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I currently have a Af 200 and I like I it just don't like how it gets muddy with chords or how the bass notes don't seem to rattle out
So I'm looking at a gb10 I play with my thumb with 13s but hear gbs are bright but don't know what to choose because I want that Wes l5 tone but the brightish grant green tone also
Does anyone have any experience with any of these?
I'm looking at a wes L5 but not sure of buying used
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05-06-2020 09:42 PM
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There are lots of GB10 threads on this site to read and get info, plus lots of YouTube videos, etc.
The GB10 can be bright, can be dark. IME they tend to always have a bit of snap compared to an L5 or ES-175. Mine is never particularly muddy. It can be fat and Wes-ish.
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Yeah I've seen them but no one ever seems to have Af200s to compare them to at all that's why I'm wondering IS a gb10 like a natural stepping stone to an L5?
Originally Posted by Cunamara
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You might try adjusting the pickup height on your AF200. If you lower the neck pickup a bit, you may notice a bit more note clarity, less mud and more jazzy thud. Super 58's are great paf style pickups and sensitive to minor adjustments.
If you decide to get a GB10 that's another great guitar capable of coping sweet jazz tones. However, keep in mind it has a 14 1/2" body width and only 2 1/4" thick, not the typical 16" - 17" width and 3"- 4" depth of standard jazz boxes. There are compromises with each type/size guitar. It all comes down to what sound/tone/feel you are looking for.
Finally, if you ultimately want the sound and feel of an L5, then maybe only an L5 will do.
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That's the thing I love how the L5 sounds with single notes but not with chords they don't sound as accurate as the gb10 but at the same time the gb10 single notes sound too accurate and they don't decay as naturally as the L5
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You can coax A LOT of different sounds from an L5 that's set up correctly, just by swapping out strings of different gauges/wrappings, using various picks, lowering/heightening the pickups AND by adjusting your picking technique. A flatwound string has a shorter decay and is less bright, the small body and the narrow pickup of the GB10 takes away some of the "thud" and rotundness of the deep and wide L5 type body. You have to actually play these things and not just for 10 minutes before you make any broad judgement. Originally Posted by xiv_R_A_I_D_E_R_
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Before i played an L5 i tried everything to make it sound like it and found it impossible. I also played an Af200 and PM200, but as ES-175 i find that laminate guitar are uninspiring to me. They are too even... I prefer the liveness of an carved amplified archtop.
Scale 24'75 of AF200 is a factor too, there is a difference between it and 25'5 that gives a certain life to the tone. It is the same string but more tense.
The guitar dimensions also makes for a deeper tone. I dont think changing pickups is very important here as long as you keep on the full set humbucker configuration.
Also 1 pickup vs 2 pickups makes a whole world of difference.
Enviado desde mi LG-H870 mediante Tapatalk
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I have an L5 and a GB10. The GB10 is incredibly versatile and can cop the clarity and warmth and almost the depth of an L5 and is more useful overall. A 175 might be a bit more versatile than the GB10 (and I have one as well) but doesn’t have the clarity and snap. It really is the best representation of Benson’s tone overall, great for crisp, even tone, quick response. A wonderful guitar. I would probably get rid of the L5 before the GB10 if it ever came down to it (and I love the L5!), I only wish it had a bigger body for more comfort - I’m 6’4” and like a full size 16 or 17” archtop.
If you get it used in good shape, you won’t likely lose money on a GB10, as long it’s a Japanese made model. The Korean version is probably a decent guitar, but looks cheap to me. The japanese versions are impeccable, stay in tune, wonderful neck. Absolutely great guitars and easier to make sound like an L5 than a 175 is capable of, or a Sadowsky Jim Hall (my other archtop, a great guitar, but cannot sound like any of the others, and I have tried. )
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No experience with an AF200 or L5 but my GB10 does everything I want and need. It can sound bright or warm and doesn't get muddy. It has a nice punch also which I like and it's very comfortable to play with it's small size and fast neck. So far I had no feedback issues even on loud stages.
