Grote inexpensive jazz guitar demo (like someone in love, a foggy day, girl from Ipanema)

Pretty much against my principles I recently bought this Grote semi-acoustic guitar on Ebay, just because it isn’t available on retail in European countries. Watching the reviews on YT I was caught by its funny retro appearance and because the instrument was on sale for - as we Dutch say - “een scheet en drie knikkers” (a fart and three marbles) I figured it wouldn’t do too much harm to my bank account if I acquired one. It was clearly stated in the reviews that although you get a lot of guitar for a ridiculous low amount of money the instrument obviously has its limitations, of which the most, however, can be fixed through minor adaptations, which is also demonstrated in the reviews. So far I only replaced the factory strings by a set Thomastic 0.10 jazz guitar strings and I removed the pick guard for reasons of playing convenience, saving the rest (i.e. replacement of top nut, tuning pegs, tone pot and repositioning pickup) for later. The lack of response in the lower position, as can be heard in this demo, is a shortcoming one has to live with, I guess. For further details check out the reviews done by fellow musicians:
• GROTE Jazz Guitar - Re...
• GROTE Hollow Jazz Guit...
• Grote Jazz Electric Gu...
On this demo I play three jazz standards, viz. like someone in love (van Heusen/Burke), a foggy day (Gershwin/Gershwin) and girl from Ipanema (Jobim/de Moraes).
Cheers,
Martin
p.s. link to follow-up video: • Grote not so inexpensi...

[@jeffames5385]

Outstanding! I bought one this past year and it is a great value for the money. I might suggest adding a pickup spacer to improve tone and volume. Also, I added a rosewood bridge base to replace the softwood one which improved the sustain. I, too, removed the pick guard and also upgraded the tuners. Wonderful playing! Thanks for sharing!

[@martinboere3274]

Thanks for your suggestions!

[@theart8039]

I have an Oscar Schmidt jazz box and am thinking of putting a Bigsby B6 on it..what do you think?

[@scotta.blanchat]

I love mine, and the pick guard looks nifty. Incredible value.

[@bobtaylor170]

I just watched a "review" of this guitar channel in which, I swear, the guy didn't play a note. You played more than a note, and beautifully. Thank you.

[@martinboere3274]

I share your problem. Reviews as well as tutorials often contain to much blabla, keeping me from watching them the whole way through. To my shame I must admit I made a few tutorials myself which have the same defect. Never will make that mistake again.

[@bobtaylor170]

@@martinboere3274 , here's something even worse. Although I haven't been there in some time, I'm probably still a member of a Facebook group for beginning guitarists. One of the members posted a question. She had been studying guitar for two years with a guitar teacher. She was bothered that during that two years, he hadn't yet allowed her to actually touch a guitar. She wanted to know whether we thought she should find another teacher.

[@martinboere3274]

@@bobtaylor170 🤣🤣🤣 Bet her teacher is Phoebe Buffay! (the episode from FRIENDS in which she 'teaches' Joey guitar as described).

[@stevenroth3693]

That guitar was made for those tones. Well done!!

[@PeteAxeShields]

I've been looking at this wee guitar for a while now and would love to add it to my collection. It's a no brainer at the price. Thanks for more than doing it justice with your beautiful playing Martin. The best demonstration of its capabilities on youtube by a mile. Peace and love brother.

[@martinboere3274]

You're more than welcome and thanks for your kind words, my friend. If you plan to purchase the Grote yourself, though, I would advise you to watch a second video I uploaded last week, concerning the modifications I had done on the instrument. Cheers, M.

[@PeteAxeShields]

@@martinboere3274 Thanks Martin, I will do that. Have a great weekend.

[@1960glh]

Great playing on guitar that reminds me very much of an acoustic Epiphone I used to own.

[@bubbatheking9225]

I put Klusons on mine, then, added a riser to the pickup. I have a bridge pickup on order with yellow caps and I'm adding a switch for the added quality pots. My friends are blown away by the guitar and so am I. Celebrate CNC machines.

[@martinboere3274]

That sounds like a thorough customizing job! You might put this thing on video and upload it to show what the instrument looks and sounds like now.

