Jaen for sale

**CliffR** · 05-12-2022, 05:41 AM

Somebody has a Jaen for sale on Reverb. If I'm not mistaken its his Jamaica model. I own a Jaen Berliner and absolutely love it. This is a bargain of a price for a carved archtop:

Jaen 15" archtop guitar | Reverb

**marcwhy** · 05-12-2022, 07:39 AM

Very nice guitar!

**j4zz** · 05-12-2022, 07:50 AM

yeah nice indeed

**Topper Roth** · 05-12-2022, 09:29 AM

Has anyone else had any experience with instruments built by this fellow? Thanks!

**Woody Sound** · 05-12-2022, 10:43 AM

Oooo, 15" is my preferred size, beautiful spruce grain. I already have a lam Sadowsky Bruno (15) and a carved Eastman 803-15. Help me resist this!

**savoy150** · 05-12-2022, 11:00 AM

Hello CliffR, how is the build quality and attention to detail of your Jaen? I'm also curious if the guitar for sale might be neck heavy.

Thanks!
Dan

**CliffR** · 05-12-2022, 11:34 AM

Hi Dan,

This is my first archtop, but I do own several high-end solid body guitars. The build quality is excellent, and I frequently get compliments on the tone. Fretwork is great. I have the action set at < 1mm. (This does give me a dull and quickly decaying note at the 12th fret D, but is fine and without buzz everywhere else.)

Here's his website:

Jaen – Archtop Guitars Since 1992

The guitar on the main page is the one he built for me (he's very easy to work with, sent me lots of progress pics, and the total time from order to receiving the guitar was a little over three months). There are articles linked from the main page where he talks about various design aspects. It's clear he's very passionate and is continually thinking of ways to improve things, which is what led me to give him a try.

Mine is the Berlin II model, also a 15", and no: there's no neck dive.

**savoy150** · 05-12-2022, 12:11 PM

Clff, thanks for your response! Very helpful. Are Jaen guitars finished with nitro?

Dan

**CliffR** · 05-12-2022, 12:25 PM

Hey Dan - I'm not sure what the finish is, to be honest. Searching through my emails with him, I see the word 'lacquer' only once. I believe he changed something about the dying process for my build. I can tell you that the finish is very thin.

**2bornot2bop** · 05-12-2022, 05:07 PM

I purchased a used Jaen archtop that was an 18” guitar. It’s build quality was absolutely superb in every way. I’d not hesitate to purchase this guitar, but 15” is too small for me. Jaen is a fabulous builder!

**Woody Sound** · 05-12-2022, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by savoy150

Clff, thanks for your response! Very helpful. Are Jaen guitars finished with nitro?

Dan

Sure looks like it from the spruce top grain contours, but never can be sure.

**Woody Sound** · 05-12-2022, 07:13 PM

How deep (thick) at the rim?

**CliffR** · 05-13-2022, 06:09 AM

I don't know, but this confirms a nitro finish:

https://www.guitarrasjaen.com/jamaica-c4/?lang=en

**Woody Sound** · 05-13-2022, 06:35 AM

Cliff, how is your Berliner on feedback?

**CliffR** · 05-13-2022, 06:40 AM

Well, I'm strictly an amateur, so can't tell you what it's like on stage. I play through an AxeFX with a couple of studio monitors on a desk right in front of me. And yeah, it's particularly resonant on the low E string around B->C. I actually have a low cut filter set up to dial it down, but it doesn't tame it completely.

**Woody Sound** · 05-13-2022, 06:52 AM

Is it loud acoustically? I'm really thinking about making an offer on that guitar. I'm looking for a good acoustic 15"er.

**CliffR** · 05-13-2022, 07:02 AM

The second video on this page has somebody playing it acoustically. (Sounds like roundwound strings to me - mine has flat wounds and is definitely quieter.)

https://www.guitarrasjaen.com/berlin2-2/?lang=en