Well, this is what I wound up buying.....

[jazzrat]

Thanks for all input on the earlier thread about my guitar search
After much consideration and after initially persuing a Parker Fly I bought this. It's a Carvin Holdsworth HF2 "Fatboy" It's got a quirky Telecaster-ish
beauty to it and had all the features I was looking for, namely:

1. Light weight. It's totally hollow, not like a thinline with a block in the middle. It has some sort of rail system that ties things together.
2. small body. Since I play sitting down most of the time I wanted a small body.
3. versitile. Pickups are both tapped with a phase switch. The recordings I've heard lead me to believe you can get a real variety of tones.
I was hoping for a jazz tone with rock tones available.

The only thing I miss over the Fly is the piezo and faux acoustic tones. Since I've sworn off active electronics this is probably better.

Lots of guys with a vintage bent around here but I tend to like at least one guitar that breaks the mold. Still have my Tele to keep me grounded)
Anyway here are the specs.:
Quilt maple top with Umber stain, Alder sides with birch back, maple neck(tung oil finish) and ebony board, jumbo frets no markers.
H22 pups, black chrome HDW. Sperzel tuners, tweed case.
I will be here tomorrow. I'll take some pics and review if anybody is interested.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/jazzrat/Holdsworth%20HF2/HOLDSWORTHFATBOY.jpg

[stephen]

the Holdsworth Fatboys are pretty cool looking, and Alan had a lot to say about that guitar too, so hopefully its a good one.

[refin]

Beautiful guitar.....Holdsworth knows tone! I can listen to his old recordings with The Tony Williams Lifetime,back when he used an SG or a strat with 2 'buckers through a Marshall and COOKED. Songs like Proto Cosmos and Fred.
Every ensuing album was a growth in tone.
Very nice snag,brother! \:D/ \:D/

[kewlpack]

private boolean function {

var Me = guitarFool;

if (anything == true) {
Me != vintageGuy;
Me = technoEffectLovinGeek;
}

thatGuitar = phatLoot;

return true;

}

[jazzrat]

I'm excited to have this guitar here but thoughts of those folks on the gulfcoast put things in perspective.

[Micter]

I have played a few of the H2's at the Santa Ana, and Hollywood stores. They are really nice guitars.

[Ravindave_3600]

I'm excited to have this guitar here but thoughts of those folks on the gulfcoast put things in perspective.

I know exactly how you feel. It's hard to get excited about new toys when other people have lost everything.

[SAguitar]

I'm happy for you and your new acquisition, but I am aching and praying for the multitudes who have lost everything. May God make His presence known in that desolation.

Although I've never played a Holdsworth, I have three Carvin guitars, and probably log more hours on them than on any of my other "Namebrand" units.

[Teleguy]

Jazzrat,
I'm real interested in your impressions of the Holdsworth vs the H-575 for the straight ahead Jazz sound?

[jazzrat]

Teleguy, I'll post a review and clip in another thread

[jazzrat]

Steve, I was hopeful that i could approach that tone in a smaller body guitar. My Tele is not quite there as nice as it is.
Here is a clip I did the other night. Mind you it's my first attempt at PC recording. It's just crappy computer mic in front of my amp in the the integrated sound card, but it may give you an idea. It is low rez and
clipping a little
Disregard the other clip it is a duo with a sax player and the guitar was a Ibanez Pat Metheny.
The Fat boy is a really bright guitar but what I like about it over most Fenders I've had is that the tone control actually works without producing mud. This is a little darker tone than what i would normally use but I wanted to see what it would do.
I'd say it is about 85 -95 % of the tone of my 575 with the convenience of a small body. But that neck....It's allmost worth it just for that.
Really nice feel to it. Don't mind the 20" radius at all.
The neck has a nice vintage feel to it. I'd say slighty smaller than a '52 RI
All in all I'm extremely excited ot have it. Enough so, that it is getting call for 2 jazz gigs I have next week as well as church tomorrow.
Here's the clip:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=399520

[Teleguy]

Gee, I liked both those clips.
Pure Imagination has a great sound and blend. Perfect for 'Round Midnight, or Maybe "What A Wonderful World."

The Holdsworth sounds great too. Can't believe those bass string sounds. Great!

Nice playing too.
Tasteful!
Thanks for not shredding! ;)

I like Tele's for Jazz too. Especially woody front pickup comping and brushy wood chopping.
I've got a Paul Desmond Cd with Ed Bickert on it. His sound is perfect for him.

[MrMike]

WOW!! That's beautiful! I would love to learn to do that kind of stuff; it's a completely different vocabulary from what I'm used to. I could listen to that all day.

[jazzrat]

Thanks guys you are very kind. Glad you enjoyed the clips.

Steve, i agree about Ed Bickert. His tone is the benchmark of Tele jazz tone, plus he is just a great player.

Mr. Mike, I like to crank it up and burn too, not that i'm that great at it. I've just had to develop this style because most of the work around here is wedding reception, background music kind of stuff. I'll prolly never be any good at any of it because i dabble in so many styles. From Joe Pass to Mark Knopfler, to Phil Keaggy, to Rush, to Django....I like it all.

[Teleguy]

...Joe Pass to Mark Knopfler, to Phil Keaggy, to Rush, to Django....I like it all.

Me too.
Nuages is great.
I think the Jazz stuff really helps my Praise&Worship ideas, even though I use an entirely different tone and guitar & amp combo when I play P&W (more grit).
Versatility is a good thing. I used to work on lots of styles because I wanted to do studio work, but once I got to do some sessions I hated it.

Jazz keeps my chops up, but I can't go too long without bending and crunching!

[Brad]

Very nice JR! Congrats on a very cool guitar. I have wnated one ofthese sicne they were first introduced. I'm a blues player, but figured they
( specially the Fat Boy ) would make a wonderful blues guitar.

While I love my old tried and trues ( teles, strat, 335, etc ) I really dig unique guitars ( like the Holdsworth ) that go beyond the norm. Although I play nothing like Holdsworth, I very much respect and admire his phrasing, tone, technique and immense creative talent.

Nice playing in the clips by the way. Enjoy your new guitar. I hope it brings you years of creative joy!

[jazzrat]

Thanks Brad! I am enjoying it. My other guitars are pretty traditional.
I just think the engineering on the Fatboy is stellar! I don't play like Holdsworth either but this guitar is really nice for the little jazz gigs I do.
The guy I bought it from was a blues player. His clips showed it to be a great blues guitar. I'm looking forward to playing it at church Sunday.