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I used Fender American Vintage 65 Reissue Strat for 2 and a half years
and now I'm considering to sell this one and buy an archtop guitar. (maybe Ibanez LGB30)
my strat sounds really good,spent so much time together, well made all round guitar so enough to play jazz.
but now I don't have opportunity to play pop rock soul etc, as a band any more and have to spent lot more time playing and studying jazz music. what should I do ? is it worth to buy 650$ Ibanez LGB30 having my Fender Strat sold 900$ ? I think I'm really gonna miss my old fender guitar !
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09-09-2017 01:59 PM
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The archtop won't sound or feel like a Strat. Apparently, you're able to play jazz with your Strat, which makes it quite versatile in your hands. An archtop -- maybe not so much. Impossible to say -- it's what you're trying to play.
Originally Posted by philipark
Is a Strat a good jazz guitar? I saw Mike Stern play one with Miles Davis. It's Toninho Horta's main instrument. The Western Swing guys played them. And, there are lots of other examples.
I guess, if your goal is to sound like Joe Pass or Wes, maybe the Strat wouldn't be the best choice, although Joe Pass played a Jazzmaster on a video that's around -- and sounded like Joe Pass. Freddie Greene probably wouldn't have been able to do his thing on a Strat, but I could be wrong.
Personally, I play all my gigs, which are mostly jazz gigs, on a cheap Strat copy and nobody complains. A couple of weeks ago a couple of major players did tunes on my cheapie and said it sounded fine and played great. One of the tunes was Out of Nowhere -- not a tune associated with solid body guitars.
So, I'd say, maybe keep the Strat. Sounds like you might regret the sale.
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Keep the Strat and scrape up the necessary for an Archtop or else you'll regret the trade.
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I'd say, and I bet many others would back me up, keep the Strat and figure out some way to get the archtop. You would probably end up buying another Strat later. Sounds like you've got a good one.
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Keep the stratocaster.
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Keep your strat you seems to have a bond with it. You can play Jazz on any guitar you don't need an archtop you just need to find your musical voice.
Chris Crocco play great Jazz on a strat.
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thnks nice tone and play seems like lace sensor pickups on it
I really like this one. pure, warm vintage style tones
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I have played many, many jazz gigs on a Strat. And I own many archtops. Keep your Strat.
Fender 57/62 Pickups and flatwounds will get you the tone you hear in that Jimmy Smith video above.Last edited by Stringswinger; 09-09-2017 at 02:44 PM.
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Lorne Lofsky probably gets my all time favourite tone from a Strat.
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Keep in mind that Oscar Moore gigged in a swing ensemble with a Tele. (not as his main axe, but he pulled it off.)
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Over the years, I have played many jazz gigs on either my Strat or my Tele. They are fine jazz guitars. This being said, I consider myself an archtop player and prefer the feel and sound of a good archtop over any other type of guitar. I do keep both an archtop and a Fender at all times and recommend you do, too.
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^^^my thoughts exactly^^^ Originally Posted by TedBPhx
You've got guitar you like. Scrimp a little, set aside some dough, and add another voice to your palette, if you'll forgive me mixing metaphors.
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The wife is a professional organist. She used to ask me why I had more than one guitar? I asked why do pipe organs have more than one rank of pipes? She said, "tonal color/variety." I told her, "same deal."
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The underlying issue, I think, is what you're trying to sound like. There are classic tones associated with the Strat and with archtops (not that all Strats sound alike and certainly, all archtops don't), but, as others have proven with some great posts, the Strat can get in the ballpark of classic jazz tones -- and even with the original single coil pickup.
Here are a couple of issues nobody has mentioned yet.
Fingerboard radius. I don't gig with a Fender Strat because it's 9.5. My Yamaha strat copy is 12 or 14 or something like ethat. I can't get used to 9.5.
Sustain. On average, sustain is probably easier to get from a solid body than an archtop. So, if you need high, singing notes to sustain, the archtop may be limiting. For that matter, Strats may not quite sing the way you might want. I don't know if this is design or individual variation from one sample to another. Whatever the cause or reality, it's worth considering whether you can express your ideas more easily with a particular type of guitar.
Feedback. Some guys seem relatively unconcerned with feedback issues, but it drives other people away from hollow guitars. Not this thread. But, it's an issue for archtops and, depending on your situation, it could be an unpleasant surprise. There are lots of solutions offered, but the only one that ever worked for me, really muffled the acoustic sound of the instrument. Others have done better.
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I agree. When someone finds a guitar that 'works' for them (I.e. feels right in their hands), I say keep it for life unless one is about to be homeless. Originally Posted by El Fundo
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I always regret guitar sales for what it's worth. One option, if you want something more suitable for traditional jazz tone, is to sell the Strat and get a Tele. They are super versatile and are much easier to get a jazz sound out of.
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If you are happy with the Strat. stay with it. Nir Felder is another one who plays a Strat, standard Mex model I think- granted he's not going for the classic jazz thing but his tone is terrific.
But I have never played a Strat that worked for me - so I simply modded one of my teles (a 62RI) with a Strat pickup in the middle , a mini humbucker in the neck pos and a 5 way switch. Quacks (sorta) like a Strat, growls like a tele, and has a nice warm tone in the neck.
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Quentin Warren in the Jimmy Smith clip is, for my money, playing pretty hefty flatwounds. I remember someone (with excellent eyesight) pointing out that his pup selector is in pos. 1, but the sound is definitely neck (no?) and reminds me that I need to swap my switch round, too - always knocking that thing into quacky position 4! By the way, I don't think Lace Sensors had been invented at that time
Keep your Strat and try some flatwounds if you haven't already. Ibanez Artcores are great for the money and can be found at silly prices second hand - easy to save up for.
Loved everything about the Lorne Lofsky clip. Does that say "noiseless" on his pickup cover? Sounds great.
Ever heard of Wayne Krantz?
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I put a Seymour Duncan Lil 59 Humbucker in the neck position of my Strat copy. I left the middle pickup as it was, the original single coil. Mostly I used the neck pu, but for some funk things, I go single coil. Fact is the middle pickup didn't sound much different than the original neck pickup did. Very slight difference.
If I was trying to record a tribute to Wes, I probably would be better off with an L5, but I'm not trying to do that. I've never had a complaint about my tone with the Strat copy. BTW it's a Yamaha Pacifica 012, which sells just about every day on CL for about $70. Mine has replacement tuners (there when I bought it used -- I don't know if they were really needed) and the Lil59.
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Wow!
I've been aware of Lorne L, from the Boss Brass, but I hadn't heard small group work.
Great player. Great sound.
And, notice the unorthodox technique. Thumbpick and long fingernails on a Stratocaster? Is anybody teaching it that way in college-based jazz programs?
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Incredible sound from LL.
Keep the Strat (or sell it to me).
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Get a Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Custom or a G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy. A humbucker for jazz and a single for rock/soul. Classic lines and layout, solid body, rosewood fingerboard. Add some .012/.052 flatwounds and you're good to go.
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Our own rpguitar getting a nice tone n a Start:
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adam rogers went the other direction!
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Case closed! Originally Posted by Cunamara
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