Collings Eastside LC or Sadowsky Jim Hall?

[telejw]

While I’ve owned many guitars I’ve never had a hollow body and I’d to hear opinions from anyone who has played both of these. These are both 16” x 2.xin depth bodies and 24.75in scale necks and laminates tops. The Collings has a rosewood fretboard, the Sadowsky Ebony.

I am a relative beginner to jazz. I use .012 round wounds with a wound third, and often hybrid pick. I’m a novice chord melody player but am working at it every day. I’ve played classical for years.

I love nice, warm acoustic guitars with rich overtones. I play close to the neck and often unamplified when I practice at home.

Can you help be matchmaker to my guitar?

[Mecena]

Sadowsky basses are like holy grail of bass guitars.
If guitars also are same quality as basses then I think there is no big dilema.
But his basses are really top of the world class.

[mr. beaumont]

That's like choosing between steak and lobster.

I lean Sadowsky on looks only, both would be outstanding.

[coolvinny]

Unplugged the Collings will have a much, much richer voice. I have the smaller Eastside Jazz LC and its unplugged voice blows me away even at only 15” x 1 11/16” deep. I’ve played the Sadowsky JH - nice guitar but uninspiring unplugged, and overall I think the Collings is better (but it’s also more expensive...).

Btw: Unless you’re sure you want a 16” body then you might want to consider the smaller 15” Eastside Jazz LC. Fully hollow and it will give you that sweet unplugged voice you’re looking for. Might be more familiar feeling if you’re new to jazzboxes.

[telejw]

Thanks for that.

I prefer the 16” width over the 15”. Also — and I know I’m likely in the minority— I’ve never really loved the Charlie Christian pickup sound. I prefer the slightly blunter and bassist sound of the Lollar Imperial.

How do the neck sizes compare?

Unplugged the Collings will have a much, much richer voice. I have the smaller Eastside Jazz LC and its unplugged voice blows me away even at only 15” x 1 11/16” deep. I’ve played the Sadowsky JH - nice guitar but uninspiring unplugged, and overall I think the Collings is better (but it’s also more expensive...).

Btw: Unless you’re sure you want a 16” body then you might want to consider the smaller 15” Eastside Jazz LC. Fully hollow and it will give you that sweet unplugged voice you’re looking for. Might be more familiar feeling if you’re new to jazzboxes.

[coolvinny]

The Collings neck will be a fuller if it's their 50's shape. They're putting out more 60's shapes these days and I recommend one of those instead, though having the neck reshaped is always an option (which is what I did with my local luthier wizard).

I like the CC pickup but it's gotta match the guitar and other settings. I swapped out the CC from my Eastside to my Andersen, and swapped the Imperial HB in my Andersen into my Eastside. I thought both sounded better afterwards.

I just think the Collings is the better guitar. You can't "mod" into better unplugged sound...

[telejw]

I haven’t come across any Eastsides with the 60s neck yet.

It was at first confusing to me that the 15” body carries the Jazz name, and not the 16” but I guess it’s better than calling it the Eastside Junior LC.

I although I live in NYC I can’t find a single Eastside to demo in the five borough area. But at least I’ll be able to check out the Sadowsky.

The Collings neck will be a fuller if it's their 50's shape. They're putting out more 60's shapes these days and I recommend one of those instead, though having the neck reshaped is always an option (which is what I did with my local luthier wizard).

I like the CC pickup but it's gotta match the guitar and other settings. I swapped out the CC from my Eastside to my Andersen, and swapped the Imperial HB in my Andersen into my Eastside. I thought both sounded better afterwards.

I just think the Collings is the better guitar. You can't "mod" into better unplugged sound...

[Woody Sound]

My Sadowsky has the most wonderful neck profile. I prefer shallower rather than 50s full/round. My ONLY complaint about the guitar is that I wish the frets were a little bigger, I prefer jumbo.