Jay Turser JT-140 Colonel Hollow Body

I bought this about 4 years ago, and I'm always amazed at people who think they should be getting a $2000 Gretsch White Falcon for the $300 or so bucks that this Turser sells for. It's a helluva lot of guitar for the bucks, so get real folks and quit looking a gift horse in the mouth. It's a solidly built and fine hollow body guitar for the money, and one would be hard pressed to find anything near it for the bucks.

The sound was fairly mellow from the neck pick-up. I never use bridge pick-ups, they are always too thin sounding for me. I changed it out to an after-markey PAF, which matched nicely to the guitar, giving it a vintage tone.

I have no complaints about the fit and finish. I do all my own adjustments and work on guitars, and have done so since the 70's. I don't expect much from any manufacturer in this price range regardless of the brand. If you're buying any guitar in this range, expect to do some work.

I have had Turser guitars in the past, and they are about the same as anybody in terms of reliabilty for this kind of money.

Please...this is the modern world, you're on you own, and if anyone actually answers a customer service phone line, they're calling from Calcutta and their name is Frank (sure).

I like the guitar. It allowed me to have a Falcon for very little money, and it compares very favorably with a Gretsch 5129 (also an import which I have changed out the neck pick-up to a P-90 ala Eddie Cochran), for even less dough.

Made in China (do not eat it)
Color choices: White or Black- mine is white
22 frets
Laminated Ash top
Maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard
Bigsby style Tremolo,makes mine the Gretsch pre-lawsuit model
gold hardware
Hollowbody Rockabilly Style
Humbuckers pups (passive)
Contacted company, reassured me was actually real Mother of Pearl and Abalon uinlays in neck

Suits my gospel finger-style music
I use a crate Lime amp and a Crate CA30
SMOOTH sound, no noise
Full bite sound like Gretsch
Love its looks and smoothness; plays very sweet

reasonable factory setup on first guitar, second one I bought for a friend was not quite as well set up.
Bridge was good
Input jack kept comong loose; easy fix was put a touch of elmers glue; problem solved.

Light weight and seems delicate but that's what causes it to sound as it does; it's actually very durable for a hollowbodied Rockabilly
I gig with it often, I don't do any gigs without a backup.

N/A never dealt but except contacted company, reassured me was actually real Mother of Pearl and Abalon uinlays in neck

I own 3 Taylors, a Godin, a Washburn and a Yamaha Classical, and My Jay... I plasy Jay mostly.

Single cutaway full hollow body
Arched ash top
Maple set neck, rosewood fingerboard
Tremolo, gold hardware
Colors: White
--No accessories
--Beautiful guitar though some of the gold plating on the Bigsby-style tremolo had a couple bubbles in it. Still I was very impressed with the look.

A rich and smooth sound even through my cheapest (Rogue) amp. Very clean and clear when playing with or without amplification. With distortion a nice growl. Better than the Epiphones or current Gretsch Electromatics or other sub-$900 guitars I have tried.
My style -- old punk, rock, pretty stuff, grungy stuff. With this guitar I have started trying to get a little bluesy - still working on it.

Mine was set up from the music store at which I bought it - a real nice job. No buzz with the strings practically laying on the neck. This is the easiest guitar i have ever played. I effortlessly zoom up and down the neck like a rock star.
The only flaw is the gold plating on the tremolo as stated earlier - a couple of bubbles. bleh. Otherwise it is almost as pretty as my wife. I would've rated it a 10 if it weren't for the bubbles - the guitar, not my wife.

This seems like a very solid guitar. Ofcourse, I think my solid body guitars would hold up to more abuse but i don't plan on whacking my guitar any time soon. The hardware is sturdy with smooth, secure knobs.

Hope i don't hafta find out.

I have been playing for about 25 years - started at 11 years old when my brother needed me to play bass on a Sex Pistols song.
I would definitely replace this if lost/stolen.
This is the best/easiest guitar I have ever played.
I doubt I could get a deal like I did on this one, but with knowing what i know now i would be willing to spend a little more.

