Tele for jazz??

**docbop** · 09-01-2012, 11:30 AM

Here's one I'd love to checkout. Michael has been doing excellent work for a long time.

DeTemple Jazz Guitar Overview

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 09-01-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by docbop

Here's one I'd love to checkout. Michael has been doing excellent work for a long time.

DeTemple Jazz Guitar Overview

How much do you think that costs?

**docbop** · 09-01-2012, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

How much do you think that costs?

I almost passed out the base price is over $7000.

**coolvinny** · 09-01-2012, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

I almost passed out the base price is over $7000.

Wow, even the high-priced gimmicky Fender Custom Shop signature relics seem like a deal next to that. At least you could resell a Fender with some prospect of recouping your investment. That walrus tusk nut must him a lot...

**Jonathan0996** · 09-01-2012, 01:43 PM

Wow, what kind of kharma does walrus tusk fret markers get you?

Personally, I draw the line at cat gut strings.

**Nighthawkish** · 09-02-2012, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by Bryan T

I really liked my Nocaster for my jazz-inspired playing. It had a maple fingerboard, ash body, and single coil pickups. Of course, I think lots of different guitars work well for jazz, you just have to keep an open mind.

Check out Tim Lerch's videos on youtube to hear a Nocaster in action (sometimes with different pickups).

I also really like some G&L ASATs for jazz. Their large single coil MFD pickup is a beautiful thing.

I second this. I imagine that possibly the best sounding tele for jazz might be a thinline semi-hollow ash setup with a set of Lollar Charlie Christians on it. Tim Lerch has a good demo video out there demo-ing these (on a nocaster), and he gets a superb jazz tone.

Also check out some of Ted Greene's stuff — he plays a tele on at least a few of the various youtube vids I've seen.

**docbop** · 09-02-2012, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Nighthawkish

I second this. I imagine that possibly the best sounding tele for jazz might be a thinline semi-hollow ash setup with a set of Lollar Charlie Christians on it. Tim Lerch has a good demo video out there demo-ing these (on a nocaster), and he gets a superb jazz tone.

Also check out some of Ted Greene's stuff — he plays a tele on at least a few of the various youtube vids I've seen.

I'm am trying to avoid GAS but after hearing those Tim Lerch videos I'd really like to either mod my tele or love to get a tele-type with only a Lollar CC in the neck position. Ted Greene specialized in Tele's and there is a YouTube of Ted talking about Tele's. I found what Ted says about the bridge PUP interesting on flat vs staggered pole pieces.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 09-02-2012, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by coolvinny

Wow, even the high-priced gimmicky Fender Custom Shop signature relics seem like a deal next to that. At least you could resell a Fender with some prospect of recouping your investment. That walrus tusk nut must him a lot...

While a "fossilized walrus tusk nut" sounds crazy, it supposed to be close to the illegal ivory nut, and it's popular in upscale acoustic guitars.

I'm surprised by the titanium bridge barrels. Brass is supposed to be the "warmest" sounding barrel and titanium the brightest. I've read of country (!) Tele players swapping out titanium barrels because they're too bright.

**bryharrell** · 09-04-2012, 05:27 PM

beautiful guitar!

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 09-20-2012, 02:38 PM

Update: I'm still GASsing for the ASAT special, say kitted out like this:

Except as a semi-hollow body, and maybe with an ebony fretboard. I came across this G&L guitar/bass builder app, and it's been hours of fun for me, Try it!

AGB Generator Index

**bohemian46** · 09-20-2012, 11:01 PM

"fossilized walrus tusk nut"

The companies selling these so called fossils are misrepresenting them

Fossils are rocks

they are selling old ivory... nothing more

it is a marketing ploy

**Rob MacKillop** · 09-21-2012, 02:40 AM

My Squier Tele Vintage Modified Custom with a Lollar bridge Special T and a Creamery Wide-Range in the neck, through a Yamaha THR5 amp - the low-cost approach...the music starts about 25 seconds in...

**Source** · 09-21-2012, 03:35 AM

Hell, I've been using a Jaguar for jazz lately.

That top circuit comes in handy after all.

Does anyone actually use a Jazzmaster for jazz?

**SamBooka** · 09-21-2012, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Source

Does anyone actually use a Jazzmaster for jazz?

I tried it when I first started playing jazz. It seemed to work but as I got better it just didnt do it for me. The stock pu's on a late 90s CIJ were very similar to strat pu's (well.. closer to a strat than a jm) and I just couldnt get a sound that inspired me. Swapped the PUs for Seymours and that was much better .. but.. after a few months I said screw it and switched to a Tele or guitars with Tele PUs which I still use.

**eddy b.** · 09-21-2012, 10:51 AM

I have a '99 Fender "fat" tele humbucker in the neck and single coil size humbucker in the bridge. It is a great guitar.

