Versatile electric; advice sought

[upsidedown]

Hoping to get some ideas, advice, thoughts on buying an electric for my son. Just for background, and without going into obnoxious dad bragging, he’s a junior in high school who plays at a high level. The big bands and combos he’s in are jazz groups, so that’s his main focus. But, naturally, he’s a big fan of Julian Lage, among others who branch out into other disciplines.

His performing guitar is an Eastman T486(SB), so he’s good there. What we’re wanting to replace is his “leave at school” guitar, which he left at school and which was stolen in a break in. It was a partscaster tele that he had for 5 or 6 years that served him just fine.

We looked at a couple of teles at shops and through craigslist that frankly weren’t as nice a fit as the stolen guitar. In the process, the kid said he wanted to widen his search to include guitars other than a telecaster.

I’m not the one playing it, but what I *think* we’re looking for is a guitar that’s versatile enough to work with jazz, ‘other’ jazz, funk, pop, etc…The first thing that sprung to mind was the Collings JL model, which is out of our price range and besides, he doesn’t need the Bigsby.

I’m going to take him to try as many guitars as he can, but in the meantime, I’d love to hear some ideas about models that fit the criterea in the novel I wrote above. I think we could spend somewhere in the $3000 neighborhood...a Collings electric other than the JL?

Thanks in advance.

[Chickee]

Three grand for a “leave at school” guitar? Get him a Tom Anderson Raven.
Honestly, i think its you thats hot for a Collings…
fd

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Three grand for a “leave at school” guitar? Get him a Tom Anderson Raven.
Honestly, i think its you thats hot for a Collings…
fd

Thanks for the tip. And, to clarify, it's going to be much more than a second guitar. And "leaving it at school" is in the rear view mirror.

And, like I said, the kid is a Julian Lage fan. Otherwise I'd never even know Collings made electrics.

[Glennwillow]

Wow, that's too bad his Tele partscaster was stolen. That a shame. It seems like the ideal guitar for me in terms of wide ranging applicability to all kinds of styles, including jazz.

I don't know anything about Collings electrics except that they are expensive. If I were going to buy one, I'd be hoping to find a used one at a good price. I had three children in college at the same time, so I know what it's like to balance the check book at a time like that.

- Glenn

[rmp]

I'd be more included to go with a more affordable import

D'Angelico makes some nice Jazz Boxes

Eastman of course as well

Goodin 5th Aves can be something to look at too.

you could probably find some good deals on Epiphone Broadways or Regents

I've owned both, Nice jazz boxes for not a lot of money

[Steve DeRosa]

Good player-grade Korean Gretsch 5400/5600-Series Electromatics can be found in the $550-650 range if you look around, and if there's a more stylistically-versatile and better-made hollow/semi-hollow in that price range I've yet to find it...

[Mark L]

Read up on these:

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musi...ody/index.html

I have one, it’s a superb guitar and will do what you’re looking for. It’s a full size 16” 335 type, so there’s that to consider when comparing to a tele. I would rate it a complete “professional instrument”.


There’s a couple of them used on Guitar Center right now in fact. That gives you a 45 day return window with no questions asked. You might be out $30.00 shipping, maybe not.

I never use the term “no brainer”, but it does come to mind.

Next up, in the Collings world you mention, I’d go for the 290 2 p90 pickup single cut. It’ll have to be used to be under $3k, but they’re out there. Don’t get a single (bridge) pickup one. Not versatile. They can fill many niches very well, including a Tele type of spot.

Next up would be Gretsch, imo. MIJ, imo. 6120 or maybe some sort of duo jet. The Collings JL 470 resembles a duo jet. The 470 is several leagues away, but the Gretsches are every bit pro, and versatile. Pickups will matter, as will aesthetics.

Stratocasters are always an option. The Fender “original 60’s” series and the american vintage reissue series can be had for around half of custom shop reissues and are imo really high quality. Not many jazzers use them, but they are indeed the original guitar of Western Swing

Telecaster with a “Charlie Christian Pickup” in the neck position has become a really interesting, pro level jazz/country etc config. They’re often seen on a butterscotch 52 RI/Nocaster type tele. Highly recommended!

Then there are boutique tele and strat types from builders like Grosh, Suhr etc. Used these are really, really good choices. K-line will build you an excellent made to spec instrument of these types for around $3k new!

