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Post by nicholaspaul on Jun 30, 2018 22:03:26 GMT
I'm looking for a semihollow for jazz. Not necessarily the 35HB as I have a semi, but maybe something smaller. How do people find playing jazz on a Harley Benton TE-90QM (with P90s or humbuckers) or CST24HB? Do they compare to the Epiphone ES-339? I usually play an Alnico III neck humbucker, or a Seymour Duncan '59 with an AII in it.
I'm not sure what to buy at the moment, and thought I'd ask what jazz players enjoy.
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 1, 2018 14:04:57 GMT
It seems no one feels qualified to comment on what jazz requires… I'll admit I don't know either. If I were to play jazz, and I wish I could, I'd want to sound like Miles Davis. I like that straight, incisive sound he had in Fat Time. I wonder if I can get that with out of phase pick-ups. I might try.
Not what you're asking for, I guess… I have been eyeing the TE-90QM and the CST-24HB too.
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Post by oghkhood on Jul 1, 2018 15:42:06 GMT
I have CST24-HB, and though I do not play jazz, I feel it would be ok for modern jazz, though it would be even more fit to prog or any styles using effects. Very pleasant to play, huge sustain and tone range. Then if you aim at bebop or even more classical style, you better aim at a 335 clone, or a real hollow with thick body.
P90 are something else : no doubt you can play jazz with it, be it on a solidbody, a Casino, or a true hollow like the Godin Kingpin
Just be advised that good P90 are never easy to master. It will take you some weeks to understand how to get the best from these explosive but so expressive pups
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Post by nicholaspaul on Jul 1, 2018 23:13:53 GMT
It seems no one feels qualified to comment on what jazz requires… I'll admit I don't know either. If I were to play jazz, and I wish I could, I'd want to sound like Miles Davis. I like that straight, incisive sound he had in Fat Time. I wonder if I can get that with out of phase pick-ups. I might try. Not what you're asking for, I guess… I have been eyeing the TE-90QM and the CST-24HB too. You’re right, sorry for being vague. There is a wide range of jazz styles, but I’m thinking of Wes, Barney, and other be bop cats with a warm, hollow sound. Miles, now we’re talking. A guitar that sounds like his trumpet would be perfect! it might be a silly question, but do the two models you mentioned sound hollow or are they more chambered? I have chambered guitars which don’t sound like a hollowbody, just more like heavily weight relieved.
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Post by nicholaspaul on Jul 1, 2018 23:18:49 GMT
I have CST24-HB, and though I do not play jazz, I feel it would be ok for modern jazz, though it would be even more fit to prog or any styles using effects. Very pleasant to play, huge sustain and tone range. Then if you aim at bebop or even more classical style, you better aim at a 335 clone, or a real hollow with thick body.
P90 are something else : no doubt you can play jazz with it, be it on a solidbody, a Casino, or a true hollow like the Godin Kingpin
Just be advised that good P90 are never easy to master. It will take you some weeks to understand how to get the best from these explosive but so expressive pups
Hey, thanks. Good to know! Actually I’m a big prog fan too, so that sounds right up my alley! Since you mention the 335, the cst24 might fit in my stable better as I already have a largish semi acoustic that does jazz well. I’m looking for something smaller. How do you like the bridge on that? Oh I do love p90s. They really do have a unique voice. The ones I have are Wilkinson, iron gear and one I built myself (including the bobbins) which happens to be my favourite. Big fat and warm, and sensitive. Explosive even!
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 2, 2018 0:59:11 GMT
My band mate likes his jazz and prog and seems to be happy playing it on everything from a tele to a 335 to a Vox to an Applause acoustic. A creative musician will make something of any sound, will be inspired by something new, unexpected. That's the interesting part of things. Sound is the seed, not the plant. It does not make the search for a particular sound any less legitimate but I see it as secondary in comparison to the search for notes to play.
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DefJef
THBC Moderator
Due to musical differences I've decided I can't work with myself any more.
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Post by DefJef on Jul 2, 2018 6:37:24 GMT
A creative musician will make something of any sound, will be inspired by something new, unexpected. That's the interesting part of things. Sound is the seed, not the plant. I love the way a mistake is the most inspiring sound of all. One little thing that was out of your own control, yet you did it. Automusic. I have many songs that were inspired by a mistake or else took a much better turn than the intended one because of it. I'll use any method to bring one about, from playing with eyes closed to changing tunings to deliberately disallowing the use of a string or a finger. Even choosing some random finger positions to see what that sounds like and then adjusting a little to see what suits my ear.
