The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Les Paul Standard. With mahogany body & carved maple top. Not the Les Paul Custom, which has a carved mahogany top, used by young Jim Hall as well as young Pat Azzara (Martino).

    I can't think of any well-known non-fusion jazz guitarists, who are known to favor the LP Standard. Surely there must be or have been some. Anyone know of any such players?

    I am wondering about this because I just got a mint LP Traditional, which is a Standard that is more vintagey than today's "Standards". Plays & sounds fantastic; seems like a very viable jazz axe in the right hands. A bit heavy at 9.5 lbs. I have a bass strap on mine, so works OK.

    I got a LP Standard in 1979, my first brand new guitar, when I was 20. Seemed like an amazing instrument. Later that year I started at Berklee College of Music, and figured out quite soon that a Les Paul was not considered to be "hip" in that environment. I ended up trading that guitar straight up for a Howard Roberts Custom after a year or so. I look back on that move as a bad one, I never did bond with that HR, seemed like a guitar that was poor at all genres. I never had a LP Standard again until now.

    So, I am am interested in knowing about other jazz players who use or used this model Gibson.

    Here is my new Les Paul, in the middle, alongside my modded LP Jr. & ES LP studio gingerburst. You can blow jazz, comp, play tunes, on all these. Assuming that you can play.
    Attached Images Attached Images Gibson Les Paul - What well-known jazz guitar players have used one?-lespauls-jpg Gibson Les Paul - What well-known jazz guitar players have used one?-lp-new-knobs-jpg Gibson Les Paul - What well-known jazz guitar players have used one?-les-paul-lp-standard-jpg 
    Last edited by Donelson; 03-15-2019 at 10:42 PM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Maybe Standards are a brighter than a mahog LPs ?

    but then again the great Ed Bickert player a tele , so
    there goes my theory ...

  4. #3
    For sure, there have been many tele users who played jazz guitar. Not so many LP Standard players, or so it seems. That is odd to me. I have played jazz on my tele plenty of times. That is fun. But the LP Standard has a much fuller, fatter sound. Seems like it would also be often used for jazz, for that reason. My tele is fairly light, like 8.1 lbs. But lots of teles are about as heavy as a LP. So it can't just be the weight.

  5. #4

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    Clint Strong has been known for using a Les Paul. But in general it's not a prominent instrument in straight-ahead jazz. Not sure why, they sound great. Heck, Les Paul's rhythm guitarist used one and managed to even emulate a nice 4 on the floor sound.

  6. #5

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    There was a similar thread a while back. You might want to search the forums.

    At the time, I mentioned Steve Erquiaga. I studied with Steve for a few years and he did every gig and every session with a Les Paul Standard and Ernie 10s, unless it was something that called for acoustic. Great player, great tone, great guy.

    SJ

  7. #6

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    Apparently, Rene Thomas used one with Sonny Rollins when the latter was touring Europe:


  8. #7

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    My old Heritage "LP" sounded great with flats and pickups set lower than usual. Uncomfortable to play while seated, however.

  9. #8

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    our boy george is tearing it up on an LP in these jack mcduff clips





    with a bigsby too, for some reason

  10. #9

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    I can't think of any jazz guitatist that played regularly on a LP standard. And although I Will get arrows thrown at me I can't think of one significant jazz tune played with it and a clean tone. Was it played by Page, Slash, early Clapton, Beck, there is always a minimum of distorsion to reveal all the warm, gorgeous harmonics that this axe is so famous for. As a happy user of a SG std, the SG seems more suited for jazz or soul maybe because it's less sophisticated than a LP, likewise tele vs strat.

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  11. #10

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    I have to use a strap. It works well that way for me.

    It is true that some jazz players use Teles, but it is still a small percent as far as I can tell. Teles have a more distinctive single coil sound, which is what I think the players are after. Those who prefer a humbucker sound aren't specifically avoiding a LP Standard. They also aren't seen in large numbers using the SG or any other solid body with humbuckers, including Guild and PRS. They tend to go to semi-hollows or hollows.

    In my view the Tele is a special instrument due to the low price point, good quality and practicality, and sound. Other solid body single coil guitars are used for jazz far less.

    All of that said, the LP Standard can give some very nice jazz sounds.







    Quote Originally Posted by Peter C
    My old Heritage "LP" sounded great with flats and pickups set lower than usual. Uncomfortable to play while seated, however.

