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What's your dream jazzbox?


wkrantz7

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Super 400 guitars are just too big.

18" across is just too large to reproduce the frequency range that a standard guitar is tuned to.

At least that was the opinion of Les Paul when he was asked in an interview if Gibson ever made a guitar model he didn't like. He called it "too boomy."

D'Aquisto had the same opinion of archtops larger than 17". He was averse to making them even on special request. He said he had a real problem voicing them in a way where they would work well. He was much happier in the 16" to 17" range.

Then there's that story about how John Lee Hooker was convinced that he had "arrived" and shouldn't be playing his old Epiphone. He was told he should get a higher end model, and traded in his guitar for a Super 400.

After about a day or two he realized he had made a big mistake and spent the next couple of days trying to track down his old Epiphone.

The Super 400 is a good example of how sometimes the American marketing concept of "more is better" doesn't pan out.

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One of the Old Strombergs would be ideal, like this.

http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/stromberg-g-3/1-1,3-64,i-72281/

 

But i know that is almost impossible so Bendetto, D'Angelico, Gibson, really anything that has a solid carved top and a mounted Pup would be fine for me.

And yes i know that 18" is really big, but i've sat down with a couple and (since im a big guy any way) feel pretty comfy with one. Just goes that everyone has different taste and needs in music.

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Old Strombergs are even rarer than D'Angelicos and outrageously expensive. They also are very loud and honking in tone. Not as versatile for modern jazz...they mainly shine in a big band jazz orchestra setting because they are LOUD and can cut through unamplified with other instruments around. It's all about being heard with a monster guitar like that...Maybe the right tool for Freddie Green comping chords all night in the Count Basie Orchestra...but not something a modern jazz player would find as useful for recording or playing amplified...or lead jazz soloing.

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