-
I put 11’s on and everything was still as perfect as the original setup.
-
08-28-2022 10:57 AM
-
I may have already shared this.
My GCS-1 would not stay in tune as reliably as my Yamaha Pacifica cheapie.
A luthier pointed out that the bridge wobbled a bit on the posts. That is, the bridge rests on two posts and those posts are a little thinner than would make a truly tight fit.
The luthier recommended a replacement bridge with a setscrew that goes through the bridge and touches the post. That way, the bridge can't move on the post. No wobble.
I didn't want to get a new bridge and deal with fit and slotting issues. So, instead I took the bridge off, wrapped some tape (should have used plumber's something-or-other for sealing threaded joints) around the posts and then pushed the bridge back onto them. This time, it took some effort. I think it still wobbles a tiny bit, but tuning stability is clearly improved.
The bridge on the Yamaha, btw, is like a Fender, I guess. No posts, just attaches to the top and does not seem to contribute to tuning instability.
-
Excellent, thank you! I'll probably be changing strings this Saturday. They should arrive in a couple of days.
Originally Posted by northernbreed
-
So I changed my strings and absolutely love the Thomastik Infeld JS112. Even the high E and B strings sound mellower than the stock strings. I thought they would be the same. Same gauge, both are plain steel, so why do the TIs sound warmer and mellower? Originally Posted by alfsiochi
I did minimal setup- just loosened the truss rod a little and adjusted the pickup height a little.
The guitar now has that tone I've been looking for, not sure how to describe it. Sort of like an es175 through a tube amp. (I've used my Henriksen Blu, my Helix Line 6, and Amplitube 5 Sims of various tube amps, and they all sound mellower. ). I don't think I'll ever use any other strings on my Comins gcs-16-1. Even picking next to the bridge to simulate a bridge pickup sounds great. It has just enough twang without being harsh.
-
Hey all.
New to the forum. Just wanted to post a pic of my new tangerine burst!
This thing is amazing! the setup and playability are perfect for me right out of the case. The neck is exactly as advertised - comfortably contoured. Sounds wonderful both acoustically and amplified. Much praise has been offered about this guitar by Tim Lerch and many others and I echo all of these observations. For this style of archtop I think it holds its own against any other in the $2000-6000 category that I have played.
I bought mine from Barrett Brooks at SoundPure. I can’t recommend him and SoundPure highly enough. I’ve bought and sold guitars with him in the past (including a Comins GCS-1ES, which is also superb) and he is great to work with and will go the extra mile to make sure you are satisfied. I can say the same about Bill Comins, too. He is a class act and true professional. Bill has taken the time to communicate directly with me with some questions and has been very generous with his time and knowledge. His craftsmanship and quality are top-notch and his guitars speak for themselves. I’m so thankful he has done this GCS line so that I’m able to afford one of his guitars. Maybe someday I’ll save up for a custom-built one. Until then, this a keeper, and I plan to spend years on this beautiful archtop.
-
Does anyone know what a GCS-16-1 weighs? I haven't found that spec online. Much appreciated.
-
Mine weighs 5 lbs 3.2 oz or 2.36 kg.
-
Originally Posted by rdlmd
Hey all.
New to the forum. Just wanted to post a pic of my new tangerine burst!
This thing is amazing! the setup and playability are perfect for me right out of the case. The neck is exactly as advertised - comfortably contoured. Sounds wonderful both acoustically and amplified. Much praise has been offered about this guitar by Tim Lerch and many others and I echo all of these observations. For this style of archtop I think it holds its own against any other in the $2000-6000 category that I have played.
I bought mine from Barrett Brooks at SoundPure. I can’t recommend him and SoundPure highly enough. I’ve bought and sold guitars with him in the past (including a Comins GCS-1ES, which is also superb) and he is great to work with and will go the extra mile to make sure you are satisfied. I can say the same about Bill Comins, too. He is a class act and true professional. Bill has taken the time to communicate directly with me with some questions and has been very generous with his time and knowledge. His craftsmanship and quality are top-notch and his guitars speak for themselves. I’m so thankful he has done this GCS line so that I’m able to afford one of his guitars. Maybe someday I’ll save up for a custom-built one. Until then, this a keeper, and I plan to spend years on this beautiful archtop.
nice beauty (can't tell anything else cause I've got this exact same model
except the fact that she sounds good according to me, plugged and unplugged!)
-
Beautiful instrument!
I especially like the tailpiece. Mine has the stop bar, if that's what it's called, which I think makes the action feel a little harder. I have toyed with the idea of replacing it.
-
Hey All,
Does anybody know what the Comins GCS-16-1 neck profile is most similar to in terms of other archtop manufacturers?
For example, is this neck profile more similar to a Gibson? Or is it more like a Benedetto? Or other archtop manufacturer? Guild? etc
I have limited experience with archtops and not a lot of options for trying them out locally. I have played several Eastmans, several Pisano models and the AR580CE, and have a good idea about what those necks feel like. Compared to the GCS-16-1, Eastmans feel slimmer to me.
Maybe another way to ask it is, "If I like the feel the of Comins GCS-16-1 neck, what other archtop manufacturers should I check out for a similar feel?"
Thanks for any input!
