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Jazz Tone Without buying a specific Jazz type guitar I wondering for those in the know, what effects would one use to help replicate a jazz tone?
I have heaps of Boss pedals, compression, EQ, Overdrive/Distortion, Blues Driver, Super overdrive, Turbo distortion, Super Chourus, Delay, Reverb. With the above which pedals & setting could you recommend? Also I have guitars with humbukers & single coils & a 30 watt Marshall soild state amp. Any help would be great! | |
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Tone begins in the fingers always when it comes to guitar. On any instrument, it is the part/s of your body that controls the sound which is where all of your tone and style stems from. On guitar (if you're playing right-handed), most of your expression and tone will come from your left hand and right working in a harmonious way. Whether or not you decide to use a pick is also a big factor. Most modern jazz guitarists do, but greats like Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt were masters with their fingers.
Second to that comes the strings. For jazz, you will need at least .10 for your top E and anything up to .13 is recommended as you are wanting to bend strings less and instead go for a more precise, thick and warm sound. Third is the actual kind of guitar you're playing. Gibson-style guitars with humbuckers are the best for jazz. Next comes your tone controls...again you're looking for a warmer sound so less treble is usually the order of the day, but a well-rounded tone with a bit of treble isn't too bad either as long as you have some good mids and bass. Generally speaking, you'll want your levels flat except for perhaps a little less treble. Most jazz players don't use a lot of effects, however a little reverb can be ok if used VERY minimally. Other effects are more of a rock thing unless you're getting into some sort of fusion sound. So the final element is really the amplifier. Tubes are always best to get an authentic jazz tone. 
Remember what you're mostly looking for in a jazz tone is warmth and modesty....nothing too flashy or loud or abrasive in any way, at least for guitar - leave that to the other instruments like horns, etc. Or play rock if you're that way inclined. Clarity and precision are also valued, but a beautiful tone is perhaps the best thing you could ask for in jazz and in my opinion most styles of music in general. . [Edited 7/1/05 7:34am] | |
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^good response!
I'd say if you're looking for a jazz tone, turn the mids on the amp up all (or almost all) the way and dial in the treble and bass according to your taste. On the guitar, turn the tone control on the neck pickup all the way back (so it sounds kinda muted) and either use that or set the pickup switch in the center position so you get the warmth of the neck pickup but some of the clarity and definition of the bridge pickup. You can do this with pretty much any guitar/amp combination, and while it won't come out quoting a Gibson (which I think the Gibson tone is kinda overrated anyway) it'll still sound good. Good luck!  | |
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Thanks guys!!
Perfect answers, I pretty much assumed what you had noted but a second opinion is always good!! | |
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If you want an old-fashioned sound, almost like the old rock n rollers, try using the delay pedal. Set it so you get just one repeat, and have it on a short delay, so the repeated note comes a fraction of a second after you play the note. Not very "Jazz" but worth experimenting with if you like that old ambience...Kind of a Sun Studio slap-back effect  | |
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I mostly play rock & funk, but I studied jazz and often have to bust some out.
I play an SG copy (Epiphone)--normally a hard rock guitar but the humbuckers are more appropriate than my Strat's pickups. Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp. On the middle setting--between pickups it sounds beautiful with no effects at all, other than a bit of reverb. A bit of chorus is appropriate for that smooth sound, but I wouldn't use distortion unless I was playing electric/fusion. Delay could work, but it alwways seems like too much fiddling around for me to use very much. Check this song out at:
http://www.soundclick.com...tmusic.htm | |
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JohnP said: Tone begins in the fingers always when it comes to guitar. On any instrument, it is the part/s of your body that controls the sound which is where all of your tone and style stems from. On guitar (if you're playing right-handed), most of your expression and tone will come from your left hand and right working in a harmonious way. Whether or not you decide to use a pick is also a big factor. Most modern jazz guitarists do, but greats like Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt were masters with their fingers.
Second to that comes the strings. For jazz, you will need at least .10 for your top E and anything up to .13 is recommended as you are wanting to bend strings less and instead go for a more precise, thick and warm sound. Third is the actual kind of guitar you're playing. Gibson-style guitars with humbuckers are the best for jazz. Next comes your tone controls...again you're looking for a warmer sound so less treble is usually the order of the day, but a well-rounded tone with a bit of treble isn't too bad either as long as you have some good mids and bass. Generally speaking, you'll want your levels flat except for perhaps a little less treble. Most jazz players don't use a lot of effects, however a little reverb can be ok if used VERY minimally. Other effects are more of a rock thing unless you're getting into some sort of fusion sound. So the final element is really the amplifier. Tubes are always best to get an authentic jazz tone.
Remember what you're mostly looking for in a jazz tone is warmth and modesty....nothing too flashy or loud or abrasive in any way, at least for guitar - leave that to the other instruments like horns, etc. Or play rock if you're that way inclined. Clarity and precision are also valued, but a beautiful tone is perhaps the best thing you could ask for in jazz and in my opinion most styles of music in general. AVENUE MAN SAYS::: This is excellent advice . . . . .John P !!! The advice given is the exact advice that I would've given. I play Jazz guitar and you don't use a lot of effects if any in your playing, it's mostly tone and feel. I use a Gibson ES-135 and a Laney Reverb 212 amplifier. I string my guitar with D'aquisto .13 Jazz strings. I also very rarely use a pick when playing jazz (mainly for soloing). You have much better control of your sound when you're fingerpicking. I mainly use the neck and middle positions of the pick-ups with the tone almost completely off. If i'm using distortion it's more of an over-driven tone with a hint of chorus a la John Scofield. I also own 2 Fender Strats a Fender Tele & a Fender Acoustic, but Gibson is the only box for Jazz as far as I'm concerned. Gibson guitars are a little more expensive, but if you want to purchase something that'll bring you a lifetime of happiness, try one. P.S. I don't work for Gibson!!!!! [Edited 7/1/05 7:34am] [Edited 7/5/05 21:23pm] |
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Gotta agree about the warm tone Gibson's give off,for a jazz sound. Humbucker's (double coil pickups), plus the neck / body joint is glued which also helps. The comment about Delay reminded me of the old Tremolo amps, which are a lotta fun also. ~PClinuxOS~  I've been here longer than I care to remember, ... I drop in from time to time, ...  | |
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