[@kevinbastias2434]

you have videos of your customized grote? :D i really want hear it

[@bubbatheking9225]

@@kevinbastias2434 thanks. I Do not unfortunately generally but it sounds amazing

[@grouchozappa6569]

finally a good guitar review

[@Frank-in-NY]

The Guitar looks great, and you sound great! Though I suspect if I gave you a Dixie Cup, Bubble Gum, and a Rubber Band, to make an Instrument to play, you'd sound just as great. Enjoyed your review!

[@martinboere3274]

🤣

[@neogeoriffic]

Sounds grote!

[@rapidotlussoguitar]

Sounds great and cool playing 🔥

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

Nice work ! I bought the same Grote, but couldn't get the sound I wanted and set it aside. After watching and hearing you play it finger style, I'm going to dust it off and drop the pick. Thanks!

[@martinboere3274]

You're welcome and good luck! Do watch, though, the second video I made on the Grote, concerning all the modifications I had done. Perhaps you'll recognize the source of your sound problem.

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

@@martinboere3274 Thanks, I'll check it out. I am going to change the tuners to a set of 23:1 lockers, the tuners that came on it are too touchy.

[@rapidotlussoguitar]

Sounds great, oh and great playing. I have the same colour. I added another p90 and a Bigsby, shimmed both pickups 6mm on the bridge pickup and 2mm on the neck. Wonderful guitar 😍

[@martinboere3274]

Nice! That way it'll do great for playing old style rock 'n roll/rockabilly.

[@rapidotlussoguitar]

That's the idea, I'm also entering the world of Jump blues, the neck p90 in the Grote really nails the T-bone walker tone. 👍

[@martinboere3274]

@@rapidotlussoguitar I believe you!

[@andrewcleggguitar]

Great video - just what I was looking for. Subscribed

[@PaulHofreiter]

Wow that sounds surprisingly good, tone being in the fingers that is obviously because of you - nice playing - but the guitar itself has a nice sound. I saw these for the first time a little while back and although I don’t need another guitar I’ve wanted a p90 guitar for a while to cop some Grant Green sounds...hard to argue with that price. I’m guessing it requires work though and time being money I wonder how much work it would need. Guessing at least that the nut slots need to be lowered but do you have any feedback about how the fretwork is, or if there were any neck straightness issues like humps near the body joint? Thanks for the video either way, was fun to watch.

[@martinboere3274]

Thanks for your comment. Presently my Grote is being revised by a guitar customizer, not being able to fix its deficiencies myself. Among other things, such as faulty pots for tone and volume, there appeared to be an issue with the neck, as it was arching outwards instead of (slightly) inwards, which explained the strings colliding with the frets in the lower positions. For the rest, however, the necks seems fine, meaning that its connection with the body is OK. The fretwork is actually pretty decent, given the low price of the instrument. According to the customizer there was nothing wrong with the top nut, as I suspected myself, so I tend to trust his judgement in that one. To my embarrassment, by the way, I must admit that I never heard of Grant Green before. He seems really worthwhile checking out, so thanks for mentioning him. As far as my personal ‘luggage’ for jazz guitar is concerned, I picked up quite a lot from Barney Kessel’s playing on a Julie London record called “Julie is her name”. Cheers, M.

[@eearts]

Sounds great 👍

[@michaelworse6034]

Very nice playing and geetar 🎉

[@martinboere3274]

Thanks!

[@PaulO-gx2bn]

Absolutely Fabulous Demo - Cheers Brother.

[@ExploreAmerica]

I hope someday I can make a guitar sound that pretty

[@martinboere3274]

I can’t think of a reason why you couldn’t!

[@pharmerdavid1432]

I'd add a wood bridge saddle also, to make it sound more mellow and woody, the way this style of guitar should sound. Then it would be worth a marble and three farts...!

[@martinboere3274]

🤣🤣🤣 Thanks, I'll give it a thought!

[@michaelworse6034]

< + 1 on this ! Some Ibanez wood bridge and saddle may fit here perfectly

[@marcmayou1422]

sounds good I have a Grote LP and am thinking of getting this one also.

[@martinboere3274]

Before you buy take good notion of its shortcomings as described.

[@marcmayou1422]

I bought it , Get her Friday I am just pretender so it will be just fine .

[@martinboere3274]

@@marcmayou1422 Alright, congrats! And merry Christmas to you!

