# Tips for buying a Jazz Guitar?



## Behaving_badly (Aug 31, 2011)

So I'm looking into buying a new guitar. 
I've got a Gibson explorer that I love to death but it isn't really a "traditional" jazz guitar. I'm taking Jazz guitar at school right now and lots of the guys have the semi hollow style guitars. I was thinking for a while of getting an extended range guitar (so I could djent the night away) but I figured that I don't have any experience on a 7 or 8 string so I should stay away from those for now and look into a "jazz" guitar. Plus my explorer is a total bitch to carry around campus


Problem for me is that I don't have lots of experience with that style of guitar and don't know which brands, styles and models are recommended. I am a college student so my finds are slightly limited. I was hoping to get about $600-$700 for my explorer so my budget is about $600-$900.

Can you guys help me out with what I should look for in a guitar ?

(Side note: I know the guitar isn't a huge factor in playing jazz, and I could probably play jazz on any guitar but I figured I'd at least look the part )


----------



## Metalus (Aug 31, 2011)

I plan on getting this:

PRS Guitars | SE Custom Semi-Hollow


----------



## Behaving_badly (Aug 31, 2011)

Metalus said:


> I plan on getting this:
> 
> PRS Guitars | SE Custom Semi-Hollow



oh man that guitar is sexy


----------



## ArtDecade (Sep 1, 2011)

Epi Joe Pass II - 600 bucks new. Sounds great, plays great, and more than looks the part! Its not quite as deep as some hollow bodies, but I prefer that. It has two humbuckers that sound pretty good. They aren't the best, but you can replace them if you so choose because the guitar comes in at the lowest end of your budget. Personally, they are great for jazz and okay for rock/blues. Plus, she is a Joe Pass signature and you don't get more jazz than Joe!

Epiphone Musical Instruments - Archtop Collection


----------



## kung_fu (Sep 1, 2011)

I've been gassing for a Hagstrom Viking myself. I believe they have some models in your price range. 

Hagstrom Guitars






^^
I know these routinely sell between $500-700 canadian

They also have a deluxe model as well, thhough i'm not sure the price.






Hagstrom Guitars

I bought a Gretsch G100CE a few years ago, and while it is a cool guitar, i'm sort of regretting buying a full-blown arch-top. I can't help but feel that I might have been better off going semi-hollow, as you can play a greater variety of styles on it. I also find the body pretty big, so i might trade mine in for a Viking as i know a place in town that sells them. I could also benefit from the improved fret access.


----------



## Behaving_badly (Sep 1, 2011)

these are all really nice guitars and I will look into them but I was also wondering what I should look at when I'm at a store trying some out
I have a feeling its different than looking for a rock/metal guitar and I haven't even gone guitar shopping in a while


----------



## trenolds39 (Sep 4, 2011)

Behaving_badly said:


> these are all really nice guitars and I will look into them but I was also wondering what I should look at when I'm at a store trying some out
> I have a feeling its different than looking for a rock/metal guitar and I haven't even gone guitar shopping in a while



The main things I'm concerned with when playing semi-hollow or full hollowbodies are acoustics, feel and tone. I owned a Godin Kingpin for a little while, and although I loved the aesthetics and quality of it, the tone was very neutral and not to my liking. I currently own an Ibanez AK75 semi-hollow, which has decent acoustics with it's 175-style body shape, and with a warmer tone with the humbuckers. My only complaint is that it seems cheap and gaudy with the inlays and binding. 

Recently I played a Gretsch Electromatic, and was very impressed with it overall. I was not expecting the tone I got out of the pickups as I had perceived them to be for a very specific sound, which was not the case. It played and sounded like a quality guitar, with none of the gaudy appointments Ibanez has, nor the one-sided tone of the Godin. I was under the impression I would be getting an Eastman 805 next, but I'm definitely going to look into Gretsch's Japanese line as I like what I have played thus far.


----------



## mark105 (Sep 11, 2011)

Look for the usual things you like in a guitar, Neck width & size, scale, frets etc. Body size, If you have been playing solid bodies a 17" jazz box will seem huge. Pickups, I usually hear alot of difference between a floating humbucker and a Set in humbucker. But if you get to play before you buy most of this will come naturally, You like the feel and sound or you don't. That PRS SE looks great, Good luck.


