The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Tone is a subjective thing, just like art, compositions, chops, etc. After doing some research on amps, and posting my findings in a thread, I found that much of the opinions I found in that thread and on the other forums to be all over the place, and quite diverse.

    Case in point, one amp and manufacturer (I won't mention names) was touted as being an excellent jazz guitar amp, but I found it somewhat inferior in tone and flexibility. There are a few videos with players demonstrating and praising the amp for it sound, but I've come to determine that some of these guys play so well that they make anything sound great.

    So to further my research I'm going to go back to the old philosophy of looking at the top musicians, their tone, and equipment they use. Because these are the type of questions that many people love to give their input about their favorite players I think there may be a good amount of input from you folks, but please keep in mind *THE QUESTION IS TONE AND TONE ONLY, NOT CHOPS, TECHNIQUE, OR GREAT SONGS*.

    Well, what say you? My preference is for a full thick tone with the gain slightly pushed almost to the edge of a little break up, somewhere between Larry Carlton and George Benson, for single note lines over a combo setting and not a solo guitarist playing a lot of chord melody. Some people like it perfectly clean, some like it a little edgy like me.

    Who's got your favorite tone?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Older Kenny Burrell...damn...just a little hair, bright and articulate, but never shrill or brittle. My gold standard. That's what I go for when I plug in.

    Jimmy Raney's tone on the album "But Beautiful" is absolutely perfect clean jazz guitar sound.

    Julian Lage's slightly dirty tele tones make me want to play my telecaster instantly.

    Santana at Woodstock...

    And if you ever see Yo La Tengo live, Ira Kaplan playing a Jazzmaster or a Strat through a cranked Super Reverb and a big box RAT. My goodness. It's like everything you wanted the electric guitar to be when you were a kid.

  4. #3

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    For all the great tones out of jazz arch tops, from Burrel to Hall to Wes, Howard Roberts and Johnny Smith, I'm still floored by Ed Bickert and Ted Greene on their Telecasters. The younger set is really making good use of effects, like Gilad and Moreno. Martino and Metheny are instantly identifiable, although that may partially be ascribed to their musicality, but it generally becomes very clear in just a few notes when either of them is coming out of the speakers. To me, that identity is a really important aspect; as Les Paul said "can your mother recognize you on the radio?"

  5. #4

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    Pat Metheny
    Larry Carlton
    Robben Ford

  6. #5

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    Wes, particularly later in his career.

    Jim Hall in the mid sixties.

    Pat Metheny when I first heard Bright Size Life.

    Kenny Burrell's tone on Guitar Forms.

    After hearing Jack Wilkins at the Zinc Bar a couple of years ago, I got a Comins GCS-1, I liked his tone so much. I also liked Vic Juris' tone, but I don't recall what equipment he was using.

    Ted Greene. Lorne Lofsky.

    And, in other styles, Carlos Santana and Mark Knopfler. A friend of mine plays jazz on an Eric Johnson Strat through a Victoria amp and sounds as good as anybody.

    I was not particularly a fan of Joe Pass or Herb Ellis, speaking only about tone.
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 02-21-2019 at 02:39 PM.

  7. #6

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    Wes Montgomery.
    George Benson.
    Jonathan Stout.

  8. #7

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    OK, my "Top 5" are:

    Johnny Smith -- I've been obsessed with his tone since I started playing jazz
    Kenny Burrell -- as Mr. Beaumont said, up until the late '60s (or as I like to call it "pre-turtleneck Kenny")
    Barry Galbraith -- anything really, especially accompanying singers and the sessions with Hal McKusick
    Wes Montgomery -- late Riverside period onward

    OK and tied for 5th:
    Jim Hall -- 1960s, especially on the Paul Desmond sessions
    Hank Garland -- Jazz Winds from a New Direction


    John Galich

  9. #8

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    Kenny Burrell

  10. #9

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    I really like Doug Raney's tone on any recording of his.
    Royce Campbell nails the classic L5ces tone.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    Santana at Woodstock...
    Hmm.. interesting you say that. I used to do a 20 song Santana tribute act in Las Vegas, it didn't last long but because Carlos was my number one influence as a kid it was easy to do.

    I've always felt that his tone from his Yamaha and his PRS instruments was head and shoulders above how he sounded on a Gibson SG, but that's just me.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by tonyb300
    Hmm.. interesting you say that. I used to do a 20 song Santana tribute act in Las Vegas, it didn't last long but because Carlos was my number one influence as a kid it was easy to do.

    I've always felt that his tone from his Yamaha and his PRS instruments was head and shoulders above how he sounded on a Gibson SG, but that's just me.
    I like the "rawness" of that early tone. I'm sure to some it's shrill.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    Wes, particularly later in his career.

    Vic Juris' tone,

    Eric Johnson

    I was not particularly a fan of Joe Pass or Herb Ellis, speaking only about tone.
    Interesting answers, I actually tend to like Wes' early tone then the latter, I have one of those oddball compilations of his (made by some label I've never heard of) that has some of his last recordings and I found the tone somewhat thin compared to his previous stuff.

    Vic Juris!!! Hadn't thought of him in a while but you're absolutely right, great tone!!.

    Eric Johnson has one of the best tones of any rock player from that era.

