-
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Good idea on the fixer upper!
I'm trying to avoid the luthier time (1 year) and expense (4K+). NO WAY I could do it myself, but the cat in England who did my Strat could, as could probably any luthier.
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Thanks for your input!
- Jeff
-
05-29-2021 11:26 AM
-
Originally Posted by Saxophone Tall
I never tried to palm a b’ball - I can play C to E comfortably for stride left hand. I can reach to F but not comfortably enough to incorporate it into my playing.
The Eastman El Rey is a smaller guitar, hollow but more like a Benny than a full archtop in size and shape. I suspect (but don’t know for sure) that the nut on an El Rey 7 is under 2”. It’s almost certainly not what you want. I wanted one for blues and commercial gigs, but I couldn’t find a decent one. So I bought a Matt Raines Tele7 for that and love it.
There have been many 335-style 12 strings over the years, from Gibson on down to box store house brands. They’re all laminated tops, so feedback isn’t an issue. Set up with flat wound strings and decent humbuckers, the better ones sound a lot like a 175 when amplified. I’ve played a few that were converted to 6s and one converted to a 7 - it’s a very nice way to get a wide neck 6 with enough string spacing for aggressive playing (walking bass line, Chet Atkins style,Tuck Andress etc).
-
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
So, even though my giant Strat is 25.5 Fender scale, I'd prefer 24.75 Gibson (or 25 PRS) scale for an archtop (Jazz voicings).
I'm totally new to guitar and don't know all the lingo yet.
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Thanks...
... Jeff
-
I absolutely love my Raines Tele7. Being made in China is not a bad thing, although I much prefer to buy American when that’s a viable option. Matt and his luthier partner Chris Forshage designed & spec’d it, and they contracted it to a fine shop. Mine is very well made. With a Duncan Benedetto style ‘bucker at the neck, it does a truly great Ed Bickert imitation . I use it on jazz gigs too, and it’s perfect - high quality, good parts, low cost, great sound and feel, and perfect dimensions for me.
Having said that, there are no more MIC Tele7s because he’s moved production to Austin. I gather from this that the business climate in China is nowhere near as favorable now for small businesses as it was even a few years ago. Chris Forshage is now making the Raines Tele style guitars, and they’re gorgeous - but they cost significantly more. Of course, Chris is a world class luthier, so he can make you anything you want.......but at commensurate cost for a custom guitar. Both Matt and Chris are great guys who stand behind their products and their word - I’ve know Matt for about 20 years. He’s also a great player.
Sorry, but I don’t remember the nut and neck sizes of the original 335-12 or its clones. A search like yours takes a lot of time, persistence, and patience before you find what you want. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the one that turns into a princess.
-
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
- Jeff
-
Originally Posted by Saxophone Tall
I've been playing 7 string exclusively for over 25 years. I sold all my 6s by 1995, except for my beloved oddities (e.g. National Tricone, Kubicki Express, Supro lap steel - all original in grey Mother of Toilet Seat with a DeArmond changer tailpiece). I got on the Tele wagon for jazz and commercial gigs back in the late 1960's when I had to buy a solid body and suitable amp for rock tunes at weddings etc. I was playing for the top local society band office at the time, and the leaders weren't happy with my L5 for the music brides, grooms, and guests wanted to hear and dance to (especially through my Ampeg B-15, which is no Marshall but remains one of my favorite amps for solo jazz guitar - especially a 7). So I bought a Tele Custom with 'bucker and used it for years as my second guitar, along with a Kustom 150 amp cheesily covered in black roll & tuck naugahyde. I discovered quickly that a Tele with a humbucker was an excellent jazz guitar and well suited to all kinds of gigs - so I've had at least one ever since.
When I first went to 7 for all gigs, there were no 7 string Teles of any kind, and the custom Strat 7 had the extra string on top. So I had a Carvin 727 made, picked it up at the factory in 1994, and still have it. The original Carvins are wonderful guitars, although I've not played any made since the father died. The company has clearly changed, e.g. the "custom shop" that made my guitar will no longer do any work at all on their own custom guitars! And their prices have gotten way out of hand. So I got the Raines to use on 99% of my gigs, and it's great.
Chris Forshage works solo. He does everything himself, so I doubt that there will ever be a production model coming from his shop. If demand increases to the point where they need stock, my bet is that Chris and Matt will find a manufacturing source. I don't know Chris at all except through Matt, so I have no idea how he'd view such a situation - but he makes wonderful custom archtops and it's hard to imagine that he'd back away from his first love to churn out Tele clones.
-
1. As a saxophonist / pianist and brand new guitar "student," I can see how a 7 or 8 string would be great ... but I'd need a 9 or 10 string to convert to make it wide enough! And trying to figure out a guitar with 6 strings is enough for the moment.
2. I'm OK with China, as my giant "electric Strat" is Chinese (no name, n fact), and it's really high quality, as was the conversion work done by Mark ("PC&GC" Guitars) in England (he's on Reverb & eBay). And my "front runner," Eastman, is China.
3. I'll contact Matt again. Maybe he or Chris could do the conversion. But I really need to:
(a) know the dimensions, nut & bridge; and (b) rule out an 8 (as unavailable). So far, I'm favoring the extra real estate.
4. I've played my share of commercial gigs. These days, I have a day gig and can afford to just play Jazz gigs (er, when "gigs" are once again available). I'm presently located near some MAJOR cats, and hope to put together a band where I'm the worst cat. This is on sax & some piano. Guitar is embryonic.
- Jeff
-
-
Originally Posted by deacon Mark
At the time, I’d been playing a 175DN for 9 years and wanted a “better” guitar (I know, I know….now). I bought a new L5-CN shortly afterward, delaying my shift to 7 strings because there was no other production 7 available and I couldn’t afford to commission one from any of the luthiers who might’ve made one for me.
I’ve played a few more Gretsch GVE examples since then and found an amazing consistency in their quality (or, more accurately, lack of same). It’s unimaginable to me that Gretsch thought that was a good guitar. FWIW, three of my current 7s have nuts that are 2+”. The problem with the GVE neck is not the width but the profile and choice of taper. It’s just plain clunky.
-
Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
-
Originally Posted by robocoptick
Sadly, my few experiences with these were all bad, which is a shame. Had that first one been better, I would have bought it and in all probability would still be gigging with it. I bond with instruments I love - I’m still gigging with the Ibanez AF207 I bought new when they came out.
Enjoy your prize! I wish I’d found the happiness you have in the instrument.
EDIT:
Originally Posted by robocoptickLast edited by nevershouldhavesoldit; 03-08-2024 at 12:46 PM.
-
to be fair? it’s unflattering instrument to play but the more work and intention i put into it, the more i get out of it.
not a fan of conscious suffering but when i was young, my teacher, ed mcguire, had me practicing on a harmony with square neck dobro height action.
i have several other bespoke 7s here that are incredibly easy to play but i like a challenge!
-
Originally Posted by Saxophone Tall
-
Originally Posted by robocoptick
-
Originally Posted by sgosnell
-
-
Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
Just a moment...
-
Originally Posted by sgosnell
-
Well, they say even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. I'm glad you found a guitar you like. Play it in good health. I've personally never played one, only heard bad things about them.
-
Same guitar, but a bit of a contrast in styles.
-
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
Woodside Guitars GS3-JZZ Support
Today, 01:22 PM in For Sale