Comins vs Seventy Seven

[salbass123]

I am trying to decide between a Comins GCS-1ES and a Seventy Seven Albatross Jazz. Basically, smaller body, spruce top, ebony fingerboard, etc. I know from trying one that the Comins is quite nice, but the build quality and design of the Albatross is supposed to be superb. The sound clips I have heard are great. Problem is - this would come from JP and is not something I can actually play first. Has anyone ever A/B'd these guitars? Slim chance, I know :-)

[rpjazzguitar]

One thing that might be worth checking on is tuning stability.

My Comins GCS-1 (not the ES) is a great guitar, but I have to keep tuning it. My Yamaha Pacifica cheapie holds tune perfectly for days. Maybe it's something minor, but I've done the nut sauce and checked for roughness in the bridge and nut ... I don't think it's the neck.

Anybody else have this issue with a Comins GCS-1?

[salbass123]

Thanks for the heads up. I have not heard that from others but good to know.

[John A.]

I am trying to decide between a Comins GCS-1ES and a Seventy Seven Albatross Jazz. Basically, smaller body, spruce top, ebony fingerboard, etc. I know from trying one that the Comins is quite nice, but the build quality and design of the Albatross is supposed to be superb. The sound clips I have heard are great. Problem is - this would come from JP and is not something I can actually play first. Has anyone ever A/B'd these guitars? Slim chance, I know :-)

I'm not sure you can even get a 77 from Japan right now (at least not a new one). I've read in a couple of places (e.g., here Bobs Fine Guitars! | Reverb) that their production and distribution have been shut down due the pandemic, and none of the sites that nominally sell them seem to have any live product. So I think the Comins is probably a more viable option for that reason alone. I recently bought 77 Hawk Jazz archtop used on Reverb. I can definitely reiterate that the build quality is very good, but I haven't played either an Albatross or a GCS-1ES, so can't help with that comparison.

John

[salbass123]

Thanks. There is a is a US distributor with access to some. I have heard nothing but terrific things about the quality of these 77 guitars - normally I would never consider a sight unseen purchase. But of course, I am tempted right now :-)

[alpop]

Thanks. There is a is a US distributor with access to some. I have heard nothing but terrific things about the quality of these 77 guitars - normally I would never consider a sight unseen purchase. But of course, I am tempted right now :-)

I have owned a Seventy Seven Albatross and it was a superb guitar. The quality was outstanding. It sounded great and played great. The only issue that I had with mine was that the binding on the top of neck was a dark tortoise shell looking material and the fret marker dots were black and VERY difficult to see.

[Cunamara]

Forum member Jack Zucker has almost certainly played both. He is an endorser for Seventy Seven and has a signature model.

[rhl-ferndale]

No Comins experience (other than the Alessandro-built Comins-labeled jazz amp), but you can’t go wrong with a Seventy Seven Albatross, unless 1/you have big hands/fingers and 2/like to work 15th-22nd fret.

I sold mine only because I do rely on chording all the way up the neck, and the treble horn got in the way of that (though my hands are not big).

A JGO member—Top of the Arch?—represents Seventy Seven from the US. Search threads for more on that.