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barnstorm Frets: 636
November 2020 in Guitar
For quite a long time I've only owned Strats and I've been considering adding something jazz box-ish (electric, hollow, not enormous, probably £1500 tops) as a change of pace. Do we have any 5th Avenue lovers/haters here?
I'm particularly interested to know what the neck is like, please, as there's very little in the way of concrete information online. I manage fine with anything that's more or less C-shaped, but over the years Ds, Us and Vs have spoiled a lot of guitars I'd otherwise have enjoyed.
Happy to hear other recommendations if we have Guild/D'Angelico/Ibanez etc evangelists here.
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Whitecat Frets: 5464
November 2020
I've owned a 5th Avenue Kingpin CWII, a 5th Avenue Jazz and a 5th Avenue TV Jones Limited. In the end I sold all of them because I have worked out, very slowly, that deep-bodied electrics just aren't my thing (a Proline Gretsch was also sacrificed in this quest). BUT they were excellent guitars - very well-made. The neck always seemed slightly asymmetrical in shape - basically medium-Cish, but with a slight "fatter on the bass side feeling". But it was extremely subtle.
I did find the Kingpin's P90s to be very dark sounding - almost too much so, but I suppose they are voiced for jazzier things and people who don't dime the knobs regularly. It's something that had I hung onto I probably would have switched in the end, but that's a taste thing.
Anyway I would recommend them - esp if you can find a clean used example as they don't hold their value very well - but a new one on a Black Friday type offer would be worth it too.
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barnstorm Frets: 636
November 2020
Thanks – that's very useful. Would I be right to assume, then, that the TVJ guitar was your favourite of the lot?
I like Filters and would prefer a guitar that can muster a bit of sparkle with the knobs in the right place, rather than one that only does woofly and a bit less woofly. I see they have a model with T-Armonds now, too.
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Whitecat Frets: 5464
November 2020
It was indeed - that was the hardest one to sell. Sounded really, really good.If you can find a secondhand one in “silver gold” (it was a limited model) it was also the very last of the 5th Avenues to have a genuine ebony fretboard - where they didn’t use rosewood they had been moving to richlite slowly and now they all have that instead.
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TINMAN82 Frets: 1846
November 2020 edited November 2020
Might be selling a nearly new Ibanez AKJ90D archtop if that’s of interest.
It has light factory relicing and an old Gibson ES-175 mojo about it. The super 58 humbuckers sound great, a mellow jazz sound. Selling as I prefer my Eastman.
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ICBM Frets: 72860
November 2020
I'm not sure I would say I was a hater, but I've never been impressed with those Godins. (Or any Godins, really.) Not positively bad, just dull and not very inspiring.And possibly the worst live guitar sound I've ever heard was one - but I'd probably put it down to user error and the amp, since it was through a cranked Epiphone Valve Junior. Like a hippopotamus farting underwater.
One of the best I've played was the new Epiphone Century, the one that's based on James Bay's - but not the actual signature model, which should be even better since it has a Kinman pickup and CTS pots.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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allen Frets: 745
November 2020 edited November 2020
I have a Guild Savoy. Deep bodied archtop with floating gold foil pickup. Bit rare on ebay, but they do come up.
Should be about £650.
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GuitarStuffChannel
https://www.instagram.com/insta.guitarstuff/0
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DB1 Frets: 5028
November 2020
I've had a couple of 5th Avenue's. I like the ES-125 type of guitar and sound and, to be honest, the first 5th Avenue was pretty close. I kept it for two years and, for me, two weeks is usually classified as 'a keeper'.
Eventually I did get an ES-125 and let the Godin after a few months after that. It was 85% of the ES-125 for about 20% of the money. I paid £262 for it. I only paid £300-ish for the one I bought more recently. That didn't last long, because I had another ES-125 incoming.
At the right price, second hand, they can be a good buy and be an approximation of a 1940's/50's jazz box - one thing that I did find a bit offputting was the MFI feel of the back of the neck. I did take it with me on holiday a few times, and it was great for a cheapish couch guitar which sounded fine acoustically.
If I couldn't afford, or justify, an ES-125, I'd have another 5th Avenue.
Call me Dave.
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barnstorm Frets: 636
November 2020
ICBM said:
I'm not sure I would say I was a hater, but I've never been impressed with those Godins. (Or any Godins, really.) Not positively bad, just dull and not very inspiring.And possibly the worst live guitar sound I've ever heard was one - but I'd probably put it down to user error and the amp, since it was through a cranked Epiphone Valve Junior. Like a hippopotamus farting underwater.
One of the best I've played was the new Epiphone Century, the one that's based on James Bay's - but not the actual signature model, which should be even better since it has a Kinman pickup and CTS pots.
Cheers – opinions, particularly of the basic one with the P90, do seem to be fairly polarised. That pickup clearly isn't a world-beater.
There seems to be general agreement that they're well put together, though, and that plus the manageable size and the lack of neck binding (not quite a requirement but a strong preference) makes them fairly attractive on paper. I'll give the Century/James Bay a closer look because it does tick some boxes and I'm not opposed to a thinline given that I'll be plugged in all the time. The Guild T-50 is on my long-list as well.
Thanks for the offers @TINMAN82 and @allen – I'll shout if either guitar seems suitable when I've managed to make up my mind.
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DB1 Frets: 5028
November 2020
If you want to go down the inexpensive jazzbox route, I've got a Washburn J-6 in the classifieds. Early '80's, great build quality, Maxon pickups, case, etc. If it might be what you're looking for, give me a shout.
