Advice on design of jazz guitar

[tomsalvojazz]

Hi guys!

Well, I am moving toward replacing all of my guitars with Tom Andersons. (GEE... are you surprised???)

As you know, I play pretty diverse styles. I have most of the bases nicely covered with the two new Andersons: 1) a solid-body Drop Top with a sunken Floyd Rose and pretty hot pickups (01-14-05P), and 2) a Hollow Drop Top Classic with a S-S-H pickup configuration (01-15-05N).

The hole that needs to be filled is a straight-ahead jazz guitar. I'm striving for the right body, neck and pickup combination to achieve a tone as close to an archtop as possible in a guitar that is still as comfortable as my others and, of course, doesn't feedback.

I have some info from Roy already (thanks, Roy, for the help!). What I know so far is this: The guitar will be a hollow body with a single neck pickup. I'm thinking Hollow T, Hollow Cobra, or Hollow Atom. However, I'm also thinking about a powerbridge so I can blend in some of that with the magnetic p/u.

So. . . does anybody have any opinions or suggestions? How do these bodies compare in terms of acoustic properties? Which pickup? Neck wood?

I'm looking forward to suggestions from some of you who have hand more playing time with some of these models.

Tom, you out there???

Thanks, guys!
Tom

[tom]

i'm here, but am probably the last person to ask about a jazz tone. not being a jazzer, i think dull flat tones which i know is probably 20 years out dated. i remember hearing ted greene playing a tele and thinking it doesn't get much better than this. what are you after?

[tomsalvojazz]

Hi Tom!

You can check out my previous thread ("Brand New Tom Anderson Player")which explains how I came to discover these amazing guitars.

Frankly, the HDTC comes really close! Very vibrant and lively acoustic tones. I agree with you about the flat dull tone of most jazz guitar. I'm looking for something that's as acoustic sounding as possible but with a magnetic p/u (I played a Crowdster which was amazing but not the tone I was after).

Similar to the HDTC but a little thicker and warmer sounding, maybe a little MORE acoustic sounding, but still clear (that's the best way I can describe it) without getting into muddy les paul or nasally 335 territory.

For example, the Benedetto Benny is a hollow mahogany body, spruce top, mahogany 25" scale set-in neck, ebony fingerboard. 14 1/2" at the lower bout, 2" deep. Seymour Duncan humbuckers. It's a great sounding guitar for jazz. However, the neck is a little thicker than I'd like, and there are no body contours. But that's the general idea. :)

[Suriel Zayas]

tom s, the clips i just posted in another thread, aren't the most shredding. they are more in the jazz/easy listening side of the tone spectrum. i made them using a hollow t classic with an m1 on the neck. however, i did not spend much time trying to dial in a jazz (box or solid) tone. i'm sure the jazz tone can be achieved with my setup, ala larry carlton or lee ritenour.

[tom]

sounds like you should try a hollow something with an m1 in the neck. if you need thicker than that, and HO1- would be cool. i think you could use which ever scale you are more comfortable with.

[tomsalvojazz]

Thanks for the info, guys! Suriel, I'll definitely check out your stuff in that other thread. I was thinking hollow cobra with m1 in the neck position.

We'll see... One thing I know is that, whatever it is, it will surely be fantastic!

[ddemusic]

Interesting Post!

I too would like a simi-hollow jazz axe that plays like an Anderson (hint, hint...)

I've had better luck w/ the Cobra in trying to bring out the faux hollowbody tone than my droptop. I've just got the stock anderson humbuckers in my hollow cobra.

I find that using one of those mxr 10 band eq stompoxes really helps to dial in the woody sound you seem to be seeking. To my ears it is really preferable to the Boss GE-7. Plus, the little leds look cool in the pedalboard...

I'd like to have Tom A address if there is a tone pot change that could help accomplish this. When I'm not using this mxr unit and just roll off the tone pot it doesn't seem to sound and react the way that a gibson tone pot does. It seems to cut the highs AND the lows instead of just the highs. Which leaves the cobra sounding thin and dull instead of dull & fat.