Gorgeous guitar, aesthetically. I am a Kentucky Colonel, so I had to add a Colonel guitar to my collection. To look at, it is an eye catcher. Very pleasing to behold. I got a good deal on it, and I knew it was not a top of the line guitar, so I am not displeased. I understood what I was getting, but it is a very cheaply made guitar. I paid under 250 for it, it lists for almost 500. I would have never paid that for it.

The gold hardware looks great from a distance. Up close you can see the burrs and flaws in it.

The gloss white finish looks great as well.

No case or gig bag included.

Tremelo bar sticks out way too far from the face. I do not keep it on the guitar.

Japanese made I believe.

It is nice and thick, thicker than the standard es335's or HB35's.

Good sound, even acoustically. Nice fat body makes the resonance very sweet. I play rock and roll gospel, some blues, and a bit of everything else. It has the nice hollowbody sound to it.

It does handle nicely. Neck is nice and narrow, but feels like it's made of balsa wood. Very light.

Factory set up was terrible, severe buzz on the lower strings. One knob was very loose, drops down flush on face of guitar.

Then neck is nice and straight, and once I get it set up I expect it to be a very nice player. Neck feels great to play on, but is very light, feels cheap.

A nice white paint job, bright gold hardware.

I would not give this guitar too much stress. Does not feel like it would hold up to much standard gigging.

I expect the gold to fade quickly, as the gold finish appears very cheap.

I have not played it extensively. I keep it home, use the Les Paul for on the road stuff.

Customer supposet from Jay Turser corp sucks tremendously. First phone call I was told they could not talk to me because I was not a distributor. I emailed them to let them know how displeased I was about that, got an email of apology from Ellen Rizzi, (Ellen.Rizzi@AmericanMusicAndSound.com) so I responded to that email. It took three separate emails to get a response, and then three more to get another response. They would answer the first line of my emails, but nothing else, as if they didn't even read the entire email, which was only a few lines. They obvioulsy do not want to deal with the end user. They keep tossing me off to a distributor, and they all suggest I call Jay Turser direct. A circle jerk extrodinaire.

I own several guitars, basses. Les Paul, Fenders, some Washburns including the awesome HB35. Have an Alvarez and used to love them, now I am into the Washburns. Have been playing for over 35 years (as they say, I wish I had been practicing as long as I have been playing)

I bought this guitar because I am a Colonel, and this is a Colonel model. If not for that, I would never have bought this guitar. If you want a nice hollowbody, get a Washburn HB35, the best for the price, no exceptions.

For the price I paid, this was an OK deal. Usually I would never own any product with customer support as bad as Jay Turser. Not even if it was given to me. But it was a niche item. It is veryt pretty to look at, and I would buy another as a gift item for another Colonel friend that does not play. But I would never pay more than 200 for another one. The warranty is pointless, I would not send it back to Jay Turser for sure. Maybe the company purchased from could make good on it, but not Turser direct.

I am I guitar tech doing repairs, mods, and setups in my one-man shop. I bought a floor model of the Colonel, knowing it had problems. I have always wanted a Gretch White Falcon, but besides liking the looks of the ones I have tried, I have been disappointed in their playability and sound. This is very similar looking full hollow body guitar. The body, neck and headstock are white (I like the white painted set-neck), the hardware is gold plate, and the plastic is black (pickguard, knobs), giving it a slightly different look than the white falcon, but it works, kinda like a white tuxedo with black accents and gold jewlery.

The gold hardware is pervasive - not only where you can see it, but there are even gold nuts holding on the pots, for instance.

The neck is medium width and thickness - just right for me. It has 22 large frets on a bound rosewood fingerboard with triangle-in-block mother-of-pearl markers. The nut appeared to be plastic. The tuners are excellent - very smooth operation.

This guitar is made of "laminated" ash - not to be confused with a handcarved top of an expensive jazz box. Therefore it doesn't have much of a pleasing acoustic sound - not light, balanced and responsive like the expensive jazz boxes are - but at 1/10 the price, no surprise.

