Jazz boxes

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

I'm getting dizzy looking at the D'Angelico hollowbodies. There are some nice options in the $1,300 - $2,000 range. They make me giddy as a school girl.

I've learned something else about this voyage of discovery: Gold hardware. Nothing else does it for me.

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[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

I played an EXL-1 for a little bit today. It's a full hollow with a skinny little neck and a mini humbucker at the end of the fretboard. Unplugged it sounds like a small acoustic. Easy to play. A little neck-heavy, but not too bad. The Art Deco knobs on the tuners give you nice leverage for tuning. Looks like a rosewood bridge, with fixed saddles cut into the wood for intonation. Tailpiece looks cool. There's a weird block of wood glued underneath the end of the fretboard. Some guitars let the fretboard float at the end, but not this one. Maybe it's for stability. I noticed the back is dished out, which I like. The body is laminated maple except for the top, which is laminated spruce. I like it.

Well, this is a better jazz guitar than I deserve, at about $1,399 with hardshell case.

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[ehdwuld]

Re: Jazz boxes

I watched a showtime series on Bob Dylan and his lost songs
With Elvis Costello
Johnny Depp had one of those in blue

He seemed to like it

That's all I got

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

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[EAProwlerB]

Re: Jazz boxes

You only go around once in life, why not take a leap?

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

Nice, but I'm looking for more traditional and less money.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Jazz boxes

check this out Pig- the late J. Geils on his Jazz boxes;

It might be of note to remember the Gibson L7's (the Flagships), are Acoustic unampified archtops.Many of the othergreatest Gibson hollow Archtops have 'floating' neck pickups on the pickgaurd( no route into the body).

 

[MichYank]

Re: Jazz boxes

For the money you really can't beat a Heritage. Most come with Tone Pros hardware a d Duncan pickups. Beautiful tops, no plywood, and superior craftsmanship. Not to mention that historic Kalamazoo address...

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Jazz boxes

Seek out a Framus AK 74 [ Jan Hammer ] to try out.
- http://www.warwickbass.com/en/Framu...t--Basic-Guitar-Models--AK-1974--AK-1974.html -

They are a bit pricey....

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Jazz boxes

FGN if you can get it in the USA. This Fugijen made should trump those cheapo Hagstrom, Gretch and Joe Pass Epiphone.

http://www.fgnguitars.com/mfa_hh.html

 

[Mincer]

Re: Jazz boxes

You only go around once in life, why not take a leap?
View attachment 79660

Hey, I played that guitar!

As far as D'Angelicos go, they are a little ostentatious for me. I dig things that are more plain, but maybe have interesting design elements. My favorite inexpensive archtop is an Eastman El Rey, which sounds really good, too.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

As far as ostentation goes, back in '04 I bought a new vintage sunburst Epiphone Les Paul Custom over a used Gibson Les Paul Studio in some plain-looking finish. So I'm afraid there's a precedent for me liking the pretty shiny things. I want to look like I should be wearing a zoot suit and saying things like, "Say buddy, what's the big idea?"

 

[EAProwlerB]

Re: Jazz boxes


You step out of your long white caddy with gold trim in your zoot suit. Walk into the bar, pull this baby out and the scene screams "say buddy, what's the big idea!"

 

[BluesGuyJ2]

Re: Jazz boxes

I think it's all about the setup. I work at Berklee and a lot of folks dig the Ibanez line, as well as Godin. We actually have about 70 Godins in the guitar department on loan to students, we have a good relationship with them. Also, don't be afraid of a guitar with P90s and rocking the tone knob to smoothen and fatten up the tone. If I were you, I'd get something used. If I buy a guitar site unseen, I order it thorugh GCs used data base, have it shipped to my local GC, show up, open it up, and test it there. If its good to go, I take it. If its a dud, I return it.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Jazz boxes

If I were you, I'd get something used.

Very good way to go. In 40 years, I've bought one new guitar off the rack. Why spend the big bucks when it will depreciate the minute you step out the door?

I've built new ones for myself - but that's another conversation.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

I'm concerned about being able to find the model I want, in the finish I want, at the right price, condition, and time. Consider the market share of hollowbody archtops among electrics, and I'm not exactly sanguine. I wonder what questions I would ask with money in hand, that would never occur to me in the tire-kicking phase.

 

[EAProwlerB]

Re: Jazz boxes

IMO kojak gave the best advice so far: you end up with an elegant guitar an if you follow his instruction will be the best bang for the buck.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Jazz boxes

I just went and played some Eastman's over yonder
And while the choice of colors and appointments are slim
The boxes sound righteous
And are effortless to play

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

A grand is a lot of dawg for an archtop beginner, IMHO.

I actually own a pretty good big Jazz box, an early-'90s Korean L5-CES copy, made in the Samick factory, that I got for next-to-nothing in my neck of woods:



As I've been moonlightning as a guitar tech for over fifteen years and regularly repair and service semi- and full-hollow instruments, I think I can give you unbiased advice for what you're looking for.

To get the best archtop experience for the reasonable least amount of money, what I'd do is the following: I'd look for a second-hand Epiphone Broadway in a fairly good condition, then take it to a well-reputed local luthier and have the frets leveled, crowned and mirror-polished, a professional setup, with special attention with the nut and the instrument's intonation, and have him install a new harness with good components, along with an A3/A2 modded, nickel-covered '59 set. If the Broadway you find is 2010 or newer, it won't even be necessary to change the tuning pegs.

You can do that with less than $ 600.00, and you'll have an excellent-sounding instrument that'll last a lifetime. I should know; I've made about twenty Broadways exactly like that and I have no recorded complaints so far.

HTH,

What would happen if I bought a new Epiphone Broadway and put Seths in it? Or Phat Cats? What if I put the Burstbucker 2 & 3 from my Epi LPC in the Broadway and bought a set of A2P for the Les Paul?

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Jazz boxes

What would happen if I bought a new Epiphone Broadway and put Seths in it? Or Phat Cats? What if I put the Burstbucker 2 & 3 from my Epi LPC in the Broadway and bought a set of A2P for the Les Paul?

Well... those may or may not work. I couldn't tell you from the top of my head.

But, what I gave you is an "in-the-field" proven solution. Do what you want with it.

HTH,