The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    TL;DR on this is that despite 2010 era Guild X-175 Manhattans (the discontinued one with the Harp tailpiece and Franz P90s) being discussed quite a bit, I can't find much info on whether they are good, well built guitars? Any feedback on that would be appreciated!

    Despite not really being a jazz player, I've found myself hankering for something that can achieve a really good jazz tone. Planning to give flatwounds a shot in this as opposed to my roundwound equipped rock guitars.

    I've mostly been looking at p90 equipped hollow bodies (kind of trying to shoehorn in p90s as I don't have a p90 equipped guitar of any style).

    I'm looking for something used that I can get in maybe the $700 or less range, maybe a step or two above complete entry level. I've kind of been focusing on guitars that seem to be at least reasonably well regarded, but sell on the used market for less than their original retail (pretty hard these days). I think I am most specifically concerned with wanting to get the best build quality/fit and finish as I tend to be able to get along with most guitars if they feel and play well.

    I do have a preference for thinner necks.

    I see Guild X-175 Manhattans (Franz P90 no bigsby) out there for a decent amount less than what they sold for new. Unfortunately there isn't one nearby for me to check out so I would really appreciate any thoughts/experiences with those as if I am going by the used price/comparison to original retail it could indicate they are a real sleeper/possible best buy. Or it could indicate that they were kind of cruddy guitars!

    It seems like the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II CW fits in this category. I played one recently and was pretty impressed with the feel, but found it to be very bright. Though that could be down to it having a new set of thin gauge roundwounds.

    Also seems like the Epiphone ES-175 premium could fit into best buy category if you jump on them when they come up, and maybe worth forgoing the p90 thing as I'm sure it would achieve that classic jazzy sound most easily.

    Anyway, sorry for too much info, but I would really appreciate any thoughts people have on guitars I should be looking at and probably most specifically whether the Guild X-175 Manhattan is a real bargain or something that should be avoided!
    Last edited by ChuckStoat; 03-17-2023 at 07:13 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Here's a vid that Rich Severson did on one:

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave70
    Here's a vid that Rich Severson did on one:

    Was that ever offered in a single p/u model ?

  5. #4

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    I've never tried the Guild X-175 and can't comment, except to say that I did try the A-150, which has the same neck specs. It feels skinnier to me than the Godin 5th Ave neck. I had the single P90 version and have played a friend's CWII a few times. FWIW, I do not find the Godins to be thin sounding. I think that if you play around with guitar and amp settings you can get quite a fat/warm sound out of them. They're really the best deal out there in a P90 guitar IMO. The only catch is that they have flatter fingerboards than any of the others, which can take some adjustment to get used to.

    There are some other moderately priced P-90 archtops out there -- e.g., a couple of different Loars, the Guild T-50, Eastman ar405. Of those, I've played the ar405 -- nice guitar, but a relatively beefy neck (1.75" nut). If you'd consider something smaller without F-holes, there's also the Guild M-75, which you could probably find used for $7-750.

    I don't think you have to worry about the low price indicating that the X-175is not a good guitar. All of the MIK Guilds are nicely made. The prices you see on reverb are typical of what one sees for used vs new prices of that sort of Asian-made mid priced guitar. Probably the only one in that approximate price range that held value used is the Epi 175 Premium, which is a special case because it has the reputation of being the closest you can get to a real 175 without spending real 175 money.

  6. #5

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    Personally, I would lean Guild. I had a couple Godins in the past, but they rarely stick around very long. They are well built instruments - and sometimes overbuilt, if that makes any sense. They feel stiff. I have a few US-made Guilds and they are all splendid. Even though you are looking at MIK versions, I would gather they are still very nicely made instruments. Seeing as how you cannot play one in advance, I would choose the one that you find the most aesthetically pleasing as well. Again, I find something special in the Guilds in that department as well.