The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 86
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Hey all,
    I have a Guild JF-55 acoustic that is amazing, I've actually only had one steel string acoustic and that is it (bought used in 91)... I wanted a J200, but couldn't afford then (or now)
    I'm thinking of getting a second acoustic, the Guild has had a lot of issues for a while now, i had a refret that didn't seem to be done well, then it got out of whack one winter, and i never really got it working like it was... the sound is the best, but I'm broke and getting broker (unemployed because of COVID19)
    I'm just wondering what style guitars most jazz guys like when they play acoustic? D, OM, Parlour, 000-18
    I love the fingerstyle tone of the parlour guitars too... just thinking of a day when i can buy something else, and wondering what jazzers like and why

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    50s Martin D-28 works for me.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    Martin 000C-16RGTE. I found this one used. It has a K&K pickup that was installed by the dealer or previous owner. It plays and sounds great and is one of the most comfortable guitars to play that I have ever owned.

    Favorite flat tops of jazz guys around here?-8533f233-5b43-4904-9a1c-89d3624fac5b-jpg

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    I like the OM guitars. Small and lively, but not too shallow. You don't have to beat on them to get them to respond, which is great for fingerstyle playing.

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    A few years ago I felt comfortable enough to invest in a Martin. My choice was the GPCPA4, the less expensive Sapele version. Perfect size, perfect neck, great sound both natural and amplified. Nothing became of the acoustic duo then in the plans, so the guitar gets very little air time. But looking at the new price now, it was not a bad investment.

    Edit: I call it CCCP, the Martin nomenclature is worse than Kremlin's...

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    For my acoustics I've always loved jumbos with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. This is the case of both my Martins.

    The 6 string is a 2001 JM Mahogany from the Road Series which has one of the most balanced sounds I've ever played - no bling and a simple satin finish - and the projection is remarkable. You can occasionally find them for about a grand on the second hand market.

    My twelve string is the J12-16GT and has similar tonal characteristics. These can be had for about 1300 notes second hand. The only downside to the 12-string is that as I'm fast approaching 65 my fretting hand is not as strong as it used to be, and barre chords on the first 4 frets have become something of a challenge - I have consulted with my luthier and we will take the risk of reprofiling the neck from 16" to 12". Obviously this will also require a new nut and bridge and probably a new set of frets, but if it allows me to recover proper control over those first frets then I'll be a happy bunny.
    Last edited by Ray175; 04-05-2020 at 03:36 AM.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    I got my Gurian Steelstring (sort of a small jumbo size) in 1977 and for the longest time that was my only flattop (besides my nylonstring guitars) until I got the itch for a smaller instrument some 6 or 7 years years ago. After several interesting but not totally convincing candidates I really lucked out and finally found a used Santa Cruz 000-1929 all mahogany 12-fretter , which absolutely shines for flat- and fingerpicking and light strumming with a beautifully balanced, warm and "centered" tone - this guitar speaks to me like few other ever did. Since it doesn't produce such a large amount of high overtones like so many other upper-end/boutique guitars these days it even puts out a very convincing swing-style rhythm "chink". The sustain is a bit longer than on your average archtop and the sound is not "barking" at you but the strong fundamental tones carry nicely and solo-lines have a great presence, never sounding thin and aneamic like coming from a harpsicord ....
    I never really understood this wide-spread notion that these all-mahogany guitars were really only suited for "blues" playing - just like an archtop is only good for playing jazz-licks ? Come on, listen with your ears and not with your eyes .....

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    I’ve been pretty wowed by this circa 1920 Maurer (Larson Brothers). It’s a 00 sized guitar with Brazilian rosewood sides and back.


    Last edited by ThatRhythmMan; 12-10-2023 at 08:50 AM.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    Well I started on flat tops and only very recently picked up an archtop to play jazz. Over the years I went through a lot of different guitars, starting with Yamaha flat tops, through a long stretch with Ovations, but always yearning for a Martin dread. I finally reached that pinnacle many decades ago and, though I’ve owned Taylors and even a custom Klein L45.7 that cost me more than most of the cars I’ve owned in my life and I waited over two years for, I still come back to my first all-solid Martin dread. I’ve had it for about 30 years now, and it’s like my best old worn-in pair of jeans. I recently picked up a D-15M to take to jams and camping because the old Martin is becoming too precious for me to imagine anything ever happening to it. I know I should try to avoid attachment (a Zen thing) but I am pretty attached to that guitar.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    I've had a Gibson dreadnought forever, and it actually has a pretty nice tone for jazz, but I got to the point that I found the size and shape too difficult to manage. I've switched to a Gitane G500 gypsy jazz guitar (short scale, grande bouche). The sound works well for the acoustic stuff I do, and it's more comfortable to play (though I'm still getting used to the wider fingerboard and chunkier neck). Technically, the top is (slightly) arched, but I think of it as more in the flattop family.