My 9 rating means nearly-perfect-for-the-money. If money was no object I might give it a 6 (pretty darn good for under $2000)

This is a full hollowbody guitar - my almost identical Washburn Memphis, by contrast is like so many that have a block running down the middle of the body to which "wings" are attached that are hollow. The bridge sits on the top, not screwed on as you find on block-through bodies. It allows a little more volume to be transferred to the top, though there is a reinforcing block connecting the back to the section of the top where the pressure from the bridge comes down. Presumably it also transfers vibrations from the bridge to the back, helping create a woody box sound.

I have tried it in 2 amps. In a bass practice amp (pretty flat response) it sounded lousy - thin, unattractive sounds. Into a decent guitar amp though, it makes some very nice sounds. The neck humbucker is sweet - not lush - fairly warm - pretty bright (not strat-bright, but ringing). With 12 string-adjustment screws, individual volumes should be very adjustable, but it's well balanced already and I haven't messed with them. A similar humbucker is at the bridge. It's a slightly less fat sounding humbucker than gibson clones. Ringing, bright for a humbucker. The combined sound is excellent - use the individual volumes and tones for each pickup to dial in the combination you like.

The wiring is excellent, and the hum is way low. The Bigsby-knockoff tremolo is capable of squeaks if you don't position the spring right after a string-change. As you would expect from a hollow box, the box will feed back at moderately high volumes.

This guitar excels at chording. Ringing and rich. Single notes are nice on the neck pickup. I have yet to find the sweet spot for soloing using the bridge pickup.

Since I got a thoroughly used floor model, and paid a little less to take it off the dealers hands, with intent of doing my own work on it, I expected problems:

1. Only one switch position worked (neck). It turned out that somehow the inner insulation on one of the pickup wires was worn/soldered/cut through enough to allow an intermittent short. Once I found the problem, I cut out the offending length of wire, wired it back up, and it works fine. I am thinking this had to have been a factory defect (how would internal wiring get damaged in that way by overzealous guitar shoppers playing Stairway to Heaven on 10?)

2. Every tuning post bushing was loose, as was the jack nut and three of the pots. Additionally, JT used two flat washers between the pots and the underside of the top, depending on tight attachment to keep the pots from rotating in place. I replaced the flat washers with lock (star) washers as many guitars have stock, and then tightened all loose nuts. Problem solved.

3. I don't like plastic nuts, so I made a graphite nut (the black works with the other black accents on the guitar) to allow movement during tremolo use. The stock I used is denser and transfers vibration better than plastic.

4. Some Jimmy Page wannabe must have knocked the plastic knob off the switch - easily fixed by a 50 cent stock knob.

I'd give the setup an 8 - not bad at all especially for an obviously well-used floor model. A quick 1/4 turn of the truss rod, adjustment of the two gibson-style bridge-height thumbwheels, and an intonation adjustment, and this thing plays like crazy.

I will note, though, the nonremovable neck has shifted enough that with the relief set at factory settings for similar guitars, the bridge thumbwheels are already bottomed out on the bridge - can't go lower - to achieve average factory action. If the neck shifts any more before the top settles (which I don't expect), the only hope will be take out desired relief or, shudder, re-set the neck (the guitar is not worth that expense). But, hey, right now this guitar is set up PERFECT, and it didn't take any heroics - it was already pretty good.

Some on here have said the sides are thin. Two comments - first thin plywood is tougher than solid woods. Second, thin wood sings better and gives expensive guitars their responsive, light, balanced sound. Personally I think the wood is just about the right thickness for a laminated wood instrument. It is light and it achieves a nice sound.

The finish seems average thickness. The gold plate I expect is pretty thin and will wear off as fast as all the gold on inexpensive guitars (how much real gold can you get on an under-$400 guitar?)

The strap buttons were large and effective (and gold). I replaced them with gold straploks because I like straploks. Easy mod.

The tremolo is surprisingly smooth, reliable and predictable (Bigsby types like this don't divebomb like F Rose or Fender) - and it stays in tune!

