
-2.5” rim depth or greater
-medium C neck or bigger
-1.75" wide nut preferred. Gretsch Country Club nut width is 1.6875 | 1&11/16"
-25.5" scale, which is the Gretsch Country Club scale length
-$1,200 or lessLast edited by Hammertone; 11-27-2019 at 02:56 PM.
-
I can't afford one nowadays. They typically run over $2000. Also, I will admit that there were times I found the necks on my 2011, and my '59 Reissue to be a little thin. The days of finding a never sold, left over 2003 Country Club (like the one one I bought in 2008 - it's the guitar in my Avatar photo) for $1500 are gone. Also, despite the fact that the trestle bracing in the bodies of the oh so expensive '59 Reissues fights feedback pretty well (the trestle bracing makes the '59 Reissues more like semi-hollows, than hollowbodies), it makes them weigh a ton! If I ever got a Country Club again, I would probably replace the FilterTrons, with TV Classic Pluses, or PowerTrons. For some reason, FitlerTrons always leave me feeling underwhelmed. I'd also make the Bigsby go bye-bye. Originally Posted by Little Jay
I would also consider a Synchromatic G6040. There's one for sale on Reverb at the present time that I could afford, but it has repairs to cracks in its top. Oooh, not so sure. Some repairs (like the headstock repair that the Howard Roberts Fusion I played through most of the 90s had - it was my main gigging guitar) are very good, others are not. Also, I've never played a 6040, so I'm not sure what the neck is like.
Gretsch G6040 Synchromatic
EllenLast edited by EllenGtrGrl; 11-27-2019 at 02:40 PM.
-
Is that stock? I'm pretty sure that G5422s (which are Electromatics, not Pro Lines), never came with FilterTrons stock. It looks like somebody put in a set of TV Jones TV Classics. Nah, I've had other Gretsch models, and the ones that do it for me are the Country Clubs. Also, I really do not like Bigsbys. They're a pain to re-string, and like just about every other vibrato I've ever had on a guitar, I hardly ever used them, making them a waste for me. Originally Posted by Little Jay
Or perhaps a Gretsch G5422T, it’s much more affordable but has a 2.75” body depth, double cutaway and the Gretschy features you are looking for (don’t know about neck thickness though):
-
Not as critical to me. 24.6 to 25.5" is fine to me. I've never had an issue with scale length. For while, I had a much lamented Japanese '66 Reissue Fender Jaguar (I had to sell it because I was broke - like most mid 60s reissue offsets, it had a thicker neck than your typical Jazzmaster or Jaguar), and I got along fine with its 24" scale length. Originally Posted by Hammertone
Ellen
-
I can think of two instruments off the bat that meet your specifications, one vintage and one new.
1. Vintage Hofner
Hofner made an all-laminated, 17" archtop called the 4550 during the 1950s and 1960s. This came with various rim depths but was typically deep-bodied. It came with or without a cutaway and with or without one or two pickups. There is no shortage of these guitars of the cutaway, two-pickup variety. The 1960s versions have adjustable trussrods and nice big necks. See attached for one example of a 4550/S/E2 (S means cutaway and E2 means two pickups). The scale length is @25.25" These guitars can be found for $1,200 or less, and can easily be modified with different pickups/hardware. As well, there are a few other, very nice, vintage, Hofner 17" archtops, but they tend to cost more than $1,200.
2. Modern Hofner
Hofner introduced a lower-cost, all-laminated, 17", full-depth, cutaway, archtop guitar called the J5 during the 2000s. It was first made in Korea, then China. These were available either with one floating or one set-in pickup. This model evolved into the more recent Chinese-made "Bluetone" series, which included a an all-laminated, 17", full-depth, cutaway, archtop guitar with two pickups, available in blonde or sunburst. 25.5" scale. See attached pix. All of the ones I have tried have had big necks. They are quite inexpensive due to Hofner's inattention to marketing them properly. They sell new for well under $1,000 and can easily be modified with different pickups/hardware. I have been surprised by the quality of these guitars.Last edited by Hammertone; 11-27-2019 at 03:43 PM.
-
Originally Posted by Hammertone
Ooh! I never considered a Hoffner. I've liked the ones I've played (thought it has been a few years), and I do kind of regret blowing off the Hofner hollowbody (I think it was a Contemporary Series mdel) about 11 years ago (it was a nice guitar at a good price, but at the time, I didn't want a guitar with "only a neck position pickup"). I'll have to look into this. Thanks for the info.
-
I've been doing some additional thinking and online searching. I have a line on some promising prospects so far:
1. Hofner HI-5JF on eBay selling cheeep! It's an MIK model, so the chances are, that it has a nice, and chunky neck. My only misgiving is, that I prefer 2-pickup guitars, but this issue is not a deal breaker.
Hofner HI-J5F-CN HOLLOWBODY GUITAR Electric Guitar in Cherry Red NEW | eBay
2. 1982 Ibanez FG-100. It has a price reduction due to a finish chipout down to the wood, next to the binding on the back. I like Ibanez hollow and semi-hollow guitars, but oftentimes have misgivings about their neck thickness (they're right at the lower limit of what I like, and occasionally, due to manufacturing variances [yes even with CNC machining, some variation occurs], can be thinner than I like). I messaged the seller, and he informed me that the neck thickness is .875" (22mm) at the first fret, which is comparable to my old fender 60s Baja Tele (which had a neck that I liked). It's little over my price range with shipping, but...... maybe I can talk it down???
