Cheap woody thunk guitar rec needed

**Triple_Jazz** · 08-18-2020, 10:53 AM

Hi, I’m looking for a cheap guitar with a big sound, easy right! Here is the story, I play my guitar on my lunch break at my day job. I usually practice alone but every so often a coworker joins me. He does not play jazz but we find common ground on the blues.

Im currently taking my Peerless Monarch with me unless I know I’ll be jamming with friend in which case I take my 335. Either way I’m bringing an expensive guitar with me so to avoid that I want a cheap guitar that sounds great for both jazz and blues. I don’t want a tight modern sound, I’m looking for a big hollow woody thunky tone from something cheap. Under $800 to be specific. Currently considering an Epiphone Broadway. What might you suggest?

thanks

**Matt Milton** · 08-18-2020, 11:26 AM

"cheap woody thunk" makes me think of mahogany parlour or OM size flattop acoustics, 12 frets to body.

If you're talking archtops with pickups though, how about a Loar?

**Chazmo** · 08-18-2020, 12:06 PM

A Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin with .013 TI Swing flat wound strings thunks and costs less than US$700 new. Even less used.

**mr. beaumont** · 08-18-2020, 12:29 PM

Kingpin has some thunk.

I'd look for a used Epi 175, that Broadway would be fine too, but its a "big" guitar...i prefer compact for a work guitar.

Plugging into something, or unplugged?

**wzpgsr** · 08-18-2020, 01:10 PM

Aria Pro II Herb Ellis will get you there.

**John A.** · 08-18-2020, 01:52 PM

Godin Kingpin, Epi 175 Premium, Ibanez AKJV90D or AKJV95, Epi Joe Pass, Eastman AR371

John

**Triple_Jazz** · 08-18-2020, 02:18 PM

I forgot to mention I’m looking for 2 set humbuckers. I’m plugging this into a Fender Blues Deluxe mainly and a DV Mark Jazz 12 occasionally.

**TedBPhx** · 08-18-2020, 02:18 PM

Way out of the other recommendations but I recently got a Taylor GS Mini Mahogany as a buy one get one. I like it. Parlor sized, 23.5” scale, laminate, excuse me layered sapele, back and sides with a mahogany top. Easy to play. Freaking LOUD! If you get a chance try one. May be your next work guitar. They’re 499 new so I’d expect 3-4 or less used.

**Triple_Jazz** · 08-18-2020, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Kingpin has some thunk.

I'd look for a used Epi 175, that Broadway would be fine too, but its a "big" guitar...i prefer compact for a work guitar.

Plugging into something, or unplugged?

I’m down with BIG! My Monarch is 17” bout. It’s the only way to get that real big empty plunk tone

**Gitterbug** · 08-18-2020, 04:30 PM

I've been following these pages since 2009. As a non-native English speaker, I don't even know what "thunk" exactly means. I think the word has started to appear only lately. How about replacing it with "convenience"? I'm sure an EPI ES-339 would help you through your lunch breaks just fine, if a 335 does. It's a Swiss Army knife for a guitar - and for the price.

**Triple_Jazz** · 08-18-2020, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

I've been following these pages since 2009. As a non-native English speaker, I don't even know what "thunk" exactly means. I think the word has started to appear only lately. How about replacing it with "convenience"? I'm sure an EPI ES-339

Not enough thunk with a 339! So by thunk I’m referring to the wood characteristic The guitar tone has from the amount of air allowed to push through the body cavity. Normally the larger a guitar the larger it’s thunk qualities but similar results can be achieved with smaller body types. Imagine finding a Long piece of driftwood on the beach and knocking on it with your knuckles. Imagine you’d get different pitches if you knocked on it in different areas. Imagine this knocking is the plucking of a flat wound string. There’s the thunk.

**mr. beaumont** · 08-18-2020, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Triple_Jazz

I’m down with BIG! My Monarch is 17” bout. It’s the only way to get that real big empty plunk tone

I disagree completely, but that Brodway will be perfect, imho.

