The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Posts 26 to 50 of 103
  1. #26

    User Info Menu

    Been playing for 50 years but just getting into Jazz. After a long search and many test drives, the Ibanez AG75 does it for me for $399.00. Actually got it for 349.00 on sale. Originally bought an open box Joe Pass Emperor II Pro but the fret ends ripped my fingers up. Poor finish for a Pro guitar. This is consistent with this model.

    the Ibanez is finished very well and the pups sound great. Pick up a nice dark sounding amp and away you go.


    First Jazz Guitar-ibanez-ag75g-jpg

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27

    User Info Menu

    There are plenty who could make a Les Paul like yours work.

    But if you want jazz and high access, thin neck??

    The one that stands out to me is the Carvin Frank Gambale model. He went through five incarnations with thinner and easier increasingly higher fret access on each successive one. It's a semi hollowbody and around two grand.

    if you want a guitar in general that can give you all sounds, including a nice fat neck humbucker, and all important slender neck and high fret access, the Prestige Ibanez RG can be it. Accomplished jazz player and multi instrumentalist Carol Kaye does jazz on Ibanez RG. You don't have to sport f-holes to bop out.
    Last edited by 335dotfan; 04-07-2017 at 12:06 AM.

  4. #28

    User Info Menu

    Thanks, really nice points!

    For the record, I'm really liking my new Tele for its neck and the deep clean jazz tones paired with a Fender [Deluxe/Twin] Reverb.

    But like you say I can get some nice jazzy tones out of my RG as well - for me the biggest issue was that I only have 7 and 8 string models and I am having a bit of a hard time fingering all these jazz chords on those wide necks. I know it can be done (Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes for example) but I find 6 strings easier to deal with for now. I am super comfortable with the thin Ibby necks but it is the width that is getting me right now.

    Part of my dilemma is that I don't know which direction I'm taking my jazz guitar playing. Part of me wants to introduce the more complex jazz harmonies to my prog metal playing on a 7/8 string RG, and part of me wants to prepare for my retirement days playing standards in a bebop band on an archtop. Right now I'm choosing - both :-) just kidding, I'm learning the classics starting from 50s/60s classic stuff (I have been listening to classic jazz since my teen years) and moving closer to present day as my jazz chops improve. I'm sure I'll meet Gambale (love his playing btw) when I get to Elektrik Band :-)

  5. #29

    User Info Menu

    With that budget, my choice would be a used Ibanez PM100/120. If you like Ibanez already, the features (fret access, neck size) would be there + it's fully hollow. They aren't that common, but you see them occationally used.

    My choice would be the single pickup version, but I'm like that (my solid body guitars are all with only a single pickup also).


    First Jazz Guitar-ibanez-pm100-jpg

  6. #30

    User Info Menu

    I am a rock and metal guy with a few solidbodies, but I have always enjoyed smooth jazz guitarists like Norman Brown and George Benson, so I am considering dipping my toes into the water for my first jazz guitar.

    I am not opposed to used, and I have had my eyes open on craigslist and pawn shops locally as well as hit a few music stores even ebay and reverb, but the pickings are slim to none locally to even see or play much so I am considering buying something online.

    I played an epi dot new it was ok but didn't scream buy me, and an epi casino at a pawn shop total mess, needed a setup and strings I wasn't impressed and they wanted $500 for it, with some work it may have been decent but most things I find are solidbody.

    The two main guitars I was looking at online were Ibanez Artcore Vintage AGV10A and Ibanez GB10SE.

    Maybe just as an entry $500 range type guitar that hopefully would give me an introduction to messing around with Jazz stuff.

    or if I can find one maybe used I have seen nothing but good about the GB line, I'd probably have to go with a used SE to stay under $1000 range but is it really twice the guitar as the artcore above?

    I would say my budget would range somewhere in that $500-$1000 USA range but never know with trades or finding something used what I could end up with.

    I know with the GB10's there are different models and countries made (Japan being more sought after from what I read) but in my budget finding a used SE China model would probbly be more in my price range.

    At this point the amps I have probably aren't even right for the sound I would want to dial in, I have a Blackstar and a Marshall for total rock sounding stuff, but the stuff I am digging sound wise I may have to look for a small amp too down the road, so I appreciate any input help or suggestions.


