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Guys,

I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive (sub $750) guitar that I can play mostly jazz with. I have two options:

1) I bought a PRS Soapbar SE II recently which is a great lil' axe. I was thhinking of throwing .11 gauge strings on it and getting SD P90 pups. I think that would sound sweet, but it's a solidbody which is obviously a drawback for those jazz tones.

2) Buy an Epiphone Sheraton or Dot or a used Gibson ES-135/175. If I went in this direction, would you recommend any mods to the pups or caps?

Tokai semi such as a 335 are great for Jazz all that it will need is a pickup change. The 175 copies look the part too but I've not treid one of these

Does Tokai have a web site where I can check out their products? Are they availble at Guitar Center?

The UK site is from : localhost/and I think the north american one is from : localhost/sources of info are from : localhost/and from : localhost/ from : localhost/www.tokairegistry.com/links.html

from : localhost/company has a web site, too, but it's not very up-to-date. If you want to order one, the best bet for a Japanese model is Ishibashi, see the forum for more info. New models are not available at GC, because there is no official distributor in the U.S. due to the Gibson lawsuit yadayada. Korean models can be bought easily in Canada though which makes the import quite inexpensive.

I play jazz but let me tell ya. My favorite guitar for that was an Epiphone Casino. It was perfect for me. I use my strat now(which gets the job done well) but the Epi was ,excuse me for sounding way too 90's, all that and a bag of chips.


Originally Posted by Bob ZombieI play jazz but let me tell ya. My favorite guitar for that was an Epiphone Casino. It was perfect for me. I use my strat now(which gets the job done well) but the Epi was ,excuse me for sounding way too 90's, all that and a bag of chips.

A Casino, huh? How does that differ from the Dot and the Sheraton I/II?
And you use a strat for jazz? Even in the neck position with the tone rolled back I didn't think it would be fat enough. Which pups are you using?
Jonny

The Sheraton is loaded with humbuckers, the Casino has p90s. I've heard people use a strat for jazz, but I think something like a Sheraton would work very well.

I've heard wonders about that Washburn ES-335 look a like. Seems like it's great bang for the buck and might get you better quality than the Epiphone (not that the Epi is bad by any means).

stock 175 is about as jazzy as u can get- but in your price range i would look at ibanez- they have quite a variety of very nice hollowbodies.

Try Epiphone Elitist series 335 RI you might find one used for around $750 great guitar fine workmanship

ibanez artcore or something like that? not quite sure what theyre called but they look the part

Scheter Cosair with Bigsby. Epiphone 335 Killer. Sounds great with stock seymour's, put in a pair of Jazz or A2's..hmmmm

I have an Epiphone Joe Pass through my Peavy Delta Blues 1x15 it is fantastic.

have you considered a stromberg?
from : localhost/have one for sale if you might be interested

Jazzmaster?!?!? You can find a really nice Fender Japan one for less then $750. I put Duncan Antiquity 2s in mine and they're great clean!


Originally Posted by jonnymangiaGuys,

I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive (sub $750) guitar that I can play mostly jazz with. I have two options:

1) I bought a PRS Soapbar SE II recently which is a great lil' axe. I was thhinking of throwing .11 gauge strings on it and getting SD P90 pups. I think that would sound sweet, but it's a solidbody which is obviously a drawback for those jazz tones.

2) Buy an Epiphone Sheraton or Dot or a used Gibson ES-135/175. If I went in this direction, would you recommend any mods to the pups or caps?Johnny. Both options sound like good options. I would not recommend using anything lighter than an 11 set on your guitar. It simply will give you better bottom. Most of the guys I know who play Jazz... and I mean straight up Jazz are using Archtops not solid bodies or semis, but these guys are doing Wes, Johnny Smith, etc. You can't really get that sound with a solid body or a Semi. They also do not bend much, so they are using 12's and 13's on the guitars with a real big bottom because of it.

The Epiphone Sheraton is a nice guitar and should cop the 335 sound real well. I would recommend putting a set of Alnico Pros in it. IMHO they are the closest quot;newquot; PUP to a PAF I have heard. IF you are looking to do Bluse this would be an excellent choice as well. I work for a builder who has built Archtops, Solid Bodies, and does a lot of restoration work. The Alnico pros are what he puts in his Archtops, but we have also installed them in LP, 335 guitars as well..... They handle everything really well. A great all purpose PUP if you are looking for warmth!!


Originally Posted by BludaveJohnny. Both options sound like good options. I would not recommend using anything lighter than an 11 set on your guitar. It simply will give you better bottom. Most of the guys I know who play Jazz... and I mean straight up Jazz are using Archtops not solid bodies or semis, but these guys are doing Wes, Johnny Smith, etc. You can't really get that sound with a solid body or a Semi. They also do not bend much, so they are using 12's and 13's on the guitars with a real big bottom because of it.

The Epiphone Sheraton is a nice guitar and should cop the 335 sound real well. I would recommend putting a set of Alnico Pros in it. IMHO they are the closest quot;newquot; PUP to a PAF I have heard. IF you are looking to do Bluse this would be an excellent choice as well. I work for a builder who has built Archtops, Solid Bodies, and does a lot of restoration work. The Alnico pros are what he puts in his Archtops, but we have also installed them in LP, 335 guitars as well..... They handle everything really well. A great all purpose PUP if you are looking for warmth!!

Thanks for the info. Your post was really helpful. I don't think I can go the route with the real heavy strings because I will be doing bends - this guitar is going to be meant for jazz AND blues. The Alnico you mentioned, is that the ALnico II that Slash uses? It seems that a lot of people like the Seth Lover's in a semi-hollow. What dko you think of the p90 solution in the PRS? Alot of those jazz guys (Kessel, Kenny Burrell, Pass) were using P90's, right?

MINI HUMBUCKERS RAWK!

err...uhm

Mini's are some cooooooool cats, man

Tele with a mini in the neck is a real nice jazzy tone with the tone rolled off.

Firebird V or VII...Maybe the Epi version? Seen them going cheap at SamAsh.

Also mini's may fit your PRS...not sure...they will on most Gibson P90 guitars.

Ibanez Artcore Hollow and Semi-Hollow guitars are a great value and very good quality. I was amazed at what I could get for $300. I would have expected to pay twice that for this guitar...
I recommend looking at quot;vintagequot; Ibanezes. Something from the early 80s would be good. They aren't as collectable as the 70s ones, but are still amazingly good guitars. Japanese made Ibanezes are some of the best made guitars, period. Thier 335 and 175 copies are stellar instruments, just make sure you get one made in Japan. (actually, any japanese made guitar is pretty great. Those guys pay a lot of attention to detail, just like thier cars)

If you want to play with distortion, or with a lot of volume, a fully hollow archtop will be more likely to feedback. It can be done, but it is a little more tricky. A lot of modern jazzers are using 335ish guitars. i.e. Kurt Rosenwinkel, Adam Rodgers, Ben Monder, etc. The tone is more pointed and more sustained, not quite as fat. The 335 will do a usable jazz tone and allow you to blues it up big time and even add lots of disortion if you want to.

As far as strings go, heavier strings are used to get the trebles fatter. That plinky E string just doesn't cut it. A lot of guys use hybrid sets. You take a set of 11s or 12s and put a heavier high E and B string on them. This is a great approach. So far only Thomastik is making production packs of strings like these. I like thier Benson set, but the Bebop series comes this way too.

Good luck!

Mike