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Hey y’all, hope you’re good
I’m going to college to study jazz guitar in the fall & would like some advice!
I want a solid workhorse guitar to take with me for gigging and kickin around college. I’ll have an Ibanez S&RG w/ me– S is super light for dragging around and nice sounding, but maybe perhaps not the thing for a more formal jazz gig & a bit thinner sounding... RG kills fusion but again, more metal-esque haha.
My dad has a tele I play all the time for jazz, but obviously won’t have it once I move out, so I thought about getting my own. Equally, I tried an Ibanez AMH90 the other day and liked it, and the new AS113 looks nice too...
I also play country, so obviously tele should win (alongside a solid body being more kick-about-able), but that doesn’t quite get the jazz sounds I love. On the other hand, a semihollow would get me the jazz sound but not the versatility, and if I like the 113 it could cost more, etc...
I feel like now is the last time to buy a guitar before I need to financially prioritize eating, so I’d just appreciate some opinions from more experienced musicians on which path to go down!
(yes I can play jazz on my Ibanez S, I’d just like a slightly more ‘jazzy' sounding guitar to go alongside it!)
Thank you!!
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03-06-2022 08:03 PM
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Welcome to the Forum, and congrats on going to school next year!
Something that is always helpful here for "what do I buy?" gear questions is Budget: eating is more important than another guitar, so what can you afford?
From what you're saying, though, a tele or semi-hollowbody will take care of 95% of your needs and wants. Also, if you're new to jazz guitar, consider waiting a few semesters -- your tastes and desires will change, and then you'll be wanting another guitar! Save your money, and buy later!
Happy hunting!
Marc
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I sent my oldest off to college with a really nice partscaster Strat I put together for him. Maybe about $750 all in and as good as many other "nicer" F-types I've had. Pluses are that it's not that expensive (speaking from experience guitars/bikes/computers/electronics you name it get stolen/beer poured on them/fall down and the neck breaks all the time and the number 1 rule should be don't take something if it would break your heart if something happened to it) and being a bolt neck with lots of modular parts, it's pretty easy to fix if anything went wrong. Minuses: no F-sticker on the headstock. That's it (and probably make sit less prone to theft as an added benefit).
Sounds like a parts-Tele would be perfect. They're super versatile (jazz? of course; country? yeah!; rock: yup - definitely more versatile than a Strat to my mind) and basically bulletproof. You can put together a nice T-type for <$750 for sure (or find one already built up on one of the forums). That's what I would recommend. And they provide a nice platform if you want to try different pickups, set-ups etc. And if you want the convenience of rolling around with a gig bag, you'll sleep better without a set neck in there.
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I think teles can get a just fine traditional jazz tone, but maybe you're thinking humbucker?
Shouldn't be hard to find a decent tele with a neck humbucker out there...
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It sounds great but really to be truthful I would buy a nice guitar to play and study on my own. Change your major to cybersecurity or some field related to medicine. The beauty of this is that you will have more gigs that are steady. This is not meant to be a downer response I am just a realist and paying for college and making a living playing/studying jazz guitar is going to be a challenge. I am just too practical in my approach to working and making a living.
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Not for jazz, usually. When the boy across the street went off to college in Flagstaff Arizona to major in snowboarding, finance?, I gave him a RainSong flat top because he was kind of careless. He graduated, the guitar survived him and the mountains.
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I think the best recommendation so far is that you wait until you know better what you really want and then save your money for that (advice I think a lot of us wish we had followed). But if you really feel like you have to get something now, I'd cross the AMH90 off the list* and focus on whether you prefer a tele or a semi as a style of guitar. Between a tele and a semi, it's pretty much a tie in terms of flexibility and jazz suitability, with each being better at some things than the other and both being good at a lot. To some eyes, a semi looks more the part, and in some places that might matter, but in my experience and observation it doesn't.
The other thing I'd say is that for the kind of prices you're looking at ($1000-ish give or take a bit?), consider used. For a given budget, you can find the same model for a couple of hundred less, or a model higher in the lineup for about the same $'s. Both Fender and Ibanez announce new models all the time that are mostly just minor tweaks to features and/or wood types, which makes recently discontinued ones a great deal. So you can pay $1000 for a new AS113, or $800-ish for a year or two old ASM153 (which is for all intents and purposes the same guitar). Ditto for Fender (today's "Player Plus" is yesterday's "Player"), plus $1000 gets you into made-in-USA models on the used market. Spend some time on Reverb and this all will be clearer.
* Based on looking at the specs and without having tried one, so grains of salt, but that strikes me as offering little in terms of improved jazz tone over your other options and less flexibility. If you want a real hollow-body, look at real hollow-bodies.
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I second the notion of a Tele. Especially with something just a bit fattter in the neck position. Super versatile, you can play any style and be legit, plus no one will be judging you based on the guitar you have. A Tele always brings it's own street cred.
My best Tele for jazz is a partscaster with a Baja neck and a TK Smith CC in the neck, but it's still super versatile.
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My opinion is that the "jazz tone" is a combination of strings, pick, amp, technique, pickups and last but definitely not least phrasing/vocabulary.
Guitar construction does help evoke specific tones but it is not a must.
Keep in mind that hollow guitars tend to be a bit more picky with volume and can be awkward if you're not used to them. Jazz is already hard as it is
Agree with the previous poster not to rush things. You'll probably meet some people at school and will get to try and see/hear different instruments in person. This can change your opinion substantially.
