Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 Natural Archtop Jazz Guitar, (Used)

The Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 in Natural is an elegant, full-depth hollow-body electric guitar designed to deliver the rich, warm and expressive tones associated with traditional jazz archtops.

Part of Samick's acclaimed Greg Bennett Design range, the LaSalle JZ-4 combines classic archtop construction with refined appointments, offering an attractive alternative to more expensive American-made jazz guitars.

Featuring a spruce top with laminated maple back and sides, the JZ-4 delivers a resonant, woody response particularly suited to jazz, swing, blues and traditional rhythm guitar.

Its beautiful Natural finish showcases the guitar's elegant body shape and traditional styling, while the single-cutaway design provides convenient access to the upper register.

A set maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard offers a comfortable playing feel, complemented by traditional jazz-guitar appointments and decorative fingerboard inlays.

One of the JZ-4's defining features is its single floating neck-position humbucker, designed to capture the amplified warmth of a traditional jazz guitar while allowing the archtop soundboard to resonate freely.

The pickup delivers smooth, rounded tones with excellent note definition, making it especially effective for melodic jazz playing, complex chord voicings and warm, expressive blues.

A straightforward volume and tone control arrangement allows players to adjust their sound without unnecessary complexity.

The guitar's traditional floating archtop bridge and decorative trapeze-style tailpiece complete the classic jazz-box specification.

Gold-coloured hardware and traditional tuning machines provide an attractive finishing touch.

This particular Samick Greg Bennett JZ-4 is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, showing some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

Weighing 6.84 lbs (approximately 3.10kg), it offers a comfortable, substantial playing feel for a full-depth archtop.

No case is included.

For guitarists seeking a stylish, traditional hollow-body instrument with warm jazz tones, resonant construction and classic archtop character, the Samick LaSalle JZ-4 is a compelling choice.

At A Glance

Detail	Information
Brand	Samick
Designer	Greg Bennett
Series	LaSalle
Model	JZ-4
Finish	Natural
Body Style	Full-Depth Hollow Archtop
Pickup	Single Floating Humbucker
Weight	6.84 lbs / 3.10kg
Condition	Very Good – Pre-Owned
Case	Not Included

Pre-Owned Condition Report

Very Good Condition

This Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 Natural is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

The guitar features its attractive Natural finish, traditional single-cutaway archtop body, decorative hardware and classic jazz-guitar styling.

Please study the accompanying product photographs carefully for an accurate assessment of its individual cosmetic condition, including the body finish, neck, fingerboard, frets, binding, bridge and hardware.

Weight – 6.84 lbs

This particular JZ-4 weighs 6.84 lbs (approximately 3.10kg).

Its full-depth hollow-body construction provides a comfortable playing experience with the substantial proportions associated with traditional jazz archtops.

No Case Included

This guitar is supplied without a case or gigbag.

A suitable archtop hardcase is recommended for storage and transportation.

What's Included

• Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 Natural Archtop Electric Guitar

Not Included: Case or Gigbag.

Service & Setup

The Samick JZ-4 features an adjustable truss rod and traditional floating archtop bridge arrangement, allowing suitable adjustment of neck relief, string action and intonation. Correct positioning of the bridge is particularly important, as the bridge base rests on the arched top rather than being permanently fixed into the body. Appropriate string selection can also have a significant effect on the instrument's tonal response and playing feel. As with all guitars, setup can naturally change due to variations in humidity, temperature and other environmental conditions, potentially affecting neck relief, string action and overall playability.

Key Features

• Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4: Traditional full-depth jazz archtop.

• Elegant Natural Finish: Beautiful vintage-inspired appearance.

• Spruce Top: Resonant soundboard construction.

• Laminated Maple Back & Sides: Classic archtop warmth and projection.

• Fully Hollow Body: Naturally responsive acoustic character.

• Single-Cutaway Design: Convenient upper-fret access.

• Set Maple Neck: Comfortable traditional construction.

• Rosewood Fingerboard: Smooth playing feel and elegant appearance.

• Soft D Neck Profile: Comfortable for chords and melodic playing.

• 24.75-Inch Scale Length: Traditional jazz-guitar dimensions.

• 20 Frets: Classic archtop playing range.

• Single Floating Humbucker: Warm, rounded amplified jazz tones.

• Volume & Tone Controls: Straightforward tonal adjustment.

• Floating Archtop Bridge: Traditional construction and adjustable playing setup.

• Decorative Trapeze-Style Tailpiece: Classic jazz guitar styling.

• Gold-Coloured Hardware: Elegant finishing detail.

• Grover-Style Tuning Machines: Traditional tuning hardware.

• Ideal for Jazz & Swing: Rich, expressive chord and lead sounds.

