The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    The pandemic has reignited my latent GAS and I have been thinking about adding a lighter single pickup to the herd. I have a Godin 5th Avenue acoustic,I am familiar with the model. I have been impressed with the build quality for the money. I have read a bunch of reviews of the Composer and the Jazz models respectively. The chief difference seems to be the Composer has a set humbucker vs the floating pickup on the Jazz model.
    Has anyone had experience with either model and if so what are your thoughts?

    Thanks for your help in advance.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I have a single PU, non-cutaway 5th Avenue Kingpin and consider swapping the P-90 for a humbucker.

  4. #3

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    I played a Jazz and liked the playability and workmanship, Godin makes necks that intonate dead on. The floater was alright but I'd sneak on a George Benson or something.

  5. #4

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    I have had the Godin Composer for a couple of years, which is a long time for me to keep an archtop, so I must like it. It is very well constructed, although some don't get on with the construction of the heel and cutaway, which is said to impede their higher fret access. It doesn't bother me as on this guitar I don't feel the need to spend too much time above the 14th fret. It is probably the same on the 5t Ave acoustic.

    It is probably the lightest archtop I have every played - not sure whether this is a good thing or not - swings and roundabouts. I blow hot and cold about the stock pickup (probably more like warm and cold) and have often thought of replacing it. In fact I have a Creamery CC humbucker replacement ready to drop in (see Rob McKillop's post on this pickup), but have not yet had the nerve to unpick the very well-sorted stock installation. However, recently I have teamed the Composer with a DV Mark Little Jazz and an external reverb pedal and now, strung with d'A half-round 13s, it is very close to the sound in my head. I do have the urge to dispose of the plastic, Godin-signed, scratch plate and replace it with a home-made rosewood plate to tone with the rosewood fingerboard - similarly, the Tusq bridge jars visually, but may be doing a very good job acoustically.

  6. #5

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    I owned and very much enjoyed both a Composer and a Kingpin ii P90. I played the Jazz model a few times and didn't like it nearly as much. I though it sounded much thinner.

  7. #6

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    The jazz fingerboard is raised a lot off the top which I felt helped upper fret access as well as giving lots of floater room; is the composer neck to body done the same way? Lots of room for a different pickup, ok acoustic volume for a laminate.

  8. #7

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    I have not met a composer in person yet...my gut tells me I'd really like it.

    I have played a jazz...lovely instrument...the floating pickup sounded more like a set humbucker to me, a plus in my opinion.

    The guitar felt a lot heavier than my non-cutaway Kingpin, which I thought was disappointing.

    If the Composer was lightweight like my Kingpin, that guitar would be a real winner. Philip Catherine has been playing one live now for some time, so that says something, I think.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I have not met a composer in person yet...my gut tells me I'd really like it.

    I have played a jazz...lovely instrument...the floating pickup sounded more like a set humbucker to me, a plus in my opinion.

    The guitar felt a lot heavier than my non-cutaway Kingpin, which I thought was disappointing.

    If the Composer was lightweight like my Kingpin, that guitar would be a real winner. Philip Catherine has been playing one live now for some time, so that says something, I think.
    My Kingpin ii and my Composer were under 5.5 lbs.

  10. #9

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    I owned a Jazz very briefly and enjoyed the playability but didn’t bond with the thinner, brighter tone of the floater. Very well made, though, with a comfortable neck.

  11. #10

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    I tried several guitars in these series in the stores: Jazz and Kingpin. I found variability in how they sound especially in the Jazz series from one guitar to the other. I did not observe this with their solid bodies and MultiAc series. I bought a Jazz online which was loud and warm acoustically but the electronics was noisy so I had a luthier gut the whole thing and put a Bartolini floater, now it's a great sounding guitar, not bright nor thin.