Do Jazz players use pedals?

[savage8190]

This may sound like a stupid question, but as Ive said before, Im very new to Jazz, and Im just wondering if Jazz players generally tend to use effects pedals? I know a lot of Jazz players play other styles too, and of course pedals are standard for most other styles (so I wont be getting rid of my board anytime soon )...but specifically for Jazz, what types of things might one use?

Maybe some clean boost....delay, reverb....I dunno?

[Jake Hanlon]

yes

[Solo Flight]

It's not a stupid question but it sounds like you're asking for a ruling from the Jazz Guitar Police. Like anything else, pedals are up to you and what kind of sound you're striving for. Listen to lots of other jazz guitarists and decide what sounds good to you.

[kenbennett]

I like Scofield's modulator effects. Not sure what he uses. Maybe he has used different things at different times. For a while I used one of those purple pedals from Line 6 to get a similar sound. It also had an auto-wah that put a nice edge on comping funkier tunes.

[SamBooka]

One of Jim halls videos he explains how he uses a harmonizer instead of hurting his hands by doing odd intervals.

[savage8190]

Originally Posted by Solo Flight

It's not a stupid question but it sounds like you're asking for a ruling from the Jazz Guitar Police. Like anything else, pedals are up to you and what kind of sound you're striving for. Listen to lots of other jazz guitarists and decide what sounds good to you.

Ya...I never really listened to Jazz much before now so Im sort of working my way through the classic stuff and pedals weren't around then. I guess I might notice more use of modern methods when I listen to more modern guitarists .

[mike walker]

Absolutely.

[IbanezAS100]

YouTube - Kurt Rosenwinkel's pedalboard

[stevenfrank38]

I am also new here. So, I have also have many things to know about this site. Would you please help me...???...

[jazzbow]

I use a compressor pedal to even out the sound jump between plain and wound strings, bit of reverb, occaisional chourus and tremelo, Nice.......

[nado64]

Sometimes...

YouTube Video

[mangotango]

Have a bit of a problem with this at the moment. The saxophonist in my quartet doesn't think that if you have a good basic sound, you need to use pedals. Maybe being a bit of a purist. or neglecting the fact that this isn't 1953.

He's also ignoring the fact that unlike him, I play an electric instrument.

I use reverb almost always, depending upon the band and the room.
Sometimes I have a separate loop with an Electro-Harmonix POG and a chorus to generate a "faux Hammond" sound.
Always TC Electronics Polytune.
Plus I have delay, chorus and vaious modelled pedal fx from the amp (Vox valvertronix).

However, if it's a Big band gig, then I use the Polytune and my Henriksen jazzamp and.....er no, that's it.

[spiral]

Originally Posted by mangotango

Have a bit of a problem with this at the moment. The saxophonist in my quartet doesn't think that if you have a good basic sound, you need to use pedals. Maybe being a bit of a purist. or neglecting the fact that this isn't 1953.

Remind him a horn mute is an equivalent effect / expression tool ... and also no one likes a sassy sax player.

[mangotango]

Originally Posted by spiral

... and also no one likes a sassy sax player.

[anothersixstringer]

As I play traditional, old style jazz tunes I tend to go without pedals for rehearsals. For gigs, I bring utility pedals like a tuner and equalizer.
Here is where a Roland cube / Fender Mustang amp comes handy, if the odd song in your gig requires a special sound or ambiance effect, you can rely on an amp with (good) built-in effects capabilities

[wizard3739]

no, I have no pedals.

wiz

[jzucker]

i have tons of pedals, love 'em.

[hot ford coupe]

I used to use a compression pedal. I don't know why so I gave that to my son. A also used an equalizer pedal and that was very useful when I couldn't get a particular sound with the amp I was using. It didn't really change the sound itself that much but I used the amp controls as a coarse adjustment and the eq as the fine tuning to get rid of harshness, smooth the sound out, and clear up certain notes. With respect to clearing up the notes, what I mean is I was able to get the top 3 strings nice and clear while at the same time make the bottom 3 smoother like my electric bass was. Don't forget, I play solo and that filled out what I was doing.

[VersatileJazzGuitarist]

Jim Hall played here a few weeks ago. He had a couple of pedals on a chair next to him and kept fiddling with them. He had a ring modulator, an octave double, and maybe a volume pedal.

After the gig I was talking with the drummer. He said he tried to dissuade Jim from using pedals, but Jim felt he had to keep current! This from a grand master of jazz guitar who will be eighty years old this year and (with or without pedals) plays as progressive and contemporary as anyone around.

Don't ask me the point of this story. It just seems kind of funny.

Personally, I don't use pedals, but I realize that a volume pedal would probaby be helpful as opposed to fiddling with the knob on my guitar.

[jordanasch]

I use a tuner (i like playing in tune) a bad monkey OD(not as an overdrive but as a boost AND as an EQ pedal, it has high and low controls that are VERY responsive), and sometime when its called upon the good ole wah. Also like some verb from the amp

[russellm]

Bill Frisell obviously uses pedals.

Scofield does, too.

Sheryl Bailey uses a harmonizer pedal (I think) set to a really small value for a chorus-like effect without the warble.

Do you like pedals? Play with some. Are you wondering if you'd like pedals? No way to tell without trying.

I have a box full of pedals, and routinely pull them out for fun.

Also, a looper is a must-have for students, IMO.

[pollysurfs]

listening to george b the other day, noticed that a pedal was being used, not 100% sure so drama queens please excuse me if i happen to be wrong.

being a hobbyist, sofa player, i'm leaning towards jazz guitar for the cleanliness. love listening to overdriven effects found in modern rock, alternative, but simply have no need for all that stuff, prefer to try and emulate that stuff via my acoustic flat top