    First Jazz Guitar-ibanez-gb10-jpg

  7. #31

    User Info Menu

    Why not just use one of your solid bodies and set it up for jazz, heavier strings maybe raise the action some. Jazz is about what you play not what you play it on.

  8. #32

    User Info Menu

    I have been messing with a few tunes I enjoy on my charvel a bit, I’ve not got much experience in setups for a jazz guitar but I read flat wound strings were used on a few I had read reviews on. Not opposed to trying that route either, I have a les paul goldtop I don’t use much took it as a trade so maybe that would serve my purpose for a bit.

    I think too I need to read up on and learn a bit more about amps and settings as I am used to the rock stuff and I always end up with some juiced up rock or metal sounds out of decades of playing only that music thru Marshall’s and Black Star amps.

    I only recently picked up an acoustic 12 string guild that has really been fun and I love all that smooth jazz stuff so I figured why not sell off a few and pick something up like one of the Ibanez mentioned above for fun

  9. #33

    User Info Menu

    If you want to get your feet wet before going full out then just slap a set of flats on your les Paul and maybe turn down the tone knob slightly. While Marshalls are famous for rock I remember my own Marshall stack sounding great clean.

    While an archtop will sound more 'jazzy', it will get you in the ballpark.

    Here's George Benson on a Les Paul




    Also if you want cheap then a telecaster is also worth considering. A lot easier to find a nice cheap telecaster than ditto archtop. Plenty of jazzers sporting telecasters.

  10. #34

    User Info Menu

    I second what everyone else said. New strings (flats, .11s or .12s) on your Les Paul, and a heavy pick, seems to be the right first step. Right now, I have an acoustic archtop with a floater pickup, a couple of nice teles, and an Epiphone ‘jazzbox’. I play almost exclusively jazz, and the Epi is sitting idly by. When I am playing early jazz, it’s the acoustic archtop. Anything beyond the early ‘50s, and my tele covers that perfectly.

    If after setting up the Lester for jazz you feel you still want a jazzbox, I’d say save up and wait until you have a better understanding (and the right amount of money) to buy the archtop that suits you. It might be an acoustic archtop, it might be an L5-CES-type, it might be a thinline or a semi-hollow… you just don’t know yet.

  11. #35
    I recommend to purchase an Epiphone Broadway and a Gibson 57 Classic Humbucker. Then you have a wonderful, Gibson L5 kind of sound.


    First Jazz Guitar-epiphone-broadway-jpg

  12. #36

    User Info Menu

    I like my GB10SE. Though it is a very different guitar in size, scale and comfort it is about like playing an LP if slightly larger and a little lighter. They are 1299 new. I’ve seen them for 900 used but they don’t come up that often.

  13. #37

    User Info Menu

    Use the Les Paul. That's a perfect "smooth jazz" guitar, and is great for other varieties of jazz as well. Many people have used them (Benson, Martino, Carlton, Wakenius, Danny Gatton, Les Paul to name a few, plus me and several non-famous friends of mine). If you're finding it thinner sounding or with a less percussive attack than what you hear with many jazz players, that's mainly a matter of set-up. Try some combination of heavier strings, flatwounds, or higher action. On the amp side, boost mids and cut treble and bass, use less distortion. If you have your heart set on buying new gear because you want new gear, go for it. But if you're only thinking about it because you think the gear you own can't be adapted to the music you're talking about, that's almost certainly not the case.

  14. #38

    User Info Menu

    An Ibanez AF55 is great cheap way of getting into a Jazz Box.

    Put TI flats on there , set it up with a medium action.

    Comfortable to stand or sit with!


    First Jazz Guitar-ibanez-af55-jpg

  15. #39

    User Info Menu

    I believe in the comfort almost above everything else

    If a LP is comfortable for you , sure go for that
    a jazz box can be played acoustic or electic

    Whatevs , put on heavy flat strings , adjust setup
    med action so you can get
    a good clean single note sound ...

    Also leave the Guitar out , so you can pick it up and play ....

    Play songs , play a lot ...

  16. #40

    User Info Menu

    I second what others have said about the LP. One guitar I've never owned but have always admired.