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 2, 2018 6:49:37 GMT
A creative musician will make something of any sound, will be inspired by something new, unexpected. That's the interesting part of things. Sound is the seed, not the plant. I love the way a mistake is the most inspiring sound of all. One little thing that was out of your own control, yet you did it. Automusic. I have many songs that were inspired by a mistake or else took a much better turn than the intended one because of it. I'll use any method to bring one about, from playing with eyes closed to changing tunings to deliberately disallowing the use of a string or a finger. Even choosing some random finger positions to see what that sounds like and then adjusting a little to see what suits my ear. I could easily say that deviations from the expected can be thought out, calculated without the need for them to "happen" but yes, they do have a certain power when they do. Sometime (quite often) I'll play a note I don't want and it will make me forget the one I wanted. I'll repeat the phrase and find the wrong note I played has become the one I now want. It's very strange.
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Post by milton on Jul 2, 2018 10:15:15 GMT
For me, nut width is almost as important as sound - I like wider string spacing. Some manufacturers offer hollow bodies with wider nut widths than the usual. I could be wrong, but I think the Harley Benton hollow bodies are all a standard nut width, which I find a bit narrow. When I was considering a hollow body (for blues and 'crooner' jazz) I think there was a Loar model that was the cheapest with a wider nut. At the end of the day though, I don't know much about hollow bodies. I once played a bunch of Ibanez hollow bodies in a store, all around the £300–£500 mark, of which sounded pretty damn good in my opinion. Sorry not to be more help!
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Post by LeoThunder on Jul 2, 2018 10:56:33 GMT
Nut width is indicated on the Thomann site. They are all 42 or 43mm for the CST-24HB, TE-90QM or HB-35.
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Post by oghkhood on Jul 2, 2018 18:54:36 GMT
I have CST24-HB, and though I do not play jazz, I feel it would be ok for modern jazz, though it would be even more fit to prog or any styles using effects. Very pleasant to play, huge sustain and tone range. Then if you aim at bebop or even more classical style, you better aim at a 335 clone, or a real hollow with thick body.
P90 are something else : no doubt you can play jazz with it, be it on a solidbody, a Casino, or a true hollow like the Godin Kingpin
Just be advised that good P90 are never easy to master. It will take you some weeks to understand how to get the best from these explosive but so expressive pups
Hey, thanks. Good to know! Actually I’m a big prog fan too, so that sounds right up my alley! Since you mention the 335, the cst24 might fit in my stable better as I already have a largish semi acoustic that does jazz well. I’m looking for something smaller. How do you like the bridge on that? Oh I do love p90s. They really do have a unique voice. The ones I have are Wilkinson, iron gear and one I built myself (including the bobbins) which happens to be my favourite. Big fat and warm, and sensitive. Explosive even! You sure will enjoy it. It is as comfortable to play as my Strats. I changed the pups for a pair of PAF like and a push pull to add a coil split ( mine was not equipped with it in std yet ). But yes, you can upgrade it with a tandem of Filtertron ( GFS Liverpool ) in bridge and P90 ( hum size) neck, it should be even nicer. The actual wrap around bridge is acceptable : the intonation and action are fine while the sustain is just CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY ! but I feel it is giving coulour to the sound and so I consider that changing it can be an upgrade too .... not that mandatory nor urgent though
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Post by nicholaspaul on Jul 3, 2018 22:11:51 GMT
Ooo GAS.... So how different are the stock pickups compared to PAFs? What kind of replacements did you get?
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Post by oghkhood on Jul 4, 2018 5:36:05 GMT
I owned 4 HBs and kept 2 of them, and a friend of mine have one too. On these 5 guitars, I never got satisfied of the Wilkinson pups. Changing them is simply the first upgrade you have to do on an HB guitar, to have it singing up to how you want to hear it. The spares on my CST24HB came from a French brand almost unknown elsewhere. My Telecaster and my dude's LP where upgraded with Tonerider pups ( buyable on amazon ) www.tonerider.com/homeBut other brands are liable to provide you with good stuff at the convenient price : GFS (US) and Irongear (UK)
These three will provide you with pups way better than any Wilkinson, just same lvl as Fender, Gibson, Di Marzio etc .... I can compare every day
Notice : I first upgraded my CST24 HB with a set of Duesenberg pups, that can be found on 4000€+ guitars, but I prefered the actual ones
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