... But does it Jazz ??

[ScarTissue]

I've read one funny comment on this forum lately, with which I obviously don't agree with, so I came to idea to open topic about all unconventional guitars which can do jazz, but they " don't ". Hope my wording is right, not native english speaker, sry.

I will just post video to prove my point and put my words into meaning:

" But you can't do jazz on shred guitar " - yes you can.

Your small 5 cents on topic ?

[m_d]

My 0,5 cent... typically those guitars have many switching options so that I would guess makes it possible to approximate, and possibly "nail" a jazz sound...

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

It ain’t what you play - it’s how you play it. I’ve jazzed on an early ‘90s ESP since I bought it new. I’d just decided to switch to 7 strings on the fly, with steady gigs and no break to learn the instrument. So I needed a decent instrument that cost little enough to let me back out of it if I decided not to stay with 7s. As there were no affordable hollow 7s (the AF207 came along in late ‘97), the ESP was the best I could do.

I still have and play it. The original Duncan HBs are still fine, and it’s as jazzy as Bickert’s Tele for sure, except for the prominent horns…..

[palindrome]

My impression is that threads titled "Can you play jazz on...?" used to be much more common.

I remember expecting to see a thread "Can you play jazz on a Schecter Hellraiser?" one day, but apparently this never came to pass.

"Can you play jazz on a Squier Paranormal Troublemaker?" isn't a thread I would expect to see today.

[djg]

[icr]

[Stringswinger]

It is the Indian, not the arrow.

(That whole mechanic/tool saying is a bit overused, IMO)

[DMgolf66]

Completely unimportant too many, but to me its aesthetically unappealling to see Jazz being played on certain guitars. Shallow, i know.

[Stringswinger]

Completely unimportant too many, but to me its aesthetically unappealling to see Jazz being played on certain guitars. Shallow, i know.

Different strokes I guess. I like to see guitarists break the norms.

Seeing a rock guy play an L-5 or a Jazz guy playing a Strat ups my respect for that player.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Completely unimportant too many, but to me its aesthetically unappealling to see Jazz being played on certain guitars. Shallow, i know.

I don't think it's shallow. The main reason I traded a fine if well used 345 for an equally used 175 when I was in high school was that I saw Wes with a 175 on the cover of The Incredible Jazz Guitar and just knew I had to have one to learn to play jazz "right". After reading the '58, '59, and '60 Gibson catalogs daily and seeing all my idols in the Gibson Galaxy of Stars with archtops (except for Tony Mottola with his 355, which should have told me something), there was no other choice for me.

We all know of great players who get amazing tone and beautiful music from guitars of all sorts. But I still get a bigger thrill from my archtops than from any other guitar I've ever had. And this is probably why...



And even so, I do my share of playing out of the box -

[GuyBoden]

Change to low output pickups on any solid body rock guitar and you'll get a closer sound to the traditional 50-60's Jazz Guitar sound. IMHO.

PAF alnico 2 pickups is my choice.

[John A.]

Well ... In general I'm an advocate of playing jazz with whatever guitar you have(I would and do use a regular strat for jazz). I wouldn't say you CAN'T play jazz on that particular super strat. But, I don't like the neck pickup sound on 24-fret guitars (which pushes the neck pickup back toward the bridge by about an inch). It's noticeably more scooped sounding than the typical position on guitars with 19-22 frets, and to my ears shades a little toward the sound of the middle position on 3-pickup guitar. Certainly great players doing cool stuff sound great and cool no matter what. But, having had a 24-fret guitar for a long time before finally understanding why I didn't like its neck pickup sound, I wouldn't want to use the guitar in that video for the jazz that I play.

[wintermoon]

Damn shame about Clint, what a great player!

[Stringswinger]

Damn shame about Clint, what a great player!

yep, what happened to Clint could happen to any of us. Play them guitars folks, it is later than you think....

[arnie65]

The guitar is only a conduit for music, although (unfortunately) many players see it as the most important component; it is not...
I remember back in the very early 90's, I was studying with Richie Zellon, who now has a very successful youtube channel. I remember him playing a gig with Jazz legend (saxophonist) Sam Rivers, and his Benedetto needed some repairs at the time, so he played with a Strat he had...and even though his playing for stellar, many comments were made as to why a jazz guitarist was using a Strat, etc.. Over 35 yrs ago, I did an interview with Pat Martino for a college project; I remember asking him about what guitar he had used for one of his early albums (can't remember which one) and I was surprised when he said " a "Les Paul". He asked me why was I surprised, and went on to say that "the guitar is only a means to an end", it is the music that's important. However, we have this image of what a jazz guitarist should look like, or what he should be playing.




Cheers,
Arnie...

[joe2758]

Cool piece HiFi!
It's like the first half is "Sea" and the second part is "land" to me.

[omphalopsychos]

Different strokes I guess. I like to see guitarists break the norms.

Seeing a rock guy play an L-5 or a Jazz guy playing a Strat ups my respect for that player.

+1000. If you're a good player you sound good and can say what you want to say on whatever instrument with a good tone. Here's some blues and rnb playing their own thing that is very much not jazz, on "jazz guitars". Refreshing to hear play something you don't expect on an L5.

[omphalopsychos]

Kirk fletcher is just amazing. I didn't know Norm could play and sing!

[Spook410]

You can play jazz on a cigar box guitar. Thing is, it sounds like jazz being played on a cigar box guitar.

Guitar tone is very subjective. However, different guitar types do not sound the same.

I prefer the sound of a nice archtop for most of what I play.

[andrew]

+1000. If you're a good player you sound good and can say what you want to say on whatever instrument with a good tone. Here's some blues and rnb playing their own thing that is very much not jazz, on "jazz guitars". Refreshing to hear play something you don't expect on an L5.

I'm a big proponent of the fact that an L5-CES is not a one-trick pony. You can do a lot more with that bridge pickup than many folks realize. Great jazz guitar? Absolutely! But not JUST a great jazz guitar.

[Woody Sound]

I'm a big proponent of the fact that an L5-CES is not a one-trick pony. You can do a lot more with that bridge pickup than many folks realize. Great jazz guitar? Absolutely! But not JUST a great jazz guitar.

Funkmeister Tony Maiden often used an L5 or an old 350 with Chaka Khan and Rufus. He got a very funky tone with both pickups on.

[DMgolf66]

Different strokes I guess. I like to see guitarists break the norms.

Seeing a rock guy play an L-5 or a Jazz guy playing a Strat ups my respect for that player.

Those examples are cool. Just not into glow in the dark Pink Ibanez heavy metal solid body, etc.
Tbh, i really dont care., haha.

[John A.]

Louis Jordan, with color-coordinated outfits and Stratocaster …

[rpjazzguitar]

When people talk about a jazz sound, they usually mean something like Wes, Kenny B., Barney K, Jim Hall etc. Not that they sounded alike, but arguably in the same general ballpark. All archtop players.

But, it depends what you call jazz. Texas Playboys? Steely Dan? Grateful Dead? I think they all played music that meets my definition of jazz.

And, I think, it depends on how much sustain you need to play your style.

jazz on a Tele -- see Ted Greene.

jazz on a Strat -- see Lorne Lofsky

jazz on a flat top -- can't recall the name, but there was a well known player.

I've never heard anybody sound like Wes without an L5. But, I've heard great jazz on every kind of guitar.

[mr. beaumont]

Is that a Parker Fly?

Clint was so damn good. Sad to hear of his recent health issues.