Non-Telecaster solid-body guitars for jazz

**rschwa9966** · 01-12-2011, 08:54 PM

I've had such a great first experience with a solid body guitar for jazz, a 2010 Fender Deluxe American Telecaster, that I'm wondering if there are other good candidates out there, such as Gibson Les Pauls or SGs with P-90 pickups?
Thoughts?

**Peter C** · 01-12-2011, 09:06 PM

My Heritage "LP", strung atypically with medium gauge flatwounds, works for me.

Check out Jack Pearson on U-tube playing a Gibson LP:

**bluemood** · 01-12-2011, 09:09 PM

I'm using a Parker PM20PRO.
Light guitar,something about the action the is just fantastic use thick guage strings and you still have light tension if this makes sense.
Very comfy to play sitting with a strap or standing due to it's small light size.

**Stackabones** · 01-12-2011, 11:16 PM

How about a Tele w/90s: Squier Telecaster Custom II. Love mine!

**GodinFan** · 01-12-2011, 11:41 PM

I haven't been playing my Godin Summit as much, but it is a great sounding guitar for playing jazz.

**redbeard** · 01-12-2011, 11:52 PM

I enjoy playing an old Peavey T-60. It's heavy as hell, but has plenty of tonal variations.

**msr13** · 01-12-2011, 11:56 PM

I like my PRS McCarty.

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-13-2011, 05:07 AM

Any damn guitar is a candidate for playing jazz. What is the great mystery? Is there some magic tone that I don't know about? I think brown guitars sound better than green ones.

**woyvel** · 01-13-2011, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

Any damn guitar is a candidate for playing jazz. What is the great mystery? Is there some magic tone that I don't know about? I think brown guitars sound better than green ones.

This is so true, however there's a certain "vibe" that has something to do with it. BTW, Does anyone remember the Gibson Firebrand 335 solid? Think about it, the V and Explorer aren't too far from the Les Paul, except for shape.

My Gibson L6S has been doing the job for me for 30 years. The unique thing about it (for jazz in particular) is the 6 position varitone with volume/tone/treble roll-off (some say mid-range control); not the usual volume/tone knobs.

**rschwa9966** · 01-13-2011, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

Any damn guitar is a candidate for playing jazz. What is the great mystery?

If one is looking for the deep, warm, clean, signature tone of jazz, then a heavy-metal shredder does not do the job.

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-13-2011, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by rschwa9966

If one is looking for the deep, warm, clean, signature tone of jazz, then a heavy-metal shredder does not do the job.

I disagree. If you could find it with a strat, you could do it on any guitar. Most of my axes can do metal or jazz, like anyone else who doesn't play a hollow body.

**mongrel** · 01-13-2011, 09:35 AM

Some of the best sounds to come out of any guitar I've ever heard came from an old man who used to come into the local Guitar Center on Saturday afternoons with his Les Paul plugging into various amps, tube or transistor, and play chord melodies and single note passages from '50's and '60's standards. It looked to be an '80's Studio model in dark sunburst with soapbar P-90's. It was not like the newer stripped down Studios but had good binding and the Custom headstock and the Custom block markers. It was strung with what looked like very heavy flats and he had some foam wedged under the strings between the tunamatic and the bridge.

**rschwa9966** · 01-13-2011, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

I disagree. If you could find it with a strat, you could do it on any guitar. Most of my axes can do metal or jazz, like anyone else who doesn't play a hollow body.

We'll just have to agree to disagree

. Of course the sound can be modified on any guitar, but the starting point does make a difference on the ultimate range.
Why would anyone, in a world of choices, choose a Strat if they're looking for an ES-175 sound, or vice versa?
That said, I'm a convert to solid-body guitars.

**docbop** · 01-13-2011, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by rschwa9966

If one is looking for the deep, warm, clean, signature tone of jazz, then a heavy-metal shredder does not do the job.

Not really when at GIT I remember a class with Joe Diorio and commented on what a great tone one of the guys was getting with Ibanez Steve Vai 7-string. Don't forget Pat Martino in early days played a Les Paul. There is a YouTube of Joe Pass playing a Fender Jaguar sounding good. It's about setup and technique.

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-13-2011, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by rschwa9966

Why would anyone, in a world of choices, choose a Strat if they're looking for an ES-175 sound, or vice versa?

I thought we were talking about solid body guitars. Why would anyone choose a sousaphone if they want the sound of a tuba?

**mambosun** · 01-13-2011, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by rschwa9966

I've had such a great first experience with a solid body guitar for jazz, a 2010 Fender Deluxe American Telecaster, that I'm wondering if there are other good candidates out there, such as Gibson Les Pauls or SGs with P-90 pickups?
Thoughts?

Any decent Lespaul with humbucker or P90 I'm sure...

**nic** · 01-15-2011, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

Any damn guitar is a candidate for playing jazz. What is the great mystery? Is there some magic tone that I don't know about? I think brown guitars sound better than green ones.

I take great exception to this statement and am personally offended. Green guitars are by far better than brown ones. Who ever heard of playing jazz on a brown guitar?

**Stackabones** · 01-15-2011, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by nic

I take great exception to this statement and am personally offended. Green guitars are by far better than brown ones. Who ever heard of playing jazz on a brown guitar?

Well, I can imagine jazz on a sunburst or natural, but brown?!

**cjm** · 01-15-2011, 05:31 PM

I sometimes play a lipstick red fretless bass if it isn't convenient to take my upright. Does that count?

Some people question that what I play is jazz, but they're outnumbered by the people who dismiss my playing as not being music at all.

**aleksandar** · 01-15-2011, 06:05 PM

Now I still haven't seen someone playing jazz on a flying V, though you never know....

**cjm** · 01-15-2011, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by aleksandar

Now I still haven't seen someone playing jazz on a flying V, though you never know....

Here is a youtube video that might qualify...

**Stackabones** · 01-15-2011, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by aleksandar

Now I still haven't seen someone playing jazz on a flying V, though you never know....

I've always wanted one of those. Maybe Sun Ra is the right jazz for a Flying V?

**aleksandar** · 01-15-2011, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by cjm

Here is a youtube video that might qualify...

Not quite, has to be in public

Originally Posted by Stackabones

I've always wanted one of those. Maybe Sun Ra is the right jazz for a Flying V?

Definitely

Though honestly, it would be quite interesting to see a jazz band with a guitarist playing flying V. For example some electro jazz band or something like that, why not?

Although it's hard for me to imagine playing swing on that...

**abracadabra** · 01-15-2011, 06:54 PM

There was a similar discussion on another thread in which someone made the very valid point that the only qualifier for what constitutes a 'jazz' guitar is what the audience 'expects'.

You could play a wedding gig with a Dimebag Darrell signature guitar, and play the best jazz you've ever played, but since the image isn't right, you might not work as much as you might otherwise with a 'more appropriate' guitar.

I don't play live at all, so I just play with whatever I'm using at the time. My RG2550 sounds ace for jazz, and so does my strat.

**Silentwiz** · 01-16-2011, 12:16 AM

I'm actually playing jazz exclusively on solid bodies these days -- way too easy on the joints!

I'm loving my Squier CV 60's Strat and CVC Tele. Both are delicious!