The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi,
    My son is heading to college in the fall after completing a dual high school enrollment in an arts program. He was a guitarist in the jazz program, and their advanced jazz quintet just won a regional jazz festival outside of Washington, D.C. So proud of him. I am 55, playing since my teenage years, and I think he is definitely better than I am now. Anyway, I have a Heritage H-575, and he has a Gibson ES-175. Neither one of those are going to a college dorm. I am going to buy him a Henriksen Blu 6 and for a guitar, I am thinking about the following. Is there anything I should add?

    1) Used D'Angelico EXL-1 (have played these before).

    2) Used Eastman AR-371 (have not played and probably won't be able to play one within a reasonable distance).

    3) Epiphone Joe Pass (the guitar guy I use has one. I think he is re-fretting it, and putting his own wound pickups in it. We will definitely try this one).


    Any other recs? Does anyone have an AR-371? If so, what do you think of it?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I've played theAR371 and it was a great guitar.It's sound is brighter than the ES-175 and different.Eastman has there own sound going for it and i am a big fan.The action on the one i played was low just how i like it.

  4. #3

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    I would suggest the Toob 6.5 metro + Superblock US over the Blu. Less than half the price, so not as painful if stolen. Half the weight, as well.

    Lots of posts about the combination in the Gear section.

    Your guitar choices seem in the right ballpark.

  5. #4

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    Nice dad!

    Is he going to be a jazz guitar major, or just playing for fun on the side? The string players will have $15k+ violins in their rooms, so why not his nice guitars?
    That being said, a thinline tele style guitar will cover anything he needs.
    Best wishes for his next journey!

  6. #5

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    Epiphone, Ibanez, Peerless, The Loar, lots of decent choices. I think my Epi ES175 is every bit as good as a Gibson. The right guitar is mostly a matter of his preferences.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    Epiphone, Ibanez, Peerless, The Loar, lots of decent choices. I think my Epi ES175 is every bit as good as a Gibson. The right guitar is mostly a matter of his preferences.
    Unfortunately, I don't live in a place where we can try so many. I wish I could take a road trip. DC could be doable, but not NY over the next month or so.

    Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by marcwhy
    Nice dad!

    Is he going to be a jazz guitar major, or just playing for fun on the side? The string players will have $15k+ violins in their rooms, so why not his nice guitars?
    That being said, a thinline tele style guitar will cover anything he needs.
    Best wishes for his next journey!
    Jazz minor. He will major in something where the income is a little more certain.

    Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

  9. #8

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    Wouldn't he be needing a silent guitar (too) for use *in* the dorm?

  10. #9

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    Having been in dorm rooms before, id suggest a tele, with drywall nails driven into it halfway, so they stick out.

  11. #10

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    Hey I had a 175 when I was in college…paid for it myself too!

    My vote is for the Epiphone Joe Pass. The older Korean ones are very good, and I think the most recent crop is pretty good as well.

    That will give him the most jazz bang for the buck in something that wouldn’t be a catastrophe if stolen or damaged.

  12. #11

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    +1 for the tele, perhaps a Squire.
    Able to practice silent is a big deal, certainly a chunk of his practice will be in his dorm room.
    Not having to worry as much about damage is another plus as is less of a loss if stolen.

    Do big band directors have a bias against people auditioning with a solid body? I imagine some still do. That's a potential downside to a solid body.
    Attached Images Attached Images Looking for a good archtop for son's dorm-20220611_161511-jpg 

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by marcwhy
    Nice dad!

    Is he going to be a jazz guitar major, or just playing for fun on the side? The string players will have $15k+ violins in their rooms, so why not his nice guitars?
    That being said, a thinline tele style guitar will cover anything he needs.
    Best wishes for his next journey!

    You could try getting insurance on the "nice" guitars.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug B
    You could try getting insurance on the "nice" guitars.
    Already have it. The ES-175 and H-575 both have high sentimental value, so I don't want them there.



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  15. #14

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    If he's in college playing jazz guitar, it's nice to have a good instrument. Your choices are valid, depending on what he likes the most. Although i think the amp is too expensive for dorms/college. Many students have great instruments, but i knew guys in Berklee that had instruments and gear stolen, both from dorms and lockers. And you don't get any help from the college surveillance system (it's for college use only..). I had a Gibson 335 through college, but i was renting outside.