----------



## Phlegethon (Sep 11, 2011)

you'd look for the same things in a semi or full hollow that you would a solid body electric. do you like how it plays? is its voice agreeable to what you think a particular guitar should sound like? is the fit and finish up to par? will the guitar be able to hold tune? 

to play the devil's advocate to a small degree an explorer's specs on paper (minus the pickups if it comes with the ceramic mag humbuckers) would lead to it being a potentially great jazz guitar as far as solid bodied electrics go. a simple string change and a possible pickup swap will get you a lot closer to sounding more "authentic" AND you know your explorer's quirks and don't have to adjust to a new instrument. If I were in a similar position this would be the route I'd probably take as being in school would mean any money would be at a high premium and spending it on something I wouldn't technically need would be an ill advised idea 

if you're still going with the semi hollow route I'll chip in a good word for the prs SE line and the hagstrom line as well. if you could get an agile AS series somehow then that would be an option as well (you would need to get the funds first and then sell the explorer which might make this option a no go) as I haven't heard one I don't like and agile does make some great guitars besides their ERG lineup


----------



## Behaving_badly (Sep 11, 2011)

Phlegethon said:


> to play the devil's advocate to a small degree an explorer's specs on paper (minus the pickups if it comes with the ceramic mag humbuckers) would lead to it being a potentially great jazz guitar as far as solid bodied electrics go. a simple string change and a possible pickup swap will get you a lot closer to sounding more "authentic" AND you know your explorer's quirks and don't have to adjust to a new instrument. If I were in a similar position this would be the route I'd probably take as being in school would mean any money would be at a high premium and spending it on something I wouldn't technically need would be an ill advised idea



Yeah, i love my explorer to death but the biggest problem is that it is SO hard to carry to and from class too, the case is quite cumbersome. But you're right about a pickup switch could make it a nice jazz guitar. I can get pretty good tones out of it already but issues like the shape and weight makes me unsure of how much I want to keep this guitar. 

I keep hearing good things about the PRS SE and I'm really leaning towards it at the moment, I was thinking of getting a Steinberger Spirit but the PRS SE has got lots of good reviews.


----------



## Kairos (Sep 11, 2011)

Dude! get a Tele. 

Fender Standard Telecaster FSR Ashwith Vintage Noiseless Pickups Electric Guitar: Shop Guitars & Other Musical Instruments | Musician&#39;s Friend


----------



## Trespass (Sep 13, 2011)

I'm going to be a dick, and basically say that all of the above suggestions suck. Get an Eastman or a Peerless. These are above your budget, but you will actually be getting good value for your money. 

After that, I decide on either a carved or laminate top guitar. Eastman only offers carved at the moment (although they are introducing a laminate soon I've heard), Peerless has the Monarch (which is basically an ES175 clone).

Drop $1200-$1500 on a used Eastman/Peerless. I'm sorry, but even a used Epiphone Joe Pass/Sheraton/Casino etc. etc. is not going to scratch the price for performance ratio a used Eastman/Peerless has. And (IMHO) "semi-hollows" suck. 

Source: I own a few archtops, including handcarved luthier made guitars.

Edit: I would also recommend finding a cheap used Godin 5th Avenue, then buying a high end Kent Armstrong floating for it and using that. Make sure you have it professionally setup (i.e. a guy who actually knows how to setup archtops - The setup can dramatically change sound). The 5th Avenue is far superior in construction to the Kingpin it isn't funny. The top is much thinner, no controls/pickups set into the, no pickups in the top, the bridge is fitted much better at the factory than the Kingpin etc. etc. It does have an ebonized rosewood bridge, which I think is inferior to a ebony bridge.

Conclusion:
Cheap, used Godin 5th Avenue
Get a luthier to fit a new ebony bridge (such as http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Archtop_guitar_bridges/Archtop_Guitar_Bridge.html)
12s or 13s to drive the laminate top, make sure they're roundcore (I.e. not D'Addario Chromes, which are hex core) (Thonastik Bebops are fairly good)
Kent Armstrong floating humbucker, mount to pickguard




ALL THIS BEING SAID

Lorne Lofsky is probably one of the best guitarists in the world right now, and he has used the same solidbody weirdo strat copy Ibanez since he bought it in the 70s, including taking it on tour with Oscar Peterson and other jazz greats.


