Jazzbox or Semi-Hollow for Rock?

[RobB]

Ted Nugent plays a ES175 (full hollow) with distortion.

Possibly. The few times I've seen Ted he's used (exclusively) Gibson Byrdlands. They are, as you stated, fully hollow. Add to the Byrdlands six cranked Fender Twins atop six Dual Showman cabs (2x18") cabs and you're pushing a lot of air! I don't recall him using any stomboxes back in the day, so the distortion he was using was all power tube overdrive. The volume onstage must have been unbearable.

Later on he used a maple Howard Roberts Fusion, a vintage 'burst LP and an assortment of PRS'. Not a big fan of his current, super-gainy solidbody tone. But, "Double Live Gonzo", yeesh! Ya gotta give it up to someone who took the time/effort to be able to use that rig at that volume...

[guitfiddler]

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Michael-Kelly-Hybr...1QQcmdZViewItem

Open the above link, then look for the link to the M. Kelly website, which includes sound clips.

I don't have one myself (yet,) I have one of the Kelly Duece flametop models.

[tomteriffic]

I've had an ES-175, Heritage 535, and an Ibanez AS 73. For a thinline, the Heritage is hard to beat, especially with decent pickemups. The AS 73 (I think that's the model, it's their take on an ES-175) is a phenomenal bang for the buck and a sweet jazzenblues box. The ES-175 I had was magical, sounded phenomenal clean or wound up and the feedback was plentiful but very easily controllable. I bought it new in 1970. It got stolen and I never found another that was that nice. None of 'em was much for acoustic tones but the 175 was the best.

[Halowords]

I've had an ES-175, Heritage 535, and an Ibanez AS 73. For a thinline, the Heritage is hard to beat, especially with decent pickemups. The AS 73 (I think that's the model, it's their take on an ES-175) is a phenomenal bang for the buck and a sweet jazzenblues box. The ES-175 I had was magical, sounded phenomenal clean or wound up and the feedback was plentiful but very easily controllable. I bought it new in 1970. It got stolen and I never found another that was that nice. None of 'em was much for acoustic tones but the 175 was the best.

Tom, do you mean this Ibanez Artcore model:

Ibanez AS73

This one:

Ibanez AK95

This one:

Ibanez AF95

Or something else?

If there is a model of Ibanez Artcore that is remarkably better than the others, I would love to hear about it, or if there is one that works best for my overdriven rock and messing around with blues, jazz, and playing unplugged once in a while (not expecting it to be as good as a pure acoustic guitar), please let me know.

-Cheers

[tomteriffic]

It was a 'less bling' version of the AK 95 above, there. Maybe the AK 75?

[Halowords]

It was a 'less bling' version of the AK 95 above, there. Maybe the AK 75?

Do you happen to know how easily/bad they feedback, or how they sound through an overdriven amp or through low-to-moderate distortion? The AK 95 sounds cool, but I am guessing I would have to try the t-shirt-through-the-f-hole trick or something to get it to NOT feedback. If I could still use my Fulltone OCD pedal, or run it in overdrive with pick attack, in my basement and control feedback if I ever join a band and gig with this thing, it sounds mighty appealing as I like the idea of a larger, fuller sounding jazz box that can be run nice and broken up in overdrive for going from super-clean to classic/indie rock.

I have also read that installing "two violin-like soundposts underneath the bridge (one at each extremity)" can help with feedback. Anybody ever hear of that as an option?

-Cheers

[Halowords]

Another question. Will the AK95, or similar guitar, with a floating bridge stay in tune if I do bends, or will that knock it all out-of-whack? And if so, should I get a different model, or have a TOM bridge installed, or something else?

-Cheers