    John

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    I found a 2018 Froggy Bottom H12 Adi over Madi in 2019.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    I've had a Gibson dreadnought forever, and it actually has a pretty nice tone for jazz, but I got to the point that I found the size and shape too difficult to manage. I've switched to a Gitane G500 gypsy jazz guitar (short scale, grande bouche). The sound works well for the acoustic stuff I do, and it's more comfortable to play (though I'm still getting used to the wider fingerboard and chunkier neck). Technically, the top is (slightly) arched, but I think of it as more in the flattop family.

    John
    I have a couple of oval hole Gypsy guitars (Shelley Park Encore, Dupont MD-20). While they have slightly domed tops (they are not bent or carved, the tops are simply forced into domes over curved braces), I also think of them as steel string flattops. I have tried many Martin and Guild flattops over the years (Dreads, Jumbos, OM's, 000's and small body) and have found them all a bit lacking for jazz tone (not enough mids).The Gypsy guitars deliver a great jazz tone (both of mine are "warm" toned examples, I have had Gypsy guitars that I found too "harsh", (and in fact. most Gypsy guitars that I have played have, IMO, been too "harsh") so finding a suitable example can take a careful search. But for a jazz "flattop", I have not found anything better (if you consider classicals to be flattops, they work too and I also have one of those (Thames Cedar/Brazilian).

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    I have a couple of oval hole Gypsy guitars (Shelley Park Encore, Dupont MD-20). While they have slightly domed tops (they are not bent or carved, the tops are simply forced into domes over curved braces), I also think of them as steel string flattops. I have tried many Martin and Guild flattops over the years (Dreads, Jumbos, OM's, 000's and small body) and have found them all a bit lacking for jazz tone (not enough mids).The Gypsy guitars deliver a great jazz tone (both of mine are "warm" toned examples, I have had Gypsy guitars that I found too "harsh", (and in fact. most Gypsy guitars that I have played have, IMO, been too "harsh") so finding a suitable example can take a careful search. But for a jazz "flattop", I have not found anything better (if you consider classicals to be flattops, they work too and I also have one of those (Thames Cedar/Brazilian).
    Yup, classicals are in the flattop family too. I had an OK one (S. Yairi, but one of the lower end models) for a long time, but wasn't playing it and donated it a music school. I'm actually trying to keep the domestic guitar population somewhat under control.

    John

  15. #14
    i was referring to steel string but nylon is cool too, i have a guild mark IV that is nice
    I love the sound of D18 etc... but they seem to be best for Neil Young type strumming (although Kevin Eubanks uses a modded D28 that sounds amazing)
    In my mind I have always wanted a D18 or D28... but small bodied OM etc or parlour seem so perfect for fingerstyle solo stuff
    thanks and keep em coming!

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by patshep
    Hey all,
    I have a Guild JF-55 acoustic that is amazing, I've actually only had one steel string acoustic and that is it (bought used in 91)... I wanted a J200, but couldn't afford then (or now)
    I'm thinking of getting a second acoustic, the Guild has had a lot of issues for a while now, i had a refret that didn't seem to be done well, then it got out of whack one winter, and i never really got it working like it was... the sound is the best, but I'm broke and getting broker (unemployed because of COVID19)
    I'm just wondering what style guitars most jazz guys like when they play acoustic? D, OM, Parlour, 000-18
    I love the fingerstyle tone of the parlour guitars too... just thinking of a day when i can buy something else, and wondering what jazzers like and why
    I own and play a wide variety of steel string acoustic flattop guitars and I will share couple thoughts for you to consider:

    Size: This is has to do with the amount of bass response that you desire, the speed to attack you want and ergonomic considerations. Small bodies (0, and 00) can be intimate to play, have fast attack and wonderful projection. Mid-sized bodies (000, OM) do a variety of things well. Large bodies (0000, and J) have enhanced bass response and attack can be a bit slower. So it really depends what is right for YOU. An OM/000 sized guitar is a safe choice.

