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Not "smooth jazz" or "adult contemporary instrumental pop" or "Quiet Storm" or whatever-the-heck Fuzak gets called these days; I mean like 1960s/early 70s era stuff from Motown, Stax, Chess, Atlantic... authentic chitlin-circuit groove music.
I just got an opportunity to join a band whose repertoire is all culled from this genre, with an emphasis on melody and groove, not chops/improvisation (so, yay! right up my alley!) and I'm wondering if I want to use my archtop for this. I know some of the Motown hits were performed with at least one archtop guitar in the ensemble, but it still feels like maybe a Telecaster would lend itself better to the material.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it and I just need to try it and reach a decision empirically.
Anyhow, was wondering if anyone here uses their big jazz box for this style of music? Thx
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03-17-2026 10:16 AM
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Thinking about Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree, either an archtop or tele is a solid choice. Then again a strat wouldn't hurt nobody either. I use a 335 and have done a few from the genre over the last ten years to keep my blues set a little more varied. I do think you are overthinking it. Just grab your favorite guitar and get soulful, what's inside counts more.
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I play in a group that does that kind of stuff. Lots of Motown and Stax (I was at the Stax museum recently, what a cool place). For that stuff, I feel like a Tele with flatwounds is PERFECT. It really nails that spanky Steve Cropper thing.
That being said, if you show up with a 175 or something like that, nobody other than a guitar player would care. I would just say to make sure you have two pickups so you can get the middle position sound. A single floating pickup isn’t going to cut it.
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An archtop is a converstaion starter for most guitarists, a tele will get tele fans to talk to you about how "you don't see teles much outside of country".
Other than that, nobody cares. Just my observation through the years.
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Quiet Storm?! Smokey?
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You mean like these guys?
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Rich Beato getting his groove on with a flattop on I’ll be there by the Jackson 5. Great tune!
I Never Want This Motown Song To End - YouTube
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Love that Black Gospel meets Jazz voicing and style!
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Love that! First I've heard of "Big D" Perkins, I'm going to be doing some digging...
Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
What's that Gibson he's playing? ES-350? Looks new.
Last edited by ruger9; 03-17-2026 at 04:38 PM.
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Any guitar will do, as long as it's a two pickup archtop or telecaster!
The gorgeous Josh Smith clips (thanks for them!) reminded me about these long plunges into the history of guitarists of James Brown. There is quite a lot of jazz in the chords these guys used.
And Mr Danny (from Australia!) uses some fine archtops in these lessons.
Part one:
And part two:
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"That being said, if you show up with a 175 or something like that, nobody other than a guitar player would care. I would just say to make sure you have two pickups so you can get the middle position sound. A single floating pickup isn’t going to cut it."
No disrespect but I used my175 for everything including soul, neck position humbucker only (it was a D) granted it was the good old days, no pedals just using tone controls on amp (twin) and guitar worked for everything, no complaints (that I could hear)...
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The great Jimmy Nolen regularly used an ES-5. What more do you need?
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In my days with a "soul" SHOW group, I used a Gibson ES150 TDW (the 60's version) and a Twin Reverb.
After I left the group, I kept getting calls to re-join the group, based on the tones I got for: SOUL, funk, rock, jazz and my favorites were the "sweet soulful" sounds of R&B from Stevie to Aretha to Bread! And the Platters!!!
Okay, that's a feather in my cap, but the thing is that, the guys who took my place didn't get "that versatility of sound" with their LP's, 335's, etc.. And it was noticed by the band's leader and the 4 Lead singers.
So, my advice, "fatten up", get the grooviest strings you can on a 175 or equivalent and play the neck p/up sweetly. Rock out on the bridge p/up, and groove in the middle position.
I am envious that you have the opportunity to do what I loved doing.
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Did you see "Summer Of Soul"? Almost nothing but hollow and semi-hollow Gibsons as far as the eye can see (or in some cases a Guild equivalent)
Anyway, to answer your question - yes, I do
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I suppose hollowbody with 2 pickups is fine, but I find a tele or strat is just better in a dense sonic landscape of a funky/R&B band. For solos any guitar would do, but to cut through the mix on rhythm parts, especially with keyboard players being who they are, the in between pickup position on my tele is indispensible. That snappy percussiveness, I don't know if archtop can duplicate.
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Funnily enough at Motown they used both of the two main guitars described--Joe Messina played a Tele with a Jazzmaster neck and Robert White played an L5 CES. Later on David T. Walker used a Byrdland on a lot of the LA Motown hits including the iconic guitar line on "I Want You Back."
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Yeah, David T. Walker.
Not as well known a guitarist, but man did he have a style! Check out some of his soulful solo stuff.
He also played the guitar head on the original Crusaders hit "Put It Where You Want It", not Larry Carlton although LC appears on that album too.
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Big D Perkins! What a joy hearing that interview by Josh Smith. These guys keep it Real!
Im 68 and my influences along those lines were Cornell Dupree,Eric Gayle, the more R&B players back in Pop Radio!
Finding parts that worked was the most important thing. And making sure it fit with band and singer.
In Jazz it’s similar but a whole different ball game altogether!
But finding the Swing or Groove is the main thing,whether it’s playing rhythm or soloing!
And these guys have it!
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David T. Walker and his iconic Gibson Byrdland are on tons of recordings. For many years he was the RnB first-call session player. Originally Posted by BlueBic
I met him back in 1969 when my band opened for his trio in So. Los Angeles. He was very nice to me as a young 17 year old (who probably should not have been in a nightclub!)
David T. Walker - Official Website ? Home
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Thank goodness the statute of limitations has expired! Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
David T. Walker and his iconic Gibson Byrdland are on tons of recordings. For many years he was the RnB first-call session player.
I met him back in 1969 when my band opened for his trio in So. Los Angeles. He was very nice to me as a young 17 year old (who probably should not have been in a nightclub!)
David T. Walker - Official Website ? Home
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I've also seen DTW use an L5. Who didn't aspire to one at the time? I almost bought a new one in '72 for $800, but that would've been hard to justify back then! And then it probably would have had a "skinny" neck!!!
The one I have now gets that sound, the soulful sound, and others. Played some "blues" gigs with it, and it got NOTICED.
Like Robben Ford and his Super 400 back in the days of his budding career. Great sound and great playing.
Check him out on YT with it.
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I'm not ashamed to say I've played "I Wanna Be Sedated" on mine
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