  16. #15

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    The solid body idea for the dorm is an interesting one. I hadn't thought about that before (i.e., being able to play at ultra-low volume).

    Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

  17. #16

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    I wrote a whole post... then I realized that I had more questions, then answers.

    Every time I play a gig, I make a choice about what guitar I am subjecting to dangers. I first have to ask myself what the dangers and issues are: theft, damage, weather, appearance, my personal comfort and tone. That list is probably hierarchical. (I live in CA so weather is not so bad. There are heat issues but not rain or cold). That list has also changed through out the years.

    as I wrote this, and thinking about weather... tele ...

  18. #17

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    I recently finished a DMA in jazz guitar and the jazz undergrads played more Teles than you might expect, plus a good number of Eastmans and some D’Angelicos. Eastmans have good cred in that environment and are good guitars. Epiphones are seen more as wannabes unless they are very old. Some of the students did own very nice archtops but the school was adjacent to a very high crime section in a major west coast metro area, so most students brought nice but not supernice guitars to school, not something they would cry over losing. I brought in a Tele in a beat up cheap gigbag myself most of the time, as I rode the train to school.

    If it has to be hollow, I’d say Eastman. Otherwise, Teles rule in my book.
    Last edited by maxsmith; 06-12-2022 at 08:41 AM.

  19. #18

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    Ibanez. Tons available under $300-400.
    From what I remember of dorms, the general din would make it impossible to hear a tele)))
    jk

  20. #19

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    Godin would be a good option. The prices are good, the playability is excellent and the sound is usually classic. They even get used by touring pros, such as Tony Bennett's guitarist.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    Ibanez. Tons available under $300-400.
    From what I remember of dorms, the general din would make it impossible to hear a tele)))
    jk
    Of course, you'd play through headphones. And probably through a computer amp sim and a Daw. College-aged students are pretty computer-savy.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick5
    Hi,
    My son is heading to college in the fall after completing a dual high school enrollment in an arts program. He was a guitarist in the jazz program, and their advanced jazz quintet just won a regional jazz festival outside of Washington, D.C. So proud of him. I am 55, playing since my teenage years, and I think he is definitely better than I am now. Anyway, I have a Heritage H-575, and he has a Gibson ES-175. Neither one of those are going to a college dorm. I am going to buy him a Henriksen Blu 6 and for a guitar, I am thinking about the following. Is there anything I should add?

    1) Used D'Angelico EXL-1 (have played these before).

    2) Used Eastman AR-371 (have not played and probably won't be able to play one within a reasonable distance).

    3) Epiphone Joe Pass (the guitar guy I use has one. I think he is re-fretting it, and putting his own wound pickups in it. We will definitely try this one).


    Any other recs? Does anyone have an AR-371? If so, what do you think of it?
    Hello Rick5,



    If he's used to a ES 175, then a laminate maybe?

    Personally.... A big EXL1..no one wants the trouble of dragging this monster around unless ....well, you know!(whoa! that looks like someone's dad's guitar ..forget it can't sell that etc).. The ar 371 is a great choice, and so would a 2 p.ups ar372 or ar380 John Pisano. A well set up E. Joe Pass is also a good choice, but a far cry from a 175.....guess it depends on your son's prefs. Get him a fender mustang micro headphone amp! and decent headphones...invaluable in the noisy dorm environnement and the biggest amp he can carry! ....They'll think twice before they try an bring that thing down to the getaway car...

    Best,

    Ray
    Last edited by RayS; 06-11-2022 at 09:44 PM.

  23. #22

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    Ibanez, Godin or if you're adventurous, Archtop Tribute AT101 directly from Walkin Japan.

    20?????????????? | WALKiN'

    JPY120K or about USD893.

  24. #23

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    AT105?2x????????? | WALKiN'

    JPY170K or about USD1265.

  25. #24

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  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    Having been in dorm rooms before, id suggest a tele, with drywall nails driven into it halfway, so they stick out.
    Heh. I'll have to admit that my 1st reaction reading the OP was "Dorm? Why not spend [some of] the money to buy or rent son a decent place to stay of his own". Many claim me wrong but I'm still glad I didn't have to move out of my parents' place in a green village at bicycling distance from my uni - until I got my 1st post-doc in Paris. If distance had been an issue I would definitely have wanted a calm place of my own without distracting housemates.