The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    I put 11’s on and everything was still as perfect as the original setup.

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  3. #27

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    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.

  4. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by northernbreed
    Fwiw, I did this very thing a couple of months back. No tweaks or changes required here. I expected at least a bit, but nope (other than fiddling a bit with pickup and pole height).
    Excellent, thank you! I'll probably be changing strings this Saturday. They should arrive in a couple of days.

  5. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by alfsiochi
    Excellent, thank you! I'll probably be changing strings this Saturday. They should arrive in a couple of days.
    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?
    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.

  6. #30

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    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.

    Comins GCS Owners Club-7dfe33fa-a425-45ad-a759-9f1bb11cabb1-jpg

  7. #31

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    Does anyone know what a GCS-16-1 weighs? I haven't found that spec online. Much appreciated.

  8. #32

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    Mine weighs 5 lbs 3.2 oz or 2.36 kg.

  9. #33

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    Quote 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.

    Comins GCS Owners Club-7dfe33fa-a425-45ad-a759-9f1bb11cabb1-jpg

    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!)

  10. #34

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    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.

  11. #35

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    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!

  12. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by rdlmd
    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 !


  13. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by 339 in june
    Attachment 90347
    My GCS1-ES with my ES-339, but that was in september
    Which of these do you prefer?

  14. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by burchyk
    Has anyone compared GCS-1 with D'Angelico SS Excel or Deluxe? Tried SS and love the formula.
    curious about this as well. I haven’t loved the thin necks in the D’Angelicos I’ve played.

  15. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by DustinG
    curious about this as well. I haven’t loved the thin necks in the D’Angelicos I’ve played.
    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.

    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.

  16. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by DustinG
    Which of these do you prefer?
    Difficult to say, I do love the Comins but in the long run I always come back to the Gibson
    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

  17. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by 339 in june
    Difficult to say, I do love the Comins but in the long run I always come back to the Gibson
    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?

  18. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by DustinG
    What's the neck on the Comins like?
    My feeling of it is the same than on my Epi Broadway (but with much better fit and finish)