Help with hollowbody purchase...

[rdawsoniii]

Greetings!

This is my first post. I am looking to purchase a hollowbody guitar in the next few months. First off....I am not a very good guitar player. I can play a few simple songs but plan on spending more time playing when I retire in 2 years. I did take lessons for 2 years 20 years ago. I don't know if I had a bad teacher, but I never progressed very far, even though I practiced diligently.

I don't need an expensive guitar, but I don't want a piece of junk either. I currently own a Gibson Les Paul and a Martin acoustic. I want to keep this under $1,000, and want something "versatile" that would be good for rockabilly, blues, jazz and classic rock. I have narrowed it down to 4:

Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II
Gretsch 2422
Guild X-175
Epiphone Joe Pass

I understand the Ibanez Artcore line gets good reviews. I had an Artcore several years ago but it just didn't do anything for me. I had an Epiphone Joe Pass 20 years ago that I liked and wish I would have kept. I was able to examine a Gretsch locally and it felt pretty good.

I am intrigued by the Guild, and REALLY intrigued by the Godin. I have been impressed by the you tube videos I've watched, and I like that it is made in North America (Canada).

Sorry for the long post. I would be interested in opinions and any guitars I may have missed.

[mr. beaumont]

The Godin is an outstanding guitar. Not flashy, but I think the best of the bunch.

You could even put a Bigsby on that for the rockabilly stuff, I suppose (man, I hate Bigsbys)

[hesson11]

Your choices seem quite solid, but I'm wondering if there is any reason the Epiphone Casino isn't on your list? I have one that I like quite a bit, even though I don't really like electric guitars very much. It's a bit of a rock-n-roll icon that doesn't cost all that much.
-Bob

[Kerbie]

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you with us and I hope you'll get more playing time in the future.

[amyFB]

I would suggest to see if you can put your hands on a Bedell - they've got some nice stuff in that price point.

[SalFromChatham]

Frankly the G&L Musicians Friend SDOTD today is a G&L that is a very versatile and solid guitar. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...lectric-guitar



I just bought a new Reverend Double Agent OG over this past weekend... but if I hadn't Id buy that G&L.

You should still look at the Reverends.


Edits.... I am a dope... You said hollowbody...

[rdawsoniii]

"Your choices seem quite solid, but I'm wondering if there is any reason the Epiphone Casino isn't on your list? I have one that I like quite a bit, even though I don't really like electric guitars very much. It's a bit of a rock-n-roll icon that doesn't cost all that much."

I did look at the Casino. I had to trim the list! There are soooo many choices, a fella can drive himself crazy.

"I would suggest to see if you can put your hands on a Bedell - they've got some nice stuff in that price point."

Do they make a hollowbody? All I could find was acoustic.

I have also been looking at Eastman, but in all the videos I've seen they appear to be more of a jazz guitar. Any who owns an Eastman....how versatile are they?

[mr. beaumont]

The Eastman copy of the Gibson 175 could work, but yeah, generally their line is more "jazz focused."

Certainly if you're playing some rockabilly, you're gonna need a bridge pickup.

[Scotso]

Godins are great. I would suggest the Guild Starfire III vs the model you chose- thinner body makes it more practice friendly while sitting. I have played both. Both are great. I lean to the Guild as it is easier to maneuver.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Guild/St...o-Tailpiece.gc

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by rdawsoniii

...I am looking to purchase a hollowbody guitar in the next few months...I don't need an expensive guitar...I currently own a Gibson Les Paul...I want to keep this under $1,000, and want something "versatile" that would be good for rockabilly, blues, jazz and classic rock. I have narrowed it down to 4:

• Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II
• Gretsch 2422
• Guild X-175
• Epiphone Joe Pass

I am intrigued by the Guild, and REALLY intrigued by the Godin...