Like you I'm also curious about an L5 but have to wait for the corona travel limitations are lifted. Probably boredom due to staying in quarantine fosters the interest. ;-) I don't think I need one but maybe I want one?
While I don't miss anything I'd just like to try a bigger archtop and see if it feels maybe even more comfortable to me than the smallish GB10.
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I'm split right now between the L5 and gb10 there's an L5 on reverb now $6000 but not sure if it is a good deal
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Went with the Wes Mo L5
How fat are the necks on these compared to a gb10 I used to play a Strata so not to concerned with the scale length
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Hm, difficult. I think while Ibanez is very consistent in shaping a fast and comfortable neck for the GB10 (I played one from 1978 and bought a 2019 eventually – virtually no difference in neck shape), Gibson used a wide variety of neck shapes through the years. These L5s and Wes Models are hard to find. I think I saw and played a Wes in a store only once like 15 years ago. I liked it very much but couldn't afford it.
So congratulations on your purchase. I wouldn't worry about neck shapes – my conclusion after like 42 years of playing is: It takes like 3 minutes to adjust to and feel comfortable with any neck.
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Congrats on your purchase and Enjoy! I do wish you the best with your L5... mine is still an inspiration to me when I pick it up after all these years! I’m not sure some L5 necks ever can be gotten used to. Gibson is as variable on L5 neck size as Ibanez is unchanging. Take mine, for instance. The Yankees could use it at the plate. I finally took mine to a good luthier along with my AF200, he did the best he could in shaving down the neck to try to match.
I have an 89 L5CESN, a 2014 AF200 and a 2015 PM200. Had a 2011 GB10 but sold it. Couple of things I didn’t like about it. Body too small for me, wasn’t comfy to sit and play. (My Shorter legs, longer back not cool for that guitar.). I couldn’t get used to the feel of the screws poking up through the pick guard. I was playing only the L5 at that time I could not get a big round chord/melody sound on the GB10 that I wanted. But the skinny Ibanez neck was wonderful compared to the baseball bat the L5 has. I play thumb over so it created a lot of pain. It was Made In Japan and it could not have been better.
as to the AF200, considering all the guitars I’ve had... the L5, four or five 175s, Guild Artist Award, 350T, even a 175T (why did I sell it?) the AF200 puts them all to shame IMNHO.
It sounds great, and comfortable to play for three hours; the Super 58 MIJ pickups are (as said) sensitive to placement but take the time to dial in and they’re great. The Ibanez necks are sooo fast. The MIJ Ibanez quality is amazing. The MIJ neck fret work, binding, edge treatment is as good as it gets. Finish beautiful. I was lucky to find one with a flame maple back so she’s pretty too.
My L5 went back to Gibson three times, no four: three for overspray and one when the neck binding started to come off. One of the 175s I bought new (1998) had the truss rod snap within a year. The 350T (2002) had the dreaded Gibson Goo neck that got stickier the longer you played it. That was maybe three round trips to Nashville. End of my Gibson days... hello Ibanez.
but there’s magic in the L5)))
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Yeah had to get the L5 I love my AF 200 but something is missing though it does play fast though and sounds real mellow but the L5 has like this natural distortion to it that I want to see about Originally Posted by jazzkritter
Any size comparison between the L5 and Af200? they measure about the same but the L5 always looks huge in pictures
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So I went and measured cause I was curious too. It’s weird because in terms of actual size the bodies aren’t that different in measures but he way they are cut is very different. The nez site has full dimensions of the AF.
the AF200 measures 16” at the lower bout, 20” from end pin up. It’s 2.75” front to back.
the L5 measures 17” lower bout, 21” Long, and 3.30”.
gonna try to post a couple pix...the last one is misleading but you can see the cut difference around the cut away.