-
the comins is a " modern C shape", I don't know what is a "modern C shape" exactly but what I know is that when I move to a strato or a sheraton (epiphone kind of 335) and back to the comins, I don't feel a big difference so the comins neck feels playable according to me like those two other different guitars but maybe they got all " a modern C shape" neck ! Originally Posted by rdlmd
-
Which of these do you prefer? Originally Posted by 339 in june
-
curious about this as well. I haven’t loved the thin necks in the D’Angelicos I’ve played. Originally Posted by burchyk
-
I played a D'A EXDC, 2009 or so, for a while. Reportedly, it was designed by Bill Comins. Nice guitar. Has its own sound, to my ears. A little darker than average, but I liked it. Low E string sometimes slipped off the fingerboard, maybe because the nut wasn't cut perfectly, but I learned not to do that. Otherwise it was great. Oh- the case arrived with a defective latch. The Comins GCS-1 is also on the darker side, not as dark, to my ears, but has the coil split - which sounds pretty good. Originally Posted by DustinG
I find the body size and shape of the GCS-1 to be more comfortable, but people will differ on that.
Both very nice instruments.
One other point. The GCS-1 is only available with a stop tailpiece as far as I know. The others may have a trapeze. I may be wrong about this (it has been suggested), but I think that makes a difference in how the action feels. I prefer the trapeze.Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 02-11-2024 at 04:06 PM.
-
Difficult to say, I do love the Comins but in the long run I always come back to the Gibson Originally Posted by DustinG
As you asked the question, now, it's the Comins
Ask me in 2 months it will be the Gibson !
I feel more comfortable with the Gibson neck, but the Comins balances better on my knee
Now I've strunged the 339 with flatwounds, keeping the Comins with roundwounds, 11's for both
To be considered also : the Comins is about half the price of the Gibson, thus ..... !
HTH
-
What's the neck on the Comins like? Originally Posted by 339 in june
-
My feeling of it is the same than on my Epi Broadway (but with much better fit and finish) Originally Posted by DustinG
-
In case this is helpful to someone.
My GCS-1 started feeling sticky.
Eventually, I found that the problem was with the tuning keys. They had a coating, which gave the dark color, that was rubbing off onto my left hand fingers and then I was using the same fingers to play the guitar.
Bill Comins was aware of the problem and sent me new tuner keys, which have been fine.
I used naptha (lighter fluid, I think) to clean the sticky residue. I'm not recommending that to others, but it did work and didn't create any obvious negative side-effects. Still, I recommend due diligence before picking a cleaning product. I would not be shocked if someone disparaged naptha.
-
I was looking around for an archtop, these are very nice and interesting. I read somewhere that they have Jumbo frets, each fret is different, unfortunately I can't stand the bigger frets than those of a Les Paul or a Stratocaster, I heard but I could be wrong, that Eastman and D'Angelico have bigger frets than the standard ones, I ask please if someone with a caliper can measure the height and width of the frets if possible also in mm, I hope they are only medium jumbo. Thanks Originally Posted by LifeOnJazz
I don't recall seeing specs anywhere on the neck of either the GCS-1 or GCS-16, beyond nut width and scale length. I recently bought some calipers and took detailed measurements on all my guitars. I figure I might as well share my findings for my GCS-1es with club members.
Nut width: 43.27mm
1st fret depth: 21.50
12th fret depth: 23.85
12th fret width: 53.75
Bridge string spacing: 52.50
Oh, and I also tested the pickup resistance (through the output jack).
Neck HB: 7.55
Bridge HB: 8.47
Has anyone taken measurements on their GCS-16?
-
The stock Wilkinson tuners that came installed on my GCS-1 ES worked well, but recently I noticed that 2 of the 6 poles had developed a bit of play in them. It didn't affect tuning, but I decided to replace them anyway at my next string change (D'Addario 11-49 Half Rounds ). I went with Gotoh Large Schaller-style tuning machines in black since they were a direct drop-in replacement. They're working great and I think the black posts add a classy touch.
-
That looks great
-
Still letting it acclimate to the house and weather in the case, but looks like it will play well with just the factory setup (I'm sure I'll tweak it a little ; )
What different strings have all of you tried on your Comins? I'm normally a fairy light gauge player. Thanks, and I appreciate the group being here
and being able to join.
Capper
-
Isn’t that a poly finish? If yes, there’s nothing to acclimate. At any rate, it’s a fine looking guitar. Enjoy! Originally Posted by Capper222
Still letting it acclimate to the house and weather in the case, but looks like it will play well with just the factory setup (I'm sure I'll tweak it a little ; )
What different strings have all of you tried on your Comins? I'm normally a fairy light gauge player. Thanks, and I appreciate the group being here
and being able to join.
Capper
-
I use Fender 09s and throw away the 9 and buy a single 13.
11 13 16 24 32 42.
This is to accommodate arthritis. They work fine except for tuning instability in the low E string. Next time I change, I'll try a different brand to see if that solves the E string problem. If not, I'll go to a thicker string.
Although it's lighter than the factory set, I don't recall it needed a truss rod adjustment, but I might have forgotten.
Overall, the guitar feels and sounds great. It has a smooth thick sound in the upper register (up to around high A on the E string, 17th fret). A lot of sustain too which I like. Sound is on the dark side, but the coil split setting works well, giving more of a single coil sound (go figure).
Issues have been tuning buttons that lost their finish gradually (replaced by Bill Comins) and some tuning instability. I think, without being certain, that the tuning instability is because the bridge slides onto posts and the fit is not that tight. Variations are small, but I retune much more often with this guitar than a Yamaha Pacific cheapie with the Fender bridge design. Customer service is Bill and he's been terrific. If I lost it, I'd buy another.
-
Would love to have one of these. But I need a 7-string.
Thanks.
Reply With Quote
Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos