My last post reviewed smallish, solid state guitar combo amps for jazz. It expanded on my previous posts on jazz amps and solid state amps. But wait! There is still another possibility for small, lightweight, easily portable, powerful amps that can be used for jazz. You’ve probably already thought of… More
I’m going to try to summarize my research on solid state, light-weight combo amps in this post. My interest is amplifiers that are appropriate for jazz and acoustic applications. Size and weight (how portable) are important to me, so I emphasize small and light. For me, this means that the… More
I attended a concert at Duke University this past weekend. The concert, “Sounds of Justice & Inclusion: Honoring Rev. Martin L. King, Jr.” featured the Durham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro William Henry Curry, with Abraham Lincoln’s words spoken by Keith Snipes. Jazz was provided by John Brown’s Little Big Band… More
The Epiphone 335 Pro thin-line, semi-hollow body electric guitar is one of the best bargains available in this style of instrument. The guitar is essentially an upgraded Epiphone Dot with both cosmetic and functional upgrades. Of course the true bargain comparison is to the Gibson ES-335 models. Epiphone has been… More
The Gibson ES-175 is a great guitar. It is smaller than the 18 and 17 inch jazz boxes of the swing era — before electrification changed everything. It’s comfortable for me to hold but you may prefer something else. The only thing wrong with the ES-175 if you’re someone without a… More
I reviewed some jazz guitar amps in a previous post. Most but not all of those jazz amps were solid state. This post will look at some of the same companies that have new models and some amps that I hadn’t included in the previous post. All are solid state amplifiers. They… More
Guitars with lower bout widths of 15 inches or less are in general based on classic designs and designations from Martin. Part II of this guide to acoustic guitar sizes looks at guitars with lower bouts greater than 15 inches wide. Things are not as clear cut here as with… More
Acoustic guitars come in a wide variety of sizes from really small to huge. You might not know whether a “Grand Concert” sized guitar is a small or a large guitar. How big is “00” sized guitar and how does it compare to a L-00. For that matter, should you… More
Tricone Resonators Before I begin today’s post about the value alternatives to expensive high end resonator guitars that are available to you I wanted to show you something that is no longer available except used, probably vintage. A tricone squareneck by National as they were originally made with a hollow… More
I like small guitars and I talk a lot about them on these pages. But big guitars are nice too. I find dreadnoughts uncomfortable to play. But that’s me. And that has little to do with how they sound. So if you love your dreadnought, don’t mind me. Still, if… More
