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I Bought an Eastman AR503CE Archtop!

I was sure that I needed and archtop, and I was right. It has been so inspiring to have a guitar with “the sound”.

I guess it’s sort of like when you want to play like Hendrix you get a Strat. Well, when you want to sound like jazz guitar, you get a jazz guitar.

I was really impressed with the quality. I did my research and everything pointed to these guitars being well made, good sounding archtops, but when you order a guitar without trying it at the store, it’s always a risk.

It came with a good setup. The frets were perfect which is always a concern. A lot of times when you get a new guitar it needs to have fretwork before it will play optimally, but with this Eastman archtop that was not the case. I did do some minor adjustments to get it exactly how I like it by adding a little bit of tension to the neck and lowering the action.

I went with the Eastman 503CE because it has the solid carved top, but laminate back and sides. I play quite a few gigs with a full volume drummer and electric bass player, so I wanted something that wouldn’t have feedback issues, so the laminate back and sides help with that.

Eastman AR503CE on amazon: https://amzn.to/3i8lTuf

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Why I Thought I Needed an Archtop Guitar

Before I got my archtop I was convinced that I needed and archtop to get the jazz guitar voice that I have in my head. With a lot of gear and guitars, it’s more about wanting something than needing something. I was sure that an archtop was something that I needed.

It’s true that you can play jazz on just about any guitar, and there have been some great players that used a Telecaster and even a Stratocaster, but most of my favorite guitarists played an archtop.

After I made this video I did get an archtop guitar, and I can say with confidence that it does have the voice, it has been inspiring, and I did need an archtop.

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What to Expect at Jam Night or an Open Mic

Let’s talk about what to expect at a local jam night. I’ve been hosting jam nights in the Dallas / Fort Worth area on and off for 15 years and there are some things everyone should know before they show up at a jam.

Each jam session is different, and the best thing to do is show up without planning to jam if it’s a new place that you haven’t been to. See how it works and talk to the other musicians so that you know what to do.

Be prepared and bring your instrument, but please don’t bring your pedal board or amp 🙂

In this video, I go over everything you need to know, so check it out and then find a jam night.

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Is This Conan O’Brien’s Les Paul?

When I bought this guitar it had a few back-stories, but the coolest one is that it was originally owned by Conan O’Brien. It’s also signed by Robben Ford, and allegedly toured with a big act. All of this is just word of mouth.

I love it when I know the history of a piece of gear. I even have a Twin Reverb that someone found in a dumpster, and guess what… it sounds fantastic.