Fender Acoustic-Electric for jazz?

[rmpmcdermott]

The bottom line is that acoustics are made for what I said in my first post on this topic. Open string chords, strumming, and projecting like no other non-electric guitar can. They do it well. Their design is "fit for purpose". That's success.

And - what goes with it is high action, heavy strings, boomy mids and lows, feedback if you amplify and crank, and finger squeaks for single note stuff.

There are a bunch of bluegrass lead players who would disagree with you about single-note playing on a flattop. Yes, I know that's not jazz. But Tony Rice sure does think a flattop was made for lead playing (@ around 30 seconds).

[John A.]

Not all of us squeak on a flat top...

And some of us squeak on archtops. Squeaks are a string-type thing more than a guitar-type thing. Anyway, flattops are fine for jazz, and the one the OP is talking about (which has a cutaway and is on the small side) looks like it's pretty well suited. Add a soundhole magnetic pickup, and nobody'll know it's not an archtop unless they look.


John

[Jazzstdnt]

There are a bunch of bluegrass lead players who would disagree with you about single-note playing on a flattop. Yes, I know that's not jazz. But Tony Rice sure does think a flattop was made for lead playing (@ around 30 seconds).

hmmm yeah. I played rock and blues and even bent the darned strings on my first Fender Acoustic before I broke down and bought an ES 335. To each his own.

[Chazmo]

I have posted this video before, but it's worth trotting it out whenever this subject comes up again. These two guys can get around just fine playing jazz on flattops:

[Jim Soloway]

I have posted this video before, but it's worth trotting it out whenever this subject comes up again. These two guys can get around just fine playing jazz on flattops:

Martin Taylor never fails to amaze me. Wow.

[rpjazzguitar]

Great jazz can be played on an acoustic. No question about it.

But, is that the right guitar for the OP?

That's a much different question.

I can't answer for him, but I'll say why I wouldn't want to do that.

Most flattops I've ever played had higher action than I prefer. Their bridges aren't usually adjustable, not for height and not for intonation. So, it's a guitar that requires a luthier to adjust.

Fewer choices for pickup.

And, a bugaboo of a lot of guitars is too much emphasis of bass frequencies (IMO, anyway) and playing a flat top isn't going to make that problem any easier.

And, I don't need a flattop to get my sound -- quite the opposite.

But, if you need a flattop to get your sound, there you have it.

People often talk about jazz sound or jazz guitar, but there isn't one sound or guitar.

[cosmic gumbo]

I went to a Martin D style guitar almost exclusively for close to 10 years, I played everything on it. The action set up as nice as my telecaster and I used medium/light strings on it, and it sounded great...no cutaway, either. Larry Coryell was doing a lot of stuff on a LoPrinzi flat top at the time.

It was one of the best things I ever did for my playing, because every sound you wanted to get out of it, you had to coax it out with your technique, and I'll say this, no other style guitar has more dynamic range than a flat top steel string acoustic.

When I went back to playing electric more regularly, I was a much more dynamic player, and depended much less on gear to get a good sound, because now it was all in my hands, thanks to those years on flat top "cowboy" guitar. Yee haw!

[ScottM]

I have a fairly inexpensive import Breedlove something or other (Pursuit?) that I love to play. I think there's a video on the forum of me playing Stella on that guitar. Honestly, I'd rather play it than anything else, because I don't practice with with my 575 through an amp enough. Often on a gig, I'm constantly tweaking amp settings and never satisfied. My lack of confidence doesn't need that extra frustration on the bandstand. I play better on the couch. Unfortunately, amplifying an acoustic guitar changes everything that's great about it. ...for me, anyway.

[p1p]

OP mentioned Earl Klugh as a favourite.. he plays jazz on a classical guitar and sounds phenomenal. I'd like to pick up a nylon stringed guitar eventually. Enjoy the acoustic-electric mate!