  12. #11

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    If I remember correctly, I think Les Paul played one.

    I have a '68 with P-90s and TI Swing 12s, very nice jazz guitar.

  13. #12

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    Jim Hall played a black LP Custom when he was with Jimmy Giuffre. Later he got the now famous 175 which he bought from Howard Roberts - but that's another story.



  14. #13

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    For some reason??

    Actually that's a good point. I like Bigsbys sometimes. This would not be one of those times.

    Quote Originally Posted by mr quick
    our boy george is tearing it up on an LP in these jack mcduff clips

    with a bigsby too, for some reason

  15. #14

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    That looks like a circa 1954 version of the custom with the famous staple pickup. There may be other versions of the LP but none better.

    Quote Originally Posted by oldane
    Jim Hall played a black LP Custom when he was with Jimmy Giuffre. Later he got the now famous 175 which he bought from Howard Roberts - but that's another story.



  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by mr quick
    our boy george is tearing it up on an LP in these jack mcduff clips





    with a bigsby too, for some reason
    That is great, I never knew that Benson used a LP standard. Thanks.

  17. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by fakejazz
    Apparently, Rene Thomas used one with Sonny Rollins when the latter was touring Europe:

    Thanks, that is the kind of info I was looking for.

  18. #17

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    Jim Hall had gotten the 175 by the time he joined Giuffre; he played it with Chico Hamilton through that gig I think. He told me it was too small for sitting with, but he liked the sound and playability. He may have had his 175 fingerboard replaced to get closer to that feel.

  19. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Grass
    I never heard of Jack Pearson before. As soon as I heard him talk in this video I knew he must be from Middle TN same as me.

    I like finding out new things.

  20. #19

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    He may be almost unknown in the USA although he played with B.B. King, Scott Henderson, David Holland, Hermeto Pascoal and George Benson but fellow-countryman Luis Salinas used to play a Les Paul when he did jazz(he played also Latin, folklore, fusion, etc. mostly acoustic):
    Gibson Les Paul - What well-known jazz guitar players have used one?-1-jpg

  21. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Dhango
    He may be almost unknown in the USA.... Luis Salinas used to play a Les Paul when he did jazz....
    Gibson Les Paul - What well-known jazz guitar players have used one?-1-jpg
    Thanks for that, you are right maybe about Luis being "unknown", I never heard of Luis Salinas before, my loss. I just looked at two youtubes of him playing, fantastic player. Great sound for any genre he plays and also I love the enthusiasm. I will check him out more.

  22. #21

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    Well here's a guy called Michael Sagmeister playing Pat Martino lines on a Les Paul. Sounds great to me. Guess who's sitting next to him.


  23. #22

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    To the OP, Jack Grassel played a Les Paul Artisan (similar to a Standard - maple cap/mahogany body- but fancier, with a third pickup, more inlay, gold-plating, etc. on it). You can hear it on his album Solo Burner (1993/Frozen Sky Records).
    Samples from the various tracks here:
    Solo Burner - Jack Grassel | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic

  24. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    Jack Grassel played a Les Paul Artisan (similar to a Standard). You can hear it on his album Solo Burner.
    Thanks for that, yet another great player I never heard of until now. I may be, am, 60 YO but still have a lot to learn.


  25. #24

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    I used to get teased regularly by a bassist friend who would ask when I was gonna buy a "real jazz guitar" when I'd show up to a gig with my LP. This thread shows that it comes down to the fingers more than the axe.

    There can be a bit of snobbery in jazz about gear and players... certain axes, amps and players get "anointed" while others go unnoticed. (How did I never hear of Wim den Herder?!?!) This thread and the one about jazz shredders have turned me on to great players I didn't know about, and I think that some of the clips in this thread challenge the typical ideas about "good jazz guitar tone". Particularly, the Bobby Howe Jazz Blues Bounce clip - the tone is a bit on the thin side for me, but my own experience playing a LPD with rosewood neck indicates that that could be tweaked easily. What I like about Bobby's tone is its clarity and intonation. It is dead clean and right in tune.

    Thanks again for a ton of cool vids and info, all...

    SJ

  26. #25

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    Les Pauls sound good for jazz, after all, that's what they were designed for. But they are ungodly heavy and expensive while being very small, which means I don't want one. I have played an Epi Les Paul, which my son bought and left with me for awhile, and which I still play when I visit my son-in-law who now owns it. It's okay, but I prefer a hollowbody.