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It sounds like in the long term you will own (at least) both a tele and a jazzier guitar.
I guess your number one priority should be to have a guitar that doesn't annoy you or bother you.
Your number two priority should be to have guitar you enjoy/love in a majority of the situations.
Your current guitars might be able to fulfil that (maybe string and pickup upgrade might get you better jazz sound)?
If you are mainly going to play jazz in college, I would prioritize something you'll enjoy playing jazz with and down prioritize versatility and country (you can later buy a second guitar for that).
You will probably enjoy it when you visit your parents during breaks and get to play your fathers tele.
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I've only heard (read) good things about Comins GCS guitars, so when one popped up used for sale and for a kind price, I jumped on it.
It is a GCS1-ES, the semi-hollow with 2 humbuckers, laminated spruce top and ebony fretboard. I can play everything I want with this guitar, from smooth and dark jazz tones up to fusion like. The pick ups are usable in all positions (split available with push-pull tone pot) and on all the range of both volume and tone pots.
Best € invested in guitars for my self.
I saw one for sale on this forum today, that's to be considered IMHO
Comins GCS-1ES - Vintage Blond (mint)
Whatever your choice will be, have fun and play the hell out of your guitar(s), even if it is a Tele :-)
Mine, compared to the G ES-339 that gets less and less playing time !
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The GCS-1 and it's bigger brother the GCS-16 (either 1 or 2 pickup version) are certainly contenders. Jack Wilkins has been playing one for awhile, and sounds just like Jack Wilkins on his Benedetto. Jimmy Bruno played one for awhile, maybe still does, although he's been using his Sadowsky on Frank Vignola's Guitar Night, probably influenced at least to some extent by Sadowsky at least partially sponsoring it. Jimmy certainly likes Bill Comins and his guitars. I've never owned one, but I think they're certainly worth consideration.
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When I went to Berklee, there were mostly solid bodies, even with jazz players. 335s too. A lot of solid bodies with humbuckers. I used a strat (hated it) then an sg (much better).
Rick Peckham, who was the assistant guitar chair at Berklee used a tele. he is deep into hardcore jazz!
A solid body is great to knock around at school, very durable of course. It probably depends on your school situation. If you can take care of your guitar (not living in a rowdy dorm) and drive to class (not mass transit and lots of walking in extreme weather) then a hollow body should be fine too.
for me at Berklee it was hiking in a mile at zero degrees in the winter with a gig bag, so solid body for sure.
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My main guitar is a Comins GCS-1. Sounds and plays great. But it doesn't sound like a 25.5 archtop or a Tele. I think it's closer to a HB 24 3/4 guitar, solid or not.
For college I'd be thinking about several features.
1) I want a great sounding guitar for all kinds of music. So, versatility is important.
2) I don't want it to be super expensive because security can be a problem.
3) A student probably has the guitar in hand for a good part of every day, so it needs to be ergonomically correct in every possible way.
4) A student is going to be carrying it a lot, so light weight is important.
One of the less expensive Tele's would work well, assuming it feels good in the player's hands.
The GCS-1 is about $1700, but my D'A EXDC covered a lot of the same ground for maybe a third of the price. No coil split though.
I have a Yamaha Pacifica 012 Strat copy that's plays great and is cheap, light and versatile, but it doesn't sound that great -- unfortunately.Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 03-09-2022 at 01:45 AM.
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Thanks so much for all your guys’ replies, I really appreciate all the advice
I’ll probably stick to what I’ve got for a semester or two and look at possibly picking up a second hand tele then; I can look forwards to a hollow body further down the line and it makes sense like some of y’all have said to have a versatile & comfortable guitar over a strictly jazz guitar!
Thanks again!
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Something like this maybe?
G&L Tribute Series ASAT Classic Bluesboy Semi-Hollow with | Reverb
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My thoughts are: get a higher end tele and I bet you will use it for the rest of your life. They just seem to always be useful. Just do not let anyone steal it.
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Originally Posted by Doodlegame
Hey y’all, hope you’re good
I’m going to college to study jazz guitar in the fall & would like some advice!
I want a solid workhorse guitar to take with me for gigging and kickin around college. I’ll have an Ibanez S&RG w/ me– S is super light for dragging around and nice sounding, but maybe perhaps not the thing for a more formal jazz gig & a bit thinner sounding... RG kills fusion but again, more metal-esque haha.
My dad has a tele I play all the time for jazz, but obviously won’t have it once I move out, so I thought about getting my own. Equally, I tried an Ibanez AMH90 the other day and liked it, and the new AS113 looks nice too...
I also play country, so obviously tele should win (alongside a solid body being more kick-about-able), but that doesn’t quite get the jazz sounds I love. On the other hand, a semihollow would get me the jazz sound but not the versatility, and if I like the 113 it could cost more, etc...
I feel like now is the last time to buy a guitar before I need to financially prioritize eating, so I’d just appreciate some opinions from more experienced musicians on which path to go down! (yes I can play jazz on my Ibanez S, I’d just like a slightly more ‘jazzy' sounding guitar to go alongside it!)
Thank you!!
Many people get fine jazz tones from dead-stock, off-the-shelf Teles. A set of flat-wounds will go far. Fun Fact: my '66 Custom Telecaster, which came to me in under-the-bed condition four decades later - hang tags still on - had 11- 50 FWs on it. Still in tune!
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