The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    EDIT for video:



    I wasn't looking for another archtop (no, really!) but this one fell in my lap for a song. Great build quality for the price, and the neck is superb. The only drag is that the floater is not good enough. The second string is almost silent compared to its neighbours, and no matter how much I raise the screw, it makes no difference.

    Now, recently I made a video extolling the high virtues of the Creamery Charlie Christian pickup in a humbucker casing. I would dearly love a floating version, and have written to Jaime of Creamery to ask if it is feasible, but if he says no, what are my options?

    Hagstrom HL-550-img_20191202_152008-736x1306-jpgHagstrom HL-550-img_20191202_151453-1305x736-jpgHagstrom HL-550-img_20191202_151436-1305x736-jpg
    Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 12-03-2019 at 02:52 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I bet Jason at Krivo could make you something very cool for that guitar.

  4. #3

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    Congrats for Your new guitar! It's beautifull. I played this model once and it feels sweet in hands indeed. I found the body a little too deep for me, but it's only a matter of taste.
    Regarding the pickup, maybe something like this: Suspended Charlie Christian style single coil pickup by Pete Biltoft | eBay

    Wys?ane z mojego ANE-LX1 przy u?yciu Tapatalka

  5. #4

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    Jeff - never heard of Krivo. I'll look them up. Thanks.

    slusar - that looks useful...
    Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 12-02-2019 at 02:49 PM.

  6. #5

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    Congrats Rob, it looks great. Put a DeArmond FHC on it!

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    Jeff - never heard of Krivi. I'll look them up. Thanks.

    slusar - that looks useful...
    Re: Krivo

    Worth a shot. He makes a lot of "stick on" pickups for gypsy jazz players, archtop players, resonators and other stringed instruments, but he's also recently been the guy who's made the built in pickups for Emerald guitars. He's a cool guy, really enjoys talking shop and possibilities, helped me pick a very cool pickup for my Django style guitar.

    I think slusar and omphalopsychos have great ideas too.

  8. #7

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    Just played it for twenty minutes. It sounds pretty poor unplugged, so there's no point in trying to reproduce its acoustic "charm", which is like most electric guitars with an archtop shape. But it still feels like a really decent guitar, well made, and that great neck. It took me a few minutes to realise that whoever had it before got the g and b strings mixed up, in each other's place. Crazy.

    So, some TI round wounds and a decent pickup, and it will be a nice foil for my Eastman 503 CE with the Creamery CC humbucker and TI flats, which is turning out to be one of my all-time favourite guitars.

    It only cost me £400, which is about $500 these days. No complaints. Once set up well it will be worth more. If I don't keep it myself, I'll offer it to one of my students for cost price.

    Hagstrom HL-550-img_20191202_184006-736x1306-jpg

  9. #8

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    nice rob..hagstroms can be nice guitars...the all mahogany body should warm the tone a bit...and it has the resinator (wood composite) fingerboard...how do you like?

    aside from the strings being put on wrong!!!, it looks as if the pup sits a bit low on the bracket..be nice to get the whole pickup closer to strings...also drop the polepieces down on all but the strings you are having volume problems with...

    sure the guitar would benefit from a better pup..and creamery will probably come up with something...if so, send him that pic ^ of the pup thats on there..so he can get an idea of the height

    enjoy

    cheers

  10. #9

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    Nice Rob. I had an HJ-800 for a few years. The build quality was excellent and the pickups were surprisingly nice to my ears. Very playable guitar. Hags are decent bargains IMHO. I ended up selling it, but mostly for reasons of space.

  11. #10

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    Neatomic - I would not have a resonator fingerboard on a guitar I intended to use for a lot of bending - blues and country - as the material just doesn't allow that very well, but as I don't do much bending in jazz, it is fine. In fact it has a very punchy character. The neck is thin, which suits my hand, but a bit cold compared to the Eastman 503CE.

    Yes, the pup is low, but all the strings except the fifth are really quite strong in sound. I sent the same photos to Jaime at Creamery, and await his reply. I'm sure he'll come up with something, and if not I'll opt for the Pete Biltoft floating CC. This guitar will do for teaching with, though I get the feeling it is capable of much more.