The wiring actually gets a good grade from me - except for the handwiring goof that wasn't caught at the factory since it was intermittent. All the wires running around in this are shielded as they should be. Thick and vintage-wiring snobs will say the wires are not as thick as you could possibly find, as well as not being fabric or wax etc. But my opinion is this is pretty standard wiring and sounds fine. They are careful to use the shielding of the wiring to connect the cans around the pots and enclosed 3-way switch in a non-ground-loop way, contributing to a very quiet guitar.

The woodwork on this guitar is clearly not fine hand luthiery, but it is very solidly made, with blocks in all the right places, and parts well glued together. I expect this guitar will be pretty durable. The 9 I am giving it is for a full hollowbody - if you attack your amp with it, the amp's going to win!

dunno - it had a nice warranty card on it that I filled out...

Been playing about 43 years. I have 3 basses and 6 other electric guitars, including the Washburn Memphis which is scary similar - differences are the block-through body and P-90 pickups. The two guitars feel almost the same to play - I am a little more used to the Memphis so I like it a little more, but I expect to get used to the Colonel and like it as much in a few days.

If I only had $379 to spend (case included), I'd get another (or another Memphis, depending if I had a hankering for P-90s or humbuckers)

I am not used to these filtertronish pickups, so I am still finding out what styles this box sounds best with. If I don't find anything but the chording I mentioned, I might think about calling my friends at Nordstrand and seeing if they have something that will fit. If I do, I'll as for coil tapping, which these pickups are not set up for.

All in all holy cow for $379, this thing is a head turner (I have it out where I teach, and every student has been wowed), it plays really well, feels solid and reliable, and makes some pretty nice sounds. It's a deal! So again, my "9" here is "for the money" And the "Price Paid" is for a shopworn floor model, with a new $80 hardshell case.

Made in China. A rose by any other name. This is my third Jay Turser. They are all keepers. Every one I get is better than the last. This is the top of their line and it just doesn't get any better than this, whatever line you look at or how much you spend.
I was shopping for a Jay Turser archtop, I had looked at the JT 149 Colonel but the only pictures I'd seen were white ones. The second I saw this black one I hit the "Buy It Now".
Got it used off Ebay, $429 with case including shipping. Major Bargain, I swear this thing is priceless!
This is a jet black one, not a blemish or scratch on it. The case is nice as well, looks like sharkskin tolex (cool). This instrument is absolutely beautiful, nice as any L5 or any other guitar (yes, I can spell Gretsch)that I have seen in years. The machineheads are really superb, I was planning on getting some Grover Imperials, but if it isn't broken don't fix it. Pickups sound great, won't be replacing them. Bridge is really nice, doesn't have rollers but the strings don't bind using the tremelo. The only thing on this guitar I would even consider replacing would be the black knobs, but since it's near the limit for gold within good taste, I'll probably just leav'em. The tremelo arm is killer, really solid responsive feel and remarkably well made. The neck feels perfect all the way up. The inlay and binding work on this jewel are excellent and very beautiful. This is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. I need to tweak the intonation to suit myself, but that's a matter of taste more than necessity (I gotta change something). The luxurious neck was starting to get a slight bow, so I adjusted the truss rod a touch. This thing is Non Plus Ultra! I don't believe that any amount of money can buy a more beautiful or functional instrument. BUY ONE NOW!

You can play anything on this guitar.
Marshall, Hiwatt, Echoplex, Premier Reverb
Sounds great at any setting.
I really, really like it!
BUY ONE NOW!

Factory? Did they make Excaliber in a factory, I think not. This beauty had to have been created by Fairies or some kind of secret oriental hoodoo Zen Kung Fu master to produce the lost chord or something, but his Mommasan needed an operation so he put it on Ebay just in time for my birthday (I try to give myself the best presents, I deserve it). My Karma must be good to get this one.
No flaws, no blemishs. Everything is solid and works great.
The fit and finish are seamless and perfect. Frets are perfect. Nut is perfect. Action is perfect.
If I could have only one guitar, it would be this one. I got guitars worth over 5 times as much. I love them. I'd still pick this one...it's perfect in everyway.
BUY ONE NOW!

