The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi there

    Now I've got a bit of time on my hands, I'm thinking of getting my Charlie Hunter on and having a crack at the Hybrid Guitar.

    I'm in Australia so won't have the opportunity to try one

    Does anyone have any experience of them?

    Are the hollow bodies too light to counterbalance the neck?

    I'm tempted to get the 6 string as I imagine it would be an easier transition but would I miss a 7 or 8 string down the track (subjective I know)

    Any advice gratefully received

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Hi -- do you mean these Hybrids, specifically?

    I've had a Clay Conner guitar, and it was impeccably built, so he's highly recommended! If you have any technical questions, I would simply email them.

    I've tried the Novax Charlie Hunter model; my brain simply doesn't work like that, though, but if you want to go for it -- do it!

    Cheers,

    Marc

  4. #3

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    I have a hybrid flat top 6-string built by K. Yairi in Japan. With the two bass tuners, the headstock is a bit top heavy, but I use a strap behind the nut and it feels well-balanced to me. The scale feels to be somewhere in between a bass and a dreadnaught, somewhat longer than usual for me but very much playable with not too much adjustment. String tension might be an issue, depending on what you are used to. The two bass strings are .80 and .65, and the others are from an acoustic set, .24, .20, .16 and .12. The acoustic sound is good for an intimate setting, and it is fitted with two pickups that are wired in stereo, so I can send the lower 2 strings to one amp and the other 4 to another, or can combine them into a mono output. I had a chance to play before buying, so my decision was based on experience. It's a lot of fun for solo playing. Somewhat challenging to move outside the usual chord voicings; some work fine with the bass an octave lower but others need some creative alternatives. I've played live jazz with a sax player or another guitarist. Hope this helps. All the best!

  5. #4

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    Might sell one of my 8 strings - i’m based between UK and Spain.

  6. #5

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    Charlie has been down to a 6 string hybrid for a couple years now.

  7. #6

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    Who is Charlie Hunter?

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by joe8string
    Who is Charlie Hunter?
    Charlie Hunter - Wikipedia

  9. #8

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    wow thanks for the information. Is he a string plucker?

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by joe8string
    wow thanks for the information. Is he a string plucker?
    What do you mean? He’s a guitarist, therefore he plucks strings!

    He uses fingers, no pick, if that’s what you mean.

  11. #10

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    One cheaper method is this : install a hexaphonic pickup on your guitar and route it to any guitar-synth . You can program the synth to ignore the top 4 strings and only process the signal of the first 2 , transposing them an octave lower. Even cheaper could be this : swap out the existing bridge on your solidbody guitar with a piezo-equipped version, disconnect the wires on the top 4 bridge-inserts and route the signal from the E and A strings through an octave pedal. You'd need a second output socket on your guitar or a stereo-version - one lug for the magnetic pickup signal and the other for the piezo signal. You split that signal again for the two separate lines (one going straight to your amp, the other to the octaver, then into a separate amp/separate input).

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by joe8string
    Who is Charlie Hunter?

    See the "Hybrid guitar" link I posted above.

  13. #12

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    Some good closeups of Charlie Hunter’s technique here:


  14. #13

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    His right hand is similar to Tuck Andres’. His style is James Jameson meets Cory Wong.