Opinions on best value Hollow body Jazz box

lscottk

lscottk

Experienced
Hello all,

If you had $2K to spend on a jazz guitar what hollow body would you buy? I already have a 335 style guitar (Ibanez LR-10) and other high quality solid body guitars, so I'm looking for a true hollow body guitar. Nailing classic jazz tone (Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, Martin Taylor) and over all playability are more important than the brand or cosmetic condition. I prefer fatter neck profiles over thin and I'm open to any scale length. I'm focusing on used instruments because they're cheaper.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Scott
 
fcs101 said:
I would seriously look for a Heritage H575 on the used market. You'll find them priced a bit higher than $2K on Reverb, but you may be able to negotiate down to your range.
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Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check out the H575.
 
Only current listing on Reverb that is in my price range is indeed $2000. However, it has a repaired crack in the side and several holes. I'm leary of buying a guitar with listed problems like this without being able to play it first. Everything else is $2,900 or more. I'll keep my eye open for new postings and we'll see what comes up. Also need to check GBase.
 
lscottk said:
Only current listing on Reverb that is in my price range is indeed $2000. However, it has a repaired crack in the side and several holes. I'm leary of buying a guitar with listed problems like this without being able to play it first. Everything else is $2,900 or more. I'll keep my eye open for new postings and we'll see what comes up. Also need to check GBase.
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Yes, I knew it'd be tough to get to the $2K level, but you never know what may pop up. Reverb is typically more expensive due to sellers covering extra fees, so it's possible that something will come available locally.

Also, I watch several guitars on Reverb and they can sometimes drop several hundreds of dollars suddenly.

Hope you find something great.
 
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lscottk said:
Only current listing on Reverb that is in my price range is indeed $2000. However, it has a repaired crack in the side and several holes. I'm leary of buying a guitar with listed problems like this without being able to play it first. Everything else is $2,900 or more. I'll keep my eye open for new postings and we'll see what comes up. Also need to check GBase.
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A repaired crack might seem scary, but when they’re done correctly they are strong and won’t split any further. They repair cracks in acoustic guitars all the time, it’s the nature of hollow guitars. The holes are the mounting holes for the pickguard. I’m sure it’s possible to find a replacement, or a luthier could plug those and touch them up so they’re not too noticeable.

If I was in the market for a hollow body guitar I’d talk to the owner/seller and see about having a trial period with it. A guitar with some dings that have been repaired shows that the owner cared enough about it to play it and take care of it.

The way I look at it, it has some mojo and history. If it plays and sounds good then embrace the history. I have an older PRS DGT that saw some heavy road use and is chipped, has finish cracks, but plays and sounds great. I got it, spent a couple days cleaning it up and now its finish gleams, and the finish cracks are barely noticeable. I know they’re there, as do some of my friends, and they all want to steal it from me.
 
lscottk said:
Only current listing on Reverb that is in my price range is indeed $2000. However, it has a repaired crack in the side and several holes. I'm leary of buying a guitar with listed problems like this without being able to play it first. Everything else is $2,900 or more. I'll keep my eye open for new postings and we'll see what comes up. Also need to check GBase.
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Just took a look at the one on Reverb and that's a beautiful instrument. I'm sure it's priced that way b/c of the repaired crack, but like Greg said above, acoustics have cracks repaired all of the time. I'd agree that the two holes are from the removed pickguard. You could reinstall one or have them plugged if they bothered you (you'd eventually forget they were there anyway and no one will see them unless they are inspecting the guitar).

There are people on this forum with experience dealing with cracked guitars (@Andy Eagle ?)

Looking at this instrument and comparing it to other H575's, if you could negotiate the price down even further, then it could be a real deal. If you are interested, then try find one in a shop somewhere to play first hand to see how you like it.
 
fcs101 said:
Just took a look at the one on Reverb and that's a beautiful instrument. I'm sure it's priced that way b/c of the repaired crack, but like Greg said above, acoustics have cracks repaired all of the time. I'd agree that the two holes are from the removed pickguard. You could reinstall one or have them plugged if they bothered you (you'd eventually forget they were there anyway and no one will see them unless they are inspecting the guitar).

There are people on this forum with experience dealing with cracked guitars (@Andy Eagle ?)

