What is your Jazz Setup

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 07-18-2009, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by larry graves

Hi.Scotto.Nice to see another La Bella .15's user,we should form a club,
[wimps, or those with a nervous disposition need not apply]

I currently have La Bella black nylon tape wound .014's on my L-5 -- I love them. Food equivalent? Stout. And I love the look other guitarists give you if they don't know about the strings - black? 0.014? Pause. 0.067 low E?! (Great for bass lines played with your thumb...)

Still, I'm thinking of trying the TI-GB .014's as a change. I'd try out a .015 set, but I'm partial to flat-wound nickel. Maybe I should just go for it and get a set of the La Bella flat-wound stainless .015's. Might make a convert of me, but I'm thinking I'm partial to the less bright sound of nickel.

**larry graves** · 07-18-2009, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

I currently have La Bella black nylon tape wound .014's on my L-5 -- I love them. Food equivalent? Stout. And I love the look other guitarists give you if they don't know about the strings - black? 0.014? Pause. 0.067 low E?! (Great for bass lines played with your thumb...)

Still, I'm thinking of trying the TI-GB .014's as a change. I'd try out a .015 set, but I'm partial to flat-wound nickel. Maybe I should just go for it and get a set of the La Bella flat-wound stainless .015's. Might make a convert of me, but I'm thinking I'm partial to the less bright sound of nickel.

They dont stay bright for long,and they last for ever.I'm thinking of trying
black's on my other guitar. The stainless are quite harsh and bright after
flat's,but sound good acoustically.LG

**gcb** · 11-26-2010, 12:20 PM

Gibson L5 Studio wtih George Benson Thomastick nickel flatwounds 0.14
Gibson L5 Studio made by Gibson Custom Direct with floating BJB and piezo under the bridge with Jazz BeBop Thomastick nickel roundwounds 0.14
Martin Concept Gold II
Fender Twin Amp
Kustom amp

**jayx123** · 11-26-2010, 12:42 PM

guitar: Hamer jazz 5 with gibson classic 57 pups and rosewood bridge.
Ibanez AG75 with gibson classic 57 pups
gouge on both flat wound 12th
Amp: Yamaha Jx30

amp settings: eq flat with a little reverb

**Tom Karol** · 11-26-2010, 12:47 PM

How did I miss this one? OK, here goes:
Guitar - Crafter SEG480 TMVS (335 clone but with a 25.5" scale)
Strings - D'Aquisto Nickel-Steel Roundwound, .011 - .048 (plain 3rd)
Picks - Dunlop Jazz III's (red)
Cord - Spectraflex 10'
Amp - Henriksen JazzAmp 112 (with an 'Amp Wedge' to tilt it up by about 20 degrees)

**mr. beaumont** · 11-26-2010, 01:04 PM

Might as well update this, since the thread popped back up and my setup has changed a bit...

electric guitars: 2002 Hofner Verythin Standard, Fender telecaster (those are my faves, the Hof is brand new to me but quickly becoming a favorite))

acoustics: Gitane DG-320, Early 60's Kay Master Cutaway

Amp: Henriksen Jazzamp head, Redstone RS-8 cab or SF Fender Princeton

Effects: Alesis Nanoverb (if needed)

Strings: D'Addairo Chromes, .11 gauge

Picks: Dunlop Jazztone 207 or 208, Wegen for the Gitane

**backliner** · 11-26-2010, 01:05 PM

This thread is back from the dead.

Oh well, since I wasn't here then:

Godin Kingpin II with the stock P-90's (mostly on the neck PU).
Thomastik-Infeld "Be-Bops" 0.014" - 0.055"

Tech 21 Trademark 30 set midrangey "tweed" for the smokier Grant Green type of sound vs the trebly Grant Green sound.

**oldane** · 11-26-2010, 01:28 PM

Guitars:
1964 Gibson 175 with 12-56 chromes
1934 Gibson L 37 retrofitted with 1938 Charlie Christian PU with 12-52 chromes
1996 Benedetto Fratello with 12-56 chromes (acoustic with floating PU)
Home assembled (from Warmoth parts) solid body with 12-56 chromes
Triggs Master 400 (Stromberg copy) with 13-56 phosphor bronze (acoustic)
Gretsch New Yorker with 12-52 phosphor bronze (acoustic)

The Triggs and the Gretsch are set up with high action and relief. The electrics are played with Dunlop Jazztone picks, the acoustics with Dunlop Ultex 1,14 triangular.

Amps:
Evans JE 150
Gibson 75 RV (a museum piece, though it works)
Cube 40

**abracadabra** · 11-26-2010, 01:39 PM

Mine is really simple:

Ibanez AF105 into a Peavey Triumph 60

Very clean, very nice sound.

**rpguitar** · 11-26-2010, 02:10 PM

Guitar - 1947 Gibson L-5N or 1935 Gibson L-12
Pickup - Usually none, sometimes a 60's DeArmond Guitar Mike
Strings - Phosphor Bronze 12's (D'Addario EXP or Elixir NanoWeb)
Picks - Dunlop Tortex 0.73mm or D'Andrea Classic 1.21mm
Amp - Silverface Fender Princeton Reverb or AI Clarus 2R into Redstone cab

**RoyaleT** · 11-26-2010, 02:17 PM

Aria FA 71, 7 band EQ pedal, Roland 20X for practice at home, Fender Princeton Chorus if playing with friends. I added a Epi Dot to the mix recently, reworked with all new electronics and hardware, but that's pretty much Beatles stuff and the blues.

**Eddie Lang** · 11-26-2010, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Sphereacidburn

What is your Jazz Setup

Guitar
Amp
Settings
Strings
Pickups
Pedals (If you have any)
What sound you are aiming for

After some experimentation, I think I have found my sound. Of course, one's tone is something that evolves, so I don't expect it will always stay the same.

There is two parts to my sound for jazz: acoustic and electric. In both cases, I like a clean, warm and mellow tone, not too dark and with some brightness, but not too much.

1. Acoustic swing rhythm, comping and chord-melody:

Guitar: 1934 Gibson L-4
Description: Round hole archtop; solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides
Pickup: L.R. Baggs M1 Active (or sometimes K&K Pure Floating Bridge)
Strings: Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Series flatwound medium .013-.053
Amp: Phil Jones Pure Sound CUB AG-100
Accessories: L.R. Baggs Para DI
Picks: Wegen Fatone, Wegen Twin, Wegen Big City, Dunlop felt Nick Lucas picks or bare fingers and nails

2. Electric comping, chord-melody, single line:

Guitar: 1957 Gibson ES-225T
Description: ƒ-hole fully hollow thinline archtop; laminated maple top, back and sides
Pickup: P-90 in the middle
Strings: D'Addario Chromes XL flatwound lite .012-.052; I'd like to try the Thomastik-Infeld George Benson Jazz flatwound .012-.053 but the D'A are okay
Amp: Henriksen JazzAmp 12
Accessories: Boss Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb pedal. It's a tube amp in a pedal, very realistic; I use it occasionally when I want to add some gain and a tube amp sound; its spring reverb is just like the real thing; I may try a ElectroHarmonix Holy Grail as an alternative reverb pedal some day
Picks: Wegen Twins and Big City or bare fingers and nails

**Scolohofo** · 11-26-2010, 03:43 PM

A beter question would be wat is your jazz playing but we're a jazz guitar forum,yes we' are!

**Meggy** · 11-27-2010, 03:12 PM

Ibanez JP20 with added Kent Armstrong Slimbucker in the neck position (just fits in the space between the stock humbucker and the end of the fingerboard), into a Polytone Minibrute II (mid '90s vintage). Bass on about 9 o'clock, mid and treble on 12 o'clock, using the "normal" position on the little 3-way control (as opposed to "bright" or "dark"). Reverb on about 10 o'clock, i.e. just a little to stop things sounding too dry.

Actually, that's about it, although I sometimes use a couple of solidbody guitars instead for gigging reasons. I prefer the sound and feel of the JP20 though.

EDIT: Forgot to put in the strings - at the moment I have D'Addario EHR360 half-rounds, guage 13-56, and I also like Newtone Archtops (double roundwounds), also in 13-56.

**Groyniad** · 11-29-2010, 12:23 AM

Sadowsky Jim Hall
Clarus 1r
twin 8 raezer's edge cab
george benson 12s

Noone else using clarus and raezer's edge? Odd.

**NSJ** · 11-29-2010, 12:33 AM

Updated:

Amps: Henriksen JazzAmp Convertible and Fender Twin

Guitars: Gibson ES-339 (Lollar CC for humbucker); Gibson Howard Roberts Custom; Sadowsky Jim Hall

Strings: Thomastik Infeld Bebop roundwounds (13-53)
Pick: Red Bear Lil Jazzer

Effects: Electro Harmonix Delay and Reverb pedals: Digitiech JazzMan Loop Station.

**wizard3739** · 11-29-2010, 02:52 AM

2005 Sadowsky "Jim Hall" signature model
2009 Fender Telecaster (Frankenstein model I put together with parts and a Warmoth neck I custom selected for a jazz backup guitar).
Acoustic Image Clarus 2R Head
Raezers' Edge Stealth 12 ER Enclosure
Both guitars are strung with Sadowsky flatwound .012 to .052 set and a .014 for the Sadowsky
E-string.

