Tele for jazz??

**jason30** · 08-24-2012, 05:20 PM

Hi,
Ive heard of a lot of players who have chosen to use Tele's for playing jazz with some surprisingly wonderful results! But Im wondering, what are some key things to look for when choosing a tele that will work for jazz as well as blues? Humbuckers would probably work best? rosewood neck? body? Just want to make sure that i know what to look for before i do the usual thing and get the wrong one. Thanks in advance!

jason30

**amusiathread** · 08-24-2012, 05:36 PM

There are some affordable tele options from fender and squier that have p90's. P90's are a very popular choice for both jazz and blues.

**Bryan T** · 08-24-2012, 05:44 PM

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.

**Flyin' Brian** · 08-24-2012, 05:52 PM

They will all "work" for jazz and they'll all sound a bit different.
There's no possible way that a canvas of a bunch of people on an internet site can choose YOUR guitar for YOU.

Example: Bryan T has about the brightest combination of woods that you can have on a Tel. It works great for him. I dislike maple fingerboards and have no desire for one. If I were going to spec a Tele for jazz it would have a mahogany body and neck and a rosewood fingerboard, a 12" fingerboard radius, a '59 Les Paul neck profile with a 1 3/4" nut and a Fralin P-90 or P-92 in the neck position. So there you are. You have to try them yourself. If you have to order on line, get one from a dealer who has a good return policy.

**Jonathan0996** · 08-24-2012, 06:33 PM

If you believe Ed Bickert, a Tele is the guitar to have:

He usually played a Tele with a neck humbucker. For my money, it's the most versatile guitar out there. You can play anything on those things.

**Jim Soloway** · 08-24-2012, 06:37 PM

Does this count?

(We just completed this one yesterday)

**Jonathan0996** · 08-24-2012, 06:38 PM

Here's Ed Bickert with his humbucker Tele:

He makes it work pretty well either way.

**Jonathan0996** · 08-24-2012, 06:39 PM

That's a thing of beauty, Jim. You make such nice guitars.

**Jim Soloway** · 08-24-2012, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan0996

That's a thing of beauty, Jim. You make such nice guitars.

Thanks. These don't really have much to do with a Tele other than the shape, hence the happy face. In fact, I'm putting together a Warmoth Tele with a short scale conversion neck right now to use as a teaching guitar. It's a chambered body with an arm contour and a belly cut with a humbucker in the neck. So I guess if you add all the mods together that won't really be a Tele either but with a traditional T bridge and a swamp ash body, I suspect it will come a lot closer.

**marcwhy** · 08-24-2012, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Does this count?

(We just completed this one yesterday)

Jim, my eyes are bleeding! Beautiful!

Marc

**marcwhy** · 08-24-2012, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian

They will all "work" for jazz and they'll all sound a bit different.
There's no possible way that a canvas of a bunch of people on an internet site can choose YOUR guitar for YOU.

Jason,
Flyin' Brian has great points.
And like any guitar purchase, "it depends" on so many factors -- budget, style, "feel," "vibe," etc., and with teles, there are only hundreds of options/luthiers, so do your homework. Too many to choose from ..

Happy hunting.

**Jim Soloway** · 08-24-2012, 09:26 PM

It's true that no one can pick a guitar for you but we can give you a list of questions to consider. What are the features you like? Profile? Radius? Fret size? What pickup output levels do you like. Do you like the feel of an arm cut or a belly cut or are you ok with a slab body? Do you have any feelings about a finished fingerboard? How do you feel about individual saddles vs Tele barrel saddles? Do you have a preferred nut width or bridge spacing? ow do you feel about scale length? How about weight range?

If you can answer all of these questions (and others), it will at least point you in some specific directions just by the process of elimination.

**Jonathan0996** · 08-24-2012, 09:35 PM

It's certainly true that you can customize a Tele in any number of ways, but at some point it loses the essence of what people think of when they imagine the Tele sound.

**oldane** · 08-25-2012, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by Jonathan0996

It's certainly true that you can customize a Tele in any number of ways, but at some point it loses the essence of what people think of when they imagine the Tele sound.

You hit the nail here - but maybe in another way than you intended. Almost any guitar can be used for jazz when it is set up for it. Strats are usually regarded as very non-jazz guitars, but block the tremolo and put on a set of medium flatwounds and you have a guitar with nice mellow jazz tones from the neck pickup (which is actually well placed for a full and spread jazz sound). That way there is no trace of "ice pick" sound or whatever people use to say. That is with the stock Fender pickups. I swapped the Pickups on my Strat, but frankly it didn't make any difference that could not have been obtained with a 10-20 degrees turning of the tone knobs on the amp.

