PlayJazzGuitar.com Forum

[jazzrollz]

i have fender 50 anniversary american deluxe stratocaster (yes with the s1 that guves you humbucker like sound) and an fender "princeton" 65 amp. the s1 gives me an warmer sound espesialy on the neck position but still i can't get that jazzy that i want.

any tips?

thank you very much and sorry for my bad english,

ira

[eljazzer]

Practise, learn and play a lot. The jazz sound is not the equipment, it's the player.

I have a AM strat with Texas specials, and a princeton 65, and I can get a pretty decent jazz tone (not like an archtop) but smooth and chimey.

It takes a lot of learning, and listening, and then your playing gets better. In wanting to hear it so, you just ajdust your playing, guitar, and amp tones as you go along.

Learn the classic jazz songs from the 30's, 40's and 50's. All the chord changes, the melodies, only then the solos.

[ronholio]

I also play a tele with Texas pickups. I think it sounds great on the neck pick up with the tone turned down a little more than half way, no matter what amp i'm going though...even straight into the board.

[DaveMcBlues]

If you haven't already, you need to get the instructional book entitled "Mickey Baker's Jazz Guitar". There's an unbelievable amount of study material on chord changes, melody and soloing. Most of it is in tab, but there is a little standard notation.

If you actually work through the entire book and follow the directions, you'll find the jazz sound.

Below is a link for buying it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/offer-listing/0860010163//002-1894350-3549601?condition=all

[lsdoug]

The "jazz sound" is a little bit too broad of a term I feel. It depends upon the style jazz you are playing really. My personal favorite tone, and the one I'm still trying to achieve is that of Larry Carlton. I particularly love the tone he has on his live album "Last Nite" It is the perfect blend of clarity and warmth, with a responsive, long sustaining tone that he is able to manipulate by subtle guitar volume adjustments. Clearly smaller, vintage tube amps are the way to go, using the volume at about half way cleans things up nicely for rythem and softer, cleaner passages, with less responsiveness, allowing for more attack control. With the guitars volume all the way up, it gives you just enough tube overdrive and speaker break up to bring tons of sweet sustain and responsiveness without distortion.

Tha is not to take away from the earlier comment about practicing and learning more technique, that should ALWAYS be the first priority. but there are times when things you wish to achieve are going to be limited by the tone you are able to get out of your equipement.

[g13prophet]

Maybe this will help I dun know, but I have been playing guitar for some 15 years, but really only studying hard for about 3. I came over from rock, and blues.

I have a an american strat, with tex pickups as well as one of those Ibanez arch tops with bennies pick ups. I play thru a Roland jazz chorus 55 and I believe the saying is true, you play like what you listen to.

I went back learned chords, melodies, and some solo lines from songs in the 30's,40's,and up. I really think your sound comes from within yourself. Everyone sounds a lot different, just compare Joe Pass to Herb Ellis, to John Pizzarelli, and all the jazzers you can listen to. You will find that they all sound different.

So just learn the tunes, and adapt your sound as time goes on. And practice your butt off and payment will come.

[guitarguy2005]

Humbuckers are the only real way to get the real jazzy sound but if you are like me and only been playing jazz for a short while it is hard to create these tones. A DVD I have could be helpful to any Jazz guitar player,regardless of your jazz playing skill beginer or advanced Bruce Buckinghams 50 signature Licks This DVD is really helpful.[/quote]

[guitarguy2005]

Humbuckers are the only real way to get the real jazzy sound but if you are like me and only been playing jazz for a short while it is hard to create these tones. A DVD I have could be helpful to any Jazz guitar player,regardless of your jazz playing skill beginer or advanced Bruce Buckinghams 50 signature Licks This DVD is really helpful.

[eljazzer]

There are no "limitations" or "rules" to having a jazz sound. Humbuckers, single coil, no pickups at all even, all that is secondary.

Setting limitations can be counter-productive in evolving musically, and serves no purpose

We all have our own tastes, but should respect other differing tastes also.

[Mue]

Hi.... I thought that the most important option for the jazz guitar players is "chord voicing". If you have the archtop but you still play the 3 notes chords, absolutely.....no Jazz sound.....

By the way, if you want to create the mellow sound from the strat guitar. You should use the neck pickups and low the middle from the amplifier. It should help....maybe

[RickoGretsch]

I agree wholeheatedly with the advice that the jazzy sound you're looking for comes from practice, listening, and lots of learning. That's not to say, however, that gear doesn't play somewhat of a role. I also agree with the opinion that a tube amp is the best way to go to acheive that warm, sustaining jazz tone. I have a class A, EL-84 powered tube amp, and combined with my Gretsch 6120 on the neck pickup, I'm really pleased with the tone quality and feel, especially for playing chord melody. Dial in a little overdrive, switch to a combination of both pickups and I can get that "Setzer" type sound, which really works well for rockabilly and heavier swing tunes.

Keep listening, keep learning, and try to play with experienced people. You'd be surprised at the "gems" of knowledge you pick up from just being around great players!

[eljazzer]

Once a player has the jazz chops, then many changes can be made to enhance the sound.

If using a solid body, and solid state amp, then of course the neck pickup is used, and the treble and mids are rolled off on the amp. Reverb helps in the ambiance.
The strings should be at least .011 in gauge, and be flat wounds or half rounds (Daddario chromes).

The traditional sound is the archtop guitar with with gibson style pickups, like the ES175, L5, etc. These are very expensive, and cannot be used for any other styles as they feed back pretty easily.
The Epiphone Joe Pass guitar is still the best value for the bucks, that I saw on Ebay.

A tube amp is the best for the style of course.

But the way to get there is to crawl, walk, and then the running starts

[Igor]

Hi Jazzrolls,

all you can do to obtain ajazzy sound with your guitar is to play by fingers over 19-20 frets (not near bribge).

Just IMHO.

Igor

[Guest]

I've been playing around 42 years and have owned a lot of guitars I guess. By "jazzy sound" I assume you're talking about the tone of your guitar rather than technique, since this is Guitars & Amps forum? So is it John Scofield or Kenny Burrell you're looking for? Right now I have an Ibanez AS100 and a Tacoma archtop, 2 very different guitars, through a Crate GT60 (hey Yngwie uses them backstage :->) Both are strung with #12 Sadosky flatwounds and when I play with my fingers I get almost the same tone with both guitars, at least to my ears (except the beloved Tacoma has a fuller bass/mid). I also string my Guild D55 acoustic with the flats and using a DiMarzio soundhole pu/Fishman amp it still sounds like me, so I think it's the combination of the strings and using my fingers (I like the darker tone). When I got the Ibanez I tried it side by side with the Ibanez George Benson and I didn't notice much difference at all to be honest. I think once you develop a personal style of playing to some extent your sound will emerge with it, and it won't matter if you're playing a strat, tele, or a D'Angelico New Yorker it'll still sound like you. Work hard on developing that style and you'll like what you hear.

[Guest]

Hej!

Try a DIGITECH or a Korg pre amp. Line 6 POD maybe.
And you can almost get any sound.

Preben