Hollow Body With Neck Pickup Only (Around $700)

[Sushi313]

Hello fellow jazz guitar fans,

I'm looking to purchase my first hollow body guitar, but would prefer neck only pickup guitar. Are there any around $700.00 or less?

[Christian Miller]

Godin 5th avenue?

[Mick Wright]

Godin 5th avenue?

I'd agree. The two that I've played were excellent quality.

[John A.]

+ 1 on the Godin Kingpin

Also:

Eastman ar405 or ar403ce (both are a bit more than $700, but you might get lucky and find one for around $700)
Loar LH-309

[whiskey02]

At that price point you may well be doing yourself a disservice by avoiding options with 2 pickups.

[st.bede]

I guess a question is why only neck PU?

I tend to favor the neck PU, but the others come in handy. There are many times where I play a whole set (typical non jazz) gig set with only my neck PU. In those situations I tend use a tube amp, ride the volume knob, and have some pedals. It seems like the bridge PU is even more important when I am doing more jazz stuff. I can blend in some of the bridge to give some extra note definition. I tend to be using a SS amp, with few (if non) pedals.

However that is me, and I totally respect anyone in their path towards tonal bliss.

[Little Jay]

Guild T50
Stanford Vanguard
Stanford Fatboy
D'Angelico Premier
Harley Benton Manhattan
The Loar LH-309
Epiphone Sorento
Epiphone Zephyr Blues
Epiphone Century

Lots of options....

[Little Jay]

I've seen great reviews on this one:



Amazon.com: GROTE Jazz Electric Guitar Hollow Body Chrome Hardware P90 pickup (Vintage Sunburst) : Musical Instruments

[spencer096]

used eastman 371

[burchyk]

I have the Guild T50 Slim. Very cool guitar.

Love the neck. It is on the slimmer side, but mine is super straight and the frets are done so well that it plays amazing. Low action with no buzz.

The laminate top is even thinner than ES-175 VOS or vintage 50s ones. That makes it very responsive acoustically, which is rather unique among other cost-effective options.

Don't worry about the lack of a cutaway. I personally find upper fret access no worse or even somehow better than the 175 which has one. Probably due to the fact that the neck heel forces you to change the grip anyway.

The prices went up recently so you'd have to look for a used one. New ones have the neck binding, not sure if there are other differences. Mine is non-bound like the one in the video.

If you're used to solid body guitars, a thinline like this can be a bit easier to adjust to compared to full-depth.

[st.bede]

(They might be talking about a floating PU… For example, when I think Jazz, and one pickup guitars, I think more about that type acoustic swingish thing, and less so about “the Joe Pass Ibanez had only one PU, in a kinda wierd spot”…

If they are talking about a floater… there is an out of production Ibanez that seems really interesting. I can not remember the name, … also, the Guild A150 Savoy has caught my interest… but I have never had a chance to play wither of those.

I think in the long run, if I purchased one more guitar, it would be the newer Eastman FV with the floating PU. That is a lot more so, I might just end up with a Savoy).

[Sushi313]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm taking a look at the guitars mentioned. I'm definitely interest in the Godin 5th Ave! Just started playing again. Been at it now for two years. I've been a fan of jazz guitar since the 90s. Pat Metheny is one of my guitar heroes

[burchyk]

If Metheny is your tone benchmark, I would look for guitars with a neck humbucker. Maybe try to track down a used Ibanez PM2?

[jim777]

A few years ago I had an Ibanez ASR-70, which is a smallish 335 shaped hollowbody with 2 P90s. It was Chinese made, but it was a very nice guitar with a very nice sound. They can be difficult to find, but they would be less than your $700 if you decided to go that route.
This is the one I sold years ago, in case you've never seen one before: Ibanez ASR70 Artcore | Reverb

[Little Jay]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm taking a look at the guitars mentioned. I'm definitely interest in the Godin 5th Ave! Just started playing again. Been at it now for two years. I've been a fan of jazz guitar since the 90s. Pat Metheny is one of my guitar heroes

Go the Metheny-route: buy an Epiphone ES-175, remove the neck pickup and tape off the gap!

[st.bede]

If I remember right, a PM2 used is at least $2000. I have a used PM100. I was lucky, (I think) I paid about $1400. The next used one I saw was going for over $2000. However ever “high” end Ibanez hollow that I have played has been really good.

However, they have the PM thing happening. I would think worth saving up for, and keeping an eye open for a good used one to show up.

[Christian Miller]

Ibanez AFJ91? Somewhat below your price point

[Christian Miller]

Tbh I’d just get a good double humbucker laminate box. It won’t make that much difference.

[John A.]

If I remember right, a PM2 used is at least $2000. I have a used PM100. I was lucky, (I think) I paid about $1400. The next used one I saw was going for over $2000. However ever “high” end Ibanez hollow that I have played has been really good.

However, they have the PM thing happening. I would think worth saving up for, and keeping an eye open for a good used one to show up.

The PM2 is the lower end PM model. They don't make them anymore, but they were $1000 new. Used these days, probably $800-ish.

[st.bede]

The PM2 is the lower end PM model. They don't make them anymore, but they were $1000 new. Used these days, probably $800-ish.

I had that mistaken. Thank you. I thought mine was the low end. I guessing there are three out there. Thank you.

Wow… looking at reverb only confused me more… also, my guitar might have seriously gone up in value. So what I gather is that both PM2 and PM200 were in production at the same time. The 200 replaced the 100. I am not sure where the 120 fits in.

[John A.]

I had that mistaken. Thank you. I thought mine was the low end. I guessing there are three out there. Thank you.

Wow… looking at reverb only confused me more… also, my guitar might have seriously gone up in value. So what I gather is in production models are PM2 and PM200. The 200 replaced the 100.

If you think you were confused before ...

I went down this rabbit hole a couple of years ago when I was looking for a single-pup archtop myself. I wound up with something different altogether, but nearly pulled the trigger on a PM20 and a PM 35.

The one Metheny actually mainly played (he's been playing other things recently) was a prototype that was never put into production. It has a body shaped like the PM200 (same shape as the JP, AF200, and some others), single cutaway, and a 20 fret neck.

PM100 : the original production Metheny signature model released in the mid 90s; double cutaway, full depth; PM played this one for a while (I saw him with it), but switched back to the prototype (Japan)
PM120: thinner than the PM100, with double cutaway and two pickups.
PM20: Budget signature model made in the mid 90s. Single cut, with a body that's the same shape as the prototype, but a scarf-joint neck, different pickup, and other cheaper details (Korea)
PM35: Budget model made, replaced the PM20. DIfferent body shape, more like the current AF models. 5 piece neck. made ca. 2008-12 (China)
PM2: Replaced the PM35 when production moved to Indonesia, almost the same except with a 3-piece mahogany and maple (?, lighter and darker woods, anyway) neck
PM 200: The premium model, replaced the PM100, still made in Japan. Almost the same as the prototype PM plays, except it has a 22-fret neck.

[st.bede]

Thank you… that is definitely a rabbit hole. (Say hi for me, if you run into Alice).