‘89 Gibson had just moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville, we were told their wood supplies were staying up there (bought I guess by Heritage) so not a lot of quality wood and the flame is really light compared to what they’ve done since.
Anything else let me know. Apologize I didn’t do better pix but I’m only a week out of hospital ?
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Hope you are feeling better and playing well
And thanks for the pics it can't come soon enough it's definitely fatter though
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It finally got here it has a couple dings but plays great the neck is just super responsive compared to the AF200 didn't think it would be that much better only downside is it has roundwound strings on it
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Woo hoo man enjoy!!!
strings are easy to change, my favs on my L5 are TI George Benson flats. But thats half the fun of a guitar, trying different strings
best of luck with your new baby)
(thanks for your comment, im recovering quickly, and am able to play 30-40 minutes now, which is great. Non covid pneumonia... made it out of the hospital without bringing anything nasty home)
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Gotta have your health sounds like good news except for the 30 to 40 minutes part Originally Posted by jazzkritter
Woo hoo man enjoy!!!
strings are easy to change, my favs on my L5 are TI George Benson flats. But thats half the fun of a guitar, trying different strings
best of luck with your new baby)
(thanks for your comment, im recovering quickly, and am able to play 30-40 minutes now, which is great. Non covid pneumonia... made it out of the hospital without bringing anything nasty home)
That sounds kinda awful lol but one foot at a time and I would change strings but I don't know if I could leave it down long enough to change 2 strings let alone 4 more
plus the tailpiece looks pretty annoying compared to my Ibanez
Get well so you can play your favorite notes
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You did good...REAL good!! Play it in good health.
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Thanks and thanks for your earlier post it made me think of my sound you broke it down real well Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
You did good...REAL good!! Play it in good health.
This guitar is perfect its just soo responsive I'm in bliss
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Looks like mine, a '97 burst Wesmo... great guitar, you should be having fun, now! Don't look back
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Originally Posted by xiv_R_A_I_D_E_R_
I recently bought a used AF200 Prestige as an upgrade from my LGB30. Both are nice guitars. The LGB30 has more of the jazz “thunk” sound perhaps because it is laminated. The AF200 is brighter and “crispier” and is billed as having a solid spruce top. Both guitars have flat wound 11s on board. The necks on the two are virtually the same in terms of feel and playability. The AF200 is a bit larger and has some nice features but I’m not sure it is worth $1000 more. I have tried lowering the neck pickup and rolling off the treble on the AF200 and my amp. I almost prefer the sound of the LGB30. Any thoughts on taming the brighter tone on the AF200?
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Changing pickups is an endless and thankless task imo. I know there are those out there that love it and claim it cures all evils but to me it's just another way of chasing the next high. Originally Posted by Lobomov
Some guitars have a lighter sound and they have their place, some don't and they have theirs. At uni I settled on a brighter sounding maple topped Greco FA95. It cut through well, didn't feed back and just about passed for chord melody stuff. If you want that real Wes sound though, you can't put up with a thinner, smaller bodied guitar and all the pickups in the world, won't change that (imo).
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You know I’ve read a lot of these threads comparing GB10s to other stuff and the one thing that consistently baffles me, as smart as all you guys are is that you’re trying to compare a guitar with a floating pick up to the sound of a guitar with a set in pick up.
i always figured you guys were a lot smarter than that but I keep seeing these damn threads popping up just like this one
yesterday vinny and I were texting each other having a good laugh - he was showing me pictures of his guitars and we were talking and one thing vVinny is a set pick up guy and me love me or leave me, I’m s floating pick up guy and we had a big laugh about that.
so if you’re looking for a guitar that sounds like a 175 or whatever that’s got a set pick up go buy one of those .
if you wanna try a really amazing guitar that’s versatile that’s comfortable that looks good when you’re wearing it and that can do all kinds of stuff then try a GB 10
I wish all of you guys a great holiday stay safe get a little crazy and play those guitars
BigMikeLast edited by Crm114; 11-22-2021 at 12:18 PM.
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