Jazz boxes

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

Does it even matter that much what I get? The other day I heard a guy playing jazz on a Strat. And then he played on the D'Angelico I was looking at -- unplugged -- and it delivered the sound. The only thing left would be a lime green 24-fret Rhoads with EMG 81's.

Then it occurred to me that I don't know how to play a lick of jazz guitar, so I bought a book/DVD for beginners. I'm planning to learn on my Burstbucker-equipped Epi Les Paul and maybe a Strat for good measure. See if the spirit of early 20th Century jazz will darken my door. At least break me of some habits so I don't plug in a $1k+ jazz box and start playing blues or the slow parts from Al Di Meola songs.

 

[EAProwlerB]

Re: Jazz boxes

Does it even matter that much what I get? The other day I heard a guy playing jazz on a Strat. And then he played on the D'Angelico I was looking at -- unplugged -- and it delivered the sound. The only thing left would be a lime green 24-fret Rhoads with EMG 81's.

Then it occurred to me that I don't know how to play a lick of jazz guitar, so I bought a book/DVD for beginners. I'm planning to learn on my Burstbucker-equipped Epi Les Paul and maybe a Strat for good measure. See if the spirit of early 20th Century jazz will darken my door. At least break me of some habits so I don't plug in a $1k+ jazz box and start playing blues or the slow parts from Al Di Meola songs.

I've heard Greg Koch play jazz on a tele and if I closed my eyes it might as well been Wes Montgomery, But that's Greg Koch.
A jazz box will give you tone that you can't get any other way.
If you do decide to go for it after all I suggest follow kojak's formula. Even a new epi will have crappy electronics and will not be set up very well. I don't know about pickups but I suspect that Kojak does so again I would suggest you go for the mod 59s.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

Well... those may or may not work. I couldn't tell you from the top of my head.

But, what I gave you is an "in-the-field" proven solution. Do what you want with it.

HTH,

Your '59 set -- is that an A3 in the neck and an A2 in the bridge?

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Jazz boxes

Your '59 set -- is that an A3 in the neck and an A2 in the bridge?

Yes.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Jazz boxes

Does it even matter that much what I get? The other day I heard a guy playing jazz on a Strat.

Then it occurred to me that I don't know how to play a lick of jazz guitar

Both are salient points.
No it really doesn't matter what axe you use.
It is all about your phrasing. Jazz is one of those styles where you can either cut it or you can't.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Jazz boxes

Does it even matter that much what I get? The other day I heard a guy playing jazz on a Strat. And then he played on the D'Angelico I was looking at -- unplugged -- and it delivered the sound.

There is something to be said for the size of the body, the layout of the controls, how it sits in your lap and how all that affects your hand position and playing. I would encourage going for the full-size jazz box, as it will be very enlightening to have your whole environment changed and have to learn fresh how to play the guitar a new way. A hollowbody also does help with less sustain and a more thumpy mellow tone. It's a great thing to experience.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Jazz boxes

It might be interesting to note, for the purists, that the Gibson 'L7' is the King of the Archtops. It has no route, and no floating pickup,and is entirely acoustic. It reputed that the universally acknowledged greatest Jazz instrumentalist Joe Pass, used a Acoustic Archetop for his Virtousos# 4 album ..could it have been an L7? ..( although some say it sounds like a normal amplified archtop, probably a solid body like an L5).
Does anyone know any recordings definitively recorded wiht the L7?

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Jazz boxes

Does it even matter that much what I get? .

Yeah, it matters. For a beginner, I had a very reasonably priced Epiphone made in Korea 'Joe Pass' model, and i was totally tickled pink with it. It most assuredly got that "big box" tone. Some people modify them to great effect.Ultimately I sold the Epi Joe Pass, and decided to play jazz on my 335 1973 Gibson semi hollow cause, even though it didn't cop the 'big box sound', the overall tone was more than a little superior, plus no worries about perfecting the traditional "arm off the soundboard" technique of the full hollows..

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Jazz boxes

Then it occurred to me that I don't know how to play a lick of jazz guitar, so I bought a book/DVD for beginners. I'm planning to learn on my Burstbucker-equipped Epi Les Paul and maybe a Strat for good measure. See if the spirit of early 20th Century jazz will darken my door. At least break me of some habits so I don't plug in a $1k+ jazz box and start playing blues or the slow parts from Al Di Meola songs.

If you don't know how to play jazz then I suggest that you learn how to do it.

Buying a new jazz box won't do anything except the good feeling of having a new gear. Ultimately you'll resort to that same ol' E blues lick we've been accustomed to for ages. Jazz tone is achievable with a solid body guitar, just use the neck pickup and roll off the tone a bit.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Jazz boxes

A good teacher and immersing yourself in jazz music is a better investment than a jazz guitar. Good players will make whatever they have sound good.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Jazz boxes

If you don't know how to play jazz then I suggest that you learn how to do it.

