Do I really need an ArchTop to play Jazz guitar?

[Little Jay]

I tried playing an ES 335 on a big band sight reading gig. What an embarrassing mistake. My neck hand position was off by 2 inches, kept grabbing grips in the wrong spot, the neck was so dang long compared to anything else I play. The neck joins the body at the 19th fret! I'd have to play it for a dozen hours or more to get used to that for reading. Same with the long neck es 330, I much prefer the short version that joins at fret 16.

I feel your pain! But I learned to switch from my ES-333 to my ES-125 without any problems. I use the 333 in a big band (that does soul and pop) mostly. 125 for the jazz gigs and in my funk-4tet.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

I am a Mickey Mouse player Christian !

Gibbo semi-hollow 345 1959 (first year of production)
HB

[christianm77]

If you are going to insist on playing the Mouse, that’s the one to play....

[Jonah]

And the king of Mickeys

Actually for me semi-hollow was transitional thing...

I played only acoustics or archtops.. I liked big boxes with resonance, I could not play too thin guitars.
then occasionally I got a hold on semi-hollow and was surprised how much more convinient some things were...
Later that moved on to solid bodies...

So todays it is either an archtop or solid body)))

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

and nothing in between,Jonah ?
HB

[christianm77]

And the king of Mickeys

Actually for me semi-hollow was transitional thing...

I played only acoustics or archtops.. I liked big boxes with resonance, I could not play too thin guitars.
then occasionally I got a hold on semi-hollow and was surprised how much more convinient some things were...
Later that moved on to solid bodies...

So todays it is either an archtop or solid body)))

The Ibanez is more like Minnie Mouse

[Boston Joe]

If it's good enough for Sco, it's more than good enough for me.

[joe2758]

I wouldn't let my daughter out dressed like that

[Uncle Vinnie]

No, you don't ... but you will want one eventually.

[Jonah]

and nothing in between,Jonah ?
HB

Who needs something in between?
I have superhollow and no-body!

[teeps]

Ghost threads are fun

[Jonah]

By the way, Hyppolite Bergamote, that Steinberger is the old one from 80s or new re-issue?
When I was thinking about travel guitar I was considering it too becasuethe new ones were quite but the reviews were not that good so finally I got Aria and installed single-zise humbucker Little 59' SeymourDuncun on it (folloeing teh idea of Little Jay from this forum)...

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

By the way, Hyppolite Bergamote, that Steinberger is the old one from 80s or new re-issue?
When I was thinking about travel guitar I was considering it too becasuethe new ones were quite but the reviews were not that good so finally I got Aria and installed single-zise humbucker Little 59' SeymourDuncun on it (folloeing teh idea of Little Jay from this forum)...

Mine is a GL3S #4357 from 1986, before the Gibson buyback of Steinberger in 1987. There were constructed from 1986 to 1991.It’s a funny little thing.I have also a replacement plate with 2humbuckers.
I bought in Tokyo an Aria Interceptor,about the same size,I let in the holidays house of my eldest son in Chen Rai(Thailand)

[ginod]

no you don't need an archtop play jazz, but you need an archtop if you want a archtop sound

[p1p]

Well..

"Do I really need a solid body to play Rock guitar?" ... not necessarily, but won't it sound best that way?

I prefer the sound of archtops for solo guitar. Jazz, not rock.

[ColMc]

Do you need an archtop to play jazz? Are you nuts?
Of course you do.
Yes you do need an archtop to play jazz.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

Of course,you don't !
Richie Beirach,Leaving

[maxtons]

You don't need any particular kind of guitar to play any particular genre. I use my Tele just as often as I use my ES175D for jazz. It's simply a matter of what you think feels good. Getting a nice tone isn't really any easier on an archtop than it is on a solid body guitar. If you have a bad tone, it's gonna sound bad regardless of the guitar you use-- and conversely, if you have a good tone, it's gonna sound good regardless of the guitar you use.

[Jonah]

You don't need any particular kind of guitar to play any particular genre.

This is generalization.

You need steel string acoustic to play bluegrass
You need selmer - style or at least other acoustics with cqualities close to it to play manouche


And it is important... it's not the tone only...

you can reproduce bluegrass patterns on Tele or any other guitar but you cannot get the same response from the instrument and that will effect your phrasing, attack and all...

In modern conditions you do not need an archtop to play jazz...

But if you want to play mainstream jazz you should at least try an archtop.

[cosmic gumbo]

Don't even need a guitar to play jazz....

[bossanova1962]

In my view, given that jazz musicians have historically used a range of different styles of guitar, though an arch top has a distinctive voice (can be very mellow), you could use virtually any kind or form of guitar to make jazz.

However, to get a sound just like what most people would regard as a 'jazz voice', there is no doubt that a good quality arch top is well suited, precisely because of the warmth, depth and headroom that it provides (if one can get around the feedback that is also likely to be present at higher volume levels).

[bossanova1962]

Any of these guitars, or all of them, could be used for playing jazz!

[Jonah]

Don't even need a guitar to play jazz....

don't even need to play... just listen it's also ok

[Jonah]

Any of these guitars, or all of them, could be used for playing jazz!

You are Yamaha endorsee?)))


THhis Epi Broadway - is it Elitist or not? Which year is it and what is a signature on the pickguard and trussrod plate?

[bossanova1962]

It is an Epiphone Emperor Regent Joe Pass, manufactured 1st August 1999 in Korea. For the price I paid (£300), it is a bargain and plays a dream ....