Best Jazz Guitars 2020 – Reviews and Top Picks. These instruments are known for their signature ‘twang’ and sparkle which is very different to the more conventional round, warm jazz guitar tones! The distinct difference with this model is the solid center helping to generate a string tone with a longer sustain. They are resonant enough to practice without plugging in, but also designed and constructed to plug in without the screeching of unmanageable feedback. First, it creates incredible jazz sound. Though I wouldn’t have bored you with my ambitious self-esteem and nonsensical arguments, you’d still feel that I didn’t have sufficient knowledge to be talking about the genre. You are never adding warmth by turning the knob. It includes a comparable modern classic design, with the tone and aesthetics of the ES-335. But also consider the extra weight and size that hollow body’s carry. Gibson SG has a rounded neck profile similar to the vintage 50’s guitars for players to grip and have easy access to fretting. by: Anonymous . With the pickup, you can select the humbucker in series, parallel, or a single-coil sound. You’ll also find the tri-sound SW switch helps to expand tonal capabilities. Second, it usually belongs to the top-of-the-line guitars. Lastly, consider where the guitar was manufactured. Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand based in Nagoya and imports a significant portion of guitars to the United States, and Europe. As you twist the knob down, you’re sliding that threshold towards the bass region of the frequency spectrum. Much like the Fender Strat, the Telecaster offers much of the same versatility with slightly different tonal characteristics. There are different versions of these, but I have seen prices range anywhere from $1500 to about $4000. has become a classic in the jazz, blues, and rock scene. This acoustic-electric guitar sports a standard dreadnought body with a cutaway, ensuring that the body on this guitar is simple and not complex. This guitar is a great value placed in a medium price range above what most beginners would pay for. Mar 06, 2014. However, this guitar offers vintage authenticity combined with modern construction, great aesthetics, and tonal consistency. But electric guitars don’t need large bodies to be loud. Here we have PRS’s Wide Fat profile, glued into a large neck block. Can you play jazz with a solid body guitar? The ES-339 features a 30/60 slender neck that is based on the ’60s. Guild Starfire V with Guild Vibrato Tailpiece Semi-Hollow Body. This guitar is a solid body guitar designed by a consultant named Les Paul. It offers a unique tone and playing experience that no other guitar can fully replicate. The Fender American Performer Stratocaster is a top of the line Made in USA guitar that is a staple to any guitar enthusiast's collection. The Gibson SG Standard pairs a 490R neck and 490T bridge pickup with Alnico 2 magnet that generates a traditional humbucker tone and enhances high notes. D’Angelico EXL-1. Solid Body - Solid body guitars, which we will not be discussing here, are guitars where the body isn't chambered or hollow anywhere. First, let's discuss what I mean by solid body, hollow, and semi-hollow. In terms of design, sound, build quality, and finish, this guitar simply can't be beat. Best Solid Body Guitar – The Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster is a highly versatile and iconic guitar, perhaps best known for its use in country and blues music. Additionally, it’s body is constructed with five-ply maple to suppress feedback, while delivering sufficient dynamic resonance, and response. With its ABR-1 bridge, intonation and tuning always stays on point. There is an impressive list of Les Paul players, including Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Joe Perry, Jimmy Page, and many more. Its neck pickup produces a mellow sound, while the bridge pickup generates a sharp and twangy sound. They rely mostly on the amplifier for sound. Guitar necks are traditionally made from maple, in part because of its strength, and in part because the material can highlight and amplify the wood in the body. It has become a classic in the jazz, blues, and rock scene. Godin 5th Avenue Jazz Sunburst HG. Additionally, there’s a thickness to the lower mids, and a bit more crunch. Overall, it’s workmanship, and the satin finish is flawless. If you’re playing blues, you may consider an 8 to 10 level on your tone knob to get a crisp sound. Their drawback is that they can be susceptible to lots of feedback, even at a medium volume—hollow bodies offer a great screaming open guitar sound ideal for blues. A true tone machine. These guitars are made for intermediate to advanced players who want the premium 50’s and 60’s Les Paul, but can’t afford the vintage ones. These pickups come with four magnets in different installation positions to generate a warm open-sounding tone. The 594 is offered at quite a steep price. These run around $750 new, but I have also seen them go for $500 used. One type of construction you should look for is a semi-hollow body or hollow body. Gretsch is an American manufacturer