IMHO, there's nothing magical about Teles for jazz as compared to other solid bodies. I think the popularity of Teles by some jazz players is that they are basically a sound construction, they have a hard tail, they are easy to get hold of at reasonable cost, they are rugged and roadworthy and they are easily customizable and repairable due to the modular construction.

I assembled a Warmoth partscaster myself but used a Strat body shape instead of Tele, because I like the ergonomics of a Strat better than the Tele. In fact, it's anything but a Strat. The neck dimensions are different, the neck and body are solid mahogany and the pickup is different. But despite the seemingly obvious, these differencies don't mean a lot to the sound. With the same strings, it sounds pretty much like my stock Strat with very little different tone control setting.

My partscaster (has been shown here before, so many of you can just skip the link): http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/..._NDC8217-2.jpg

**Keira Witherkay** · 08-25-2012, 11:50 AM

Yep , you make a good point , my recently aquired strat also with flats sounds jazzy enough to use at any jazz gig , and not be typical twangy thin fender tone

btw that partcaster of yours is fabulous and in fact what you did of only having one humbucker is what my tech is scheduled to do this week , he's cutting a scratchplate for me from the top of an old acoustic flattop so lovely aged spruce scratchplate and seymour duncan pearly gates with coil tap in neck ,

so we'll have very similar strats , no longer a stratocaster i think but a jazzcaster

just wish mine was natural wood finish like yours ....... mine is black ...... yuk !

**docbop** · 08-25-2012, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Jonathan0996

It's certainly true that you can customize a Tele in any number of ways, but at some point it loses the essence of what people think of when they imagine the Tele sound.

but that is part of the coolness of Fender-type guitars you can make them into what you want. Many like the basic tele shape and neck, but want a different sound. Cars have become too complex for people to hot rod and make their own, so guitars have moved into that niche.

**jason30** · 08-30-2012, 07:39 PM

Thanks guys for all the information/advice that you've given concerning my "Tele for Jazz" question! I think youve given me enough info to help me make the right decision.
Thanks
jason30

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 08-30-2012, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bryan T

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

Which pickup do you mean? The one on the ASAT Classic:

or the one on the ASAT Special?

And do you have an opinion on the Bluesboy?

**coolvinny** · 08-30-2012, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Keira Witherkay

btw that partcaster of yours is fabulous and in fact what you did of only having one humbucker is what my tech is scheduled to do this week , he's cutting a scratchplate for me from the top of an old acoustic flattop so lovely aged spruce scratchplate and seymour duncan pearly gates with coil tap in neck ,

so we'll have very similar strats , no longer a stratocaster i think but a jazzcaster

just wish mine was natural wood finish like yours ....... mine is black ...... yuk !

This is my solid body guitar, and the model name is actually "Jazzcaster". He doesn't make these ones anymore it seems - just his strat style "Mira" now. (I hardly play it these days so I'd like to sell it - anyone interested? PM me if so. Is it OK for me to mention that in this thread??)

**Jim Soloway** · 08-31-2012, 12:36 AM

The only thing I'll add to this is that I'm officially having a REALLY GOOD TIME with my new Warmoth Partscaster. This thing came out just great.

**Bryan T** · 08-31-2012, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

Which pickup do you mean? The one on the ASAT Classic:

or the one on the ASAT Special?

The one on the ASAT Special. They have a great clarity that I find enjoyable. Definitely not your stereotypical jazz sound.

And do you have an opinion on the Bluesboy?

They are pretty cool, though I've never liked one enough to buy it.

**Atticus** · 09-01-2012, 07:55 AM

I can also vouch for the ASAT Special. I don't know any other guitar that has pickups that sound quite like those. I love the way mine sounds, it's definitely not an archtop by any means but I think it's great.

**Soco** · 09-01-2012, 08:26 AM

I have an ASAT deluxe semihollow with humbuckers that I have used for jazz as well as a Fender Custom shop tele with single coil. Both work great.

**jason30** · 09-01-2012, 09:09 AM

WOW! i didnt realize that so many ppl were using tele's for jazz! As many as stated, you can play jazz on any instrument, which then comes down to what each musician hears as being the jazz tone that they are going for. Thanks for all the information guys!

jason30

**Soco** · 09-01-2012, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by jason30

WOW! i didnt realize that so many ppl were using tele's for jazz! As many as stated, you can play jazz on any instrument, which then comes down to what each musician hears as being the jazz tone that they are going for. Thanks for all the information guys!

jason30

People keep on saying that you can play jazz on any instrument, but certain instruments is more suitable-the tele being one of them. It sounds fatter and more muscular than a strat for instance and is more touch responsive.
I have played many jazz gigs on my strat as well(I like to use the whammy bar) but it is obvious for me that a tele fits better.