• Very Good Pre-Owned Condition: An attractive pre-owned example.

• 6.84 lb Weight: Comfortable full-depth archtop feel.

Why You'll Love It

The Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 captures much of what makes a traditional jazz archtop such a rewarding instrument to play.

Its fully hollow construction provides a naturally lively response, allowing chords and single notes to resonate with warmth and depth.

The spruce top and maple body construction give the guitar a distinctive acoustic character, which complements the smooth amplified sound of its floating humbucker.

This makes the JZ-4 particularly effective for traditional jazz, where rich chord voicings, clear note separation and an expressive playing response are essential.

The single neck-position pickup keeps the sound focused on warmth and musicality, while the volume and tone controls allow subtle adjustments to suit different amplifiers.

The Natural finish is another major attraction.

Combined with the elegant cutaway, decorative hardware and traditional archtop proportions, it gives the instrument a timeless appearance.

For guitarists who appreciate classic jazz-guitar styling without the cost of a premium boutique instrument, the LaSalle JZ-4 offers excellent appeal.

Detailed Features & Benefits

Greg Bennett LaSalle Archtop Design

The LaSalle Series was developed as part of Samick's Greg Bennett Design range, focusing on traditional jazz guitar styling and practical musical performance. The JZ-4 draws inspiration from classic full-depth archtops, offering an elegant single-cutaway body, floating pickup and traditional bridge arrangement. Its design is particularly appealing to players who want an authentic jazz-box experience.

Resonant Spruce Top

The JZ-4 features a spruce top, a material closely associated with traditional acoustic and archtop instruments. Spruce provides a responsive soundboard capable of producing a lively acoustic character, making it particularly effective for chord-based playing and expressive single-note performance.

Laminated Maple Back & Sides

The laminated maple back and sides complement the spruce top, helping provide the familiar warmth, articulation and acoustic projection associated with traditional archtops. This construction contributes to the guitar's naturally resonant playing feel while maintaining the practicality of a laminated body design.

Full-Depth Hollow-Body Construction

Unlike centre-block semi-hollow guitars, the JZ-4 features a fully hollow body. This allows the guitar to resonate more freely, producing a warm, acoustic-like response with excellent sensitivity to playing dynamics. Its full-depth proportions also contribute to the traditional feel associated with classic jazz instruments.

Elegant Natural Finish

The Natural finish showcases the guitar's traditional styling and wood construction. Combined with the bound body, decorative tailpiece and gold-coloured hardware, it creates an elegant appearance closely associated with classic jazz guitars.

Single-Cutaway Body

The JZ-4's single-cutaway design provides improved access to the upper frets while retaining the graceful outline of a traditional archtop. This makes the instrument suitable for both rhythm accompaniment and melodic lead playing.

Set Maple Neck

The guitar features a set maple neck, providing a traditional construction approach and comfortable playing response. Its soft D-shaped profile offers a familiar feel for jazz chords, single-note lines and rhythm playing, while the 24.75-inch scale length provides comfortable string tension.

Rosewood Fingerboard

The rosewood fingerboard provides a smooth playing surface with an elegant dark appearance. Its traditional proportions and decorative inlays complement the guitar's vintage-inspired styling, making it particularly attractive to players who appreciate classic archtop appointments.

Single Floating Humbucker

The JZ-4 uses a single floating humbucker positioned near the neck. Unlike conventional body-mounted pickups, a floating pickup is supported separately from the main soundboard, helping preserve the instrument's natural acoustic resonance. Its warm, smooth character is particularly suited to jazz chords, melodic improvisation and traditional blues.

Simple Volume & Tone Controls

The guitar features one volume and one tone control, allowing straightforward adjustment of the amplified sound. Reducing the tone creates mellow, rounded jazz sounds, while brighter settings provide additional definition for melodic passages and rhythm playing.

Traditional Floating Bridge

The JZ-4 uses a floating archtop bridge arrangement, with a bridge base resting on the guitar's curved top. This traditional design supports appropriate string-height and intonation adjustment while maintaining the instrument's classic playing response.

Decorative Trapeze-Style Tailpiece

The ornate tailpiece provides an elegant finishing touch while anchoring the strings at the lower end of the body. Its traditional appearance complements the full-depth archtop design and contributes to the guitar's distinctive jazz-inspired styling.

Warm Jazz Chord Tones

The combination of a fully hollow body and floating neck humbucker makes the JZ-4 particularly effective for traditional jazz. Its smooth response allows complex chord voicings to remain clear, while the resonant body provides a warm, rounded character.

Expressive Jazz Lead Sounds

For melodic playing, the neck humbucker delivers a smooth, articulate sound that responds naturally to picking dynamics. This makes it particularly useful for jazz improvisation, chord melody arrangements and expressive single-note phrasing.