    I will throw this out there--if you gotta have an archtop, 2 good ways to get into it with good quality but low price are the Godin Kingpin and Epiphone Joe Pass (older Korean models are preferred, but new is pretty good nowadays). Both are good quality, good platforms for modding if you want to go that route, and if you don't want to keep can sell for a decent price.

    I have a Peerless Sunset, well within your price range (can order through guitarsnjazz.com), which is the very definition of smooth jazz guitar. I mean, if you can't play Breezin' on that, with it's comfortable neck and mellow humbucking sound, you can't play Breezin'.

  17. #41

    User Info Menu

    If you have a Les Paul you're not using much put it to use and re-purpose it for your Jazz guitar. Pat Martino, Jim Hall, and others have played Jazz on Les Paul's. They get a good full sound, plug in to your amp and dial up a cleaner sound and you're all set to learn.
    Last edited by docbop; 01-09-2018 at 02:55 PM.

  18. #42

    User Info Menu

    The OP wants to buy a guitar, and wants some encouragement. If he wanted advice on how to make do with what he has, he would have asked his wife

    My advice would be to spend a month or so on this site, checking the for sale ads every day. There are some terrific deals there, and you will basically get to know the sellers by looking at their other posts.

  19. #43

    User Info Menu

    This is a demo and review I made of the Ibanez Contemporary Archtop. It is a killer guitar for under 1000 bucks and feels like more of a premium guitar worth more than the cost. I ordered mine online from Sam Ash because I could just return it at the store if I didn’t like it that way but I loved it. I ended up selling it to a student because she needed a jazz guitar - she tried all of my guitars as we tried to figure out what kind and style of guitar spoke to her and she liked this more than my L5, es-175 and lots of other high end guitars. I don’t agree with her that it was better than those but I can see why she chose it - it is really comfy since it is a little more compact than most jazz boxes, it is simple, constructed well and has a good neck. Honestly I think she liked the red because she said it was the best looking of them all but still, it’s very good and my current recommendation for under 1000 because it is capable of traditional tone but also is unique.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  20. #44

    User Info Menu

    Hey guys thanks for all the replies, I thought I set this up to notify me of replies but I didn't get them for whatever reason, yeah I am going to setup the les paul for now just for fun with some flatwounds and who knows it may just be my go to for the jazz stuff.

    I did spend some time talking to an Ibanez rep and he was steering me to the Ibanez AG95 or the GB10SE, my sweetwater rep agreed on both choices and said nextime I am nearby to stop in which is dangerous LOL.

    I will be jumping on Amazon for some D-Addario Chromes for the Les Paul for now


    First Jazz Guitar-ibanez-ag95dbs-jpg

  21. #45

    User Info Menu

    1), 2) AG-95 owner here - very well-built, comfortable, great playing hollowbody. Well worth a check-out, and a check.

  22. #46

    User Info Menu

    Don't rule out used instruments... Keep an eye on your local Craigslist once you start building familiarity with model names and numbers. I'm on there more frequently than I care to admit, and my first three searches are; archtop, hollow, and jazz. What gets returned from those searches covers a lot of ground...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  23. #47

    User Info Menu

    The D'Angelico EXL-1 is very nice. Plays great, sounds good and is always (from what I've experienced) without fit & finish issue... great QC.


    First Jazz Guitar-dangelico-exl-1-jpg

  24. #48

    User Info Menu

    I have both a new D’Angelico EXL-1 and the Ibanez model Rio talked about above (AFC-151) I’d consider selling (either guitar would be in the lower to middle of the price range you stated). I think they are both great for your purpose and I have too many guitars to fit in my office at the moment. DA has 25.5” scale while the Ibanez has the shorter 24.75” scale. That may be a consideration. PM me if interested. Otherwise, good luck in your adventures in jazz guitar!

    Roli

  25. #49

    User Info Menu

    I'll echo what a lot of other people are saying. I use 010's on a Tele and can play jazz with it. It's about -how- you play.

  26. #50

    User Info Menu

    Hello everyone, thanks for having me this is my first post. Im considering a new Eastman T49D/V or D'Angelico exl-1 or also considering a D'Angelico ex-175 for a hollow body guitar i can learn to play jazz on. Does anyone own either one of these guitars? Please let me know i like them all and they sound great. Really having a hard time deciding between them.


    First Jazz Guitar-eastman-t49d-v-jpg