An easy morning's work, then you can go fishing in the afternoon.

(I am reliably informed that jazz masters like Joe Pass spent up to an entire week to attain full mastery of the genre, although you may not need to go to that extreme).

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Jazz boxes

If I was going to have a dedicated jazz instrument, regardless of whatever it was, I'd make and fit it with a pair of 59/Jazz hybrids (obviously bridge and neck versions). Clean styles such as jazz could really benefit from the 'three-dimensional' aspects introduced by the unbalanced coils, in my view.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

I'm going to make an announcement, and I want everyone to remain calm. So far in this thread you've shared a lot of good advice and a lot of good ideas. I'm just beginning to explore these suggestions. Eventually I will take action along these lines.

That said, I just bought the guitar that I started out wanting, after my preliminary research. Yes it's an Ibanez, and yes it's a seven-string hollowbody. It's an AFJ957. It has mini humbuckers, so there's only so much I can do with it in that area. I consider this a plus, as once I get the setup squared away I won't have a lot to do besides play it.

In the meantime, I'll continue my research and learning. I'll find guitars and go play them. Find out what I like and what I don't. Eventually I'll probably buy a dual-humbucker hollowbody so I can try one or more of the pickup ideas you've been kind enough to share with me.

And I'll still have the seven-string with mini-buckers.

View attachment 79730

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Jazz boxes

Cool! Nice score!

I think if you can play jazz, you can play it on anything. There are several players who use basic teles; Carlton, Ritenour and Golub use 335s; Earl Klugh uses a traditional nylon-string classic...and then there's Mr. Paul.

The mind-set is less focused on gear and more on making great music.

Bill

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Jazz boxes

Cool! Nice score!

I think if you can play jazz, you can play it on anything. .

The mind-set is less focused on gear and more on making great music.

Bill

although lets be real honest man..for traditional jazz, ya think big box or semi hollow, c'mon! I mean sure, we all know anyone who is real good can make any guitar sound good, but fer chrissakes...

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Jazz boxes

I'm going to make an announcement, and I want everyone to remain calm. So far in this thread you've shared a lot of good advice and a lot of good ideas. I'm just beginning to explore these suggestions. Eventually I will take action along these lines.

That said, I just bought the guitar that I started out wanting, after my preliminary research. Yes it's an Ibanez, and yes it's a seven-string hollowbody. It's an AFJ957. It has mini humbuckers, so there's only so much I can do with it along those lines. I consider this a plus, as once I get the setup squared away I won't have a lot to do besides play it.

In the meantime, I'll continue my research and learning. I'll find guitars and go play them. Find out what I like and what I don't. Eventually I'll probably buy a dual-humbucker hollowbody so I can try one or more of the pickup ideas you've been kind enough to share with me.

And I'll still have the seven-string with mini-buckers.

View attachment 79730

plus if it turns out Jazz ain't your bag, you can always do something like this with it!;

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Jazz boxes

Interesting thing about this guitar: The seventh string is the same gauge as the sixth. Maybe the tension was too much with a heavier string. The way it is, it seems to intonate pretty well.

I think the strings on it are a custom set, or a set of 12-56 and another 56.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Jazz boxes

View attachment 79730

Happy NGD. It needs another Ibanez...

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Jazz boxes

although lets be real honest man..for traditional jazz, ya think big box or semi hollow, c'mon! I mean sure, we all know anyone who is real good can make any guitar sound good, but fer chrissakes...

Sure, that's what our eyes want to see when we hear "jazz". But guys like Ed Bickert use a tele; Mike Stern uses a Yamaha tele-clone. Emily Remler use a tele at times. Is Jeff Beck playing jazz on his strat? Last time I saw Ritenour, he used a Yamaha Silent Guitar! Russ Freeman used a Roland synth guitar with The Rippingtons.

Rock music isn't limited to just strats or teles, or just Les Pauls, or just pointy guitars. We want to SEE that big jazz box...but it's best if we think outside the (jazz) box...and hear jazz with our ears.

Bill

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Jazz boxes

Cool looking instrument, looks the business ... congrats ! How does it sound, acoustically and electrically ?

S'funny, I was gonna make a joke about looking for a Maton 'George Golla' seven-string jazz guitar, but it's been a long time since they were made and those that survive are probably rare and expensive (George Golla was Australia's leading jazz player in the 1960s and '70s and pretty much always played Maton instruments). Seven-strings are great in the jazz context where chord comp'ing is done over interesting bass notes and lines on the one instrument.

George Van Eps is the seven-string jazz guy .... have a read of this, it should be inspiring ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Van_Eps

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