[@edwinroper375]

BTW The Epiphone Century 1966 case is a perfect fit.

[@barbmelle3136]

From Leo: I am using a 335 case, fits very well in that one also.

[@gregdolecki8530]

Something tells me you could make a 1-stringed cigar box guitar sound good.

[@martinboere3274]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Peter-ic7vj]

Nice!!!?!the best !!!!!!

[@usuariodelgoogle]

Thanks for the video, I just bought an identical one. Can I change the bridge to a wooden one? Any wooden one will work for me, for example the ones sold by stewmac or if I have to see measurements?

[@martinboere3274]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2mTfHyPmqisZ6s This link will lead you to a Grote guitar review in which replacing the metal bridge for a wooden one is suggested. I hope the technical specs given will answer your question. Cheers, M.

[@usuariodelgoogle]

@@martinboere3274 very grateful for the response, greetings from Uruguay!!

[@Prousto]

Beautiful playing. What’s your overall assessment having “broken it in” through your adjustments; would you recommend this to novice or even advanced players like yourself?

[@martinboere3274]

No. From a professional point of view this guitar is nothing more than just a funny gadget. If you're prepared to dig a little deeper into your wallet there are enough options (for instance by Ibanez and Epiphone) which offer much better properties. Furthermore I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy a musical instrument online, as I consider comparitive research vital when it comes to buying musical instruments, a thing you can only do effectively by visiting a music store. This purchase was just a whim, mainly because I live in a street called "Grotestraat", so there you go.

[@Peter-ic7vj]

Play "shadow of your smile" ...let me know

[@AndrewFriedberg]

Nice playing

[@TimMeyerMusic]

So......spending 5 figures for a guitar can’t take the place of years of study - and daily practice? Is that what you’re telling me? Easy to see you have been very diligent in learning the instrument. I sure enjoyed hearing you play.

[@martinboere3274]

Hmm, that's not entirely true. I think it's vital to have proper equipment to your disposal. For that it isn't necessary to piss your money away just for having Gibson or whatever big name written on the head of your guitar. On the other hand, though, playing on a piece of crap isn't what you'd call motivating, so I prefer choosing the happy medium. As far as my purchase of the Grote is concerned, that was just some sort of joke (I just happened to like the looks of it). Every now and then one has to do something weird to establish your good sense. Thanks for your kind remarks and cheers, M.

[@TimMeyerMusic]

@@martinboere3274 yes a good instrument is a joy to play

[@richardcaulker1017]

He went to town with the girl from Ipanema.

[@martinboere3274]

If that could only be true!........

[@stefanecompos715]

Bravo très beau jeu de guitare👍2

[@bandicoot5412]

Sounds great

[@andriesscheper2022]

You literary killed that girl of Ipanema... Good review though.

[@martinboere3274]

I guess that's out of frustration because I've never succeeded in getting myself a date with a Brasilian girl.

[@oldmanofcotati]

I enjoyed your playing very much. What amplifier, what processing, mic'ed? Thank you very much.

[@martinboere3274]

Thanks for your kind remarks. When recording I always connect my guitar (this one and all the other electric guitars that I use) directly into the interface. If necessary I put my Boss mini recorder in between for effects. In this case I used an effect that's originally meant for bass guitar in order to produce the required mellow jazz guitar sound. This way I managed to get around two defects on the instrument, viz. the pick-up being mounted too low beneath the strings and therefore producing a signal that's to weak to work with and secondly a malfunctioning tone control. Currently my Grote guitar is under treatment by a guitar customizer to fix these defects and a few other imperfections.

[@oldmanofcotati]

@@martinboere3274 You are kind and generous in you answer. It takes time to respond such as you did. Thank you.

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

Martin: Just tuned back in on your excellent work again. Haven't done much with my twin of your Grote, as I got side tracked by a couple of other "Bargain Guitars" (Harley Benton Manhatten & an IVY 300) which are really nice, but I'm still hearing what I want on this video of yours, which leads me to two questions: 1. Are the 10's you're using Flat wounds (I'm not familiar with the brand)?. . . And . . . 2. What Amp are you playing through (I suspect tube)? Due to my rather empty pockets after the aforementioned budget axes, I settled for a budget tube amp, a Monoprice/Harley Benton 15 Watt model, and am hoping to get as close to the sound you've got on the video (still trying to master the settings). I hate pestering you again, but need all the input I can get. I appreciate whatever info you can pass on. Thanks, Jon😊

[@martinboere3274]

I'll get back to you in 2 days. Right now I'm having my grandchildren over, so no time to even scratch my behinds. Cheers, M.

