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Hi, it's my first time writing in this forum (although I come here to read very often since forever anyway).
The case in question is I am looking for a guitar that I don't know it even exists, at least at a price I could pay. The budget could be 1.000 euros tops.
It would be a small solid body/chambered/semi (not fully hollow) without F holes, minimalistic style looks and plain no fret inlays fretboard (ideally ebony). Kind of a mix between a Les Paul and a Benedetto, and in this case I am more interested in the electric sound, so it would be nice if the pickups doesn't need updating. The looks of a Benedetto Bambino, Benny, Pat Martino, etc., are very appealing to me. I want it to look like a solid body jazz guitar if it is even a thing. Even F holes could be negotiable too if needed but not body size.
Options I seriously consider are the Parker PM20 and any nice not Gibson Les Paul (Greco, Burny, Tokai), although the latter doesn't have the fretboard I would love. I know some models that can be somewhat near what I am looking for, at least aesthetically, like the LAG Imperator, but I can't try them, they are discontinued, and I don't think they are particularly voiced to jazz.
Custom build could be an option, but there aren't a lot of guitar builders that could do that work for the money I intend to pay for it. 10S guitars would be perfect but the custom build guitar section on their web page is not working right now (maybe out of business).
I would use the guitar with a kind of heavily processed jazz sound in cheap gigs, busking and jams most of the time. Light weight would be nice too (this leans me to some of the japanese Les Pauls, many are chambered). Neck and truss rod should cope with high string gauge (some vintage Les Pauls truss rods can't be tightened a lot, I read somewhere).
Thank you for your time and your suggestions if any.
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05-06-2023 04:14 AM
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Gretsch Duojet kinda fits your description, although they might exceed your budget
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Yeah, kind of pricey. I would be afraid to take it outside home.
Originally Posted by Webby
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You're asking for a guitar of very limited appeal at a mass market low- to mid-price point. Good luck with that.
I think, given your financial constraint, that you will be limited to a commercially-available instrument in your price range - for example a PRS SE Hollowbody Standard or Ibanez AMH90. With your budget you're likely to have to accept a number of compromises compared to your ideal, much-more-expensive guitar.
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Check out Warmoth….they make a body similar to the L5S. Should be able to get all necessary parts for around 1k. I highly recommend the boat neck. Quite similar to an old Triumph.
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Epiphone BB king Lucile. A 335 black with a solid top (no f/holes).
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There was a period (I think 2008-12) when most of the Les Pauls were chambered, as well as scattered models outside that period that were. There are also various chambered Epiphone Les Pauls. Not exactly a semi-hollow because of the thick carved top, but then again there’s not that much difference between semi-hollow and solid-body to begin with.
You can find a LP Studio from that period for under a grand. They have fretboard inlays, but there might be some variants with only dots (or just live with inlays).
There’s also the ES-139, which is a semi with no F-holes and LP- style inlays. They’re pretty rare, but when they do pop up they’re around a grand (maybe a bit more).
There’s also the Guild Bluesbird (chambered) and Aristocrat (hollow). Again, they have inlays, but I think it’s going to be almost impossible to find something that meets your other requirements that doesn’t.
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Epiphone ES-339 and Guild Aristocrat are good options in that price range.
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One other thing that comes to mind is the Epi ES Les Paul. F-holes and bling, but a true LP sized semi-hollow for way under a grand.
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Euros, eh? That probably means you are located in Europe. Originally Posted by LeChuck
How about one of these:
Höfner Leader - Contemporary Series
-small ... semi (not fully hollow), without F holes
-minimalistic style looks
-plain no fret inlays fretboard (ideally ebony) - OK, rosewood
-P-90 in neck position, humbucker in bridge position
The Contemporary Series version is made in China. There is a German-made version with a no-inlay ebony board, fancier components, but that one exceeds your stated budget. Both:Last edited by Hammertone; 05-06-2023 at 11:07 PM.
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Thanks, very nice ideas, keep them coming!
Some of them I didn’t know about like the Guilds, very nice. I will try to check them out.
The idea of asembling it myself from parts or a kit (Warmoth, ebay, etc.) is possible too.
The Lucille Epi is very nice but big. I have had quite a lot of 335s and 335 style guitars in the past. As a matter of fact if I didn’t sell my John Scofield signature Ibanez I wouldn’t be looking for a new guitar now… You know how it is.
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This sounds a lot like a LP Studio from the last 5 years or so. Except for the fretboard and inlays as John pointed out. Originally Posted by LeChuck
Scroll down this thread a bit and you'll find some discussion between Stringswinger and myself about these. He was really helpful. I think it'll be my next purchase after I sell one of my archies.
Here's a snip that might be of interest : "If you like Pat Martino's tone and weight is very important, the Studio might be a great choice."
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Guitarra D'Angelico SD Prototype Cuerpo Solido Llama Cereza Sunburst con Estuche Grabado Solo 15 | eBay
This one would be just perfect, but the seller doesn’t ship outside of the USA.
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Give it some time and you will realise that you want a Telecaster. (Half joking!)
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Check out the Yamah RS series. A bit like a Les Paul. Mine was flawlessly setup right out of the box from swearwater.
The newer ones are chambered.
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Have a look at the Eastman El Rey.
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I was trying to remember what guitar fit LeChuck parameters. That is it. Probably find one used pretty close to amount desired: (If my EU to dollar assumptions are close). Here is some info: Eastman - ER2 El Rey Electric Guitar with hard case and set up | Mass Street Music Originally Posted by DougB
(Now I want one again. Maybe I will sell a LP and pick one up).
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Funny thing is I do have one Tele. It is by far the cheapest guitar I ever had but the one with more history: I built it from a Thomann kit when they first became a thing, painted it with a Robben Ford tele style scheme at home and installed a nice second hand hot but classic set of pickups (Tonerider something, not an expert). The wiring is a mix between cheap chinese wires, cold soldering and duct tape, like it has a not-so-clever McGyver thing going on. It looks like it is straight out of a trash can, but it has endured some very rough sh*t over the years. Seriously beaten up, dropped, used and abused by a lot of random people in gigs and jams, stolen, recovered, used as a free use instrument in a social center, multiple times switched different string gauges without adjusting the trussrod by random people... you name it. I have it at home right now and it is still working. Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
So I can really tell that the Tele design is very sturdy and versatile. But mine would need to invest more money than it really costs to become the guitar I am looking for right now (at least a good neck, a decent neck humbucker and wiring and probably pay for a professional guy to make things right). And it would lose the "mojo" it has right now.
I don't know, I suppose a nice Tele could do the trick, one with plain ebony fingerboard and a good neck humbucker. I just used the search function and there is a nice thread in this forum about "jazzy" Telecasters and some seem very nice and close to what I'm looking for.
I will keep it in mind, for sure.
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That's the first guitar that came to my mind too. You can buy a used Japanese version for under 1K. Originally Posted by fep
I'm curious about one myself.
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I would agree on the tele, especially for the type of gigs you're going to use it at. I have one, and it's great to have a guitar you don't need to worry about at whatever gigs. Also a lot sturdier and easier to fix than bolt on guitars.
Or an Epiphone 339 with a good pickup. It does have f holes, but no feedback problems.
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