**Jazz_175** · 09-21-2012, 02:55 PM

I am recently using a lot my Tele American Vintage '52 Reissue, with ash body and maple fretboard. Even if this is considered a "bright" combination of woods, it can be compensated by the choice of the neck pickup.
The original neck pick up on the '52 Reissue is rather dark when you roll off the knob.
I like it when played through a Deluxe Reverb

**Jazz_175** · 09-21-2012, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Does this count?

(We just completed this one yesterday)

Nice guitar!
which humbucker did you choose?

**RyanM** · 09-22-2012, 06:47 PM

The Larrivee Bakersfield looks awesome.
1 3/4 nut and 12-16" compound fretboard.

**twosblues** · 09-24-2012, 02:12 PM

For my tastes, I won't even touch a Gibson archtop if the top has been sawed into for a pick up. I like only fully acoustic instruments for jazz. They are actually closer to a traditional jazz sound than what we started to hear in the fifties and sixties with overdriven low fidelity tube amplifiers. For example you can't touch a Freddie Green style on anything but a full acoustic. Actually flattops give the best tone for jazz for my tastes. I don't know how you could effectively comp on a swing tune with a fender quite frankly, the sound would be way too thin, or all muddled up in overdrive so that you cannot hear the altered harmony in the chords. Too many guitarists are out there copying the sounds of the fifties and sixties which if examined critically are pretty muffled, cloudy type sounds. Study harmony on your own and think outside the box. A clear, crisp, acoustic tone is the classic jazz sound for much of the music's history. Charlie christian only amplified to be heard, and because the amp was so poor in quality, and he was such a great player, unfortunatley this became the sound that got stuck in our ears. Overall the acoustic guitar is much punchier, clearer, and richer in overtones than the electric, and therefore a much more suitable jazz guitar!.

**Rob MacKillop** · 09-24-2012, 02:20 PM

Good for you, twosblues! I kind of agree with you. Hopefully there will something for you on my site here: Plectrum Guitar Rob MacKillop ~ guitars, lutes, ukuleles, banjos

But I love electric guitar too, especially Charlie Christian...

**oldane** · 09-24-2012, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by twosblues

For my tastes, .....

Good to mention that, because many here will disagree.

I like only fully acoustic instruments for jazz. They are actually closer to a traditional jazz sound than what we started to hear in the fifties and sixties with overdriven low fidelity tube amplifiers. For example you can't touch a Freddie Green style on anything but a full acoustic.

I love Freddie Greens playing a lot and had a copy of a Stromberg Master 400 made to play in that style. But Freddie Greens style is only one of the many ways of playing jazz on a guitar. I also have a Gibson 175. Heck, I even have a Strat. They can all be enjoyed.

I don't know how you could effectively comp on a swing tune with a fender quite frankly, the sound would be way too thin, or all muddled up in overdrive so that you cannot hear the altered harmony in the chords.

I too like 4-to-the-bar rhythm playing best on an acoustic archtop. But I don't at all agree with your description of the sound from a Fender guitar. That depends very much on the setup. Take a Strat, block the tremolo and put on a set of 13-56 flatwounds, use the neck pickup and you have a very nice fat jazz tone, being clear at the same time. Not at all thin or ice-pick like.

Too many guitarists are out there copying the sounds of the fifties and sixties which if examined critically are pretty muffled, cloudy type sounds.

Well, we are many who actually like that sound for its own merits. But maybe Jim Hall, Joe Pass and Wes never understood what jazz guitar was about?

Overall the acoustic guitar is much punchier, clearer, and richer in overtones than the electric, and therefore a much more suitable jazz guitar!.

Much more suitable for what? Some don't want all that punch and all those overtones. They want the cleaner and more subdued tone.

If we follow you, we can write off almost any jazz played on guitar for the last 60 years.

Just because we love roses, there's no reasons why lilies and tulips should be ugly. They can all be enjoyed.

**Jazz_175** · 09-24-2012, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by twosblues

For my tastes, I won't even touch a Gibson archtop if the top has been sawed into for a pick up. I like only fully acoustic instruments for jazz. They are actually closer to a traditional jazz sound than what we started to hear in the fifties and sixties with overdriven low fidelity tube amplifiers. For example you can't touch a Freddie Green style on anything but a full acoustic. Actually flattops give the best tone for jazz for my tastes. I don't know how you could effectively comp on a swing tune with a fender quite frankly, the sound would be way too thin, or all muddled up in overdrive so that you cannot hear the altered harmony in the chords. Too many guitarists are out there copying the sounds of the fifties and sixties which if examined critically are pretty muffled, cloudy type sounds. Study harmony on your own and think outside the box. A clear, crisp, acoustic tone is the classic jazz sound for much of the music's history. Charlie christian only amplified to be heard, and because the amp was so poor in quality, and he was such a great player, unfortunatley this became the sound that got stuck in our ears. Overall the acoustic guitar is much punchier, clearer, and richer in overtones than the electric, and therefore a much more suitable jazz guitar!.

Interesting point of view, so Django Reinhardt should also be one of your favorites, at least for the tone.
But I think I disagree 99.9999........%