    Lammie - the HJ800 is the upgrade of the HL550, better all round, but the quality of workmanship on the 550 is really very good, so I imagine the 800 will be the same or better. Probably a better pickup too. Both guitars get good reviews.

    T-I's on order!
    Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 12-02-2019 at 06:07 PM.

  12. #11

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    just another (more) local option if creamery doesn't work out...kent armstrongs son aaron..and the grandson of the great dan armstrong, who started all this guitar modding business!!..

    aaron will handwind anything you desire as well..well rated..it's in the blood!! haha

    Armstrong Pickups

    shoot him an email if needed


    cheers

  13. #12

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    cool Grover Imperialish tuners, me likey

  14. #13

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    Neatomic - I've had one of Aaron's pups before. High quality. Nice guy too, it seems. He's on my short list.

    Wintermoon - I have to say the tuners are excellent, work very well. Look cool too.

    For the price I paid, this is an excellent guitar.

  15. #14

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    I'd be checking out Pete Biltofts pickups - he makes a fine floating CC style pickup
    They obviously won't sound completely the same as a real CC pickup with the huge cobalt magnets, but they capture a lot of that character. I have one on a Gretsch G400 Synchromatic, it's a great pickup.

  16. #15

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    entresz - I've heard similar reports on this forum from other people. I'm not expecting the real deal, but in the same ball park is fine for this project.

  17. #16

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    except that on a guitar that is exhibiting string volume inconsistencies, a non adjustable blade pickup might not be the most prudent choice...where the ability to fine tune string volume balance may be needed...

    also blades give no choice between wound & unwound g..should you care to experiment... with a floater even more crucial

    a cc floater is a very weird concept to begin with..and not at all true to the original...which was a huge body invasive design!!

    having said all that..it was dan armstrong who first brought back the idea of the blade pickup in his plexi glass guitars..with the help of the pickup genius bill lawrence...who was mentor to kent armstrong...so the armstrong clan knows something about blades as well!! hah

    & not just from reading jason lollars book...



    cheers
    Last edited by neatomic; 12-02-2019 at 07:12 PM.

  18. #17

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    2nd string or 5th string
    which is weak ?

  19. #18

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    As ever, neatomic, you speak wise words. Much to consider. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the problem with blades that the 2nd string is too loud? If so, then perhaps in this case that would balance out the six strings? That would be lucky, but it's probably not so simple.

    This guitar isn't worth shelling out for the expensive UK CC pickup. I'm hoping Jamie comes up with something compatible.

  20. #19

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    pingu - 2nd string.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    As ever, neatomic, you speak wise words. Much to consider. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the problem with blades that the 2nd string is too loud? If so, then perhaps in this case that would balance out the six strings? That would be lucky, but it's probably not so simple.

    This guitar isn't worth shelling out for the expensive UK CC pickup. I'm hoping Jamie comes up with something compatible.

    much more complicated than that..the blade is just a magnetic conduit to the magnet/s below...would have to be a match made in heaven with that exact string you were using at the time!!..far too limiting

    creamery will come thru!!

    cheers

  22. #21

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    Congratulations on your new guitar and play it (after suitable modifications) in good health!

  23. #22

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    I put a Shadow AZ 48 on a 2013 D'Angelico EXL-1 and it completely transformed it from ok/good to delightful. Great full and rich tone in a nice compact package.

    SH AZ-48 Attila Zoller Floating Jazz Pickup – Shadow Electronics

    Will

  24. #23

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    Cheers, k!

    Will - I had a Zoller on an archtop once,and thought it very good. But the CC pup from Creamery Pickups just blew me away, so they get first place in my short list. Cheers.

  25. #24

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    I think all Hagstroms have the same basic neck design, which is famous for being rock-solid straight and stable forever. They figured out something about necks and it allowed to make a "fast" neck that was super stable. I love my 1960's era Hagstrom I.

  26. #25

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    Good to know, Lawson.

    Well, the good news is that a change of strings can make a world of a difference. I put on a set of TI Jazz BeBop 12's, and they sound really good. The second string is now singing as well as the others, in fact the pickup seems much better all round today. Big improvement! We shall see how things go. So far it seems money well spent. I might well do a pup swap, but there's no hurry now.