Looking at this instrument and comparing it to other H575's, if you could negotiate the price down even further, then it could be a real deal. If you are interested, then try find one in a shop somewhere to play first hand to see how you like it.
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My concern about buying one with such significant damage (repaired or not) is how difficult it is to resell if I don't like it. If I like the guitar then I don't mind the damage. I've bought guitars before and not bonded with. Having a big crack would make it a pain to move and get back the money I put into it.

I'm selling a Knaggs Kenai locally here in Olympia Washington. Maybe I can work a trade for one of the nicer ones. I'll also try negotiating a trial period.

I also saw a used Ibanez Joe Pass JP20 for $1999. I have an Ibanez Lee Ritenour LR10 that I love, sothe JP20 has me thinking.

I also found an Ibanez Pat Metheny PM120 for 2k. This guitar is also a candidate. I love Pat Metheny so I'm giving this one serious thought.

Does anyone have experience with either of the Ibanez models? JP20 or PM120?
 
ipressthebutton said:
I would check out Eastman and Godin.
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My main guitar is a Godin LGXT. I have seen but don't know much about the Godin Kingpin (I think that is the model). Have you played one?

I looked at some Eastmans but was turned off when the label said "Made in China". I have an irrational aversion to guitars made in China. I've seen that others really like Eastman guitars so perhaps I should reconsider in this case. Which Eastman models do you recommend?
 
lscottk said:
My concern about buying one with such significant damage (repaired or not) is how difficult it is to resell if I don't like it. If I like the guitar then I don't mind the damage. I've bought guitars before and not bonded with. Having a big crack would make it a pain to move and get back the money I put into it.
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It would definitely be a consideration. Mostly just wanted you to be aware of the Heritage model.

I see your main guitar is an LGXT (one of my favs is my LGX SA). I'm intrigued by the 5th Avenue model, but haven't played one.
 
lscottk said:
My main guitar is a Godin LGXT. I have seen but don't know much about the Godin Kingpin (I think that is the model). Have you played one?

I looked at some Eastmans but was turned off when the label said "Made in China". I have an irrational aversion to guitars made in China. I've seen that others really like Eastman guitars so perhaps I should reconsider in this case. Which Eastman models do you recommend?
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Yes, the Kingpin was the one I was thinking about. I've played a couple and have always been impressed with Godin's value for the money.

On the cheaper side, I believe the Ibanez Artcore line has several archtops.
 
IMO, you won't need to spend 2K on a decent hollow-body. Ibanez alone makes several models for cheaper that are nice guitars. Same goes for lesser-known manufacturers. Just stay away from the big names with the big markup.
 
steadystate said:
IMO, you won't need to spend 2K on a decent hollow-body. Ibanez alone makes several models for cheaper that are nice guitars. Same goes for lesser-known manufacturers. Just stay away from the big names with the big markup.
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I can talk for days about solid-body and semi-hollow body guitars. Just not that familiar with Hollow body jazz guitars. What lesser known manufacturers are you thinking of?
I have owned a number of early 80s Ibanez guitars. I've had several AS-100s, an AS-50 and a bunch of the solid body early 80s guitars. The only one that I have left is my LR-10, which I will only sell if I have no other choice. I sold almost everything during a divorce in 2016. The LR-10 and my 90s Grosh Retro Classic are the only two that I kept.
 
ipressthebutton said:
Yes, the Kingpin was the one I was thinking about. I've played a couple and have always been impressed with Godin's value for the money.

On the cheaper side, I believe the Ibanez Artcore line has several archtops.
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I agree about Godin quality. I paid $1200 for my Godin LGXT, but it came with a Roland VG-99. $1200 is probably on the high side because the guitar shows significant wear. But it sounds good and it plays great. And because it is already worn I'm not paranoid about more dings. My Grosh is the same - I bought it with a quarter sized ding down to the wood. I love that guitar and it is another that I don't ever plan on selling.
I just recently bought two Knaggs Kenais. One I bought local - it is the JJ model. That guitar is magic. Sustain and harmonics for days. I've had to pinch myself because it plays and sounds so good. Holy grail tone for sure. The second Knaggs is also a really good guitar, but it is a bit brighter and jangly, kind of like a cross between a Les Paul and a Rickenbacker. It is also beautiful Tier 2. I've got it listed on Craigslist for $3700. If anyone is interested I'm will to go as low as $3400. Local pickup from either Seattle or Portland is preferred. I'm willing to drive and meet.

And here I am derailing my own thread!
Anyway, I appreciate all of the suggestions. I'm going to see about the FG-100. This guitar looks really appealing.
 
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