Hmmm, you’re gonna need a better amp…..��

[guitararmy]

I am a fan of humbucker-single coil- humbucker strats for a versatile guitar. Fender used to have some that were around $600, but I haven’t checked the latest prices.

[s2y]

My idea of versatility is something like an HSS Strat/Super Strat, Nashville Tele, HH guitar with a 5 way or coil splits, etc. I might suggest something like a headless Strandberg for a student to allow for a more compact case/gig bag.

My personal favorite for versatility is the Ibanez AZ2204 since the switching allows for 9 combos of the HSS pickups. Compared to your typical HSS Strat, they add the neck+middle in series, which sounds a lot like a neck humbucker. It also features the neck single and split bridge in parallel. Lots of flavors and a stable roasted maple neck. Ibanez also offers a more budget friendly headless with the same wiring schematic.

[FrankHudson]

The "leave at school where one got stolen, but $3000 budget," thing through me for a loop. I think I now understand it as more at skilled player wants a second guitar to complement an Eastman 335 type they still have.

First off, what we suggest is likely less important. Sounds like you have a person who already plays at a level and has developed some of their own preferences. What's important is personally searching for another guitar by trying some out, and that should be a fun adventure, and I'm glad you have the funds to do so.

Note, I don't shop in the $3000 range for electrics myself. While I'm sure some find value in that level, my feeling is that a well-setup electric guitar (perhaps with a pickup swap to taste) rewards the player and listener at a lower price level than acoustic guitars. If there's still a element of workhorse that might be damaged or stolen, that goes double.

Since he's got a 335 type that they apparently like, I'd be less likely to suggest another of those. Steve DeRosa has already suggested Gretsch hollow-body with a bigger chamber and different sounding pickups. A Telecaster is a very common "do anything" guitar and going with a three pickup model adds a little bit more. Another common Tele variation is to make the neck pickup something else (Gibson style humbucker, humbucker variation like a Firebird or Gretsch humbucker or a P90.) And if you look up rugged in the guitar dictionary, the Telecaster is always part of the definition. Stratocasters and their variations are very popular of course. A left-field choice that has some appeal to me is the Ed O'Brien Strat, which adds a Sustainer pickup that might have appeal if your player is interested in extended guitar sounds. If hollow or semi-hollow bodies are something they want more of, something with P90s is worth considering.

And even if my message is, the player should decide for themselves, I'll put in a pitch for the two guitars that have most recently entranced me: the Fender Jazzmaster and the Guild Starfire 1 P90. By the way if the avoidance of Bigsby's is due to "I don't like restringing them" the Vibramate Spoiler fixes that issue.

[rmp]

well actuallly if the 335 is his ride, an Epiphone 335, or Sheraton Pro II for the "leave at school" axe seems to be a logical choice.

[upsidedown]

FrankHudson made heads/tails out of my first post;


We are not looking for a guitar to leave at school.

But...

...to replace the partscaster tele with something that's an upgrade. And, even though I mentioned the possibility of spending up to $3,000 for it, the guitars he's tried out so far have been in the $1200 - $1400 range. Which, by the way, is more than we paid for the Eastman and the purloined tele - combined!

To narrow it down, a solid body is what he's after.

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming...

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

I am a fan of humbucker-single coil- humbucker strats for a versatile guitar. Fender used to have some that were around $600, but I haven’t checked the latest prices.

Oh yes the days of a MIM Fender for $600 are about a decade behind. Every since they rebranded the MIM line as the “Player Series” it came with a significant price hike. They now go for $800+.

[nostatic]

For solid body, have a couple of things to sort out:

scale length - 24.75" vs 25" vs 25.5"
pickup config - single coils vs humbuckers vs SSH vs other variants
body shape - LP vs Tele vs Strat vs PRS

If he has preferences, then for $3K you have good choices for boutique-y instruments. For the strat/tele thing, Suhr and Tom Anderson come to mind but there are plenty out there.

For humbucker guitars, I really appreciate coil taps as I came from Strats way back when.

[upsidedown]

Thanks for all the input. Found him an "American Deluxe Ash Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde 2006 Maple Neck." He bonded with it and we got it for the low low price of less than half of that $3000 upper limit.