based in Brooklyn, New York, known for its custom-made guitars. Leo Fender developed their first-ever Stratocaster. Ibanez is great at taking the best aspects of a guitar build, boiling it down to necessities, … and many players use all 3 types. And these instruments are made by master luthiers. I do not believe I have seen them go for less than $4000. The ideal guitar to play to get a great clean jazz tone is of course an archtop jazz guitar. You will find more sustain, nuance, and resonance than a solid guitar of the same standard build. When plugged, the highs are a tad more tamed. Most bridges allow players to adjust string heights, which aid in the comfort and ease of the strings being fretted. We have listed 10 of iconic electric guitars in the blues world, but when it comes to picking out the perfect guitar, there is no one size that fits all. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); If you have been paying attention, you might have noticed some of the same guitars in the hands of different jazz guitarists. Also, consider how long you’re looking to play a guitar. This guitar contains coil-splits, and small air chambers help to produce excellent high resonance without the feedback. For more precise tone and articulation, it’s loaded with Alnico V magnets, orange drop capacitors, and audio taper potentiometers. It has also got a very comfortable neck and comes equipped with two ‘57 Classic humbuckers. Today, we will go over the pros and cons of a few of these to help you make a decision. Knowing the features that directly contribute to the beautiful blues tones can help you pick out the guitar that is right for you. Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster Special. It’s also essential to determine the right type of pickup suitable for the desired tone you want to have. This guitar is also a big household name amongst popular guitar models and, for that reason, has a wide range of pricing options. This guitar is popular among advanced players in jazz, rock, and blues. Solid-body guitars typically provide a longer sustain, and be amplified at a much louder volume without any feedback. They can provide the punchy, and bright tones, but also feel much lighter than solid guitars. This guitar has a wide array of tonal possibilities and it is no surprise that so many players from all walks of life love it. Gibson ES 175 Using a solid body guitar puts a great limit on your dynamic range, but pair a jazz guitar with a set of humbuckers and you’ll get yourself a jazz guitar that a lot of famous jazz musicians use; the pairing of a Telecaster and a set of humbuckers is the most famous combo, as this combo provides a very true jazz … JSM20 offers two super 58 pickups and a tri-sound switch that helps to produce clean, warm, and clear tones. The neck profile is also slim and fast profile, with a flat radius and perfect fingerboard width to facilitate fast runs and smooth fingered complex chords. Gibson SG Standard Electric Guitar. If you’re looking for a smooth, mellow tone, consider going down to a 5. The price is affordable and a perfect gateway guitar into the more premium ones out there. Polishing the art of making guitars … Additionally, humbuckers will enhance the sustain that is produced by the guitar’s tonewoods. There have also been many, many companies who have all done their own thing with this classic design. There is good reason for this. With over 18 years in the ‘string business‘, Brian has accumulated a wealth of information on strings. These guitars have specific tonal characteristics that lend themselves to the style. However, lighter woods such as swamp ash can provide better sustains. Which scale length is best for tuning stability, and string tension? It says you've progressed above and beyond a beginner electric guitar, and you're looking for something to take your playing up a level.It says you've decided on a style of playing that's truly yours and you're ready to commit to delving deeper into it. The Gibson Les Paul Standard is without a doubt the most iconic electric guitar in history. 5 Effective Ways to Easily Sell Your Custom Guitars. As such, I felt it would be necessary to list a few more options that I might also suggest to a friend or student. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to find the best blues electric guitar that is also meets all of your specific needs as a player. Players who have smaller hands seek out shallower, and more narrow necks, while individuals with larger hands want a thicker neck profile. I’ve been playing guitar for over 10 years now, and I’m a total nerd when it comes to gear. This guitar is ideal for beginner and intermediate guitar players looking to improve their skills and begin performing. Which scale length is most comfortable to plan in? While unplugged, this PRS S2 has a very bright and open midrange. Yamaha Pacifica 112V. How are the controls laid out on the guitar. These features allow the guitar to produce a vintage tonal balance combined with an amp-brutalizing punch. I added this one to the list, however, because I feel it is a happy medium. The following suggestions