Ibanez FG-100 1982 Sunburst | My Last Guitar | Reverb
3. DeArmond X-155. This just came up on my radar this morning. They're Korean made, and have 17" wide lower bouts. The prices sure look good. My question is: does anybody know what the necks are like on these guitars? Once again there is a lack of information online, about the neck dimensions.
DeArmond "X-155 Hollow Body" in Electric Guitars | Reverb
4. Carlo Robelli Manhattan. This is basically a re-branded Peerless Monarch, made for Sam Ash music stores. The price is right, and I will not lie, I am kind of drawn to Peerless Monarchs. But once again, there is that lack of neck dimension specifications (ugh!!). Does anybody know (or can measure) what the neck thickness is on a Peerless Monarch at the first fret?
Carlo Robelli Manhattan 1960's Sunburst | Tonepros Music | Reverb
5. Westerly (pre-Fender) Guild X-150D Savoy - just at the limit price-wise for me (but I wouldn't have to pay shipping - the seller lives close-by). Not sure about the neck, and due to my ignorance, I don't know if it's a 17" hollowbody. There's a lack of spec. information about these guitars online. But it sure looks good.
Guild X-150 D Savoy 1997-1999 Blonde Pre Fender Built in | Reverb
6. Ibanez AFJ-957 - I always end up getting another 7-string sooner or later, but I am beyond bored with the typical super-strat 7-string, and I'd really like to have a hollow or semi-hollow 7-string (I had a semi-hollow Danelectro MOD7 for several years, but I got sick of its bizarre pickup switching). Yes, I'd prefer a longer scale length, yes the body is 16", and yes the neck will not be chunky, but I doubt that Ibanez was foolish enough to use a Wizard profile neck (which feels like a 2x4 in my hands) like they use on their other 7-strings, and probably used a C-shape neck, so it's probably acceptable to me, considering the neck width. Yes, I'd prefer the Ibanez AF207, but those are pretty rare. Hollow and semi-hollow 7-strings are kind of thin on the ground. I don't know..............
https://reverb.com/item/29647885-iba...wbody-sunburst
Feel free to chime in at any time.
Ellen
-
Get drunk. Buy them all
-
dearmond x-155 is solid guitar..has usa made dearmond pickups...neck is substantial, but not huge...here's spec
cheers
-
Thanks for the DeArmond specs neatomic. b
P.S. - are you getting the snow today? We're just getting flurries every now and then. Green Bay, and farther north, they're getting hit. Even up in my hometown (Manitowoc), they might get 6 inches of the white stuff.
-
here's good thread about dearmond x-155 (& beyond) from here-
DeArmond x155
very difficult to go by published spec regarding neck feel...i noticed all the dearmonds are given the same published neck specs..but have never found that to be true!! and i've played all the models..and multiple actual guitars of each...they are all different..in fact the jetstar...which is an offset solid...had a massive neck (you'd like)..almost bass like...& variations occur guitar by guitar despite cnc machine tech
biggest necked guitars i've recently played have been early eastwood airlines...the tuxedo and the classic h-44 stratotone...massive necks...but not big body archs!
the hofner j5's were nice looking asian made guitars...but they had some kind of design issue...with bracing or purfing..or lack of it...some oddity...hammertone may know the specifics...hofners are lovely guitars tho...slightly delicate! hah
carlo robelli was sam ash line yes...they were always vaguely similar to the epiphone line..which i never considered having big necks!!!...epi necks tend to be very shallow
check out that savoy!!...older guilds are the best value on the arch market...just have to find one with the style of neck you prefer
lastly..norcal bay area doesn't get snow...for better or worse...(tho i don't mind not shovelling!! haha)..instead we get holmesian fog and the occasional monsoon like winter storm...which we are curently treading
keep at it
cheers
-
Sorry about the weather question Neatone - I had you confused with another GDPer, who lives in the Madison area (Blowtorch?).
Thanks for the DeArmond X-155, and Guild info. I just wish there was more dimension information (neck and otherwise) for the Guild and DeArmond models. Speaking about the Jetstar - for a while in 2007, I had a Sevenstar (the 7-string version of the Jetstar). That thing weighed a ton!
I don't know, maybe I should just go with my old fallback hollowbody - a Gretsch Country Club. Their necks are on the low end of what I like, but I get by OK on them. It's just that I can't afford one at the present time, and it would have to be like my old sound post 2013 Country Club (which is OK with me - the current '59 Reissues with the trestle bracing are like boat anchors in my opinion). I would ditch the Bigsby (I seldom ever use a vibrato, and it's a pain to change strings with a Bigsby), and maybe put in a set of TV Classic Pluses, since I find the Basic FilterTrons and TV Classics, to be too twangy sounding, and a but underwhelming.
My Old 2013 Country Club
Last edited by EllenGtrGrl; 12-05-2019 at 11:30 PM.
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos