Solid Body Jazz Guitar

[LarryL]

I saw this discussion and thougt I'd mention my own Tele axe. It's a G&L ASAT Special Semi-Hollow, in the Tribute series. I use it for Jazz and country style electric blues. Anyone else here ever play one?

[Gabe2099]

i'm surprised no one mentioned Godins, they're great guitars and not THAT expensive.

i played a Godin LG HB the other day and i fell in love with it, sadly here where i live guitars are more expensive that in the US. so that guitar that costs around $600 in the states is worth $27,000 in our currency.

and it's way harder getting 27,000 here than getting 600 there. but if i get the money, i'm buying it. i'm in love

[woyvel]

I play a Gibson L6S, a Squire tele with a mini hum in the neck (don't laugh, it's a great guitar) and an Ibanez Artcore. The L6S definitely has the best pure, warm, jazz tones of the three. The tele is good, the Artcore is okay, but for jazz it's the L6. The L6 may compare to an SG, but warmer. It has a thin body like the SG (but really looks like a flattened LP), and features a 6 position varitone and a treble roill-off, both of which which make a real difference in the jazz tone.

[TSP]

Benedetto Benny

[LarryL]

If you asked 100 musicians about their favorite guitars you would get 100 answers.

What is more to the point is the "why" of their choices, and to what specific job their axe is to be used.

I believe that the Tele style solid bodies make fine part time jazz instruments. No solid body is going to sound like a large jazz box, but a G&L ASAT or Fender Telecaster, played into Roland Chorus or Cube or a Fender Blues Jr. can produce a more than acceptable jazz tone. I'm talking about playing in my living room or jamming with friends.

Having said that, I'm remembering a video I saw on YouTube of Joe Pass playing a Fender Jaguar. No one complained about his tone.

I guess the best solid body for jazz is the one you own.

[millman]

I had the pleasure of hearing a gentleman play an Epiphone SG through a Vox tube amp at a local Guitar Center recently and it sounded absolutely beautiful. He was playing standards and show tunes. It really made me wonder about all the hype of archtops only for Jazz.

[rabbit]

I lust for a contoured-body jazz Tele, a Jazzmaster
and have considered an SG but never found one that
was not neck-heavy, which I can't bear.

I sorta think that the appeal of archtops is ultimately
a matter of tradition and aesthetics (say, "f------g beautiful)
than sound really. I intend to check out high end archtops
specifically to investigate this in the future. Can't afford
to own one though.

[kelmad2006]

Good call Cosmic,

Yes Les paul's are great and very versatile so they would be a good recommendation. I think everyone is overlooking the obvious answer which could be a jazz master or a les paul.

so if you want what works that's a great option, I was suggesting (and I think everyone else was) other than the obvious answers what are the other options.

Great post btw

[P.J.]

I saw this discussion and thougt I'd mention my own Tele axe. It's a G&L ASAT Special Semi-Hollow, in the Tribute series. I use it for Jazz and country style electric blues. Anyone else here ever play one?

I used to own a regular (solid) ASAT Special. I always regret trading it. The neck p/u could definitely handle jazz. Great, underrated guitars!

=-) PJ

[BMaag]

So I am still trying to decide on a new guitar (it's been a few months now), and I have been looking mostly at semi hollow type guitars. Now I would like to focus on researching some solid body guitars. Does anybody have any suggestions on where to start? I play a lot of fusion type stuff a la Scott Henderson and Mike Stern but I also play in a straight ahead focused duo with a sax. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

[lpdeluxe]

I have owned and played Rickenbacker, Strat, Les Paul and SG. The SG is the last one standing -- I've sold or traded off all the others. I like the light weight, the versatile sound, and the clever and robust design. Mine has a Bigsby B5 mounted on a Vibramate plate, and it has great tone.

I prefer my 335, just because it fits me better, but the SG is now my one and only solid body.

If you want to swap out pickups, it is much easier than on a semi-acoustic; I personally prefer to finding the sweet spot on existing configurations, but some players like changing things to suit their taste.

Mine is the inexpensive Special Faded. Somehow I prefer the finish to the garish gloss on the more expensive models.

