Jazz Guitar Players With Your Favorite Tone - Top 3

[57classic]

Salut dear members from whom I have learned so much by reading a lot.

Excuse me if you find this corny or if it has been done already. I checked the forum but didn't find a similar thread:

I would love it if you'd post your Top 3 of guitar players who in your opinion have a guitar sound that is just magnifique!

So not about what they play, but their tone, even if the distinction may be a bit artificial. Jazz guitar players, including fusion.

I'd love to post them too, but you first!

[pkirk]

Peter Bernstein
Peter Bernstein
Peter Bernstein

[Greentone]

Grant Green--all phases of career, but especially early on Blue Note
Barney Kessel--anything with the heavily customized ES-350/CC
Kenny Burrell--all of his stuff, Gibson and Heritage

[docbop]

Lage Lund
Peter Bernstein
Jim Hall

sneak in Victor Baker

[mr. beaumont]

Jimmy Raney, Lage Lund, Matthew Stevens

[Greentone]

Victor Baker

And that's with guitars of his own design and construction. Just fantastic.

If I got in a "sneak" vote it would be either Jimmy Raney or Herb Ellis...tough call.

[friendofjaco]

just Tone? For jazz I lik Jesse van Ruller, Bruce Forman, Bernstein.
For blues/fusion Robben Ford, Larry, Mike Landau.
Of course all amazing improvisers/ players too

[pkirk]

I think Wes had a great tone, especially on his pop records. Jesse Van Ruller has a great tone too. How about Martino's tone on his "starbright" record. That's hard to beat.

[Jehu]

Charlie Christian
Oscar Moore
Jimmy Raney

[monkmiles]

Grant Green
Peter Bernstein
Kenny Burrell

[Hep To The Jive]

Charlie Christian
Tiny Grimes
John Scofield

[danwaineo]

I don't like the sound of the pick hitting the string. I like more of a legato technique like Jim Hall's. The opposite of what I like is the Joe Pass Virtuoso album.

I like players with effects (Rosenwinkel, Frisell, Scofield), because the effects help the guitar sound more legato.

It's pretty hard to separate the tone from the player. Name a guitar player you don't like with great tone.

[jazzkenny]

Jimmy Raney
Barney Kessel
Kenny Burrell

[gggomez]

Kenny Burrell

Rotem Sivan

Me. I don't have tickets on myself, I have nothing to have an ego about, it is just that my now one month young ES 175 (through a Princeton RI) sounds like 1 & 2 above. It inspires me. Cannot wait to get home from work each day to plug it in.

If I can't have me my 3rd would be Martijn van Iterson

[nick1994]

I'm going with:

Pat Metheny

Bill Frisell

John Scofield

[Jazzpunk]

Frisell
Scofield
Krantz

[nick1994]

I don't like the sound of the pick hitting the string. I like more of a legato technique like Jim Hall's. The opposite of what I like is the Joe Pass Virtuoso album.

I like players with effects (Rosenwinkel, Frisell, Scofield), because the effects help the guitar sound more legato.

It's pretty hard to separate the tone from the player. Name a guitar player you don't like with great tone.

Or try the opposite, name a player you do like with terrible tone.

[sgcim]

Johnny Smith
Lenny Breau (only when he played a solid body)
Kenny Burrell (only when he used his D'Angelico)

[57classic]

To all: thanks for the inspiration so far! Nice to know how what you think, I love Kessel and Burrell also, and I'm surely going to start listening to Van Ruller en Van Iterson, and other whom I have not diven into.

pkirk - when I read your first post - 3x Peter Bernstein, I had to laugh out loud as I now realized what inspired me to this thread. Listening to Peter Bernstein yesterday, and the months before, being amazed at his tone, which can be so different also, sometimes so fat electric, sometimes so woody. Always wondering wether it's the Gibson or the Zeidler. I'm also gonna relisten Martino's Starbright!

My choice:
1. Peter Bernstein
2. Luis Salinas - on his Les Paul Standard through the JC120
3. Eric Gale (may he rest in peace) - as can be heard on for example Paul Simon's One Trick Pony, on L5 with Mu-tron

Danwaineo - Lee Ritenour
nick1994 - Clint Strong (on Parker Fly)

[asf1187]

Chuck Wayne
Jim Hall
George Benson (especially the Gibson Johnny Smith he used on Breezin'

[mr. beaumont]

Or try the opposite, name a player you do like with terrible tone.

Actually, that's easier for me...well, terrible might be hyperbolic, but many Joe Pass recoeds, for example. Some Mike Stern, some Sco. I don't love Pat Martino's current tone, and Pat Metheny's current tone is actually my least favorite of his career. But I love all of those guys' playing.

But picking a player who has good tone who I don't like the playing...that's hard for me.

[Flyin' Brian]

Early Howard Roberts
Early Pat Metheny
KennyBurrell

[fep]

Carlton, Ford, Eric Johnson

[gcb]

Charlie Christian
Barney Kessel
Wes Montgomery

[AndyV]

Wes Montgomery's tone on his pop recordings
Oscar Moore
Laurindo Almeida
Gabor Szabo
Django's distorted Stimer pickup tone (nailed here by Stocholo Rosenberg):

Frisell's tone on his live Guitar in the Space Age concerts
Bobbe Seymour's jazz steel tone on his vintage Bigsby:

Attila Zoller
Early 60s Kessel



I love Tal's playing but I always disliked his dry-as-a-bone, sustainless tone.