Could I turn an Affinity Starcaster into a cheapo "pseudo-jazz box"?

[Howzaboppin]

Maybe try some flatwounds on a guitar you already own to see if you can get in the ballpark of the sound you are looking for?

 

[coldinWI]

Always loved the shape of a Starcaster. Beautiful guitar

 

[PartoftheDark]

GFS makes real GoldFolis?

Depends on what you define as a real gold foil. Personally, unless they were pried off of an old Bobkat, they’re not real. There are a ton of great repros though, and the gfs ones will fit a humbucker route.

 

[Flamencowboy]

I think they are alot of guitar for the money...go for it.

 

[splatt]

Depends on what you define as a real gold foil. Personally, unless they were pried off of an old Bobkat, they’re not real. There are a ton of great repros though, and the gfs ones will fit a humbucker route.

winding window size, type of wire & diameter & the nature of the wind, frame and base matl, in many cases the rubberised ferrite magnets, output & output impedance, mounting, etc.

finally, the sound, dynamics, feel.
which models are being replicated or newly updated by the various builders:
Rowe DeArmond? which one(s)?
Teisco? which one(s)?

i ask only because i'm of the impression than an awful lotta builders might be stuffing any brightish, possibly noisy-ish pickup into GoldFoil-esque cosmetics and implying its direct relation to a vintage GoldFoil, while a lot of buyers have never had the opportunity to try a good old GoldFoil in a good-to-excellent electric guitar.
curtis novak, ronin, lollar, mojo UK, benedetti FR, and some more..... yeah, they can & do make a variety of excellent takes on these already-varying pickups.

who else do?

EDIT: yeah, those gfs pickups sound fine, but not much in a sonic parallel with a gold foil, imo/ime.

 

[misterturtlehead]

Thanks, but not looking to play jazz, as per the first post.

But you are interested in a jazz box.

 

[viper jazz]

But you are interested in a jazz box.

Yup! As a slang term for a thicker hollow/semi-hollow body guitar often used in jazz/R&B/soul/boogaloo, etc. I'm not sure why it's hard to understand that your suggestion that "knowing how to play jazz" is irrelevant in this case? Not trying to be a jerk--I'm trying to keep what I'm asking for somewhat clear--but you want to double down on what you said now?

 

[smiert spionam]

You might come up with something you like, but it's still a long scale, bolt-on maple neck guitar, so it's going to be more Fender-ish than anything.

I'd aim for something with a Gibson scale, semi- or full-hollow, etc. Lots of inexpensive Epiphone, Gretsch, etc. options, but for plonky and weird, you might be interested in early '70s MIJ hollowbodies (Ventura, etc.). Playability is all over the place, but they've definitely got personality.

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

You might come up with something you like, but it's still a long scale, bolt-on maple neck guitar, so it's going to be more Fender-ish than anything.

I'd aim for something with a Gibson scale, semi- or full-hollow, etc. Lots of inexpensive Epiphone, Gretsch, etc. options, but for plonky and weird, you might be interested in early '70s MIJ hollowbodies (Ventura, etc.). Playability is all over the place, but they've definitely got personality.

Putting on large flatwound strings, tuning down a half step, and capoing at the first fret would make it more or less like a short scale guitar tuned standard. It would also effectively place the neck pickup at a point closer to the center of the string's speaking length.

 

[smiert spionam]

Putting on large flatwound strings, tuning down a half step, and capoing at the first fret would make it more or less like a short scale guitar tuned standard. It would also effectively place the neck pickup at a point closer to the center of the string's speaking length.

Sure -- but intentionally buying a guitar that you have to play that way sounds like a lot of unnecessary complexity when there are other options.

Just remember the fundamentals, and disregard the body shape. A Starcaster is a thinline tele with a big bloopy body. That's not a bad thing, of course, but the body shape won't make it sound different.

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

Sure -- but intentionally buying a guitar that you have to play that way sounds like a lot of unnecessary complexity when there are other options.

Fair point, but there is a slight advantage in that you could restring and retune it to get back it the model's usual sound and feel.

Just remember the fundamentals, and disregard the body shape. A Starcaster is a thinline tele with a big bloopy body. That's not a bad thing, of course, but the body shape won't make it sound different.

That idea certainly opens up more options in that the OP may have better odds at finding a comfortable neck on a thinline because there have probably been more versions of the thinline over the years. Would any of them be available at a comparable price to the Affinity?

 

[smiert spionam]

Fair point, but there is a slight advantage in that you could restring and retune it to get back it the model's usual sound and feel.

That idea certainly opens up more options in that the OP may have better odds at finding a comfortable neck on a thinline because there have probably been more versions of the thinline over the years. Would any of them be available at a comparable price to the Affinity?

You’re taking my advice in exactly the opposite direction I intended — but sure. Lots of tele options, with various characteristics.

My larger point is that if you’re aiming for a particular style of guitar, you’re more likely to get there if you start with the right core characteristics rather than awkward workarounds. Guitars mostly sound like what they are, rather than what you try to use them to simulate.

 

[Zenyatta Mondatta]

Always thought Jazz tone could be got with the nastiest cheapo ceramics? lol. Tone on 0% neck with flatwounds through a solid state?...nice.

Jazz tone is usually high end expensive hollow bodies through cheap amps.