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There wasn't a nicer gentleman, for sure! On the phone, Jeff was as patient as he was kind.
Well, I had a Jeff Hale memory strike me yesterday when a 2007 arch top appeared for sale.
It's an Eastman AR803 Uptown, 16" x 2.75", Spruce top and Maple back. 7 layer binding on both top and back.
What's unusual is this was a Custom order only item, and I believe only Jeff Hale carried this specific model in 2007.
It features Pearl inlays along the neck. Eastman only featured these inlays on a custom AR910CE, and different inlays on Lou's Guitar n' Jazz models.
Anyways, here's the guitar along with Jeff's 13 year old youtube video. Miss you Jeff!
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07-10-2022 03:29 PM
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Here are Jeff's actual advertisement photos of the guitars front and back. It features a Seymour Duncan humbucker. I've no idea if the humbucker was swapped out, or if the video featuring a Benedetto B-6 was a one off.
What's also unique about this Custom model is that it features a coil tap which allows you to play it in humbucking 2 coil mode, or in single coil mode. Nice trick Jeff Hale!
Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 07-13-2022 at 02:03 PM.
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Beauty.
I bought my Redstone cab from him, what was that, 13 years ago? Time flies.
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Done business with Jeff twice. Most friendly, accommodating and trustworthy dealer I have ever met. Is he still around?
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Jeff Hale bought Raezer's Edge from the family of Rich Raezer when Rich was killed by his son. I still have one of those cabinets built by Jeff's employees (he sold Raezer's edge to his shop foreman when he retired) that Jeff gave me when I wrote an article about Raezer's edge cabinets for Just Jazz Guitar magazine. Jeff was a nice guy for sure, I hope he is enjoying retirement.
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Oh that's great news. All of these years I thought Jeff had passed away, and had no idea he'd simply retired!
Originally Posted by Stringswinger
That had been mentioned on this forum, and yet no one mentioned he'd retired. Interesting.
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I liked him.
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Jeff Hale did a lot to promote the "small" guys such as Eastman, The Heritage, Benedetto Savannah, Acoustic Image, et alia. Very nice man. I enjoyed his presentations of new products. His old Youtube videos are mostly sequestered under Geoff Felsher's Raezer's Edge YT channel now.
I hope Jeff Hale is enjoying retirement in good health.
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Bought my JazzKat from him a long time ago. Still enjoying the amp. Also bought an Eastman semi (can’t remember the model) that had an issue. Jeff took care of it without hassle. A good man.
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I visited Jeff’s shop regularly and bought a used ES175 from him. He was indeed a very nice person and honest dealer. I still think of him often when I drive by the place where his shop used to be. I hope he’s well.
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I do, I communicated with him often. Then I could never find out what happened to him.
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I bought a guitar from him when I got back into the guitar into 2006 (can't believe how time flies, and how much life can change in 14 years...). A now discontinued model, the Eastman AR604CE, an oval hole, mahogany/spruce model. I've been thinking of selling that guitar recently but I'm hesitant to do so. My wife told me once, dont' sell it, every time I see it I tell myself it brings good luck. It's a good guitar and the money won't be worth it. It had come perfectly set up from the USA to Switzerland in three days. Jeff had a very good tech and inspection and setup were an integral part of the deal, who provided his own signed inspection label. Much appreciated that transaction.
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I ordered an early Henriksen Convertible from the factory but got it shipped from J. Hale. That led to quite a bit of messaging over the next couple of years. Then Jeff's offering started to taper off and the business ended somewhat mysteriously. Nobody seemed to know anything and those who did, refused to comment. Announcing retirement would have been a fair gesture, with a flurry of thanks and best wishes as a result.
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Maybe he tried to sell the business as a part of a retirement plan? Always hard and sensitive if you are a one man show… Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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yeah Jeff Hale was a great guy I met him in the early days of Eastman which I was really big on and he had a gallery of guitars he had sold and one of them was a double pick up T146 which was like a normal scale Byrdland I guess. It had Seymour Duncan’s with push pull pots
I was flabbergasted at first because I have a cousin named Jeff Hale I had fallen out of touch with and I thought oh my god this guy went from being an FBI agent to a music store freak ha ha ha
But it was Jess we had the same last name he was a great guy
BigMikeLast edited by Crm114; 07-11-2022 at 09:34 AM.
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The guy who went from FBI/CIA agent to being a jazz guitar dealer was Bill Fender (Legato Guitars "keepers of the flame", North Carolina). He retired then died. I did know Jeff Hale and I corresponded with him the week before he closed his store, but I do not know where he is or how he is. Somebody must know.
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The Hofner Verythin John Stowell I have for sale on this forum was purchased from Jeff by the guitar's original owner. There is indeed a signed setup label / calling card in the case from Rauen Guitars, a legendary, world-renowned luthier located in the Milwaukee area. Originally Posted by m_d
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Some years back, Geoff Felsher, the owner of Raezer's Edge and I talked by phone and he told me that he had spoken with Jeff Hale the day before and that Jeff was enjoying retirement. I bought my first Raezer's Edge cabinet from Bill Fender of Legato guitars in 2001. It was a used Stealth 12. A year later, I sold it and bought a Stealth 12ER from Rich Raezer. Originally Posted by WilliamScott
Bill Fender (RIP) and Jeff Hale were very nice guys indeed.
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The things we discover on the WWWeb. Bill Fender was a Mark Campellone dealer (back when Mark took orders through his 4 dealers). I wrote to Bill Fender and got a rude reply that I was a scammer and to go sod myself (not his exact words but something to that effect). I found that rather odd and never got my M. Campellone... Originally Posted by WilliamScott
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I bought my 18 inch Campellone Deluxe from Bill Fender of Legato guitars in about 2001. I happen to have been the Campellone made for RIch Raezor (1998) and wow it is a nice one. All these years later and I still love the guitar is has everything one could want in a masterpiece guitar. I also knew Jeff Hale by phone and email he had a great thing but I am sure it was not making him rich. I hope he is well, and Billy is with the Lord. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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It’s such an iconic guitar, which is no longer being produced. I hope you keep it, and by all means, play it. I wish I had one! Originally Posted by m_d
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Rauen, that's the name. It was a neat little card, part handwritten, with a picture of Rauen wearing a bandana. I still have it somewhere. Originally Posted by wzpgsr
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BTW, I own an Eastman AR610CE. I'd never sell it, no matter how high Eastman used prices get. With it's Spruce top and Mahogany back, the guitar is irreplaceable! I'm about to replace the pickup, but I'm uncertain about which pickup to go for.
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I agree! I own pretty much every model that Eastman sells (I have a bit of a guitar hoarding problem) and there is just something about the AR610CE. The acoustic AR610 is very nice as well. Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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