are meant if you want sort of a middle-of-the-road jazz sound, the kind you could hear from a record from the 60’s. I have seen these go from $200 to several thousands of dollars. This guitar is relatively beginner-friendly due to its 9.5-inch radius. Don’t have time to read the full post? Life-long guitar players tend to invest more money into a guitar because they understand the durability of them. The Gibson ES-339 semi-hollow is quite similar to the ES-335, except it’s slightly smaller and lighter. No other guitar can match the thick and powerful sounds that a Les Paul can produce. Instead, this guitar has a similar tone with a more modern playability and intonation. It is a fairly expensive guitar, but it’s a fair price for its incredible versatility and sound compared to other guitars of its class. Old Comments for Hollowbody VS Solidbody Guitar. Finally, whether your top concerns are the versatility afforded by the guitar’s electronics, the comfort of the body’s shape, or nailing a certain artist’s tone and look with a signature model, Sweetwater maintains a variety of solidbody guitars to ensure your dream guitar is waiting for you in our on-site warehouse. This buying guide will review the top 10 best electric guitars for blues. On the other hand, there are … Indeed, it can be found in a number of different styles such as jazz, rock, blues, funk, and even heavy metal! Jazz can be played on literally any guitar. The first iteration of the ES-335 model was made in 1958 as an upgrade to their thinlines. It is no wonder why it is a favorite of giants like Mike Stern. Fender is an American-based manufacturer for guitars, and amps. The most expensive type of wood is Mahogany, which is why most quality guitars contain them. When overdriving small tube amplifiers, single-coils typically sound more gritty. This guitar gives you everything you would want from a high end Stratocaster at an affordable price. The ART-1 bridge helps to provide better tuning stability and sustain. Comparatively, humbuckers normally have a thicker, warmer, and rounder sound. This is a great value and low-budget guitar that is ideal for beginners looking to buy their first or second guitar. Blues Guitar #1 – Fender American Performer Stratocaster, Blues Guitar #2 – Gibson Les Paul Standard, Blues Guitar #4 – Gibson ES-335 Semi-Hollow, Blues Guitar # 5 – PRS McCarty 594 Semi-Hollowbody, Blues Guitar # 6 – Fender American Performer Telecaster, Blues Guitar #7 – Gretsch G5422TG Electromatic, Blues Guitar #8 – PRS S2 Custom 22 Semi-Hollow Body, Blues Guitar #9 – Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow, Blues Guitar #10 – Ibanez John Scofield JSM20 Semi-Hollow, The 10 Best PRS Guitars: Review & Buyer’s Guide, The 12 Best Semi-Hollow and Hollow Body Guitars, The 15 Best 7 String Guitars for Any Budget, Pickup: Yosemite Single-Coil Stratocaster, Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo, Build and upgrades from the American Special specification, Not everyone loves the vintage bent steel saddles, Controls: 2 Volumes, 2 Toggle Switch & Tones, Slim neck option to the Standard ’60s specs, Compound neck radius yields clean, and easy action, Coil-tap, phase, boost/bypass switching generates a variety of tones, Some players prefer a vintage-style wiring, Gibson quality with the classic rock roots, Body shape is comfortable and provides excellent upper-fret access, Pickup gives fast and clean action along with great sustain, Lighter body means increased potential for neck dive, Top and Back: 3-ply AAA Figured/Maple/Poplar/Maple, Controls: 2 Volumes, 1 Tone & Toggle Switch, A very classy, powerful, and vintage-like tone with nice low frequencies, Tuners: PRS Tweaked Phase III Locking with Modified Collars and Set Screws, Controls: Two Volume and Two Push/Pull Tone Controls with 3-Way Toggle Pickup Switch on Upper Bout, Beautiful tones with lots of versatility for dual humbuckers, Bridge: 3-Saddle Strings-Thru Body Tele Bridge, The fretboard radius may turn off players with vintage Fender inclinations, Bridge: Adjusto-Matic with Secured Rosewood Base, Pickguard: Gold Plexi with Black Gretsch Logo, Provides a rich, honking midrange while suppressing unwanted feedback, Neck is slim and flat to help with fast runs, Controls: Volume and Push/Pull Tone Control with 3-Way Blade Pickup Switch, Extremely playable neck and easy to play high notes, Less of a dialed-in and focused sound compared to other PRS guitars, Top and Back Wood: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple, Controls: MTC Plus: 2 tones, two volumes, one toggle switch, hand-wired with 500 potentiometers and orange drop capacitors, Excellent choice of guitar for blues and rocks, Smaller size makes it comfortable to play, Sustain is long and rings out beautifully, Able to go from deep smooth, and mellow tones to full growl effortlessly, Fretboard: Bound Ebony with Aged White Acrylic & Abalone Block Inlay, Switching System: Tri-Sound Switch for Neck pickup, Frets: Medium with Artstar Fret Edge Treatment, Excellent versatility, can play everything from White Stripes to Jazz, May be difficult to get the set-up correctly.