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Hello, I am new to this forum, and have a specific question about getting nice clean jazz tones on my guitar. I have a 1999 Epiphone Sheraton (made in the Samik plant, Korea) and have never seemed to get a quality jazz tone out of it. I have a solid state Epiphone amp. (EP-1000R, 25W) and a recently acquired a Fender Pro Jr. IV (15W Tube Combo Amp). I've read articles and listened to/viewed numerous videos on getting a jazz tone, which at times seem contradictory in terms of amp settings and guitar settings to get a good clean tone. I can get a clean tone, but it just doesn't sound like a quality jazz tone. Is this do primarily to the pickups on my guitar, and I'll need to get more a a dedicated 'jazzbox', or are there specific setting that I should be trying? Any advice particular to this guitar/amps would be greatly appreciated.
FrankX
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07-14-2022 05:50 PM
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Hi Frank and welcome!
I think that Sheraton is a decent guitar to achieve classic jazz sounds. For me the starting point is the strings, I like to have flat wound strings for jazz.
I like Thomastik-Infeld Swings, .013 set but many like D’Addario Chromes etc.
The neck pickup is usually the one which gives You the warm jazz. I had once a Sheraton and its pickups were not as good as I hoped. Yours might just as well be good ones, but if not, they are easy to change.
And more help is easy to give if You tell what kinda jazz sounds You prefer.
Good luck!
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Frank --
Originally Posted by FrankX
All that contradictory advice is completely correct. What one person likes in one musical setting in one particular room might not bring joy to someone else, in a different band, in a different space. In fact, the sound you're getting right now is probably perfect . . . for a room you're not in at the moment.
Example A: Things that sound full and rich in my 99-sf practice room can sound thin and weak in a club.
Example B: In a band setting I often set my sound a little brighter than I like because that edge disappears the first time a stick touches a cymbal.
Happy hunting. Play on!
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Originally Posted by FrankX
What Sam & Herbie said.^^^^ Tone is perceptual and contextual. Knobs turn both ways, and your ears will guide you. Also, consider that your pickups may be too high and try lowering them and turning up your amp to compensate. Good luck!
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IMHO :
Choose the "right" strings. You may have to experiment to find the sound you have in your ears, but you may start with flatwounds, with a gauge that is at least one step above what you are used to
Use neck pickup
Adjust pickup height (usually, you'll have to lower it)
Roll off volume pot
Roll off tone pot
Find the right settings on the amp to have a clean sound
Use a thick and stiff pick and have a light touch.
As already stated above, tone (even jazz tone) is very subjective
You'll have to experiment at the cost of your time (except some string sets maybe) and that is the fun in the game
My 0.02 €
And BTW, welcome to the forum
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I can only support what's been said by esteemed Forum members. The Sheraton is a chip of the old 335 block, as is the Epi Dot. All good for jazz. Strings, possibly pickups. I don't know either amp you have, but a speaker change might also help.
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I have a sheraton, but a china one which has pretty ok but too hot pickups. I lower the pickups a bit, put a incredibly middy tone on the amp, put volume on the guitar on 5 and tone slightly more than half towards bass
The sheraton can have a muddy bottom, so I think for me the key was no bass on the amp, all mid and nothing but mid
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"All mid and nothing but mid" works for a lot of guitar/amp combinations - it's those mid-ish frequencies that fit so well in a mix with drums, bass, horns and so forth. It's not exactly one size fits all, but it's a useful starting point. Originally Posted by JohanAbrandt
The only real constant is that the perfect sound settings in your practice room are not going to work on stage. Always be prepared to adjust as necessary on the fly!
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Thanks to everyone who's responded, ...appreciate all of the advice; I'll continue experimenting.
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If my guitar is too bright, I change strings first. If my guitar is too dark, I change strings first. Right now, I have been using DRs for more warm, NYXL for more bright, and just the normal d'addario for neutral. (I have flats on only one guitar).
I always forget which way does what... PU height can also make a impact. If you turn them, do it in small increments, and remember how many 1/8 turns. That way you can start from zero again. Sometimes I put a dot of nail polish to help me mark where zero was. (I have also used paint pens). That can also be helpful on fx pedals.
I have a long story about that: I sold my tele to purchase a PRS swamp ash special. Soon after the sales of my tele, I missed it too much. The search was on. I though that my tele had been a swamp ash one. Every time I was at a music store, I would try out swamp ash tele-es. None of them sounded right. One day I mentioned to a clerk that I was looking for a tele that sounded like my old tobacco burst tele. He said those are alder not swamp ash. He grab one. I played it. There was the sound, but a little thiner and the bell tone was not ringing like my old tele. After I told this to the clerk, he adjusted the PU height. There was the sound. I bought that tele right that moment, and still have it. I learned my lesson: never sell your tele.
I also like to have a comp pedal around. Sometimes it helps to hit the amp softer and more uniform. Matter of fact the perceived clean headroom on my ZT Lunchbox box is increased by a good amount by using a comp. Sometimes I use a comp to decrease what is hitting another pedal to adjust the intermodulation taking place. (However, there is always noise floor issues).
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Basics: D'Addario flat wound Chromes, medium gauge to start(.012)
Neck pickup, lowered or raised to taste, but not too close to the strings.
I like guitar tone on 10 to not cut out any of the good stuff the guitar has to offer, but I like my guitar volume
on 7 or 8, to knock off any brittle top end, but still deliver the good stuff.
Work the Tone controls on the amp - depending on the amp: Mids are great, low Treble and Bass to suit. Too
much bass kills the tone for me.
Thicker rather than thin picks, with a softer touch - let the strings sing.
The Sheraton should give great results. When pickups don't deliver, try everything else above. When changing p/ups, get Seth Lovers from Seymour Duncan. They deliver plenty of tone. No need to go elsewhere.
Best of luck - play on.
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I watched this a few weeks ago and remembered it with the thread. The YouTuber is a solid jazz player/teacher and he explains how he chose and upgraded his Sheraton
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I agree with all of this. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
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