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Neck and back issues dictate that I spend most of my time playing thinner, smaller instruments. My favorite guitars are a '51 Epiphone Triumph Regent and a '59 L7C- love them to death, but the consequences of playing a 3 hour gig are becoming prohibitive. I am looking for a thinner guitar, probably 16" x 1.75-2.25", and I like long scale. Ideally it would be a carved top with a floating pickup, as that combo seems to produce more "character" in the tone vs laminates with top mounted pickups (in my limited experience).
I live way out west in Ory-gone, so I don't have the opportunity to test drive instruments (other than Squiers and Deans and the like). That means I usually have to buy, and have shipped, prospects.
I like pre-dented guitars- super shiny, fastidiously kept instruments are not important to me- playability and tone are what I'm after. My bass player uses a 19th century German instrument that looks like Frankenstein's monster- I'm not afraid of cracks.
I am a big Steve Holst fan, and if I could afford to commission an instrument from him (he lives about 4 hours away) I would, but I need to keep this well under $2K. I play mostly standards, some pop, some latin, all clean, just a bit of reverb from the Henriksen.
I would sure appreciate you recommendations, suggestions, considerations. If you want to send money that would be cool too, but gigs paying what they do (same as they did 25 years ago).......
Thank you, thank you.....
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02-24-2022 12:51 AM
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One guitar to consider is the Hofner Jazzica Custom, made on and off, in limited quantities, from @2000 to @2018. It has a carved top/floating pickup, 25 1/4" scale, 16th fret neck/body joint, a 15 7/8" lower bout width, and a wedge shape that is quite comfortable (@2 1/2" at the neck heel to @4" at the butt. Very comfortable to play, IMO. They come up occasionally, often at prices that meet your budget needs. Several of the members here own them.
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None are the longer, 25.5" scale, but I can recommend these thinlines:
- Eastman T146smd
- Epiphone Sorrento '62 Reissue
- Heritage H525
All have floating bridges. P/us: eastman has humbuckers. The Sorrento has minihumbuckers. The heritage has P90s.
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I have shoulder issues now, and I have wondered how much role the thickness of a body plays vs the width? I have a 16" Gretsch Hot Rod, 2.5" deep. If I play it for very long, my right shoulder does start to ache. This rarely happens with my teles & strat. But I'd love to try one of the ES-Les Pauls... same width as a LP, but deeper.... or the Ibanez GB10, same thing....
I don't have an answer, but I think for me the lower bout width might play more of a role than the body thickness.
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A MIJ Gretsch long scale!!
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Is there an Indo made long scale gretch? Not try hollowbody with trestle bracing, but cheap.....
Maybe too flashy but Eastman AR503CE or 580CE are thin(ner) and solid top and 25"
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Thank you. The Hofner looks like the closest candidate. Is there a reason so few thin line guitars are long scale? I understand that with the shortened heel, neck resets are more common with thin lines- I wonder if that is it?
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I liked the 80s Epi Emperor Thinlines. They had a 25.5” scale.
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The Gibson and Epiphone Johnny A. models are fully hollow, but thin, and 25.5" scale. A forum member was actually selling one that had been converted to a hardtail in the classifieds.
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The Godin hollow body sounds quite woody (I forgot the name something concert-hall like). The Gibson Blueshawk is not hollow but it is 25.5 scale and extremely versatile. I could dig up the sounds of it that Gibson had on their website in the 90s. Your kinda right about laminate but there’s a lot between it. I played a es-235 semi hollow but with lightened block and an epiphone casino coupe in the same shop. Es 235 sounded all right acoustically (maple-poplar-maple) and the epi sounded horrendous (maple multi ply)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I was under the impression that they are semi-hollow.
Originally Posted by ruger9
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Nope. Fully hollow, they just have 2 small posts under the bridge posts, for bridge stability. Originally Posted by lammie200
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Eastman T145SMD or 146SMD,if you can find one.
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I also like the Eastmans. My only issue with the one I owned was the 1.75" neck width. I prefer narrower, but I can get used to wider if I have to. I sort of regret selling my T145. It was a nice sounding guitar, and very loud acoustically, although only 1.75" thick at the rims.
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Thank you for your suggestions, but most either have laminate tops or top-mounted pickups. I have an Eastman
T-146 SMD- solid woods, it's the right size and shape and the build quality is good, but with two great big pickups mounted in the top it just doesn't have a chance to really vibrate.
A Jazzica Custom just popped up on Reverb for $2K. I can't quite get myself to love the aesthetics though. There is something about the German sense of style that has always seemed clunky to me (with the exception if Porsche, BMW etc).
Maybe I should rob a bank and have Steve Holst build me one. Or get a job. No, not that.
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The thing is that a narrow 16" guitar is unlikely to have a big acoustic sound unless made by someone who really knows what they are doing, and even then there are compromises. I believe Campellone and a few others will make this, but the big majority of arch tops with that size are that way because folks want to play them electrically, hence the built in pickups, and yes they are often laminates as well. Originally Posted by JazzDaddyD
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On A 16" body, I find laminated tops to be quite good. I only mention this because on 17" bodies, they can be typically flat sounding and a carved top 16" at your price range, could be quite bright, or tight.
You may find at 16" with a 25'5 scale, a laminate will give you more bottom end and definition, especially with the thinner body.
Very few guitars spring to mind given your requirements. Although an Ibanex JP-20 does meet most and has a very good tone.
I would have said a Sweet 16 but they are somewhat above your price range.
Hammer is right about the Hofner but I couldn't get on with mine.
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One thing I noticed is that thinline guitars have a more mid heavy and focused tones. Does everybody find that?
Fully hollow thinlines can get very barky and congested in the mids. Thinlines with a centerblock tend to be more balanced but generally still have pronounced mids. But the center block brings more solid body like "immediateness" to the attack.
I prefer fully hollow but stiff thinlines. Very resonant thinlines can get too muddy in the mids.
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Here's one I have my eye on:
D'Angelico Deluxe 59
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You might want to check out the Guild M75. It's Hollow, but no f holes and fairly thin.
Guitarsn'Jazz has one for sale, sorry forget the price. Also the Eastman El Ray series.
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The Hofner John Stowell model might be suitable for your needs, I have a 2006 violin finished, it's like a very thin 335 shape, hand carved spruce top with maple back and sides, made in Germany. It has a 25 1/2 inch scale length, with a nice long neck. Single Floating Neck Pickup.
Not silly prices too.
But, I'd but this:Comins GCS-1ES (Violin Burst)Last edited by GuyBoden; 03-08-2023 at 06:55 AM.
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Just a few details regarding the Hofner John Stowell. Wonderful guitars!: Originally Posted by GuyBoden
-laminated spruce top;
-solid spruce interior block running end-to-end;
-1 1/4" deep rims;
-25 1/4" scale;
-full neck access due to form factor, like a Gibson ES-335;
-high neck set depth, floating bridge and trapeze tailpiece gives it more of an archtop feel than a Gibson ES-335-style guitar or a later Verythin;
-rims and back plate of laminated flamed anigree, an African hardwood that can resemble flamed maple.
Fewer that 150 of these were made, between 2001 and 2010, most with a natural finish. A few were made with a violin varnish finish.Last edited by Hammertone; 03-09-2023 at 01:54 AM.
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