    Scale length: Flat tops commonly have 24.75", 24.9" or 25.4" scale lengths. These guitars use bronze (80/20) or phosphor bronze (92/8) strings which can have higher string tension for a given scale length than your archtop with nickel strings. So this depends on YOUR preferences and your ability to adjust to differences in fret spacing and string tensions as you move between guitars. I find short scales to have sweeter trebles but long scales have more articulate bass.

    Number of Frets to the Body: 12 frets and 14 frets are the most common. This is a trade off between > 12-fret fretboard access and timbre. The extra body volume in the upper bout of a 12-fret guitar has a slightly different timbre (more mid weight) than a 14-fret guitar.

    Cutaway: This, just as in archtops is driven whether you need upper fretboard access to play your material. People will argue whether it materially influences the sound or not and never agree. My view is it takes away from body volume which shifts the natural pitch of the box, but there are some GREAT sounding cutaway's out there IMO.

    String Spacing: Typically it is a choice between 1.6875" and 1.75" nut width and string spacing between 2.1875" to 2.3125". Preferences here are individual preferences driven by whether you play with your fingers, a plectrum or both. It also has to do with you ability to adjust moving between instruments.

    Top Woods: Top woods (and bracing) can influence speed of attack, length of sustain, how fundamental or amount of overtones in the timbre of a guitar. In general, lighter, less stiff spruces such as Engelmann and European Spruces tend to be more responsive to touch, overtone rich and have less headroom. Heavier, stiffer spruces like Sitka and Red Spruce (on average) tend to be less responsive, more fundamental and have higher headroom. So this is driven by your touch, technique and sonic preference.

    Body Woods: Heavier, lower damping body woods like rosewoods tend to emphasize bass and trebles, are more overtone rich and have longer decay because of the way they interact with tops. Mid density, moderate damping woods like mahoganies tend to be more mid rich and have shorter decay. Lower density, higher damping maples tend to have fast attack, are more fundamental and have shorter decay. So what is good for YOU can depend on your likes and dislikes in tone.

    Strings: Just like archtops, different guitars like different strings and I would encourage you to experiment in alloy (nickel, 80/20 and phosphor bronze) and in gauge. I tend to play .012"-.053/.054" and sometimes like to use .013" and .017" for the high E and B sometimes. I like different strings, on different guitars.

    Good Luck!

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    I like short scale, so my favorite flat tops are Gibsons.
    I had a great sounding Martin D-28, but it just wasn't comfortable for me to play, so I sold it.

    My acoustics are a Gibson J-45 Custom and a Gibson LG-2. I love them both. The J-45 is loud & proud, so I take it to acoustic jams and it sings out really well in that context. In contrast, the LG-2 is small, sweet & balanced. It is my go-to for solo acoustic practice. Also, it sounds good plugged in. I play 90% fingerstyle.

    I prefer my Gibsons over any Martin or Taylor I've ever played, which has been quite a few.
    I could see a Santa Cruz or a Collings as a nice step up, but I'm not really feeling the need.

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    I have never liked flattops to any extent. They don't cut it for the snappy sound of jazz and in general just ring a bit different than my ears like. That said one of the best places I ever went many years ago in about 1980 was to McCabes Guitars in Santa Monica. I don't know if they are still there but I remember playing a Mossman Flattop they had that to me sound much better than anything they had hanging on the walls. That was many Martins and others even handmade ones. This Mossman was a D style flattop but is was just nice.

    I think if I played one maybe one of the Martin 0000 style guitars with Sinker Mahogany would be the guitar. They seem to be even in ways that flattops are not and the warm sound is really mellow I believe the Mahogany is the reason.

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    OP, looks like "jazzers" are using flattops for different purposes. I have owned several larger-bodied 6 and 12-string guitars from the 1960s folk revival onwards, and still have an excellent, inexpensive Ibanez Artwood AW-15 with cedar top. Actually, it's the only flattop I've used publicly and fits the bill perfectly. But I was looking something better suited for acoustic jazz: smaller body, neck joint at 14th fret, cutaway, good electronics - and a strong, balanced acoustic voice. Hence the Martin GPCPA4. A Taylor (314 I think) would have been a great contender, but I got a good deal for the Martin.