Suitable for Blues & Swing

Although designed primarily around jazz, the JZ-4 is also appealing for blues, swing and traditional roots music. Its naturally resonant body and warm pickup response offer a distinctive alternative to conventional solid-body electric guitars.

Who Is It For?

Jazz Guitarists: Warm, rounded tones and traditional archtop construction.

Swing Musicians: Classic hollow-body character for rhythm accompaniment.

Blues Players: Expressive neck-humbucker sounds.

Chord Melody Guitarists: Clear note definition and rich resonance.

Recording Musicians: A distinctive alternative to solid-body guitar tones.

Archtop Enthusiasts: Classic styling at an accessible price.

Players Moving Into Jazz Guitar: An appealing introduction to full-depth hollow-body instruments.

Playing Styles & Applications

The Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 is particularly well suited to jazz, swing, blues, soul, lounge, traditional pop and roots music.

Its warm neck-position humbucker makes it especially effective for jazz chord voicings and melodic lead playing.

The fully hollow body produces a natural acoustic response, allowing subtle changes in picking technique to influence the instrument's character.

The JZ-4 is particularly effective with clean amplifiers, although lightly overdriven sounds can provide additional warmth and expression.

As with other fully hollow electric guitars, higher amplifier gain and volume levels can encourage acoustic feedback.

How It Compares

Samick LaSalle JZ-4 vs Gibson ES-175

The Gibson ES-175 is one of the most famous full-depth electric jazz guitars, combining traditional hollow-body construction with premium American craftsmanship.

The Samick JZ-4 offers a more accessible route into the same general style of jazz guitar, with a floating neck humbucker and traditional archtop appointments.

Players seeking a classic jazz sound without the expense of a Gibson ES-175 may particularly appreciate the Samick.

Samick LaSalle JZ-4 vs Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II

The Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II features a traditional full-depth body with two humbuckers, offering a wider range of pickup combinations.

The Samick JZ-4 uses a single floating neck pickup, focusing more specifically on warm, traditional jazz sounds.

Both offer elegant archtop styling, but the JZ-4's floating pickup and spruce top give it a distinctive identity.

Samick LaSalle JZ-4 vs Ibanez Artcore Archtops

Ibanez Artcore guitars offer a wide selection of hollow-body instruments with modern and traditional specifications.

The JZ-4 focuses on a more traditional jazz-box arrangement, with a floating humbucker, full-depth body and decorative tailpiece.

It is particularly appealing for musicians who prefer a straightforward, vintage-inspired instrument.

Samick & Greg Bennett Heritage

Samick has been an important guitar manufacturer for decades, producing instruments for its own brands and numerous international guitar companies.

The Greg Bennett Design range was developed in collaboration with American guitar designer Greg Bennett, focusing on improved ergonomics, carefully selected materials and practical musical performance.

Within this range, the LaSalle Series drew inspiration from traditional jazz archtops, combining classic styling with accessible pricing.

The JZ-4 represents a particularly elegant part of the collection, featuring a full-depth hollow body, spruce top, floating humbucker and traditional jazz-guitar hardware.

Its refined appearance and warm tonal character have made it an appealing choice among musicians seeking a distinctive archtop without the premium cost of more expensive boutique instruments.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Hollow-Body Electric Jazz Guitar
Brand	Samick
Design	Greg Bennett
Series	LaSalle
Model	JZ-4
Finish	Natural
Body Shape	Single-Cutaway Archtop
Body Construction	Fully Hollow
Top Material	Spruce
Back & Sides	Laminated Maple
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Construction	Set Neck
Neck Profile	Soft D
Fingerboard Material	Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius	12" / 305mm
Number of Frets	20
Scale Length	24.75" / 628.65mm
Pickup Configuration	H
Pickup	Single Floating Neck Humbucker
Controls	Master Volume, Master Tone
Bridge	Adjustable Floating Archtop Bridge
Tailpiece	Decorative Trapeze-Style
Hardware Finish	Gold-Coloured
Electronics	Passive
Number of Strings	6
Weight	6.84 lbs / Approx. 3.10kg
Condition	Very Good – Pre-Owned
Case	Not Included

Power Requirements

The Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 uses passive humbucker electronics and does not require a battery or external power supply.

It connects to a suitable guitar amplifier, effects processor or audio interface using a standard ¼-inch instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Expert Verdict

The Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 Natural is a particularly attractive full-depth jazz guitar, combining traditional archtop construction, elegant styling and smooth amplified tones.

Its spruce top and maple body provide a naturally resonant playing experience, while the single floating humbucker delivers the warm, rounded sounds associated with classic jazz instruments.

The set maple neck and rosewood fingerboard offer comfortable playability, while the decorative tailpiece and gold-coloured hardware complete its vintage-inspired appearance.

