Small bodied jazz guitar

alvynmcq

I am currently looking for a jazz box to have something different than usual.

I am small, 5’5ish and a 16” guitar would be too big for me I think. So was looking for a 14 or 15” arch top of slimline, although most 335 things look too big

All advice greatly appreciated as it’s a style of guitar I’m not overly familiar with. Budget up to around 750

thanks 

Toms_Dad

You might find that it’s the combination of 16” wide lower bout and 31/2” depth that is the problem to throw an arm round. If so a hollow body thin line will be OK. An Epiphone Casino would fit the bill in your budget. I have its big brother the ES330 and love it. It’s also surprisingly versatile for other things too if you’re not a completely committed jazzer.
The Godin Kingpin (the one with the single P 90) is also quite small bodied and has a decent reputation.

joeW

In my experience, the body depth is the more troublesome dimension as @Toms_Dad mentions.  I can get some shoulder discomfort playing my L5, and when I do, I tend to switch to a Thinline type.  I'd check out some Eastman guitars, T484's are 14" by 1.75" and a used one may be a worthy stretch?

Van_Hayden

ES330 gets my vote - Jazzer Adrian Ingram got me into 330s for jazz. Avoid the long neck and they feel a lot more comfortable and you don't need the range up the dusty end of the neck. It's a comfortable playing position. So try a Casino. 

They're also hollow, and Grant Green played an ES330. 

The baby Benson style might work - dealing with full depth guitars sometimes requires a change of posture. My right hand position and picking action is very different with an arch top to eliminate discomfort. 

dogload

If you want a thinline version of the more traditional ES-175 style, you could seek out the Epiphone Sorrento, which has a single Florentine cutaway and can be found with P-90's or mini-humbuckers.
Not as readily available as a Casino - I suspect you'd need to find a used one - but they should come in under your budget.

DB1

Van_Hayden said:

ES330 gets my vote - Jazzer Adrian Ingram got me into 330s for jazz. Avoid the long neck and they feel a lot more comfortable and you don't need the range up the dusty end of the neck. It's a comfortable playing position. So try a Casino. 

They're also hollow, and Grant Green played an ES330. 

The baby Benson style might work - dealing with full depth guitars sometimes requires a change of posture. My right hand position and picking action is very different with an arch top to eliminate discomfort. 

After having a few ES-330’s, I have to say that my preference would be for the long neck. Sitting down, at least, they feel better balanced to me. The ES330-L will probably be my next ES-330,

For the OP’s budget though, you could do worse than having a look at a used Peerless. The other one that I found to be welcome surprise for not too much money was a Samick-built Epiphone Joe Pass.

melod

I am not that much taller but I don’t think dimensions are an issue sitting down. Even a white falcon is ok for me.

Now if I were to stand on a stage.... that said one of my best friends who is a jazzer, is happy to use his es175 and he is definitely not tall. Jazz people are above all that rock posing thing  

No seriously, go with what sounds best but if you are to get a big guitar get at least one that is fully hollow.

Hattigol

Gibson ES 390. Great little guitars - smaller 330.
I have one but no real plans to sell, unfortunately.

Jalapeno

Definitely an Ibanez George Benson - 15" bodies.  They feel like a ukelele to me !

Jalapeno

Duesenberg Starplayers are 14", lovely P90 in the neck position for jazzy stuff

Jalapeno

Fibonacci Chiquita is a weeny archtop

DB1

Bear in mind the OP's budget of £750 though.

Jalapeno

DB1 said:

Bear in mind the OP's budget of £750 though.

https://reverb.com/p/ibanez-gb10em-aa-george-benson-signature-antique-amber-2020

DB1

Yeah sorry - just picked up on the Duesenberg and Fibonacci suggestions. Mind you, it's got me looking at them now.

Jalapeno

HTH

DB1

Jalapeno said:

HTH

Not exactly!

alvynmcq

Thanks everyone, someone posted a link to a second hand epiphone casino coupe in another thread, that looks very much like it might be what I am looking for?

PhilKing

What about an Ibanez George Benson GB10?  It has mini humbuckers but they are really nice guitars

Hattigol

alvynmcq said:

Thanks everyone, someone posted a link to a second hand epiphone casino coupe in another thread, that looks very much like it might be what I am looking for?

Yes, it was me. I had suggested an ES 390 but hadn't appreciated your budget, apologies.

The Casino Coupe is a pretty similar guitar. @erky32 has just bought a new one and may give you a steer on how it is when he gets it.

Good luck!

alvynmcq

I might be able to stretch my budget up to 1k, although not officially :-) So the GB10 might be  in reach, I am really undecided about this as it is so different from everything else I have owned, obviously the current situation makes going out to try instruments difficult as well

Jalapeno

alvynmcq said:

I might be able to stretch my budget up to 1k, although not officially :-) So the GB10 might be  in reach, I am really undecided about this as it is so different from everything else I have owned, obviously the current situation makes going out to try instruments difficult as well

What do you plan to do with it ?  A 330 neck pickup will be great for jazz lines, but capable of blues, rockabilly all sorts of stuff; where a GB10 will probably only be suitable for jazzy and maybe some funky stuff (broadly speaking, IMHO etc)