Call me Dave.
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barnstorm Frets: 636
November 2020
DB1 said:
I've had a couple of 5th Avenue's. I like the ES-125 type of guitar and sound and, to be honest, the first 5th Avenue was pretty close. I kept it for two years and, for me, two weeks is usually classified as 'a keeper'.
Eventually I did get an ES-125 and let the Godin after a few months after that. It was 85% of the ES-125 for about 20% of the money. I paid £262 for it. I only paid £300-ish for the one I bought more recently. That didn't last long, because I had another ES-125 incoming.
At the right price, second hand, they can be a good buy and be an approximation of a 1940's/50's jazz box - one thing that I did find a bit offputting was the MFI feel of the back of the neck. I did take it with me on holiday a few times, and it was great for a cheapish couch guitar which sounded fine acoustically.
If I couldn't afford, or justify, an ES-125, I'd have another 5th Avenue.
Out of curiosity, which guitar has stuck around the longest at DB1 Towers?
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Kittyfrisk Frets: 19217
November 2020
Cheers – opinions, particularly of the basic one with the P90, do seem to be fairly polarised. That pickup clearly isn't a world-beater.
Interestingly the Godin LG-90 came with Seymour Duncan P90's as standard and they really are very good pickups, so not sure why they would not fit them to the 5th Avenue? Costs?0
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Whitecat Frets: 5464
November 2020
Kittyfrisk said:
Cheers – opinions, particularly of the basic one with the P90, do seem to be fairly polarised. That pickup clearly isn't a world-beater.
Interestingly the Godin LG-90 came with Seymour Duncan P90's as standard and they really are very good pickups, so not sure why they would not fit them to the 5th Avenue? Costs?Godin was a little odd about pickups sometimes. Some were SDs and labelled as such, some were apparently SDs but OEM’d as Godin pickups (the mini bucker on the 5th Avenue Jazz was an example
of this), and some were simply made by Godin themselves (Kingpins, probably - they do not sound like any SD P90s I’ve ever played). No doubt cost was probably the main factor in what went where.0
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DB1 Frets: 5028
November 2020
barnstorm said:
DB1 said:
I've had a couple of 5th Avenue's. I like the ES-125 type of guitar and sound and, to be honest, the first 5th Avenue was pretty close. I kept it for two years and, for me, two weeks is usually classified as 'a keeper'.
Eventually I did get an ES-125 and let the Godin after a few months after that. It was 85% of the ES-125 for about 20% of the money. I paid £262 for it. I only paid £300-ish for the one I bought more recently. That didn't last long, because I had another ES-125 incoming.
At the right price, second hand, they can be a good buy and be an approximation of a 1940's/50's jazz box - one thing that I did find a bit offputting was the MFI feel of the back of the neck. I did take it with me on holiday a few times, and it was great for a cheapish couch guitar which sounded fine acoustically.
If I couldn't afford, or justify, an ES-125, I'd have another 5th Avenue.
Out of curiosity, which guitar has stuck around the longest at DB1 Towers?
It's actually a 1960's/'70's Columbus ES-335 - reason being is that nobody wants it, and frankly I don't blame them. I don't even know where it is at the moment.
I hadn't used to be as bad as I am now, and so I'll probably have to delve into the past for anything that stayed a while. Probably the Godin, to tell the truth. Possibly a lovely 6120 Chet in a blue burst.
Of the latest crop, a Lucille has lasted since March, so that's due for a gold watch.
Call me Dave.
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Snags Frets: 5421
November 2020
A friend has what, looking at the pictures, must be the Kingpin.
He tends to play it more like an electro-acoustic than an electric, and for that it's, er, not great. He also has a right horrible inappropriate little practice amp, which doesn't help.
I've had a couple of noodles on it (note, I am in no way a jazz player, so was just 'playing stuff'), and have whacked it through a better amp on occasion. It didn't particularly grab me: there was nothing wrong with it, but it didn't inspire or have any particular 'wow' factor. it also felt a little bit 'tight' but that could also have been down to me playing what were, fundamentally, wholly inappropriate songs for the instrument.
Fun to have around, but knowing I could borrow his is better than having to buy my own
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Jalapeno Frets: 6405
November 2020 edited November 2020
Had a Gretsch NewYorker, but as you indicated a vicious V shaped neck - it was ok.
I do have an expensive Sadowsky, but also have an interest in more frugal jobs. Currently I have an Epiphone Broadway, awaiting pickup replacements, and a tatty ES125T of the more frugal nature.
I have GAS for a D'Angelico Excel SS - thin bodied archtop, but no real need for one
Imagine something sharp and witty here ......
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barnstorm Frets: 636
November 2020
DB1 said:
barnstorm said:
Out of curiosity, which guitar has stuck around the longest at DB1 Towers?
It's actually a 1960's/'70's Columbus ES-335 - reason being is that nobody wants it, and frankly I don't blame them. I don't even know where it is at the moment.
I enjoy the idea that that has seen off an L-5.
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DB1 Frets: 5028
November 2020
It's also seen off about 150 others! Of course, if you're expressing some interest in it, I may be prepared to revise my description of it quite considerably.
Call me Dave.
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DavidR Frets: 777
November 2020
I have Ibanez AFC95 Contemporary Archtop which I use for recording only. I have only ever owned one other archtop which was a wonderful old Hofner Senator I reconditioned so not much to compare with but like Ibanez a lot and it plays well with Chromes on. Not sure how available this particular guitar is now as I bought it about 3y ago now. Ibanez have generally good rep for archtops though.
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