    Overall, choosing a new acoustic steel-string is a helluva job: you don't know how much they have been played in the store, i.e. to what extent they have already opened up or which one's strings have seen better days. Test room acoustics, even humidity, play a role, and your own perception of the tone varies from one day to another. Finally, you don't know how well your chosen one will react to changing seasons going forward. This is why a used guitar makes sense, and why so many posters wish you good luck!

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    In the 90's I found an early L'arrivee 00-19GE (with all the fancy inlays), 10 years ago I bought a Santa Cruz OM.

    Last year I got tired of hunching over a little guitar and bought a big boy guitar with 'upside down Tal Farlow inlays' . My luthier was amazed at how light the SJ-200 is and how well it sounds and plays.

    Last edited by MaxTwang; 04-06-2020 at 02:03 PM.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    My Emerald X7

    and my Emerald X10

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    I like my Waterloo WL-14 ladder brace. Has a dry punchy mid-range tone....not unlike an archtop.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Longways to Go
    I like short scale, so my favorite flat tops are Gibsons.
    I had a great sounding Martin D-28, but it just wasn't comfortable for me to play, so I sold it.

    My acoustics are a Gibson J-45 Custom and a Gibson LG-2. I love them both. The J-45 is loud & proud, so I take it to acoustic jams and it sings out really well in that context. In contrast, the LG-2 is small, sweet & balanced. It is my go-to for solo acoustic practice. Also, it sounds good plugged in. I play 90% fingerstyle.

    I prefer my Gibsons over any Martin or Taylor I've ever played, which has been quite a few.
    I could see a Santa Cruz or a Collings as a nice step up, but I'm not really feeling the need.
    Best sounding flattop I ever played was a prewar J-45. Good J-45s are jaw-droppingly awesome banjo-killers. My favorite recording of a great J-45 tone is JTs Apple album.

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    Forgetting my nylon string guitars which are a different animal, I own only one flattop and its a CFox small jumbo made when Charles Fox started his company. It has his "spider bracing" and I like the sound of this guitar because it doesn't produce a lot of ringing overtones but keeps the fundamental tone so it sound great for solo jazz pieces. Great neck, and play great. This guitar is 20 years old and it needed a neck reset last year but since it was an innovative bolt on neck it was a piece of cake. I string it with 80/20 John Pearse mediums.

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    I never had a decent flattop til just a few years ago, having grown up playing blues rock on an electric in the 70’s and then changing to jazz in my 20’s. I finally got a new Martin HD-28 Retro (electro acoustic) a couple years back and have been floored with the amazing sounds it can generate. It’s been fun tackling Metheny tunes, James Taylor and finger style works of Tommy Emmanuel and Adam Rafferty, as well as getting the workout that heavier strings and a longer scale offer, when I’m usually playing 24 3/4.

    I also have a Gibson J-185 EC, which replaced a Blues King Electro that I bought new (replaced under warranty for a twisted neck) which is a really bright and forward sounding guitar that I have never really enjoyed. I have it strung with Nashville tuning now, as the Martin sounds so much better acoustically. I have trouble selling any of my guitars, even the ones I’m not attached to, hoping that I can find the right use for them. At times, I think I could live without the Gibson and should try to find an OM Martin with cutaway and electronics, but I have a moratorium on buying for now.

    I saw Eric Johnson rip on his D45 with as much precision as he ever does on a strat, which shifted my thinking away from considering ANY guitar a limitation. Listen to Sco on Say the Brother’s Name from his album with Metheny - don’t know what he was playing, but it’s beautiful, quirky and truly Sco, with a wonderful flattop tone on a beautiful and challenging tune.

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    I really enjoy my 2014 Breedlove Stage Concert. The Stage series guitars were made in Korea using traditional woods: spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. I am not aware of any Breedloves currently made in Korea as they shifted import model production to China and Indonesia. It has the Breedlove bridge truss which when set properly adds to the volume and diction of the guitar. The pinless bridge makes string changing as fast as an electric.

    The narrow neck makes switching back and force from my Tele a breeze as they feel similar. It is a good fingerpicker and flatpicker.

    Some folks in my old time fiddle jam (I miss my twice a month jams courtesy of COVID-19) are convinced it is a far more expensive guitar than it cost me. Abalone binding and rosette probably have a big part to do with the misconception.
    Attached Images Attached Images Favorite flat tops of jazz guys around here?-c64f9ab0-b229-4b33-b08b-e09b231c3c71-jpg 
    Last edited by Alder Statesman; 04-04-2020 at 09:18 AM.