[@martinboere3274]

Sorry for the delay, but here's my answer to your questions. After I'd bought the grote I tried a few different options for the strings, but ended up using Thomastik 010 flatwound strings. After the Grote was modified I started using Pyramid 010 round wound strings, advised by the guitar custumizer who did the job on the Grote, saying that I might prefer those to flatwounds. Actually I haven't made up my mind about that yet, although I slightly tend to preferring the flatwound strings. The story about the amplification might be somewhat a disillusion to you. After I'd bought the Grote I tried the cheesy old 30 Watt guitar transistor amplifier I still owned back then. That, however, didn't work at all, so I tried the other one, an AER electro-acoustic amplifier, which produced way better results. When recording, though, I prefer using a direct-in connection instead of placing a microphone in front of an amp. This created a problem, as in its original state the Grote's output signal was very weak, due to the distance between the pick-ups and the strings, a problem that was fixed later on. To solve the output problem I connected the instrument to my Boss Micro BR digital recording device, which has a number of built-in guitar effects. To create an acceptable jazz guitar sound I chose the effect for bass guitar and that's what you're listening to in the first video (like someone in love etc.). After the Grote was fixed the intervention of the Boss Micro BR was no longer needed and so it went straight into the audio interface (having done some high-mid-low adjustments during the post-recording editing). I don't do gigs anymore, so owning a decent guitar amplifier isn't necessary for me. If, however, I would decide to go back on the road I'd be sure to buy a 50/60 watt tube amplifier by Vox or Fender, that sort of thing. I hope this will answer your questions. Wish you all the best. Cheers, M.

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

@@martinboere3274 Thanks for getting back to me, the info is great. I had a new set of D'darrio .10 flatwounds on my Harley Benton (which went from too bright with the factory supplied .10 half rounds to "dead" when I installed the flatwounds), so off they came and I installed them on the Grote along with a set of 18: 1 lockers, What a difference! Without any changes to the amp settings, and finger picking, the Grote sounds very similar to yours, and is exactly what I've been trying to achieve. In fact, i couldn't put it down until my left hand and fingers started to quit on me (definitely out of shape), but I managed to get through Dream, Canadian Sunset, Once upon a time, Fly me to the moon, Funny Valentine, Sentimental Journey, Witchcraft, Softly as I leave you, Georgia, and a few more before i was in pain. The combination of the Grote, the flatwounds, and that $235 15 Watt Monoprice (and $17 for the lockers), is the best investment I've made in a while ($497 if my calculations are correct . . . about the price of a Chibson copy). That sound compliments my vocals just like I've wanted, so a few more weeks to toughen up, and I'll be out looking for a restaurant gig (The pandemic claimed my last one, which I'd had for 7 years fairly continuously and I just didn't feel up to it until recently). I thank you so much for your video and your input, it really pointed me in the right direction, and I'm not sure I would have gotten the sound I've been looking for if I hadn't watched your video again, and contacted you. Thanks again, Jon.😁

[@martinboere3274]

@@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948 Great that I could be of service to you. Good luck! M.

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

@@martinboere3274 Thanks, Martin!

[@Django552]

Bravo. J'ai également acheté cette guitare, mais il m'a fallu remonter le micro à environ 3 mm des cordes (il était à 7 mm), et surtout niveler les frettes, car elles étaient de hauteurs inégales, ce qui faisait friser les cordes sur certaines notes, quelle que soit la hauteur du chevalet. Le sillet était également trop haut, et j'ai du creuser un peu les fentes. Pour le reste, à part les 40€ de douanes à payer en plus à la livraison, je ne regrette pas mon achat. Le son est moins "jazz cool" que mon Ibanez AF75, mais elle est très agréable à jouer, et très polyvalente (jazz, blues, ou même rock), avec des cordes à filets plats 12-52.

