The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: Epiphone Joe Pass II Archtop Electric

Review: Epiphone Joe Pass II Archtop Electric

The Joe Pass II was essentially a retitled Emperor II model, endorsed by jazz legend Joe Pass. He posed with one in an instruction booklet but actually used guitars like the Gibson ES-175, etc. The Joe Pass also isn't a true hollow body, it's sort of semi-solid, and thus its tone (if misunderstood) can be mishandled and the jazz tone greatly changed. This extra block of wood does reduce feedback and gives it a sweeter ES-335 flavor. The construction is solid and the thick finish maybe too much so, but it is a laminate body so it probably doesn't matter much.

This model has undergone years of being available and probably has been refined over the years as much as any Epiphone guitar has. The neck is still thick, jazz and rock guitarists used to a thinner C shape will find that getting its tone will take a little more work, but it's the nature of the beast. These guitars often are strung with extremely heavy string sets and need to be beefed up. Others will find the neck perfect for jazz (remember, bends aren't a common feature in jazz playing).

It's a handsome guitar. Those interested in future resale value should know that the natural finish is the most sought-after, although I personally like the gaudy red sunburst finish. Brings out the gold plating better. You can almost always resell a Joe Pass II in the 350-450 range, something you can't always say for an Ibanez or other lower-end jazz box.

The pickups are Epi versions of Gibson '57s, which are one of the definitive jazz pickups. The quality can vary, so play the guitar you buy if at all possible. The front tends to be rich and full, the bridge rather thin, but the middle position seems to do OK with this pairing.

Most jazzers are going to just use the front pickup anyway. You can make the bridge pickup louder and fuller by raising it right below the strings, just below what would make it too magnetic (about 1/8 inch). You'll give up a bit of tone, but the volume will be a lot more in balance (Of course, you go the other way and lower the back PU even more and just adjust the volume).

For those playing fusion jazz, this adjustment should improve things. For example, I got a second new one and the pickups weren't as good as my older one. Just a bit on the thin side like an X-155. Do keep in mind, on Epi's, the quality of the pickups can vary, as it's a company that does superb construction for the money, but the electronics can be all over the map. Adding a Gibson '57 to the front neck position would give you a guitar you'll be happy to keep unless you decide to move to the next price bracket. Some like this one so much they never do.

The key thing to keep in mind is that this is a pure jazzer, it won't rock well (except in the studio maybe) without feedback; it does do smooth blues well; but it basically does jazz, period.

Also, remember, do some research, play a lot of guitars, and find out what type of jazz you want to play. If you want to play a more acoustic type, you'd be better off with the Regent model, for example. For fusion, you might be better off with an ES-type semi-solid.

My personal feeling is that for the money, this is the best jazz box you can get in this price range. Ibanez made quite a splash a while back with a line of low-cost boxes, and it caused a mini-craze of buying by those who wanted a jazzer for a second guitar. Look at eBay or in my case, Craigslist and you'll find those Ibanez Artcores selling for 250.00 or less now. That wave is pretty much over, although that line still does have some gems mixed in and are worth at least a look.

But for that sweet jazz tone, that in particular lets the beginner enjoy an intro to jazz without excess effort, and lets the intermediates enjoy a guitar they don't have to sell right away, this is the guitar.

I own a Joe Pass and have owned both an X-155 and Ibanez Artcore in the past. Both of the latter were good in their own right, but I found the DeArmond a bit thin and the Artcore frankly sounded a bit cheap and bright. The Joe Pass, like any overseas guitar, can vary in quality, with the Korean being better than the Indonesian but that's not an absolute. Also, the pickups can vary, the newest models sound thinner than some of the older Passes.

My main hollow body is an old '65 Gibson ES-125T but I like the Pass for its more '60s electric sound, more like the Wes stuff, so to speak. Even one single jazz guitar isn't the end-all for all sounds. But this one comes the closest for me. The thing to keep in mind in mind that technique and feel count more than hardware once you get past a certain level of quality.

- Al Handa

2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa