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So I have what I consider an easy to play telecaster (2018, USA, 10’s, Gatton pickups).
I’m looking for something semi-hollow I can play without always plugging it in to an amp (i have a 3rd power wooly Coates).
I’m a beginner and can get through most of Autumn Leaves.
Budget-wise i figure I can fork out a decent amount...
New or used?
Gibson ES-335 or 175, Eastman, Ibanez, or something else?
I’m in the Washington DC area.
/Peter
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03-30-2020 09:03 AM
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Did you play big ES 335 style guitars before or?
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I have a Simon & Patrick boxtop that is ok as well. I have never really spent any time playing an ES335 or 175. I like low action which can be done to some extent, but i picked up a few different guitars and they were all harder to navigate - a gretsch, a star caster, one or two others...
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Because you wrote "telecaster is easy to play" in 1st post.
And to me personally, the "hardest" part about ES 335 and those guitars, is surely body size by far.
You have some okey smaller semi hollows, like ES 339, which is tiny bit larger then Les Paul.
So that's why I asked you that.
For me, personally ES 335 would be waaaay to big, but I would love to try ES 339.
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My point was - you didn't say specific what you like about Tele?
Wider thin maple neck?
Smaller body?
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Ah, sorry... the tele has low action and the neck seems to be just right for me, whatever shape it is (c? D?).
So if there was something with better tone that i could not plug in and just get a bit of sound out of - semi hollow or hollow with that same sort of neck shape, low action i would be a happy sofa sitter...
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If you ask me.
Most of Les Pauls have really FAT D profile neck, narrow string spacing, and then like, super flat fingerboard.
Compared to that, Tele should be thin C, wider string spacing, like, in between fretboard, not flat, not round.
So that was biggest issue with me and Gibson. Necks were just too strange.
For me personally, bridge doesn't make difference ... unless it goes out of tune too ofter, and it cuts strings too much. Otherwise - I personally don't care.
And if you don't care about body size.
Then U have solved the most important issue.
I could used to that strange Gibson Les Paul neck.
But large ES 335 body would be a way bigger problem cause I love smaller body guitars.
I played some ES 339 Custom Made alternative, and it felt right to me.
But ES 335 ..... That would be like playing 2 acoustic guitars ... xD
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Go and look at the Ibanez Artcore + Contemporary archtop models, Epiphone Emperor, Godin 5th Avenue, Eastman - the choice is very wide within the price range between $ 500 and $ 1600. I love my ES-345 dearly but it is def. not my first choice for playing unplugged on the sofa - any small-ish archtop (15/16" wide) or even a Parlor-sized flattop/steelstring would be much more comfortable and the tone more pleasing ....
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Use the colour wheel to choose another Telecaster of a complementary colour.
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Unfortunately, your statement "I can fork out a decent amount" has no meaning. Please state a dollar amount.
Originally Posted by ElPedro
The reason I say this is because, as "a beginner [who] can get through most of Autumn Leaves", you are unlikely to want or be able to spend 4 figures for such a guitar unless you're wealthy or foolish. So, to avoid wasting people's time to recommend guitars that are more expensive than you can realistically manage, please cite a price range in dollars. Something along the lines of "I can spend up to $900".
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What you need is a thinline tele... Originally Posted by ElPedro
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Under $3000 usd.... Originally Posted by dconeill
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ES-175 is a great guitar! When I play unplugged I choose a Flat top or my old L-7.
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Go out and play a range of guitars and evaluate them in terms of your comfort to play.
- Neck size (depth and width) and profile,
- body size and depth,
- cutaway or not,
- floating or built-in pickups
- hight of strings above the body (there's a world of difference in right hand technique between playing a strat where the strings are almost on the body and a full jazz box where they are substantially higher)
- Different pickups (humbuckers, P90s, Fitertrons etc)
- Sound to YOUR ears, both electrically and acoustically
- Ask yourself "Do you need a bridge pickup if it's only for jazz?"
Whilst you're at it, consider whether the amp you are using for the tele will give you the sounds you want for jazz - many people prefer a quality solid state amp for jazz (Henriksen, Polytone etc). Personally, I get by on a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb and remove the mid-scoop with eq when I play most jazz styles, but everyone's tastes are different.
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I'd recommend sticking with what you have until you're somewhat further along as a player and have a better sense of the sound you're looking for. Tele's are great for jazz.
Play your S&P when you don't want to plug in.
John
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Ibanez GB10. Small size, great necks, some acoustic vibe, great sound and different from a Tele. Find a MIJ one used, should be around US$1800-2000 or so.
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Thin line Tele of some kind!
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You are going to get a wide variety of opinions. I’ll throw in another one. Something from the Guild Newark St. hollow body line. It will be similar to your Tele in terms of neck width, fretboard radius and back profile. It will also be well under your budget. You won’t get much acoustic sound out of a semi-hollow body, so that is why I suggest a hollow body. BTW, Guild is under the Fender corporate umbrella.
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Tele: Solid, 25.5 scale. single coil (but not necessarily), steel strings,
So, to go completely in the opposite direction
Hollow, 24 3/4 scale, humbucker. maybe nylon?
And, you want something to hear acoustically. A semisolid with an internal block doesn't make a whole lot more sound than a solid (it does make some). So a 335 won't be very loud. A 330, OTOH, is a hollow guitar, it's just thin. Should be louder, but I haven't played one recently enough to remember.
So, if you want Different-From-Tele, that's one way to think.
Beyond that, I don't thing anybody can advise you, except maybe on quality issues and maybe resale or something like that. It's your music, your idea of sound, your physiology.
And, as a relative beginner, you may evolve quite quickly toward something else.
One other point: there may be an advantage to always practicing with an amp. Playing a solidbody without amplification can result in poor technique because you don't hear your mistakes. Don't ask how I know this.
That said, I'll offer some advice.
GC has a lot of guitars that fit your criteria, give or take, and you get a 45 day return privilege that they really honor.
Major brands may be advantageous. If I know nothing about a type of product, I'll think about Yamaha. But there are plenty of others.
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