Recognizing my own obsession

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've seen many an expensive guitar I'd love to own, by makers like Myka, Crimson, Vigier, Veilette, Ken Ryan, Somogyi and so many more.

 

...and that short list right there just added up to $50,000 or so- more than half of that in the last 2 builders' products.

 

Do I make that kind of money? No, but given what I do, it is within the realm of possibility. Of course, by the time I'm making that kind of money, what I want may not be available. Not to mention, by that time, I may have other responsibilities that will prevent me from buying anything like that.

 

But damn it all, I can dream!

[Fred_C]

But damn it all, I can dream!

 

+1.

[Fred_C]

Hey P-90,

 

Yeah, I have been aware of both the Heritage and Hamer lines for several years. I think it may be hard to find a used Hamer because the company who owns the brand has (I believe) ceased USA production. The Heritage instruments which are excellent are readily available.

 

They are both viable options (assuming the availability of a Hamer Monaco, Newport etc.). You know, I can remember when Ed Roman was first marketing the Blues Deluxe from Heritage. I believe that he passed away.

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

 

Anyway, thanks for the good advice. Greatly appreciated.

[Dannyalcatraz]

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

What kinds of tones do you seek?

[Fred_C]

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

What kinds of tones do you seek?

 

JAZZ TONE: Clean, Warm, Smokey, Liquid.

 

As mentioned earlier in this thread,

 

I am considering the Duncan Jazz, Lollar Imperial

or Benedetto B-6. But, I am open to other recommendations.

 

[Winston Psmith]

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

What kinds of tones do you seek?

 

JAZZ TONE: Clean, Warm, Smokey, Liquid.

 

As mentioned earlier in this thread,

 

I am considering the Duncan Jazz, Lollar Imperial

or Benedetto B-6. But, I am open to other recommendations.

 

FWIW, when I was selling guitars, we carried Hamer, and many of the Hamer models (both U.S.-made and MIK) came with Duncan pickups. Very warm tones, indeed, but with enough output to bark, or even howl, when needed.

[Fred_C]

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

What kinds of tones do you seek?

 

JAZZ TONE: Clean, Warm, Smokey, Liquid.

 

As mentioned earlier in this thread,

 

I am considering the Duncan Jazz, Lollar Imperial

or Benedetto B-6. But, I am open to other recommendations.

 

FWIW, when I was selling guitars, we carried Hamer, and many of the Hamer models (both U.S.-made and MIK) came with Duncan pickups. Very warm tones, indeed, but with enough output to bark, or even howl, when needed.

 

Winston,

 

Are you aware of the veracity of my comprehension that Hamer guitars are no longer being made in the USA and are not available new?

[Winston Psmith]

Winston,

 

Are you aware of the veracity of my comprehension that Hamer guitars are no longer being made in the USA and are not available new?

 

Absolutely, a very regrettable loss, IMHO, and part of the overall decline of Kaman Industries under Fender. Not long ago, we were discussing the closure of the U.S. Ovation plant, taking all of their production overseas, which may signal the death of that product line, as well.

 

At any rate, my intent was to assure you that the Duncan pickups would give you a good sound. However, if you came across a U.S.-made Hamer for a reasonable price, it might be worth your while to give it a closer look. They really were fine guitars.

 

FWIW, the store where I worked carried Hamers from the mid-90's up until around 2008/9, when the store moved. By the time we'd settled in a new location, the owner was pushing Fenders, which we'd just picked up as a product line, and Hamer was already on the way out. I think it was within the last year or two Jol Dantzig announced his intention to discontinue the Hamer line, altogether.

[p90jr]

Fender bought Hamer from Kaman, I believe, and then shuttered the brand a few years ago. Shame. Correctly addressed above.

 

There still seems to be a lot of new old stock posted by dealers on eBay regularly. One of these days I may start buying them all up.

[Larryz]

 

I think my next acquisition will be new pickups for the Epi Sheraton.

What kinds of tones do you seek?

 

JAZZ TONE: Clean, Warm, Smokey, Liquid.

 

As mentioned earlier in this thread,

 

I am considering the Duncan Jazz, Lollar Imperial

or Benedetto B-6. But, I am open to other recommendations.

 

My buddy upgraded his Epi Sheraton with a bigsby, new pots and a couple of Gibson 57 Humbuckers. One very sweet sounding and playing guitar...as good as any Gibson 335 costing 2 or 3 times as much...He and I both really love the way it sounds. I think the pups ran about $130 each...

[Larryz]

But damn it all, I can dream!

 

+1.

 

+2 !!!

[Larryz]

I try to be practical.

 

If I buy a $6K guitar, how can I use it to recoup my investment?

 

1. Take it to 60 gigs that net an average of $100. This is not likely to happen. Besides the risk of being stolen or knocked over and broken there's the wear and tear to worry about.

 

2. Use it only for studio projects that produce at least $6K net profit. Anybody here made that much money as a studio guitarist? Maybe a studio owner, but that takes some serious coin to establish and a $6K guitar would just be a drop in the bucket.

 

3. Keep it in a case and wait for it to appreciate. You would have to take it out periodically to play it and maintain it, but more as a museum curator handling a work of art. There are probably better ways to invest cash.

