# Choosing a high quality classy jazz guitar for under 1000$



## Grimbold (Oct 30, 2012)

like the title says i need a nice classy jazz guitar that sounds nice to play with live with my jazz band. My old flying V was turning off a lot of the older fans... i was looking at this one but i wasn't sure if it would be the best fit for me. I wanted to know what my fellow 7 string slingers thought before i went out and got it

so yeah, thoughts? suggestions? help me out guys!


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## groovemasta (Oct 31, 2012)

There was another thread like this where Eastman's were recommended, I've never tried them but they have some models under 1000$ and look pretty nice.


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## troyguitar (Oct 31, 2012)

The Ibanez AF105 is supposed to be very nice for the price but I have not actually played one.


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## Overtone (Nov 1, 2012)

I happened to try that Gretsch on tuesday. I didn't plug in, but the feel was nice and the unplugged tone had a good balance. It did seem like the tuners were very sensitive (ie. just a tiny turn made a big change). From what I remember the quality of the finish and details was pretty good for the price.


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## Trespass (Nov 1, 2012)

You want the Eastman ES175 clone they do. 

There are no good production model 7 string archtops that I'm aware of. Even the Eastman 7s I've tried have fallen short.

The problem is in the physics of a floating bridge based instrument.


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## Indigenous (Nov 1, 2012)

I second Eastman Guitars. They build great stuff, I've played a few of their axes. Also look at Godin Guitars, specifically the 5th Avenue series, you get really good quality for the price.


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## DTSH (Nov 5, 2012)

The Gretsch is likely to be a little twangy. I second Eastman, they make some great stuff and you can get a good deal on a used one. Ditto Godin. I used to have a Hagstrom HJ-600 too, which I think cost me somewhere around $400 used.. Great guitar for the money.


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## Grimbold (Nov 6, 2012)

something tells me i should go check out Eastman 

i'll try to make it to the music store tomorrow to see if they have one


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## will_shred (Nov 8, 2012)

groovemasta said:


> There was another thread like this where Eastman's were recommended, I've never tried them but they have some models under 1000$ and look pretty nice.


 
I'd highly reccomend eastmans, in OP's price range they have the AR371-CE for $700.
For a good selection of Eastmans check out Bernunzio uptown music, also they have killer customer service. They deal a ton in all kinds of jazz guitars as well.


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## 59Bassman (Nov 24, 2012)

What kind of jazz? Jazz covers a ton of ground, and has been played on pretty much every guitar imaginable, from acoustic archtops through Floyd-ed shredmachines.

Jazz is as much the approach as it is the gear. But if you're looking for something a bit more appropriate, I'd start with a semihollowbody rather than a full-on archtop. A $1K budget can get you an outstanding semi, but short of going used you may not be happy with a full archtop.

I've owned archops (such as a nice Heritage 575) before, but my favorite jazz guitar is a Hamer Artist Korina (with P-90's). It's small, lightweight, and sounds huge with 11's (and naturally a wound G string). Humbuckers and P-90's seem to work best for me for these types of tones, but a Tele neck pickup is also an appropriate choice if you're careful with the tone control.

So here are a few perhaps nonstandard options that I'd look into that will probably get you a really versatile instrument with a convincing Jazz neck tone.

First, some sort of thinline Tele would work well, particularly with a rosewood board. I have not played one, but this Jim Adkins tele has the makings of a pretty outstanding choice.

I've played a bunch of the PRS SE Semihollows, and I really like these guitars. The semihollow construction gives the tone a bit of air, but they still have a good punch to them. PRS used to make them with P-90s as well, and I loved those instruments. Very close to my Hamer Artist tonally.

Ibanez Artcores have been a great bang-for-the buck guitar for a long time. Playability is a bit more spotty, so with these it's important to play-before-you-buy. I like the semihollows better than the archtops. If you do try an archtop with a floating bridge, BEG the shop to pull that tone-sucking piece of foam packing out from under the bridge. It doesn't belong there, it's only there to keep from scratching the guitar, but it will make the instrument sound like doo.

I also like the 339 size better than a full 335, especially from a strap. I have played one of the Epi 339's and really liked it. They are also under $1K.

Anyway, good luck with your search. Whatever you choose, consider going up a string gauge, and perhaps up a pick gauge as well. I've found that heavier strings and picks can often help thicken the tone a bit for jazz.


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