----------



## Behaving_badly (Sep 13, 2011)

Trespass said:


> _dick comment_



haha, but really that is a lot of good info for me to consider. As a college student that is a fairly high price but buying used could be a possibility. 

And thanks for the Lorne Lofsky name drop, listening to some of his stuff now and it seems pretty good


----------



## Kairos (Sep 13, 2011)

I was going to suggest an Eastman, they're amazing quility and gorgeous. The only reason I didn't is because of the price.

In light of the price restraints, I think a tele would be a great fit.

Ted Greene - Summertime, It Ain&#39;t Necessarily So - YouTube

TED GREENE.


----------



## Trespass (Sep 14, 2011)

If you buy an Eastman AR805, or one of the carved top Peerless, you're getting a guitar that sounds and plays as well as a $2500-$3000 production guitar (IMHO). If you buy an Epi Joe Pass/Sheraton whatever for $600-700, you'll get something that sounds and plays poorly. I certainly wouldn't drop $600-700 for that.

As a music major, how are you not considering spending a decent amount of money on an instrument? Go ask the string majors how much they've spent on their instrument, and you'll be blown away. The hardcore performance majors easily get into the $15k-25k range, and when they need to upgrade to audition for major orchestras, can easily hit the $100k+ (although, there are collectors who loan out their instruments for this, competitions to win "leases" of a $100k+ instrument etc.)

Also, learning how your instrument works and how to properly achieve different iconic jazz guitar sounds in the genre may be the difference between you working or you being jobless with massive student loan debt after you graduate.


----------



## kung_fu (Sep 15, 2011)

^^^^

While i don't really agree with trespasses' comments on the other instruments in this thread (sounding/playing poorly), he raises a VERY good point with respect to how much money to spend. As you are seemingly planning on making music a big part of your professional future the investment in the instrument should probably match accordingly. Personal taste in instruments aside, more expensive instruments are _usually_ priced the way they are because the build quality and materials are much better. So while the instruments in your current price range might be fine, there is little doubt that more money will get you something better (ie a better investment). At the very least if money is a problem now, find a cheaper guitar you are happy with atm then upgrade asap.

A far as what to do at the store or knowing what to buy, just go around to different stores and pick their brains. I'm not gullable enogh to put _too_ much trust in a salesman ...but just asking a few questions and playing a few guitars couldn't hurt. When testing out guitars, try going through some of the things in your repetoire or things you'd like to be able to play on the instrument. Apart from checking the instruments tone and action, you'll want to be able to judge whether or not you like how the instrument feels to you (is the body size comfortable? the scale length? fret access...etc)


----------



## Daken1134 (Sep 15, 2011)

i apologize to trespass but i bought a joe pass and the thing amazing, even compared to eastman, my buddy has an eastman 805 and he is by far the most accomplished jazz guitarist i know and he even prefers my joe pass to his guitar, he has tried buying it off me, you just need to know how to set the thing up.

i threw flatwound 13's on it, thing sounds amazing i completely endorse getting an epi joe pass, im debating throwing a benedetto pup in there but im actually fine with it the way it is. 

but in all honesty, you can get a great jazz tone out of a solid body no problem, the peavey wolfgangs still have some of the best clean neck jazz tones ive heard. and they were solid body


----------



## Gravy (Oct 14, 2011)

I got a 15 year old Sheraton for just under $400 (it was £250 a year and a half ago) and used it as my main guitar for a year, both at gigs/festivals and on my degree. The bridge pickup is terrible, though it might just be that guitar. The neck pickup had some pretty nice jazz tones and could distort reasonably ok with both pickups to do the fusions.

Strangely enough, it played better than any Peerless I tried and had numerous people say it was surprisingly nice to play. I have heard they are better before 2003 or around then. Whenever they changed from the Sammick factory.

A Tele would be a fine idea for a jazz guitar, as would a Hagstrom. But if you're going to spend a little extra like Trespass is suggesting, especially going over $1000, you might as well look for an early 80s Ibanez Artstar or a Yamaha SA1000. The Ibanez ASs being some of the best semi-hollowbodies ever made.


----------