[randyc]

For new guitars, take a look at the Carvin website - fine solid-body guitars for good prices, if the styling suits your taste. I prefer the older models with more conventional lines, personally. (Carvins don't appreciate like other U.S.-made guitars, which is the downside. I've never understood why.)

Additionally, the latest Musicians Fiend catalog indicates that pricing on all new solid bodies seems to have been cut - long overdue IMO - solid body guitars shouldn't cost anywhere near as much as archtops. The recession apparently is forcing some manufacturers to take a harder look at bogus pricing strategies.

If you can find a used one, Guild made some nice solid-bodies, usually available at great prices. Your best bang-for-the-buck (based on an unofficial survey made here a few months back) is an American/Canadian/European guitar that is around two years old. Appreciation seemed to be optimum for that particular group of instruments.

cheers,
randyc

[mongrel]

How about a Les Paul with flatwounds and pickups other than those with ceramic magnets? Some of the best jazz tones I've heard came from an old man who used to bring his LP Studio with P-90's into the local Guitar Center and play for hours plugged straight into different tube amps on the floor.

[BMaag]

Does anyone have any experience with PRS? I'm going to try some out at the local shop, but what is your opinion?

[bkdavidson]

I have a PRS Custom 24, and it's awesome. I've had it for almost 9 years and spent 3 of those paying it off. The way I put it is that even though I have 5 guitars, only two of them are my 'kids'--my Gibson ES-135 and the PRS. The fit, the sound, everything is great. I feel like that guitar was made just for me. When I use it on wedding gigs, I simply turn the volume and tone down to about 6, and it gets a great clean, rounded, sort of dark sound for the traditional jazz dinner music. For rock, I've reverted back to the archaic method of simply overdriving my amp and using the volume knob for a clean sound, and it cleans up very nice, especially on the coil-tapping postions. Of course, YMMV.

[GuyB]

Good idea to take your time and test them. I have a Godin FlatFiveX, it's the predecessor of the Montreal (body is flamed maple instead of mahogany and the magnetic pickups are a little closer than on the Montreal).

It's my main guitar, very versatile; incredible what you can do mixing the magnetic pickups and the piezo. Or, as I just started experimenting, getting each of the two outputs in separate amps at the same time : infinite possibilities !

I was also interested by a PRS, both are high quality and what won the race for the Godin was the feel : it seems that the neck was made by my mesures !

Come back to tell us the end of the story.

[TommyD]

Take a look and listen to Ed "Wild Man" Bickert and see what he's been playing for ?? years, and your mind will be made up.

Tom/

[wizard3739]

An awesome video of Ed Bickert doing what he does best!

wiz

[jazzat]

I have a G&L Bluesboy with a humbucker in the neck and a chambered body with no f hole. I couldn't decide between a 335 and a tele so I thought getting the humbucker in the neck and the semi hole body on the tele would be a great compromise. I also play in rock bands with quite a bit of gain so I opted against the f hole for less feedback.

I couldn't be happier with the Jazz tones I can get from the guitar. I have the made in USA guitar but there are cheaper made in Korea and Indonesia versions.

[Peter C]

I play a LP type solid body strung with med flatwounds, sometimes in a duo with clarinet, and the sounds are good. A chambered body is not strictly a solid, though that G&L Bluesboy is a guitar I think I would like to possess.

[Funkwire]

Fender is introducing 2 new Squier Classic Vibe Teles. I have serious lust for the Custom...however, since I just snagged a 12-string electric off the Bay yesterday, it will be unrequited for now...

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Those Squiers are good values for new guitars. The neck pickup gets raves. For me, I've never liked the feel of body binding on Teles. Too sharp and pokey, but I like the thinline.

[BMaag]

Anybody know what guitar John Abercrombie is playing in this video?

[Steve Z]

Anybody know what guitar John Abercrombie is playing in this video?

A custom made Brian Moore guitar.
Welcome to Brian Moore Guitars

Here is the very similar guitar but based on a strat look... The C55 EH Spruce Limited Edition.
Brian Moore Guitars - Custom Shop

[jbear]

If I could only use one guitar for fusion and straight ahead it would be a Fender Stratocaster for me.