Absolutely killer, this things solid as a rock. It'll be around a lot longer than I am. Someday, it may be on Ebay again, after they pry it out of my dead fingers. This guitar doesn't need backup. I'm sure there is some idiot out there who could destroy any guitar, you would have to try to hurt this one. One of the other reviews talked about the guitar surviving a drop. I ain't seen any dropped guitar that was ever the same. Depending on how they hit any of them could end up with a snapped neck, or dent. I haven't dropped one yet. If I do...oh well, human error, I hope I can get another one exactly like this one immediately.
BUY ONE NOW!

Who cares? That's the kind of stuff chicks worry about. I heard they had a lifetime warranty, and after examining it, they meant it.
With proper care (I'll see to that) this guitar will last forever.
BUY ONE NOW!

I been playing 35 years. What haven't, don't I own.
I would definately attempt to replace it if lost (hell, I want another one anyway, maybe I better get one just in case). I love everything about it, I'm not gonna change jack shit. I've compared it to every other guitar I've ever seen, it kills.
It is just perfect, I don't wish to change anything.
I'd like to share the fact that this guitar is way too nice and it's way too cheap and that can't last forever. GET ONE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE OR YOU'LL REGET IT LATER!

A lot of features for a under $500.00 hollow body electric. Single cutaway,bigsby style vibrato,humbuckers,gold hardware.Pearl (or pearloid) inaid blocks. See other reviews for more...

This is not a $2,000 Gretsch or Gibson. But it has a really niced sound for rock, jazz etc.

Again for under $500.00 they pack a lot of goodies on. It is not perfect but overall is pretty well put together and makes for a good looking package. I bought it used and it was set up OK for me on arrival.I givew it a 10 based on the value.

I think the finish will last $300.00 worth. When it wears out I will buy another.I don't gig anymore, but I would never understand why anyone would gid without a back up.

N/A

Been playing too long but not (43 years or so)long enough.If you like the looks of the Gretsch white falcon, you will (I do) love the looks of this. It also is nice to play.Do not expect the same quality and exact sound from a $2,000 plus guitar. Play it, enjoy looking at it and go enjoy the $1,500 you saved on something else. Yes I would replace this guitar with another colonel.

It's a Colonel, it's got alot! The pinstriping around the binding is a little cheap but so far its the most band for your buck that I've ever seen!

I went to buy an SG from a guy and he had one of these. I thought it looked awsome, I picked it up and he said I looked like Billy Zoom (guitar player from X if u didnt know) He wanted 700 or 750 for it. I didnt buy his SG or anything, I went home looked and looked and found the same guitar on ebay for much less. Then I put on all my old X records and played along. It was so much fun, just for that it have been worth the money.
I grew up playing Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, I'm an 80's kid. I also grew up with the 60's and 70's classics Floyd, Zepplin etc... Now I play a pleathura of musical styles. I use a 70's Twin Reverb, I'll use an Echo Plex sometimes and a old Tube Screamer. If it dont sound good stright into a 70's silverface twin than it isnt!

Action is great on this baby! The neck is, well... it just fits me really well like a 70's SG or a 50's Strat or 60's Les Paul. It's probaly more like a 335 neck. I never played a real White Falcon but I have played a Gretch Orange; It's no Gretch, It's really none of those but if you know how the right year or era guitar has the right feeling neck. It doesnt feel as good as an old guitar it's not old aged wood but this one feels nice. Best playing Asian guitar ever!
The "bigsby style" trem is dope it stays in tune better than my stock 83 strat trem does but like all guitars the G tends to go out of tune. I thought the pick ups were weak and "Hallow" (ha ha). I wasnt playing this guitar much lately and I put it up for sale. I've been playing bass in bands lately. I started recording some songs at home and damn if I didnt like the way this guitar sounded better than my 70's Les Paul and my Stat. So I was inspired to tell you all: Its fun, it's impressive looking and even if it doesnt fit your live sound. Its great to play at home and also to record with.

The electronics are cheap but I expect them to last another 20 or so years. I havent droped it I dont expect to. I think the wood bridge might need to be glued down to the body or maybe I should just paint a little mark on it next time its intonated.