**2bornot2bop** · 08-18-2020, 07:13 PM

One can’t do thunk on the cheap. An Epiphone Epi premium will get you close. But it’s not an ES175. Anything else is only an imitation. Thunk can’t be imitated. I don’t hear thunk from a Broadway. All just my opinion.

**Hammertone** · 08-19-2020, 01:48 AM

Does it need a cutaway?

**Woody Sound** · 08-19-2020, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

I've been following these pages since 2009. As a non-native English speaker, I don't even know what "thunk" exactly means. I think the word has started to appear only lately. How about replacing it with "convenience"? I'm sure an EPI ES-339 would help you through your lunch breaks just fine, if a 335 does. It's a Swiss Army knife for a guitar - and for the price.

"Thunk" is a slang term for a certain kind of guitar tone. Usually but not necessarily on a laminated archtop. It can be subjective to different people, but kind of a dry, flat, midrangy tone, with short sustain.

**DB's Jazz Guitar Blog** · 08-19-2020, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

"Thunk" is a slang term for a certain kind of guitar tone. Usually but not necessarily on a laminated archtop. It can be subjective to different people, but kind of a dry, flat, midrangy tone, with short sustain.

Quite so. I wonder who coined that term. Was it Jack Zucker?

There are basically two guitar sounds on the extreme opposite spectrum. The opposite of Thunk is Plink. And there are sounds in between too but that gets kind of fuzzy. Personally, I associate Thunk with ES guitars and Plink with carved tops.

If there even is an in-between sound, it would be Plunk.

DB

**Woody Sound** · 08-19-2020, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

Quite so. I wonder who coined that term. Was it Jack Zucker?

There are basically two guitar sounds on the extreme opposite spectrum. The opposite of Thunk is Plink. And there are sounds in between too but that gets kind of fuzzy. Personally, I associate Thunk with ES guitars and Plink with carved tops.

If there even is an in-between sound, it would be Plunk.

DB

LOL. As I mentioned in another thread, during covid I have started to prefer Plink at home. More "acoustic-y." Have not yet decided about Plunk.

**jzucker** · 08-19-2020, 09:17 AM

ibanez af125

**jzucker** · 08-19-2020, 09:20 AM

yep, i coined thunk!

**John A.** · 08-19-2020, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

Quite so. I wonder who coined that term. Was it Jack Zucker?

There are basically two guitar sounds on the extreme opposite spectrum. The opposite of Thunk is Plink. And there are sounds in between too but that gets kind of fuzzy. Personally, I associate Thunk with ES guitars and Plink with carved tops.

If there even is an in-between sound, it would be Plunk.

DB

To fully appreciate that, though, it helps to drink plonk.

John

**John A.** · 08-19-2020, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

ibanez af125

Interesting -- I just checked out a couple of videos of this, and yes, it's got a lot of that Gibson laminate kind of sound. I wasn't aware of this model before. Supposedly the PM2 does, too, but I don't hear it in the videos I've checked out.

John

**rabbit** · 08-19-2020, 10:49 AM

Yo, forum-ites!

Any examples of live "thunk?'

Thank you.

**John A.** · 08-19-2020, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by rabbit

Yo, forum-ites!

Any examples of live "thunk?'

Thank you.

John

**rabbit** · 08-19-2020, 11:34 AM

Thank you, John A !

Enough study for a thunk post-doc.

Workin' on it.

**Triple_Jazz** · 08-19-2020, 11:49 AM

Man that Tal Farlow album is great, perfect thunking tone! I know that thinking a bigger body doesn’t always equate to more thunk but there’s just something about 17”’s that doesn’t for me. There’s an Ibanez AF125 on Craigslist not too far from me, I’ll have to check it out. Just to summarize, I am well aware I’ll never get real thunk from cheap, I’m fine with an imitation. This won’t be my main guitar, just something I can leave at work nights and perhaps weekends and not have a stroke. My Monarch does a nice job of thunk albeit much more muted than a 175, I’m very happy with it, but it’s my main axe and I need to protect it.

thanks for the responses all