{"id":1119,"date":"2014-02-25T21:02:56","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T20:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=1119"},"modified":"2019-09-18T13:56:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T11:56:04","slug":"popular-jazz-guitars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/popular-jazz-guitars\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Jazz Guitars (Top 15) – Survey Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guitarists in all genres love their gear, especially their guitars of choice, and jazzers are no different. In order to find out exactly what jazz guitarists are playing these days, we set out to conduct a survey of JGO readers and asked them about their best jazz guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

After getting back over 5000 responses from jazz guitarists all over the world, we\u2019ve put together the results in this list that you can refer to the next time you are wondering what other jazz cats are playing, or are looking for a new jazz guitar model to add to your collection.<\/p>\n

Though it is not surprising that Gibson guitars are the most popular brand chosen by readers, what might come as a surprise was the variety of other brands that made the list and the fact that as many people played \u201cother\u201d brands as they did Gibson. This result shows a healthy variety of options for jazz guitar players looking to explore quality guitars in a variety of price ranges.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span>\n

Take a look through the survey results and see where your current (or dream guitar) landed in our ranking of the best jazz guitars as chosen by you, the JGO community.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

Gibson<\/h2>\n

Played by some of the most legendary jazz guitarists of all time (Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel), Gibson archtops have long been associated with the classic jazz guitar tone that many guitarists strive for in their playing.<\/p>\n

Therefore it is not surprising that Gibson guitars landed at the top of our survey, as they continue to be the guitar of choice for jazz guitarists of all backgrounds and experience levels.<\/p>\n

Here are the most popular models of our survey.<\/p>\n

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Gibson ES-175<\/h3>\n

Price Range: $1,900 – $18,600<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Gibson ES-175<\/a> has long been one of the most popular and famous jazz guitars on the market. Debuted in 1949, this guitar was designed to be a laminated alternative to the L-5 and an amplified version of the L-4.<\/p>\n

Its playability, its consistent clean tone, and its durable nature make it the go-to choice for many legendary players, including Pat Metheny<\/a> and Joe Pass who played this guitar at different points in their careers.<\/p>\n

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\"Gibson<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gibson ES-335<\/h3>\n

Price Range: $1,200 – $26,000<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

First built in 1958, the Gibson ES-335<\/a> is a thinline, semi-hollow body guitar that has worked its way into jazz through the work of great players such as B.B. King, Larry Carlton<\/a>, and others.<\/p>\n

Designed to provide a middle ground between the Les Paul and Gibson’s archtop models, which back in the day had issues with feeding back at high volumes, the ES-335 bridges the gap between an archtop and the ability to reign in feedback and create a warm tone at high volumes.<\/p>\n

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\"Gibson<\/p>\n

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Gibson L-5<\/h3>\n

Price Range: $4,100 – $18,100<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Having been in continues production since 1922, the L-5 is the pinnacle of the Gibson archtop collection, in no small part to the fact that Wes Montgomery<\/a> made it his guitar of choice during his short, but highly successful career. Other players that have chosen the L-5 as their guitar of choice are Tuck Andress, Lee Ritenour, Pat Martino<\/a>, and Eddie Lang.<\/p>\n

Though these guitars come with a hefty price tag, the L-5 is still the Gibson guitar that many players save their pennies for as they search for the perfect (Wes Montgomery inspired) tone.<\/p>\n

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\"Gibson<\/p>\n

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Other Gibson Models (in order of popularity)<\/h3>\n