I'm familiar with all of the above, so here's my tuppence worth:

• Godin Kingpin CW II: I own one, and it's everything that Jeff and Scotso say it is and then some - if you're after a straight-out-of-1953, old-school deep hollowbody under $1K you're not going to find better, period. As a long-time Gretsch owner/player, I like the physical lightness (just a tick over five pounds - as much as a typical acoustic/electric dread or jumbo) as well as the liveliness imparted to the tone by the thin body woods (about half the thickness of similar instruments, and comparable to vintage Gretsch hollows); matched with the clarity, punch, and cut of twin P-90's it's a formidable combination for most older styles - I understand Tony Bennett's guitarist is using one, and I'd tend to think he knows a little something about tone. That said, a full-hollow instrument - especially one made of lightweight, resonant woods - is far from the best choice for heavier styles; then as now, if you push the volume you're going to get feedback, and not the "good" Clapton/Santana kind that you'll get from your LP - keep this in mind if you only want to bring one guitar to a gig...
• Gretsch 2422: Healthy competition to the MIC Ibanez Artcore line and low/midrange Epiphone hollows and semis, and had it been made by anyone but Gretsch I'd say it's worth a look if you're shopping in the $500+/- range. Thing is, a couple hundred more gets you one of their Korean-made Electromatics: way more guitar for the money, with attention to detail, playability, tone, and QC every bit the equal (and in some cases the superior) of not only their upscale MIJ Professional Series but the vintage Brooklyn originals from the '50s/60s - again speaking as an ex-Brooklyn boy and Gretsch owner since 1964, not a statement I make lightly. FYI they're clearing out last year's 5600-Series models at major price reductions - many of the online retailers have them for $600-700; having bought a 5622T-CB (think 3-PU '66 Viking with cats'-eye soundholes) last May, I'll tell you that it'll cover all the styles you list and then some: every classic Gretsch tone you've ever heard from Chet to Eddie to George to Neil to Stephen to Malcolm to Brian to Tim, as well as some you'll never get from any other Gretsch old or new - and it's got a Bigsby to boot...
• Guild X-175: If you were time-warped back sixty years to an after-hours jam on Manhattan's 52nd Street or a Rat Pack show at the Sands, this (and a '57 Twin reissue) would be your rig, hands down. While on paper there are similarities to the aforementioned Godin CW II (deep-body full-hollow, twin P-90's) this is the dictionary definition of a bop-era jazz guitar: 17" wide (think Gibson J-200/Guild F-50), classy as all-get-out, with that classic woody jazzbox "thump" in the bass/low-mids (even with the P-90 type Franz pickups) and a rich, mellow treble that smaller-bodied instruments can't duplicate - this baby is just made for flatwounds. Sweet guitar for roots/jazz/older blues - and they make a blonde Bigsby version (for $100 more) if you'd like a different take on a '50s rockabilly axe - but IME not the way to go if you're playing any musical style that had its origins after about 1962...
• Epiphone Joe Pass: I've played the older MIK JP's, as well as the more recent Chinese/Indonesian production, and if you can find an old one for a decent price buy it - the new ones aren't the same in terms of either tone or construction; FYI they've gone to a fat, cheeky, hard-D profile neck on all their low/midrange hollows and semis that you may find uncomfortable to play for long periods, especially if you do a lot of full-barre or power chords in the upper positions. Not that I would use a JP for that anyway - the caveats I listed for the Godin apply here as well - but if you do chord solos, complex rhythm comping, or just like to dig in and burn once in a while and need a twin-humbucker 16" jazzbox, the Godin CW II also comes in a twin-HB version with or without Bigsby - a far-better choice IMO; FYI most dealers don't carry them in stock, so I'd check out one of the more-common P-90/hardtail models before committing to a special order...

[rdawsoniii]

Thanks Steve for your detailed breakdown (and everyone else for your suggestions).

I think I will eliminate the Epi (should have kept the one I bought 21 years ago) and the Guild. I will check out the Electromatics.

[rdawsoniii]

Oooo....Musician's Friend has the Gretsch 5422T for $599.

[muscmp]

no fenders?? got to have a fender-strat or tele. i know they are solid but you gotta have one.

play music!

[Paully]

I've got a' 99 MIK JOE PASS. Sweet guitar, I swapped out the stock Epi AlNiCo 5 pups for a set of Seymour Duncan APH 2's. Great all arounder.

[rdawsoniii]

Originally Posted by Paully

I've got a' 99 MIK JOE PASS. Sweet guitar, I swapped out the stock Epi AlNiCo 5 pups for a set of Seymour Duncan APH 2's. Great all arounder.

My Joe Pass was a '96 or '97. Wish I would have kept it.

How do you like your Bugera V5? I have one and think it is great.