 

So for me, at least, I don't need a $6K guitar. YMMV.

 

ditto.

 

I have the same problem with my boat. I don't think I'll ever catch enough fish to make it pay for itself...but it sure is a lot of fun LOL!

[Dannyalcatraz]

JAZZ TONE: Clean, Warm, Smokey, Liquid.

 

Hard to go wrong with the ones you've chosen, but someone around here- picker?- recommended Vintage Vibe to me for a custom project, and I don't regret the decision to go with them at all.

 

http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Good_to_Great_Leadership_Image1.jpg

[Fred_C]

Danny (@Picker),

 

Would the VV p/u's deliver the Jazz tone I'm looking for?

 

BTW: GREAT Graphic!

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'd have to say yes. I bought a singlecoil for the neck and a Charlie Christian singlecoil for the bridge in a luthier's prototype telecaster- both quite sweet.

 

And here is a nice demo of his HB-sized P90s being used for jazz:

[video:youtube]

 

Based on my guitar and that demo, I'd have to assume Pete's standard HBs can be just as suited for jazz.

 

Edit: FWIW, here's a demo of a dude using a VV Charlie Christian HB to play jazz:

[video:youtube]

[Larryz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrFTeFwBF4k <---here's the 57 Gibson humbuckers mounted on a Tele, which just shows they will sound good on anything you put them on.

 

<---I think this is also a 57 classic...but I don't speak the lingo

 

Anyway they are blues pups if you like overdrive, but tamed down they play some clean jazzy licks...

 

 

[Fred_C]

Bro. Larry,

 

Just watched the videos. Yeah, the gib. Cl. 57's sound very good. However, I think that I'm still leaning toward the Lollar, Duncan or Benedetto. I do appreciate the info.

 

BTW: watching that guy improv over "Misty", left handed and upside down made me dizzy.

[Caevan O’Shite]

You might also consider these and/or these- Stewart-MacDonald Golden Age Humbuckers and Golden Age - Parsons Street Humbuckers, all vintage-flavored pickups, the latter meticulously patterned directly from a specific pair of vintage PAF's.

 

A friend put some in a Les Paul styled axe that he built and they are SWEET. I think that you would like them very much for your stated mission objectives, and the prices are pretty reasonable!

[Fred_C]

Thanks Caev.

 

I should probably mention that I'm only replacing the neck p/u. Like so many jazzcats, I only play the neck p/u. I really don't care about the bridge p/u. In the 51 years I've been playing

I bet I've switched both p/u's on just a few times and have never switched to the bridge p/u only. Sounds too thin and "zingy" to me.

 

I'm kinda' leaning toward the Benedetto. Robert Benedetto is quoted as stating that it's "the best jazz pickup he's ever heard". If it's good enough for Benedetto, it should be good enough for a neophyte like me.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Thanks Caev.

 

I should probably mention that I'm only replacing the neck p/u. Like so many jazzcats, I only play the neck p/u. I really don't care about the bridge p/u. In the 51 years I've been playing

I bet I've switched both p/u's on just a few times and have never switched to the bridge p/u only. Sounds too thin and "zingy" to me.

 

I'm kinda' leaning toward the Benedetto. Robert Benedetto is quoted as stating that it's "the best jazz pickup he's ever heard". If it's good enough for Benedetto, it should be good enough for a neophyte like me.

 

There are some nice tones living in the "middle position", the two pickups blended-to-taste... maybe rolling back the volume-knob and/or tone-knob for the bridge-pickup a bit lower than that of the neck-pickup...

[whitefang]

Bear in mind also, that most jazz cats I've seen play over the years, had axes with ONLY the neck p/u. If you're replacing p/u's and are mostly concerned with "jazz tone", then the NECK p/u should possibly be the only consideration...IF the axe you're playing jazz on has, for some reason, TWO pick-ups.( Bear in mind, too, that I DIDN'T open that door!)

 

I also got around to checking out the Collings website( knew little about these axes) and I do have to admit. Those Eastside series archtops look nice! LOVE those TAILPIECES, too. And I found that they still make tenors interesting. No prices on the site, though.

Whitefang

[SEHpicker]

There are some nice tones living in the "middle position", the two pickups blended-to-taste... maybe rolling back the volume-knob and/or tone-knob for the bridge-pickup a bit lower than that of the neck-pickup...

 

I agree - On my LP I use the middle position quite often for clean tones. Yeah Caev, back off both the volume and the treble a bit on the bridge p/u and you have a really nice tone with just a little edge to it. A whole new voice really.

[Larryz]

Bro. Larry,

 

Just watched the videos. Yeah, the gib. Cl. 57's sound very good. However, I think that I'm still leaning toward the Lollar, Duncan or Benedetto. I do appreciate the info.

 

BTW: watching that guy improv over "Misty", left handed and upside down made me dizzy.

 

Brother Fred, I went back and watched that upside down lefty a couple of times and was mesmerized too! At first I was just listening to the pups, then I got caught up in watching his fingers and the way he got those sounds using reverse scale techniques...It Wowed Me!!!