I've been playing for 20 or 23 years since I was 8. If I sell this one and I buy an old 335 or Gretch I will probably miss the Colonel and buy another one and feel it isnt the same and still think about the one I had and how it didnt always stay in tune and the bridge would slide around sometimes when I changed the strings, like an old girl friend who was a pain in the ass but a great fuck, that was really cute but had little idiosyncrasys that sometimes annoyed me, but miss. Did I write that out loud?

I bought this new for a different sound. It's a Gretsch clone, like their Falcon. This is black.
The features are:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JT-140 Colonel
Single cutaway;
arched ash top;
full hollow body;
maple set neck;
rosewood fingerboard;
block & triangle inlay,
classic jazz style tremolo;
2 humbucking pick-ups;
2 volume, 2 tone controls;
gold hardware;
die-cast machines
Colors: WH, BK
MSRP: $729.95
from:http://www.jayturser.com/jt-jazz_box2.htm

I am using it for the jazzier swing and jump blues numbers I play. It's going through a Music Man 100RD. These humbuckers are different from the Gibson type I am used to, but thats good. This gets a full on hollow body rich warm tone on the neck pickup, and a biting nasty bridge pickup sound, and many combination I have not yet explored.
It sound great!

I had to set the intonation, but other than that it was ready to go. There are too tiny "runs" in the finish on the back, so it should have probably been a second, but most people wouldn't notice them (I a painter and have finsihed and refinsihed many sets of cabinets and allot of furniture). I wonder if they are using the same topcoat as the other Tursers, as this seems softer. I also was told that the gold plate is a little thin and wears faster than the top of the line guitars. But for the money its very nicely appointed.

Well I think this is a guitar thats needs a little more care than the 335 styles. In other words if I had my choice of watching this or the other knocked off a guitar stand, it would be the other!
It's seems a little delicate, maybe because it's hollow and light, and I am not used to that.
However I have never had a guitar get knocked off a stand in the many years I have been gigging.
But other than that I don't expect it to go out on me or fail in any way.

I wouldn't know for sure, but I wouldn't count on much other than the dealer that sold it to you.

This is the highest priced guitar that Turser makes at $700 + retail, but equal to an axe many times more expensive. Its a very beautiful, sweet sounding, quality instrument and I am very glad I bought it. Its rare to get such prices and really like the guitar also.
I am planning on keeping this and using it allot, and I just enjoy it more and more as I play it more and more

already covered by the others

but--the guitar is very solid--i see no problems--its not a real heavy guitar---the sides aren't paper thin ..like the other guy said---the sides are not,however, super thick---this is what gives it the lively sound, i think--if you want a thick , crappy soundy hollowbody--there are lots of those out there--for lots more money

sounds freeking great--lead pickup screams---although it will feedback (howl not shriek) at high volumes---the guitar will rock or it will get totally mellow and lush---or it will ring like a bell--i dont know what these pickups are but they are darn nice humbuckers--and they are super quiet--this guitar doesnt make any noise--its dead quiet----tremendous versatility--very gretsch like--treble pickup really cuts through--very solid sound--not like most hollowbody guitars---if you heard it on tape--you could mistake it for a super expensive gibson or something-----very chimey chords----like a gretsch gibson and rickenbacker all in one guitar--how cool is that?

i didn't like the way mine played when i got it---but--they give you a truss rod wrench--use it---i tweaked the neck till i got the action super low---it's killer now---took about 10 minutes-as good as any chinese gretsch---and 5 times cheaper---the strings that come on it are d'addario 9's---i think this is about as heavy as you should use--if you want to rock and roll and bend a lot--the guitar isnt constructed to where it will stand heavy strings---stays in tune great with 9's--go with it---maybe could put a heavier bottom string on it--but--up to individual--

if you can play--this guitar will suit you just fine--if you can't play---nothing can help you--except practice

no idea

i can't put this guitar down---the bigsby is great--the sound is great--the feel is great--the frets are superb--tuners are great---not one problem with the frets---nice medium big sized frets---americans should be able to do frets this good--but they can't--not at this price