Your thoughs Tom - other than to say that the Cobra isn't really designed w/ that tone in mind?

[MEP]

My thought is that a Hollow T w/ contours configured with H/S/H and the switcheroo system. With this guitar you can dial in almost any tone that you are looking for. The only down side is that it doesn't sound exactly like a tele or a strat or a LP but it gets very, very close to each. It really is a do it all instrument.

[brian b]

The Atom would be cool but if memory serves no powerbridge for it yet.

[bud]

Here's a good representation of what a HSH HDTC can sound like playing jazz. May or may not be close to the sound in your head but I think it provides a valuable reference point.

I'm pretty sure all of the electric tracks here are a HSH HDTC (http://www.matthewvondoran.com/cd.htm) There are a couple of photo's of it in the gallery section.

Best of luck in your quest.

Glen

[tomsalvojazz]

Yeah! See? You guys know what I'm talking about! Thanks for all the tips and links! Cool to hear so much great talent out there. I think I'm getting very close to an idea.

Hollow T, HO1 in the neck position with a coil split switch, possibly a power bridge, gold hardware, maple neck with madagascar rosewood fretboard without any inlays, natural finish on flame maple top, body contours...

Could this be an awesome jazz guitar or what?!?

Ahhh... to dream... :D :D :D :D

[bud]

Not to confuse the issue and I think a Hollow T could be just the ticket, but try and play an Atom. This guitar (http://www.andersonguitars.com/cfPages/showSingleGuitarGallery.cfm?passedID=42&finishID=257&bodyWoodID=33) had a magic sound (I seem to remember being fairly taken with the sound of the neck pickup, but NAMM is sort of a distant memory at this point)

Glen

[fractal]

Yeah! See? You guys know what I'm talking about! Thanks for all the tips and links! Cool to hear so much great talent out there. I think I'm getting very close to an idea.

Hollow T, HO1 in the neck position with a coil split switch, possibly a power bridge, gold hardware, maple neck with madagascar rosewood fretboard without any inlays, natural finish on flame maple top, body contours...

Could this be an awesome jazz guitar or what?!?

Ahhh... to dream... :D :D :D :D

This is very close what I'm getting in June (or July or so). The only difference is that I ordered nickel hardware, had it painted with a red burst color (I almost went with the natural), and went with a swamp ash top.

I'm really getting excited for it now.

-Garrett

[tomsalvojazz]

Garrett,

Very nice! Congrats! Were you striving for a particular application, as I am? Definitely let us know how it comes out and post some pics!!! ;)

I have to sell off some gear before I get my next TAG so you'll probably be able to post a review before I even place my order. Still paying off the two I bought back-to-back!

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Tom S

[fractal]

Hi Tom,

I wanted a very versatile guitar. My goal when ordering was to be able to replace my Tele Thinline 69 reissue that I've had since the mid 80's. My current guitar has too thin of a neck for me, and I don't really like the sound of the pickups.

I like playing blues and rock, and a bit of jazz - at least I try. The HO1- (coil tapped) in the neck I got for jazz, some blues, and some fusion sounds. The M1 in the middle to try to get strat in-between sounds, and the TM2 in the bridge for rock/blues, and the traditional tele twang - with a twist. I also got a fishman powerbridge not because I think it sounds like an acoustic, but because I think it adds a different (blendable!) texture to the magnetic pickups.

So, a tall order to fill. I don't really want to get a bunch of electrics on top of what I have. I have enough guitars already, and don't have enough time to play all of them as it is.

I'm going to try to post some pics and a review when it comes in.

-Garrett

[tomsalvojazz]

Suriel,

I just got a chance to listen to those tracks you posted with the HTC. Very nice playing, BTW!!! And, this gives me a pretty good idea that I'm headed in the right direction. I bet, given a little time, I could probably dial in a nice warm tone for chord-melody things.

Thanks!

Tom S.