 

I like using the middle position on a 3way. I blend with volume and tone controls until I get the best sound. Then I play it just like an acoustic guitar and use technique and pick positions to alter the sound. I seldom use the bridge pickup alone. I can get some good country lead sound when I need some extra treble using the bridge pup, but since I play solo most of the time I have to wait until I'm playing with a buddy or a backing track. If I had only one pickup, it would be at the neck position, as I love the clean jazz tone the best...hope the Benedetto works for you. Keep us posted!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Bro. Larry,

 

Just watched the videos. Yeah, the gib. Cl. 57's sound very good. However, I think that I'm still leaning toward the Lollar, Duncan or Benedetto. I do appreciate the info.

 

BTW: watching that guy improv over "Misty", left handed and upside down made me dizzy.

 

Brother Fred, I went back and watched that upside down lefty a couple of times and was mesmerized too! At first I was just listening to the pups, then I got caught up in watching his fingers and the way he got those sounds using reverse scale techniques...It Wowed Me!!!

 

I like using the middle position on a 3way. I blend with volume and tone controls until I get the best sound. Then I play it just like an acoustic guitar and use technique and pick positions to alter the sound. I seldom use the bridge pickup alone. I can get some good country lead sound when I need some extra treble using the bridge pup, but since I play solo most of the time I have to wait until I'm playing with a buddy or a backing track. If I had only one pickup, it would be at the neck position, as I love the clean jazz tone the best...hope the Benedetto works for you. Keep us posted!

 

I use 'em all, and vary with my "touch" quite a bit.

 

I tilt the neck-pickup so that the fretboard-side coil is closer to the strings, and the bridgeward-side coil is further down beneath and away from the strings; I prefer its overall tone that way.

 

Due to my "touch", I've often had people assume I was using the neck-pickup when I was, in fact, using the bridge-pickup, and vice-verse. I've also had people assume I was using an ES-335 or similar semi-hollow axe in recordings, when in fact it was my Les Paul.

[Fred_C]

Bro. Larry,

 

Just watched the videos. Yeah, the gib. Cl. 57's sound very good. However, I think that I'm still leaning toward the Lollar, Duncan or Benedetto. I do appreciate the info.

 

BTW: watching that guy improv over "Misty", left handed and upside down made me dizzy.

 

Brother Fred, I went back and watched that upside down lefty a couple of times and was mesmerized too! At first I was just listening to the pups, then I got caught up in watching his fingers and the way he got those sounds using reverse scale techniques...It Wowed Me!!!

 

I like using the middle position on a 3way. I blend with volume and tone controls until I get the best sound. Then I play it just like an acoustic guitar and use technique and pick positions to alter the sound. I seldom use the bridge pickup alone. I can get some good country lead sound when I need some extra treble using the bridge pup, but since I play solo most of the time I have to wait until I'm playing with a buddy or a backing track. If I had only one pickup, it would be at the neck position, as I love the clean jazz tone the best...hope the Benedetto works for you. Keep us posted!

 

I use 'em all, and vary with my "touch" quite a bit.

 

I tilt the neck-pickup so that the fretboard-side coil is closer to the strings, and the bridgeward-side coil is further down beneath and away from the strings; I prefer its overall tone that way.

 

Due to my "touch", I've often had people assume I was using the neck-pickup when I was, in fact, using the bridge-pickup, and vice-verse. I've also had people assume I was using an ES-335 or similar semi-hollow axe in recordings, when in fact it was my Les Paul.

 

"Different strokes for diferent folks", gentlemen.

I love the "phat tone" of the neck pickup. I know that I'm not making use of all of the tones available to me on the Sheraton and the AF-125 (the Peerless Monarch 16 only has one pickup in the neck position), but I'm happy with my tone. Perhaps, I would switch both pickups on if I were still playing a lot of Blues. But for Chord Melody, gimme' that neck pickup!!!

 

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

It is pretty great, isn't it?

[Fred_C]

It is pretty great, isn't it?

 

Yep!

[Dannyalcatraz]

You might also consider these and/or these- Stewart-MacDonald Golden Age Humbuckers and Golden Age - Parsons Street Humbuckers, all vintage-flavored pickups, the latter meticulously patterned directly from a specific pair of vintage PAF's.

 

A friend put some in a Les Paul styled axe that he built and they are SWEET. I think that you would like them very much for your stated mission objectives, and the prices are pretty reasonable!

 

FWIW, one of the humbuckers that Jon Kammerer uses as standard in his guitars are the Golden Age HBs. One of the JKGs I have has them, and that guitar is quite nice- lots of good tones at each position. They sound nice split, too.

[whitefang]

Now, I've heard some describe a tone as "FAT" before( THAT goes back to before when the idiotic term "phat" started showing up) and I've heard others use "Thick" instead. I have a vague idea of what they mean...but am wondering how YOU mean in a "phat" tone? (for example, the "slang" term "phat" generally seems to mean the same as "cool" in vernacular)

Whitefang

[Fred_C]

"Phat" is jargonistic. It means "big", "thick", "full".I utilized the non-standard spelling for fun. If it offends your sensibilities, that's too damn bad.