Hello Tom, :)
You again raised some interesting conversational points , which I will enjoy thinking through as follows :
I always go for pickup covers, for purely cosmetic reasons - but there is generally thought to be a slight 'sweetening' ( i.e subtle attenuation of the magnetic field's response ) with covers. However ; I gather this is less of an issue with B.K.P - as being hand made, the windings on either option are 'tweeked' if required to give optimum product. As I have tended to keep going back to my Monster 'Jazz' cable , exactly because it is ( to my ears ) slightly attenuating of high end resonant peaks - then of course I would always tend to be fully sated with pickup covers , wax potting and mercifully gentle magnets ! I like clarity , but in the context of detail - not in the context of sounding like a Country / Jazz crossover act. And yes, I agree - we BOTH need a pair of L5s in which to put our favourite B.K.Ps ! :lol:
Regarding strings, I must emphasise that I used 'Be-Bop' 12s , even though I had flirted with 14's in the 'Bop and 13s in the Swing. I adapted to the heavier gauges, but then genuinely found that for my touch ( and with all guitars set to an action of 0.75-1mm at the 17th or last fret ) - the 11s or 12s genuinely sounded better for me ; 'Better' being that I could hear vibrato , false harmonics , string glide and the spaces between the notes far clearer with a lighter gauge. For me , a lighter gauge enabled the sort of touch dynamics / ambient subtleties that tend to draw the ear in - especially in the context of a solo act / player. With my favourite pickups in, I would be using their attributes to full effect, so acoustic volume and / or push from the fingerboard would be surplus to my requirements . Notes just tended to start sounding 'blocky' with heavier gauges .
On the topic of amps ; I fear that Jazz specific threads are non - existent, but I hang around here as the 'Archtop outsider' because the friendliness / balance / community on here eclipses 'other' more Jazz orientated forums . Here again Tom, I can only kick off with my own standpoint:
My all time favourite rig ( which I always refer to as the Soul Mate for the Manhattans ) - is a Henricksen head - and Raezer's edge 2 x 8 cab. As there are only two Jazz specialist distributors in England - and only one is a true enthusiast's outlet, we try what little we can lay our hands on. The Henriksen was the Amp 'winner' for me, as it had much more detail than the Jazz-Kat , but with a warmth and depth that delights and surprises. The R.E. 2 x 8 I again bought for detail with warmth. The Emminence 8" cones are very fast to respond, yet rich sounding. All of the above perceptions are of course what I thirst for.
Before that ( and still treasured ! ) is a Phil Jones Cub 100, with ( if needed ) a Fishman Acoustic reverb pedal . Again, don't be put off by a pair of diminutive 5" speakers, it is a little gem. For most of the time I spend practicing, I have been absolutely delighted by a Roland 'Micro Cube' ! As a result, when I got the chance, I picked up a Cube 60 for back-up , should I ever get the chance to gig with the Jazz project. I have not tried my archtops through existing Fender 'Twin Amp' -or Laney half stack ( remnants from my modest Soul / Blues gigging days ).
In another thread I credited Joe Pass for his pragmatism, and making me feel that even an amateur 'Shmuck' like me could try to play Chord Melody - here I also find his influence in making me want to squeeeeze a workable tone out of everything from a straight D.I. box . P.A. - through the middle market, right up to the self indulgent purchase of the Hennriksenn/ Razer's Edge rig. The fact that the seminal " An Evening with Joe Pass" turns out to have been played D.I. through the theatre's own house public address system - made me realise, I had to stop buying stuff, and start WORKING on the music itself.
As with your own ( modest ) comments about " being wracked with self doubt" - I eventually felt that the sheer enormity of the task ahead, was an even better reason to slow down, enjoy the journey, LOVE the music - and see it as a project I start in my early 50s - and perhaps start to gig anytime between now and my 80s. There is such a purity and relaxing quality ( for the player in their quiet study ) about the whole Chord melody, Mellow Jazz genre - that it becomes an intimately rewarding relationship ; even if one only seeks to entertain friends after dinner e.t.c. I came to it relatively late in life - and when I did, it just felt like "coming home" ; my personal situation(s) having eventually taught me the patience and love of the simple things, that I needed to even start learning.
I must pull my finger out of my ear and take a couple of photos of my 'Rig' and post them in the relevent section ; not as an act of overt pride , but as a declaration of love for the chosen medium - and of course as objects of amusing curiosity for the great majority of our B.K.P. bretheren.
I realise the above will not have brought you conclusive answers Tom, but it at least outlines the limitaions of my experience / ability to do so. The great thing about music study and our part in the 'passion' of it all - is that it is, and always will be :
" Ongoing...". :)
