Dig it! Archtops. Tell me what y'all know. NOW NGD!

But really the J Pass is a perfectly honest Jazz box. Sure it's not the greatest acoustically but it's not designed to be. There are also a lot more expensive archtops out there that are the same. You can easily upgrade the electronics for a lot less than a new guitar. As far as the hard plastic finish, for a student or for hard gigging that's a plus IMO. Yesterday I dropped a mic gooseneck on my Broadway and it left not a scratch!
 
Mark Wein said:
I do have to say that I need to stay a little "conventional" for this purchase considering where I'm going to be playing it for the next four years. For some of that I need to be able to power an 18 piece big band as well as play solo and small group stuff. I get the feeling that my opinion and preferences won't be all that important to the folks who are setting my grades and from the aspect of being able to work in the traditional jazz community here I should make a good show of being able to sound "non-threatening".

I get the feeling that if and when I get to buy a second nice jazz guitar it will be closer in spirit to this: http://benedettoguitars.com/guitars/professional-series/pat-martino-signature-model™/
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That's right near me. Fly out and we can go make them nervous together!
I went in there once and OMG snooterific!

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
 
Eastman was going to be my recommendation, but looks like it's already been suitably repped.

But really, I'd say scrimp, save, and sell whatever you need to get that Collings. Mine was the most I've ever spent on a single piece of gear and it's worth every bit of it. It's a real forever guitar.
 
^

Yeah, this, mostly.

Not necessarily a Collings, but buying an archtop isn't like buying a solidbody.

Ideally, for a player of Mark's experience and skill, you really do want an instrument that isn't mass-produced, and one that is entirely solid wood and no laminate pieces.

Of course, as Mark noted, he could get the job done just as well with a solidbody electric, and this is more about looking the part for a west coast classroom setting.
 
Flamencology said:
^


Of course, as Mark noted, he could get the job done just as well with a solidbody electric, and this is more about looking the part for a west coast classroom setting.
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Sadly, the professors (and even other students) will have some impact on the next portion of my career. When I told the bassist in my blues group (who also teaches at several local colleges and has his Master in composition from UCI) his comment was "well, they're going to teach you to play jazz like its the 1940's over there.". This is the only school that has the right combination of affordability, jazz program and location for me to actually attempt to return to school at this time in my life so I need to make the best of it but I've always thought that an education should give you skills for the current job market. Not the job market of a half century ago. In any event playing the game will get me a ticket to better teaching jobs and hopefully a step up the gig ladder. You know, to play harder music for less money.

I hate California.
 
If I was going to get a hollowbody this would probably be it. idn_smilie


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Rick 381 said:
Guitar_AR380CE-HB_Archtop_Front_0815.jpg


Eastman Pisano, $1600 list. Nine dealers in the L.A. area. Available at McCabe's ( Discliamer, they're an Eastman dealer may not have that model)in Santa Monica since you're going that way.

I have a fondness for D'Angelico's

The EXS-1DH,
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The clasic EXL-1,

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Both around $1299
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That Eastman is gorgeous!! Wow!!
 
Pine Apple Slim said:
I think I'm gonna put some Lawrence L90s in my Broadway.
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How do you like the tailpiece on the Broadway? Any tuning issues? I've never played one but it just "looks" like I'd have a hard time keeping it in tune. I am a rock player and I do play pretty aggressively so maybe it would just be me having tuning issues...lol
 
I havnt had a problem, and I'm a fairly hard hitter at times. But I'm not exactly using it for Punk Rock.
I'm also running 50-11s w a wound 3rd.
 
335clone said:
If I was going to get a hollowbody this would probably be it. idn_smilie

View attachment 27612
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Oh baby, where you been all my life?

That guitar is what Rockabilly Satan would play in a John Waters remake of Crossroads. And it's kind of amazing. And he would win: I imagine Rockabilly Satan to be like a possessed Brian Setzer. And since even non-satanic Brian Setzer would win the vast majority of head-cutting contests, I figure Satanic Brian Setzer would be focking unbeatable.
 
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Another vote for Eastman.

I played four Eastman, a Gibson, a Washburn, and a Gretsch when I went arch top shopping.
I kept coming back to the Eastman that I ended up buying.

Two of the Eastman were out of my price range though, as was the Gibson (but just if I remember correctly. It also had fading gold hardware. So....). The Washburn was less than half the cost and I had a really hard time setting that one aside. It sounded great, but felt a little cheap in my hands - noted before I knew the price. I thought a good clean up would sort things out, but ultimately didn't want to take the chance.

In the end, it was playing them all that helped decide.
 
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