ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL 2.0

  From L to R: 1989 Greco FA-750, 1972 Gibson ES175, 2024 Tokai FA-320, 1968 Morris MB-1, 2006 Archtop Tribute AT-101. The tone of the Gibson ES-175 can be said to be what most people perceive as the tone of a jazz guitar. Users include some of the most well-known jazz guitarists of the time including Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Pat Martino, Howard Roberts, and countless others. Unfortunately, Gibson stopped production of jazz archtop guitars in 2019. Thus you can only find ES-175s on the used guitar market, and they still cost an arm and a leg ranging ranging from US$4,000 to US$18,000 depending on the year of manufacture, and condition of the guitar.  However, there are many Japanese guitar brands that sell copies of the ES-175 whether new or old or from the 70's Lawsuit era when Gibson sued Ibanez over copyrights of guitar design. They are affordable ranging from US$1500 to US$3000. The Japanese versions are not to be sneeered at. They are extremely well...

 Archtop jazz guitars are beautiful, and I have quite a large collection. Here are some of them with their names and brief descriptions in the captions. 2016 D'Angelico EX-63. Reissue of last model by John D'Angelico before his death in 1964 2023150th Anniversary reissue of legendary Epiphone Zephyr with the unique 'gold brick' pickups A 2024 Guild with the unique D'Armond Rhythm Chief pickup that gives typifies the sound of 1950's jazz scene in the USA A 2024 Ibanez Pat Metheny PM3C with the Charlie Christian pickup A 2024 Tokai copy of a Gibson ES175 extremely well-built and having a tone as good or even better than a Gibson A 1968 Ja[an-made Morris copy of a Gibon ES175. As good or even better than a Gibson.  A rare Blue-label 1974 Made-in-Japan Epiphone Casino. Beats paying 6000-8000 dollars for a USA made of the same. Just as good or even better from a player's perspective.  An extremely rare 18' giant archtop made in China by Farida. A copy of the ...

In Ochanomizu a district of Tokyo, Japan, is a street that has probably the greatest concentration of guitar shops in the world. This is the guitar enthusiast's Heaven where the widest range of guitars are  displayed: With prices from those that cost US$50.00 to US$10,000.00 and more. Of special mention are the dozens of Japanese made brands with astonishingly high quality. The spirit of lawsuit Ibanez, Grecos and Tokais still exist. With workmanship and attention to details much more superior than even Custom Shop Fenders and Gibsons, some of these guitars are not cheap. Indeed they are even more expensive than for example American boutique brands. They have strange names like: Combat, Freedom, History, Bacchus, Momose, Moon and so on. Its a pity that such beautifully-made guitars have names that make a player cringe or hair to stand on end. And these strange names on the headstock are  obstacles to their being accepted by players. Only after decades are the vintage Grecos, T...