Jazz guitars - how to get that piano tone ?

[Fusionista]

Looking for a guitar for jazz (which I may already own).  Basically I want a 'piano' tone, not too woody, but more bell-like. 
 
The state of play is that I have tried a lot of big archtops: ES175, D'Aspiranta, Peerless boxes, and finding them too bulky - just can't get on with the size and stiffness, especially the carved tops (this from a bloke who reckons Les Pauls are too small:-) and often the tone with the big jazzers is too 'dull'. 
 
The guitars I know for sure I get on with are thinline.  Got a 335 (maple body/maple block/mahogany neck/rosewood fingerboard) which is the purfick blues/rock machine - and it would probably do jazz too, but I don't want to ruin a good axe.  Also have a Washburn HB35 (maple body/maple block/maple neck/rosewood fingerboard) which is like the Yamaha SA series: much brighter than the 335, surprisingly so - I am not sure this guitar will do 'wood', but it might with the right pup and it certainly has the musicality.  Finally I have an ES137, which is like the 335 except mahogany block/maple neck - again it will do almost anything, so shame almost to make it specialist.  Toying therefore with picking up an Epi Casino or a Peerless Songbird (full hollowbody maple/mahogany neck/rosewood board) but I have NO IDEA if they might cover the ground better than one with a centre block. Another potential candidate is the Schechter Corsair (which fascinatingly has a mahogany neck/mahogany block and ebony board!)

As to pickups I am thinking Half Note or Manhattan. The question is: am I even barking up the right tree by thinking P90 - for 'piano' wouldn't I be better off with humbuckers anyway ?

[Nadz1lla]

On the timber side of things, would Mahogany sound a bit too dark for that bell-like tone? I'm wondering if there's anything around constructed of Korina which might give a closer quality to the sound you're after? Mind you that Ebony board might go some way to pulling it back towards the brighter end.

But, to quote your good self, I'm not sure if I'm also even barking up the right tree with this, heh.

[Fusionista]

Far as I can tell from Youtube the Corsair is very bright - that surprises me.  But you just cannot tell from videos, you need to do it yourself or ask someone who has been there  8)

[gwEm]

I assume your playing with flat wounds or half rounds already?

[PhilKing]

I have an Ibanez GB10 which I use with the Tomastik George Benson flat wound set, and it gets a great tone.  It has mini-humbuckers, which quite a few of the pure jazz boxes use (pickups not mounted to the body).

[Fusionista]

Yes, I have tried both Thomastik (12's) and Gibson Flats (11's) the latter on the recommendation of Chris Standring.  Of the two I preferred the lighter gauge - but that's because I usually use 10's and have a serious vibrato habit.  Also briefly owned a GB10 which didn't sit comfortably for me. Sold it to a jazz musician for far less than it was worth (and he still didn't pay me!-) Looked unsuccessfully for a GB20 - has anyone ever seen one ?

[Philly Q]

Also briefly owned a GB10 which didn't sit comfortably for me. Sold it to a jazz musician for far less than it was worth (and he still didn't pay me!-) 

He didn't pay you?!  :o

[Fusionista]

You know the old joke:  "What's the difference between a jazz guitarist and a loaf of bread ?"  "A loaf of bread can feed a family" :?

[Mr. Air]

Maybe the Reverend Pete Anderson hollowbody signature could be something. It's aimed at country/roots-rock, but with the right pickups it might give you that bell-like tone without too much woodiness.

http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/guitars/signature_series/pete_anderson_signature.html

Here's a clip of the guitar doing some jazz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUa0jJnFUsw

[Fusionista]

Great playing.  Guitar looks and sounds sweet.  Bigsby tailpiece - hmmm. Neck pickup, but still coming on a bit stringy on the top E 'n B and not quite chimey enough on the bottom notes - for me that is.  Maybe slightly higher-gauge strings and - dare I say? - a touch of chorus might do it ?-)  Keep 'em coming.

[Fusionista]

This looks very interesting, but not sure about £800... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200768113352?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648#ht_739wt_1398

[Mr. Air]

I don't know the price on these, but maybe Godins 5th Avenue series has something you like.

http://www.godinguitars.com/godin5thaveseriesp.htm

[Fusionista]

Godin are a good name plus you have a good choice of fittings, inc P90.  Interesting 'wild cherry' top and body.  Like to hear from someone who has/tried one.  T

[AndyR]

I have a non-electric, non-cutaway 5th Avenue.

I didn't get it for jazz, but I was looking for an archtop acoustic to complement my flat-top dreadnought type. It copes with dead strings pretty well (like it has at the moment!) but with new strings I find it's it's an absolute joy to play. Very responsive to attack.

I picked mine out of a batch of five of them. It wasn't the prettiest (I have the satin black one) but it had the best tone for me - woody and rounded but still with a nice top-end and body. Some of the others sounded a bit thin to my ears when I was playing them, but not to the listener (I got the shop assistant to play them as well). One of the things I noticed was that this one seems to have a wooden bridge saddle - which I've confirmed since - the others had a plastic one which seemed to be the actual spec at the time... but who knows? :lol:

Anyway, I was intrigued/concerned about the wild cherry as well - but it seems to do a very nice job for me. It's my "go to" acoustic. It loves fingers or plectrum, can go percussive or bell-like with either. With double-stopping I can get very "piano-like" acoustic tones.

Unfortunately I had/have no desire to hear them amplified - so I've no idea how they compete in that area, nor what the pickups are like, so I can't be that much help. One thing I do remember reading was that the cuttaway versions apparently sound slightly boxy in relation to the non-cutaway if you're using them unamplified. This worked for me, I didn't want a cutaway, but I imagine it must affect the amplified tone as well.

[Fusionista]

Some of the others sounded a bit thin to my ears when I was playing them, but not to the listener (I got the shop assistant to play them as well). One of the things I noticed was that this one seems to have a wooden bridge saddle - which I've confirmed since - the others had a plastic one which seemed to be the actual spec at the time... but who knows? :lol:
 One thing I do remember reading was that the cuttaway versions apparently sound slightly boxy in relation to the non-cutaway if you're using them unamplified. This worked for me, I didn't want a cutaway, but I imagine it must affect the amplified tone as well.

Very perceptive comments.  Guitars can sound very different when you are are playing them than when you are listening to another playing, unamplified.  There is too IMHO often a difference between cutaway and non-cutaway guitars - attributable to the design rather than the individual guitar - which few ever seem to discuss: exemplified by the Les Paul where the double cutaway is quite different from the single-cut.  And it's not always or necessarily compensatable through amplification/effects.  The worst implication of what you're saying is that buying unplayed is a lottery - unfortunately needs must :|