I resently sold my Vintage 15" Polytone Minibrute IV in favor of the AI/RE combo unit. Both of my instruments were expertly and professionally set up by John Cotter, a set up expert from Phoenix, Az.

wiz

**gianluca** · 11-29-2010, 07:37 AM

great thread.

gibson es175d (1980) sunbrust
strung with fender 012-050 nickel round wound
dunlop jazztone 207 plectrum
I use only the neck pickup: 10 volume, 7-10 tone

amp: fender '65 twin reverb: all tone flat (sometime I down the treble); reverb to 3

or

polytone minibrute II (1990). all flat.

other guitars:

greg bennett JZ/1 (L5 copy) strung with 013-056 round wound
the loar LH600VS (acoustic, ghs 013-056 vintage bronze)
dupont nomade (gypsy guitar acoustic) savarez argentine 010-045

I also use a loop station Boss RCX-20
and a zoom H2 recorder

**JorisFun** · 11-29-2010, 10:32 AM

Guitar - 'decent' venues: Gibson L4 ces and Gibson ES 339, look-where-your-going venues: Epiphone Emperor Regent
Amp - Fender Blues Junior of Roland Jazz Chorus 77
Settings - Fender (Reverb: 4, Master: nearly 12, Middle: 8, Bass: 9, Treble: 6) JC - flat
Strings L4 D'addario XL Chromes 12-54, ES 399 D'Addario XL half Rounds, Epi Thomstiek 13-54
Pickups - Gibsons: standard custom shop HB's, Epi: Bartolini J5 Jimmy Smith (luv it!)
Pedals - Baby Boomer Delay, Tech 21 Blonde on the JC
What sound you are aiming for: hard to decide but Randy Johnston's sound is pretty close to perfect.

**Soco** · 12-02-2010, 01:33 AM

Collings Soco Deluxe, PRS Hollowbody Spruce, McInturff Taurus standard, G&L ASAT deluxe semi hollow, Godin Multiac grand concert.
Fender princeton reverb, Polytone megabrute.
T.C electronics, Eventide and Fulltone effects.
Curt mangan 011-048, Dunlop 114m tortex jazz picks(rounded edge only!)

**Olric** · 12-02-2010, 05:41 AM

Guitars : Greco FA67 (ES175 copy) mainly or Greco SA700 (ES335 copy)
The FA is strung with Thomastik flatwounds (12-52 I think), the SA with D'Addarios roundwounds (12-52 too).

Amp : Fender Super Champ XD for rehearsals and small venues (with an added 1x12 in the latter case, fitted with an EVM 12L speaker), on channel 1
Fuchs ODS SLX 50W for larger stages, with a 2x12 fitted with Celestions G12-65

Settings of the Fender Super Champ : volume depends on the venue. Lows and treble around 4, effects on reverb, effects level at 3.

Pedals : Xotic RC Booster as a clean boost, and either a Jetter GSR or a Cool Cat Overdrive for a overdriven parts, sometimes I add a TC Nova Delay.

D'Andrea picks

Sound I am aiming for ? Depends on the tunes, dark for some, more clarity for others, with a touch of drive at times for more modern tunes and some blues. Jonathan Kreisberg's tones i like a lot for instance.

**carlescountry** · 12-02-2010, 05:42 AM

Guitars:
D'Angelico Vestax NYL-2
Conti guitar (Peerless)

Amp:
Acoustic Image Clarus 2R
Raezer's Edge 12ER and Light Weight Twin 8 Cabinet

Strings:
Thomastik Infeld Jazz Swing Series 0.12-0.50

Pickups:
D'Angelico: Tom Short - Steve Bistrow Western Swing
Conti: Benedetto B-6 (now in luthier)

Pedals:
Alesis Nanoverb

**mangotango** · 12-02-2010, 09:10 AM

Like Mr. B, recent changes make it worth updating:

Guitars:
D'Angelico Vestax NYL-5
Yamaha Silent Guitar (nylon-string)

Amp:
Henriksen Jazzamp 110

Strings:
Thomastik Infeld Jazz George Benson roundwounds 0.12-0.50

Pedals:
Alesis Microverb
Carl Martin HydraBoost (+20db clean)
Electro-Harmonix MicroPOG
Boss ME-20
Boss Digital Delay

Plectrum:
Jim Dunlop Ultex Jazz III

Leads, straps, etc:
Planet Waves

**Silentwiz** · 12-04-2010, 12:25 AM

Well, I'll throw my hat in the ring and show you what a goofball I am. I should clarify that I've pretty much played and had just about everything available to me under several thousand dollars (Sadowskys, Eastman, Carvins, Ibanez, Fender... I guess I haven't owned a Gibson)... and this is my setup:

Setup 1:
Guitar - 1994 Ibanez RT (slab super strat style no longer available)
Pickup - 2010 Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II neck (only)
Strings - TI George Benson Flatwound 12's
Picks - Carol Kaye picks
Amp - Ibanez Promethean Bass Combo or Roland Cube 30x

Setup 2:
Guitar - 2010 Squier Classic Vibe Custom Telecaster
Pickup - stock
Strings - TI George Benson Flatwound 12's
Picks - Carol Kaye picks
Amp - Lunchbox

I play with flat eq, no effects, neck pickup only. I am a relatively delicate player and greatly admire the playstyle of Joe Pass / Barney Kessel -- although I'm not too sure my tone matches theirs, I try my best to match their playing.

Archie · 12-05-2010, 10:18 AM

Guitars: Gibson ES135, ES335, Fender American Standard Strat, Yamaha Silent guitar, Gretsch 6120

Amps: Fender Princeton Reverb, Tech 21 Trademark 30

Pickups: All stock, except the 135, which has a Seymour Duncan SH1N in the neck position

Strings: D'Addario .11s

Effects: built-in reverb in the amps

Picks: none