For musicians seeking a traditional jazz guitar without the price associated with premium American-made archtops, the JZ-4 offers excellent value.

This particular example is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, weighs 6.84 lbs and is supplied without a case.

Best Suited For: Jazz, swing, blues, chord melody, traditional pop and archtop enthusiasts.

Customers Usually Upgrade From: Entry-level hollow-body guitars, budget jazz boxes and conventional solid-body electric guitars.

Most Commonly Paired With: Roland Jazz Chorus, Fender clean amplifiers, dedicated jazz amplifiers, subtle compression and reverb.

Our Tip: For a warm traditional jazz sound, use the floating neck humbucker with a clean amplifier and reduce the guitar's tone control slightly. Flatwound strings are also worth considering for a smoother, more rounded response.

Showroom Advice: The JZ-4's floating humbucker and full-depth body make it especially interesting for players who want a traditional jazz sound rather than a general-purpose semi-hollow guitar. Its 6.84 lb weight and elegant Natural finish complete a particularly appealing instrument.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Buying a pre-owned Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4 from Fair Deal Music offers an attractive opportunity to own a traditional full-depth archtop jazz guitar at an accessible price.

Our experienced team understands the importance of clear condition descriptions, accurate model information and transparent details about included accessories.

This particular JZ-4 is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, weighs 6.84 lbs and is supplied without a case.

Warranty, Returns & Delivery

This is a pre-owned hollow-body electric guitar, with its condition and included accessories detailed above.

Applicable warranty and returns arrangements are governed by Fair Deal Music's current terms, with available UK delivery and showroom collection options provided at checkout.

As no case is included, a suitable archtop hardcase is recommended for storage and transportation.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Based in Birmingham, Fair Deal Music specialises in new, used, vintage and collectable guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects pedals, keyboards and professional audio equipment.

Our experienced team of musicians provides knowledgeable advice and personal service, helping customers find instruments suited to their playing styles and requirements.

Customers benefit from competitive pricing, UK delivery options, our Birmingham showroom and part-exchange services.

Part Exchange – Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges a wide range of musical equipment, including archtop jazz guitars, Gibson and Epiphone hollow-body instruments, electric guitars, basses, amplifiers and effects pedals.

Your existing equipment could help towards the cost of this Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4.

Frequently Asked Questions

What condition is this Samick JZ-4 in?

It is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

Does the guitar come with a case?

No. A case or gigbag is not included.

How much does it weigh?

6.84 lbs, approximately 3.10kg.

What finish does it have?

Natural.

What is the full model name?

Samick Greg Bennett LaSalle JZ-4.

Is it an acoustic or electric guitar?

It is a fully hollow archtop electric guitar with a single floating humbucker.

What is the top made from?

Spruce.

What are the back and sides made from?

Laminated maple.

Is it fully hollow?

Yes. The JZ-4 does not use a solid centre block.

Does it have a cutaway?

Yes. It features a single-cutaway body.

What is the neck made from?

Maple.

What is the fingerboard made from?

Rosewood.

How many frets does it have?

20.  

What is the scale length?

24.75 inches.

What is the fingerboard radius?

12 inches.

What type of pickup does it have?

A single floating humbucker in the neck position.

What is a floating pickup?

A pickup mounted separately from the main soundboard, helping preserve the natural resonance of the archtop top.

Does it have more than one pickup?

The standard JZ-4 specification features a single neck-position pickup.

What controls does it have?

One volume and one tone control.

What type of bridge does it have?

A traditional adjustable floating archtop bridge.

Does it have a tremolo?

No. The JZ-4 uses a fixed archtop bridge and tailpiece arrangement.

Is it suitable for jazz?

Yes. Its warm neck humbucker and fully hollow body are particularly well suited to jazz.

Can it be used for blues?

Yes. The JZ-4 offers warm, expressive blues tones, particularly with a clean or lightly driven amplifier.

Can it be played acoustically?

Yes. Its hollow body produces an acoustic sound, although its main purpose is amplified performance.

Does it require a battery?

No. The pickup uses passive electronics.

Is it suitable for high-gain music?

The guitar is primarily designed for clean and lower-gain styles. Like other fully hollow archtops, it may be susceptible to acoustic feedback at high gain and volume.

What strings would suit this guitar?

Many traditional jazz players favour flatwound strings, although suitable roundwounds can also be used depending on preference and setup.

Is the JZ-4 suitable for beginners learning jazz?

Yes. Its straightforward controls and traditional jazz-guitar character make it an appealing instrument for players exploring the style.

Can I part-exchange another guitar towards this Samick?

Yes. Fair Deal Music considers selected guitars and other musical equipment for part exchange.