[@martinboere3274]

Ton problème avec les frettes m’étonne, parce que l’égalité d’entre eux est exactement une propriété frappante de l’exemplaire que j’ai reçu. D’autre part il y a toujours des différences entre des exemplaires de la même fabrication. Pour le reste je reconnais la nécessité de les interventions que tu a fait. Á propos, merci beaucoup pour m’apprendre du termes techniques en Français (micro, chevalet, sillet, fentes, polyvalante).

[@Peter-ic7vj]

Can you make me a CD of " shadow of your smile" ?let me know.!!!!

[@martinboere3274]

No, I'm afraid I can't do that. Nevertheless I'll keep the song in mind as a thing to work on.

[@olakunleosho7358]

Just got one and love the tone but I wonder why people downplay this guitar from grote. I have Ibanez AF75 and I prefer the warm sound from this guitar. Secondly please send the chord shapes of your playing

[@martinboere3274]

Your first question might be answered by a more recent video on the Grote guitar I've uploaded, concerning the modifications I had done. About the chord shapes, I don't have these at hand, I regret to say. Presently there's too much on my plate to be able to spend time on producing them. I'll keep your request in mind though.

[@nlumby]

...nice playing

[@mainsblanches8793]

The tone must surely have something to do with the amp you are using!!...what amp is it?...thanks for the music!!...

[@martinboere3274]

Using my amp turned out to be useless, as the guitar's signal was too weak because of too much distance between the pick up and the strings. Moreover a malfunctioning tone control made it impossible to produce a smooth jazz guitar sound. For making this recording I connected the instrument to a Boss Micro BR recorder and used one of the built-in effects (notably for bass guitar) to get some sort of decent sound and plugged it from there into the interface. Right now my Grote is under repair to fix its deficiencies, i.e. lift up the pick up and replace both the pots for volume and tone. Unfortunately I don't have the tools nor the skills to do the job myself. As soon as I've received my instrument back I'll post another demo video, this time playing it on my amp, which by the way is a cheesy old Session Rockette 30 watt. However, I won't be able to do this no sooner than April probably, as the repair man is extremely busy, overcharged as he is by assignments. As a result of the crisis many people have loads of spare time, encouraging them to get their long forgotten guitar from the attic that's been lying and rotting there for years and then bring it to the repair shop for revision. According to the shop owner some bring in their instrument with one of the strings broken, asking whether it would be possible to fix that. So levels are really rising here!

[@gertvanpeet3120]

Kocht recent een Hartwood Novella...deed daar swing 12 op, thomastik...en is nu de beste die ik ooit had...voor 238 euro thuis. Gear4music....lang gezocht naar een gitaar met een wat bredere topkam.. alternatief was een gb300 , veels te duur...of een godin... Maar deze is ook acoustisch beter als de Ibanez af75.... Eigenlijk is dit een l5CES of sg175 gelijk... Beetje zoeken loont. Ook de Gregg Bennett LaSalle is een l5 kopie....

[@martinboere3274]

Die ziet er inderdaad mooi uit! Was ik werkelijk uit geweest op een goeie hollow body, binnen mijn bescheiden budget weliswaar, dan had ik me inderdaad breder georiënteerd. Die Grote is eigenlijk een gebbetje. Ik vond hem er lollig uitzien en bovendien woon ik in de Grotestraat, dus wie zou dan niet voor een appel en een ei een Grote gitaar kopen?

[@robertbixler5256]

Sounds better than my ephiphones

[@louisfryzel4618]

Thanks. What do you mean by lack of response in the lower position? Do you mean overall bass response or something else? I'm asking because I'm seriously thinking about getting this as a daily guitar as I'm scared about dinging my others.

[@martinboere3274]

When playing in first, second or third position (i.o.w. close to the top nut) it takes a lot of effort to press the string in order to produce a clean tone, regardless whether playing melody or chords. The set of 0.11 strings I tried at first didn't make any difference. Adjusting the bridge might help, but that would change the overall action, whereas the factory adjustment feels comfortable to me.

[@louisfryzel4618]

@@martinboere3274 Thanks. But could it be that the nut slots are not cut deep enough? I had that on one of my guitars and playing the first fret was just about impossible but it got better. I think the third fret was acceptable. I've found that the nut slots, too high, too low, at an angle, etc., can be problematic on some imports.

