Best Tele jazz tone I've heard on YouTube (Smooth Jazz)

**Steve Z** · 12-30-2011, 05:16 PM

I am an avid YouTube surfer and just came across this video by a guitarist named Jazzy Frank. The music and tone is similar to George Benson, but with a telecaster crispness.

**Dookychase** · 12-30-2011, 05:47 PM

Real nice. Love that sound.

**fws6** · 12-30-2011, 05:52 PM

Bit too silky smooth for my taste

FWIW that guitar is not a 'real' telecaster but a very cheap 1960s or early 70s "National" telecaster copy; ususally found around $300

It has a zero fret !

**Retroman1969** · 12-30-2011, 08:19 PM

Can you provide a direct link to the YouTube video? My iPhone won't play imbedded videos and I can't find it on a YouTube search for some reason.
Thanks!

Sorry, never mind, found it. Had to type in jazzyfrank as one word.
I'm not much into that "smooth jazz" but he does get a really mellow tone out of it. Nice!

**coolvinny** · 12-30-2011, 09:10 PM

Great playing for sure, and obviously jazzy...but I'm thinking, is this not more 'funk' than jazz? Maybe my bearings are off? I was playing with some friends a few days ago on a funk tune, and when we finally locked-in, we had a groove sort of like this (except, you know, we suck compared to these guys...).

**FatJeff** · 12-30-2011, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

Can you provide a direct link to the YouTube video? My iPhone won't play imbedded videos and I can't find it on a YouTube search for some reason.
Thanks!

Sorry, never mind, found it. Had to type in jazzyfrank as one word.
I'm not much into that "smooth jazz" but he does get a really mellow tone out of it. Nice!

**Roosto** · 12-30-2011, 09:24 PM

I'm forever pleasantly surprised at the nice jazz tone I can get out of my Tele.

**oldane** · 12-31-2011, 10:26 AM

I think that sweet tone is a lot about pickup placement and picking position. With a PU placed near the imaginary "24'th fret" (which it is on Fender guitars) and picking in the same position (which this player does) one can get that tone with many guitars. Thicker strings will also help to fatten up the sound.

IMHO, tone depends just as much on the picking position as it depends on the chosen guitar. On my guitars, I can hear a significant difference in sound by moving just one or two centimeters closer to or farther from the bridge. With a single coil PU, I can get a Strat like quack from a single neck PU on an archtop just by picking midways between where the neck and middle PU is placed on a Strat. Those tone differencies are easer brought out with a sharp pointed pick than with a round pointed one. I also think they are easier brought out with a single coil PU than with a humbucker.

**marcwhy** · 12-31-2011, 11:52 AM

With this type of recording, a lot of the tone is called "studio."

**Steve Z** · 12-31-2011, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

With this type of recording, a lot of the tone is called "studio."

Very true... but still from a tele-style... at least that is the appearance.

**kris** · 12-31-2011, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Z

I am an avid YouTube surfer and just came across this video by a guitarist named Jazzy Frank. The music and tone is similar to George Benson, but with a telecaster crispness.

Nice jazz tele sound.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-31-2011, 01:08 PM

I liked the tone...ed bickert is the tele jazz tone gold standard for me, though.

**Meggy** · 12-31-2011, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I liked the tone...ed bickert is the tele jazz tone gold standard for me, though.

I too love Ed Bickert's tone (not to mention his playing...) - any tips for getting that sound Mr B?

**Jazzman301** · 12-31-2011, 05:05 PM

For me Ted Greene is THEE tele jazz guy with Ed Bickert a close second. For me Ted was just a superior human, player and his sense of touch was unmatched. He had such a great warmth but still had sparkle. He used everything from Vibrolux reverbs to Deluxes, even some Peavey amps as a great backup and his ton is just so lush warm and full from end to end.

'Mike

**Double 07** · 12-31-2011, 10:47 PM

Too silky smooth for me also, and this coming from a guy who absolutely loves R&B music. For me, when it comes to jazz it's either got to be straight ahead or, if not, have an imaginative progressive element to the music; and some killer improv going on. There are exceptions though, I really dig Norman Brown (a guy this cat has obviously been influenced by). I would drive for hours to hear George Benson play guitar, the guy is an absolute genius / virtuoso, one of the best ever.

Very nice tone though!

**OldGuitarPlayer** · 01-01-2012, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I liked the tone...ed bickert is the tele jazz tone gold standard for me, though.

Ed Bickert not only had the tone but also the chops. No disrespect to Ted Greene but comparing Ed to Ted is like comparing apples to oranges. Ted Greene was an amazing player and teacher but Ed Bickert was (is) a Jazz musician...not just a jazz guitarist. The guitar just happened to be the instrument he chose to play jazz with. Of course his tone was sublime.

Before the neck humbucker.

With the neck humbucker.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-01-2012, 12:28 PM

Ted and Ed?

/thread

(Hey, I just wrote a poem!)

**Jazzman301** · 01-01-2012, 03:44 PM

I think saying Ted Greene was "just" a guitarist of any sort sells him quite short. He was a true musician. He played piano and bass as well as guitar not to mention his theorheitcal and compositional prowess. He was a true musician. He was not limited to any style. He was a student of music in all of its forms. He loved Beethoven, Bach, and Gershwin. He was a superior musician, educator and performer. Because of Ted's many peculuraities he did not perform often, especially in his early years. Ted sights the main reasons as not being able to handle all of the love coming from the audience as well as not really being comfortable with his level of achievement until late in his life. A true shame really. He did some great work over the years and was recognized by numerous jazz guitar virtuosos for his prowess on the instrument. George Van Epps not the least among them.

'Mike

**Double 07** · 01-01-2012, 04:36 PM

Ed Bickert, chops monster, great tone. Playing jazz on a Tele that's way cool.

**Jazz_175** · 01-02-2012, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Meggy

I too love Ed Bickert's tone (not to mention his playing...) - any tips for getting that sound Mr B?

I own a Tele 52 American Vintage Reissue.
Either using a Henriksen or a Deluxe Reverb I am not quite satisfied with the Jazz tone I get.
Maybe I need a neck pickup different from the stock one or a different amplifier like a Rolande Cube.

**NSJ** · 01-02-2012, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

I own a Tele 52 American Vintage Reissue.
Either using a Henriksen or a Deluxe Reverb I am not quite satisfied with the Jazz tone I get.
Maybe I need a neck pickup different from the stock one or a different amplifier like a Rolande Cube.

I have that same guitar. I swapped out the neck pickup for a Charlie Christian by Jason Lollar.

Sounds fantastic! Does not match the bridge pup AT ALL But really, who cares? Who in their right mind would ever use the bridge pickup? It's like the residual tail left on the homo sapien sapiens. Completely useless.

Modern Tele Master not yet mentioned: Mr. Frisell.

**Jazz_175** · 01-02-2012, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by NSJ

I have that same guitar. I swapped out the neck pickup for a Charlie Christian by Jason Lollar.

Sounds fantastic! Does not match the bridge pup AT ALL But really, who cares? Who in their right mind would ever use the bridge pickup? .....

I guess the pickup did not fit right in its own place.