Looking to purchase new jazz box & want some feedback

[zkinard]

I have a budget of about $1,000. Wanting to purchase a new jazz box. Would love to hear some opinions/recommendations on how that $ would be best invested?

Cheers & thanks,
Zach

[lammie200]

What do you like in guitar specs? Size, scale length, etc.?

EDIT: You are going to get a lot of thoughts but they will only be helpful if we know something about your preferences. A lot of us have been shopping guitars for decades.

[Greentone]

$1,000 will buy you a lot of jazz guitar these days. I'm interested in seeing what the recommendations are.

[clem_gael]

Godin Kingpin P90

[jim777]

Do you want a thinnish guitar on the edges for easy playing, like a Strat or Tele, or something quite a bit deeper? Will you being playing it amplified, and loud, or just at conversational level in your living room? Some are fully hollow, some semi-hollow, some have thicker, more feedback resistant tops than others. Do you really want 'new', or is 'new to you' good enough?

[rpjazzguitar]

An issue which I don't think has come up very often is how much sustain you want.

Some guitars sustain more than others, with archtops, I think, being at the low end of sustain, by design. If I'm mistaken, hopefully, someone will correct me. I have heard some players seem to get good sustain from an archtop, but on average, I think a semi with a block or a solid is more likely to sustain more. Still, it may be important to recognize that there is a good deal of variation within the category of "archtop" and that may need to inform your choice.

So, the choice of guitar should, I think, depend in your style of play. Do you want to sound like Santana (or pick a jazz guitarist who employs sustain like that) or Tal? Do you have the chops to play a lot of notes? If you do, you'll do well with a low-sustain instrument. But, if you don't, a long sustain instrument can give you a path towards high-energy soloing which doesn't require as many notes.

Unfortunately, it's more complicated. Because the amount of sustain that works for soloing may not work as well for comping. So, you're faced with a choice, or a need to modify how you play. I don't know if this bothers many players, but it bothers me.

[pcjazz]

Actually, one thing you don’t want is feedback, if you are looking for an amplified guitar.

[zkinard]

I don't have a ton of spec preferences to be honest as I don't have much experience with jazz boxes. The one other electric guitar that I own has a 25.5" scale length which is comfortable. A larger box is preferred to slim-line style. Will be playing at low volume level in living room. I'll be purchasing something of good, used quality. Fire away.

ZK

[lammie200]

Epiphone Broadways are 25.5" and probably pretty decent for the money.

Epiphone Broadway - Vintage Natural | Sweetwater

For a bit more over your budget and at 24.75" Guild A150s are nice. Better acoustic sound than an Epiphone. I have one and it is the only imported make that I have now. Superior neck construction compared to Epiphones as well. I have so many guitars that I would consider selling mine if your are interest. Mint condition with its hard shell case.

Guild Newark Street, A-150 Savoy Hollowbody Electric Guitar - Blonde | Sweetwater

There are also some models of Eastman that you may like but I don't know much about them.

[kris]

jazz box-hollow body?

[sgosnell]

Take a look at Eastman. Lots of bang for the buck. Other Asian-made models as well. For a starter instrument, any of the Asian models will provide decent quality at a decent price.

[Woody Sound]

Actually, one thing you don’t want is feedback, if you are looking for an amplified guitar.

Ever the punster here, you beat me to that one.

[Doctor Jeff]

Yeah, if you want feedback, just turn the volume up and play right into the amplifier.

[coltranetime]

I have an Eastman ac503ce and it is really good.
I've had L5's, Sadowsky's, Benedetto's and other high end archtops. I decided to downsize my collection and the money that I had wrapped up in guitars so I sold the expensive ones and bought the Eastman and it is fully satisfying...to me at least.
I paid $850.00 used.

[rpjazzguitar]

I think you have to play the guitar. For me, the feel of the neck is the first thing I check. Takes me a fraction of a second to know if it's not going to work.
Then, if I buy it, I want a return privilege, because it will be a month before I'm sure it will work. And, I've been wrong, before, in every possible way.

My point is that there is nothing about a recommendation, or a recording, or whatever, that will substitute for playing the guitar in my usual contexts.

If you forced me to pick anyway, I'd go to the main brands with a particular eye toward Yamaha, since I've generally gotten good value from Yamaha anything.

[maxiim]

you can get a Ibanez LGB30 for as low as 600$ used - the neck is on the slimmer size but its great for comping and fast playing in generall - though its not the loudest accousticaly, probably all that thick poly finish >

the GB10SE has a bigger neck with a floating pickup so it is louder and rounder

they‘re also a tiny bit smaller than the average jazzbox 15.7“ i believe something like that

[lammie200]

Check the For Sale section. There is a D'Angelico with a CC Biltoff pickup that would be very decent as a jazz box in your price range.