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I've had the GCS-1 for about 3 years and it has been my main instrument during that time.
I bought it after hearing Jack Wilkins play it at the Zinc Bar (he has the ES model, which I found out later; I don't have that one, but mine does have the sound I liked when I heard Jack). Later, I heard Yotam Silberstein play one either at Dizzy's or Yoshi's.
It sells for $1700 or so. Made in Korea, but set up by Bill Comins in Philadelphia, or so I understand.
It's a semi hollow with a block.
Set up was perfect out of the box and the guitar is beautiful.
The sound is relatively dark, which is one reason I bought it. When I first got it, I thought it was plinky or fizzy high up on the high E string, but it turns out I was probably being too picky. Turning down the treble controls that.
I've compared the sound to my other guitars and it always wins the competition.
I can get my sound out of it and it's comfortable to play. Most important thing is that even the high notes sound thick - and a lot of guitars don't do that as well.
Here are the quibbles.
The tone control has most of its impact in a very small part of the rotation of the knob. I wish for a different pot, but I'm not sure what to replace it with.
The feel of the action, which is low, is, somehow, a little stiff, even though the strings are 11 13 17 22 32 42 (light). I think that the guitar might be better with a trapeze instead of a stop tailpiece and I've thought of having one installed. But, bug or feature? I have arthritis, so the stiffness is an issue for me, but might be desirable to others.
The sound of chords sometimes seems harsh to me, but my experiments suggest that it's not the guitar's fault. In the right room I don't notice it.
The guitar does not stay perfectly in tune. Not bad enough to be a problem, but I have to adjust it slightly quite often. For comparison, my Yamaha cheapo will stay perfectly in tune for days. I think, without being sure, that it's just a bit of play where the bridge fits over the posts. That fit is not super tight. Fender's design avoids that entirely. I shimmed it with a bit of tape, but I'm going to have to redo it.
And, now onto the Little Jazz.
I've had it three years or so, I guess. I use it for just about everything. I typically play through an ME80 or ME70, adding reverb and a volume pedal. I do use the LJ's much maligned reverb (which sounds fine to me up to about 11 oclock on the pot) but I add more with the ME's.
The amp usually sounds great and it has been loud enough for big band rehearsals, although marginally so. I have played a couple of outdoor gigs in noisy environments where I thought it wasn't enough.
It is certainly loud enough for my regular restaurant gig (quartet with drums, keys and bass). We're a pretty quiet quartet. Drummers have complained that it's hard to play at our preferred volume level.
I love the size and weight. 15 lbs.
I recently dropped it twice, with no bad effect.
I've gone XLR out into a PA with very good results.
I've never had a chance to A/B it with the competition from Quilter, Henrikson or AER. Notably, the LJ is a lot cheaper so it wouldn't really be fair in that way.
It is sensitive to the room and position. It has a rear port. From the back there's a slight cocked wah aspect to the sound, which you don't hear from front or side. It sounds best maybe 8 feet behind me and to my right, in a large room, flat on the floor. Carpet vs tile doesn't seem to make much difference to me. Other players like the sound better when it's tilted back.
One note about a case. Some recommend a Meinl Cuica (Brazilian drum) bag. The amp is roughly a 10.5 inch cube and fits in that bag.
I use a canvas grocery bag, but one with the handles sewed all the way down to the bottom of the bag. Fits fine, dirt cheap. No padding, but it keeps it clean and un-chipped. I loop the handles over the telescoping handle of my rolling luggage and it's easy to move.
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04-18-2023 03:07 PM
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Nice reviews. I’ve had both as well, albeit not at the same time.
my GCS-1 was never able to achieve my super low action but that’s just my obsession with ridiculous action. I’m also not crazy about the frets which seem a bit large for this type of guitar. I agree with the rest of your assessment.
I did A/B the DV LJ against my Henriksen Blu 10, as unfair as that is. The LJ is really quite good. In some respects I liked it better: it has a bit more “personality” to the tone- sounds a little more electric. Ultimately, although it’s remarkably powerful, it runs out of steam earlier than the Blu.
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Thanks for these reviews
I have a Comins GCS1-ES (got it second hand one year ago or so), so laminate spruce top and ebony board.
This is now my prefered guitar and my Gibson ES 339 gets less and less play time
This is also the preferred guitar of my son among my guitars (which I can translate as : You can manage big sounds with it, too !)
I agree with your statements but I havn't noticed any particular problem with the tuning
Fit and finish, playability etc ... makes me wanting a GCS16 now, but : I need one more guitar like a third kidney, and they don't show up so often on this side of the pond (just like the GCS1 !)
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The GCS-1ES is the one Jack Wilkins plays. Spruce top. I have the one with the maple top, which, I think, is the one that Yotam Silberstein plays, but I'm not entirely sure about that. TBH, I was unaware of the difference at the time. The guitars were in short supply and Rudy's only had the one I bought. It sounded like Jack's, from memory but I would assume that differences would be apparent in a true A/B test.
Originally Posted by 339 in june
I'm glad to hear you don't have the same tuning issues. If I play a few songs, when I check tuning with the tuner in the ME80, I'll have to adjust something, slightly, just about every time. That's not true of my Yamaha Pacifica 012, their cheapest student model (floating bridge locked down).
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Rick, if you want to get a less stiff action with your stop tail, do what the rock guys do, the wrap around trick.
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I have both a Henriksen Bud 6 (2nd gen I believe) and a DV Mark Little Jazz (older model). They're about the same size and weight, but they're somewhat different animals. The Bud has 2 channels, can go much louder, and is far more versatile - can do rock rehearsals with the bright switch on, tweeter off, and a Tube Screamer for solos, good with amplified acoustic instruments (bright switch off and tweeter on) and even bass (bright switch off and tweeter off) at low volumes - and if I could only keep one of them it would be the Bud. But I really like, maybe even prefer, the sound of my Eastman AR403ce through the Little Jazz for solo and small group jazz performance. It's warm, round, and clear; the reverb used judiciously is fine to my ears, and the fan doesn't bother me. I was going to sell the Little Jazz after I bought the Bud, but I decided to keep it - and I'm glad I did. And yes, the Meinl 10" Cuica bag is a perfect fit. Oh and if I need effortless volume, I have a Henriksen JazzAmp 112 as well; it sounds glorious, but I only lug it if I really need it these days.
Last edited by Tom Karol; 04-23-2023 at 11:00 AM.
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Are you still happy with the Comins GCS1-ES, and still prefer it over a Gibson ES-339 and ES-335? Originally Posted by 339 in june
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Thanks for asking Originally Posted by DustinG
Yes, still very happy with the GCS1-ES.
Update : I tried flatwound strings on it, my idea was to have FW on the GCS1-ES and RW on the ES339, but I was not so happy with the result, so I will switch back to RW on it and FW on the ES339 (a combination I have already validated)
I have a special relation to the ES339 : I often prefer an other guitar but I always come back to her with renewed pleasure
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