[@martinboere3274]

@@louisfryzel4618 You might be right there. Replacement of the topnut (bone material instead of plastic) was suggested in one of the reviews and proved to be an improvement. On the other hand I wonder what will happen to the action in the higher positions if the nut slots are made deeper. Then again that might be a matter of adjusting the bridge. I have to leave this job to an expert, as I don't have the tools nor the skills to do the job myself.

[@martinboere3274]

Gert, a fellow countryman talks in his comment below enthusiastically about a Hartwood Novella he recently bought, a hollow body guitar which moves in the same price range as the Grote. Perhaps an alternative for you to consider.

[@louisfryzel4618]

@@martinboere3274 Well a bone nut or a Tusq nut should be a good upgrade any way. You can measure the action and compare them to a guitar that plays fine at those positions. Like you I would have to let somebody else do the work but I do have a luthier friend who will charge me very little. How is the neck relief? That could also be a factor as well as high frets in that area, too.

[@geneschulp8598]

Very nice, thank you. What size are the frets please? Thanks

[@martinboere3274]

I'm afraid I cannot answer that question right now. Currently my Grote guitar is under repair to fix a few imperfections. Unfortunately it'll take a couple of months before I'll get it back, as the repair shop is extremely busy. Due to forced leisure time caused by the crisis many people suddenly remember they still have a guitar hidden somewhere in the attic. Therefore the repair shop is now working its way through a train load of worn out instruments, making me as a regular customer wait at the end of the queue. Hopefully you'll manage to find your answer elsewhere (there are several reviews on YT).

[@johndoening8147]

😍

[@1cleandude]

Do you know of a good hard case for this guitar?🙏🏻

[@martinboere3274]

I bought a Boston case for the Grote, which makes a perfect fit. The problem, however, is that there aren’t any type specs on the case’s label. Nor do I have a purchase receipt which has the specs on it. I searched on the internet and the Boston CJZ-500-16 seems to come close, but then again this one fits a 16 inch instrument, which tells me nothing, as I don’t have a clue to which these 16 inches refer to. What might help is me sending you some photos of the case. To this end please use the email address which you can find under ‘about’ on my YT-channel. Cheers, Martin

[@Peter-ic7vj]

Turn down the treble a little.

[@martinboere3274]

Will do. Thanks for the tip!

[@samreilly4360]

Pretty good sounding Guitar for the incredibly low price of probably $250 right?

[@martinboere3274]

Yeah right, although I had to pay extra in connection with the shipping costs. Still it remains a non-price for so much guitar.

[@bluespreacher77]

How wide is the fretboard at the nut please?

[@martinboere3274]

1,73 inch.

[@bluespreacher77]

@@martinboere3274 Thank you very much.

[@martinboere3274]

@@bluespreacher77 👍

[@tomvitti2415]

Very cool, could u pls tell me its fretboard radius?

[@martinboere3274]

I'm awfully sorry, but I haven't got a clue, whereas my instrument is presently under repair, so I can't check. Try some reviews on the Grote elsewhere on YT, perhaps you'll find an answer there. Otherwise I'll get back to you as soon as I've recollected my guitar (which may take some time, as the repairman told me he's extremely busy due to an influx of orders. Because of the crisis more people are able to spend time on things such as playing the guitar).

[@tomvitti2415]

@@martinboere3274 thank man let’s play as much as we can, to spread good frequencies in the Universe as an unique verse as we are One in the diversity

[@miguelpelagio3411]

What model is?

[@martinboere3274]

GROTE RED Hollow Body Jazz Electric Guitar GRWB-ZTTR www.grotechina.com/collections/shipment-within-the-united-states/products/grote-hollow-body-jazz-electric-guitar-ztrd-001

[@ZacCjw]

Hi, may I ask what amp you are using?

[@martinboere3274]

For this recording I connected my guitar directly to the interface, a thing I always do when recording an electric guitar part. If necessary I put my Boss Micro BR in between for effects. I quit performing on stage years ago and all I have left for amplification is a shitty old 30 watt Session transistor amplifier, which I use for practicing.

[@chrismeinke-rl8sr]

😂😂