    I agree on Joe Pass, I think he makes up for it with his phenomenal playing, but Herb Ellis on the other hand most of time I've heard him his tone was really nice, I have a DVD with him and other players on it and to be honest his tone is better than a lot of the others on that DVD, including Barney Kessel and others.

    Just goes to show how subjective things are.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I'm sure to some it's shrill.
    You're right, I read an interview on him where even he said he hated that tone too. I think that's why he's the poster boy for PRS.

  15. #14

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    farlow man!

  16. #15

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    Oscar Moore ... period, the end.

  17. #16

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    Kenny,Kenny, Kenny!

  18. #17

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    Have loved this sound lately.


  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Vinnie
    Oscar Moore ... period, the end.
    LOVE LOVE LOVE!! the Nat King Cole trio!!! Great songs for sure!!

    ............. but c'mon now .............. definitely not "the end" of the tone debate.

  20. #19

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    In addition to some of the classic tones already mentioned, I'll throw this one into the ring: Django's late electric period.

    I know it's often derided, but man I love it... sounds like it's dripping with molten fire.

  21. #20

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    Count me in as an electric Django fan.



    My approximation, at least. I love a jazz tone with some snap and attitude.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by tonyb300
    Interesting answers, I actually tend to like Wes' early tone then the latter, I have one of those oddball compilations of his (made by some label I've never heard of) that has some of his last recordings and I found the tone somewhat thin compared to his previous stuff.

    Vic Juris!!! Hadn't thought of him in a while but you're absolutely right, great tone!!.

    Eric Johnson has one of the best tones of any rock player from that era.

    I agree on Joe Pass, I think he makes up for it with his phenomenal playing, but Herb Ellis on the other hand most of time I've heard him his tone was really nice, I have a DVD with him and other players on it and to be honest his tone is better than a lot of the others on that DVD, including Barney Kessel and others.

    Just goes to show how subjective things are.
    I should probably qualify my opinion about Wes by saying I had two of his albums back in the day. So Much Guitar and A Day in the Life. I've heard more since then, but maybe wearing out those two records when I was teenager imprinted something. I also heard him live at the outdoor theater in Central Park. Late 60s. I can't recall his tone, specifically. I do recall that he didn't comp behind the pianist, instead putting his guitar on a stand and walking behind the piano and standing there.

    For Joe Pass I had the record with Rosetta (great solo), Tudo Bem! and one of the Virtuoso albums, which I had on cassette. As much as I love Tudo Bem!, it was in spite of his tone, which sounded too dry and flat to my ear. I never cared for Virtuoso, tone or playing -- just not the way I like to hear guitar played. Of these, I listened to Tudo Bem! the most and always felt like it would have been a better record with better tone. Heard Joe live too, but I don't recall his tone.

    I never had a Herb Ellis record, but I had a recording of him with the OP trio on a Jazz at the Phil. collection. I also heard him live in small club (I got the last empty seat in the club, which turned out to be his, and I sat with his wife for the show). Fine player, but I didn't fall in love with his tone. In fact, I can't think of a 175 with humbucker player whose tone I loved. I like Jim Hall on the 175, but he used P90s.

    Heard Metheny live once, for the 80/81 tour. First time I heard a guitar synth. I was sitting in the first row a few feet from him and the guitar sounded like a chorus of angels in a cathedral. Well, I guess I just thought of a 175 HB player whose tone I loved.

    Another one that comes to mind is Toninho Horta who often uses a Strat type guitar (I've heard his main instrument is not a Fender though).

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    And if you ever see Yo La Tengo live, Ira Kaplan playing a Jazzmaster or a Strat through a cranked Super Reverb and a big box RAT. My goodness. It's like everything you wanted the electric guitar to be when you were a kid.
    Yes! They played Auckland in 2000 with a collection of vintage amps. I cornered him after the gig and we talked about tone; it matters to him.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by tonyb300
    I've always felt that his tone from his Yamaha and his PRS instruments was head and shoulders above how he sounded on a Gibson SG, but that's just me.
    Someone, possibly on this forum, said that Santana continued to record with the Borboletta Gibson L6-S, although he was endorsing Yamaha publicly. I like to think this is true. I think Borboletta displays his best tone, but then I play a Gibson L6-S.

    A list of the sultans of tone should also include Beck, Frisell and Sco.

  25. #24

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    Anyone who plays through octal tube amps I automatically would love the tone.

    Besides that, I prefer single coils or bright humbucker at least, into any amp turn to break up.

    Also tones Sco or Frisell get.

    Do not like modern jazz clean clean tone, with dreamy ambience to it. Or anything through Polytone!

    Otherwise I'm not too picky.

  26. #25

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    Johnny Smith always got a great recorded tone. I especially like his sound on the latter Verve LPs. I was hoping that 'Dreamsville' from the Kaleidoscope LP would be on YouTube but will have to settle for something from Phase II.



    As Mr Beaumont mentioned, the Jimmy Raney LPs on Criss Cross all sound great.

    And bang up to date, I just caught Jakob Bro's tour last Saturday. Beautiful dreamy Telecaster tones and he writes gorgeous melodies.

    Last edited by David B; 02-21-2019 at 09:32 PM.