looking for some info

[techonly]

Ok, so i just heard a Pat Metheny recording. I've always liked jazz and had a distant urge to learn to play it but this recording put me over the top. My question for you guys is, well three I guess, is what other jazz guitarists can I listen to to get a bearing on what it sounds like. What is a good jazz guitar. And what amps would be good for a nice clean jazz sound as well. I'm quite serious about learniong to play this wonderful music and would love any advice, names, and hints/tips you guys can give me.
YOU GUYS ROCK! Thanks in advance.

 

[beandip]

Re: looking for some info

charlie christian, wes montgomry. Anything that has a humbucker or p-90 and has F-holes. Gibsons and Fenders usually work pretty well. My own personal jazzbox is a ES-125, but you can find some great ones from rondo music. By the way, welcome to the forum.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: looking for some info

well jazz has been played on a lots of guitars but genearly it is played on a hollow bodied guitar with the neck pickup. A good amp to check out is something like a fender twin. real big amp with lots of cleans.

I do my best jazz impressions with my semi hollow bluesbird or my tele, one has a nice open sound (bluesbird) and the other kinda sounds a little countryish but still very cool jazz sounds.

I have been listening to Diana Krall a lot lately and whoever her guitarist is gets a pretty good tone, but i don't know too many other jazz guitarists off hand.

 

[seafoamer]

Re: looking for some info

As Beandip said Christian & Montgomery probably in that order. Then check out: Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Jim Hall, Pat Martino etc.

What Metheny Album are u refering to? My Faves are: Bright Size Life, Questions & Answers and Rejoycing.

May I suggest: one of the most important things u could do is to listen to the non guitar jazz greats. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Clifford Brown, Louise Armstrong, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Han****, etc. etc. etc.

Listening to lots of improvisational music is key.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: looking for some info

did that bleep out han****?

It did. that is a little too touchy if it bleeps the name of a great jazz pianist.

 

[techonly]

Re: looking for some info

Actually I saw him perform on Austin City Limits, so I guess I should have said I saw a Metheny performance. And I assume you are talking about Hancoc*?

 

[mrfjones]

Re: looking for some info

yup thats a little closer to the whole name.

For something that will make you drool, look up benedetto guitars. Bob makes te best jazz guitars money can buy. Take a look at his client list and you will find some guys to listen to. I think Guild is in the process of making a signature jazz guitar for Jimmy Bruno in their Benedetto line (Bob taught the guild custom shop guys to build his archtops now they have a custom shop line of benedetto's).

 

[tone4days]

Re: looking for some info

check out mike stern too ... try the pat metheny cd called 'pat metheny group'

imo, jazz can be played on most any type of guitar .. solid, semi-hollow, archtop, nylon string acoustic, etc. etc. ... it's all in the notes and the feel ... polytone amps are known for a super jazz sound ... roland jazz chorus JC=120 also have super rich cleans and tons of headroom

good luck
t4d

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: looking for some info

Mike Stern plays Yamaha solid bodies, actually ...

Def. check out Robin Ford's fusion material. And I HATE saying this, but Diana Krall's guitar player not only shreds, but his tone is amazing. Too bad he's forced to play her lame material!!

 

[Lu_B]

Re: looking for some info

Give Martin Taylor a whirl if you like Pat Metheny

 

[tone4days]

Re: looking for some info

Mike Stern plays Yamaha solid bodies, actually ...

actually, he doesnt play the yamaha solid body ... he endorses an upscale yamaha signature model based on the one he really plays ... his #1 is a custom made (sadowsky?) replica of the tele that got stolen from him at knife point in a street robbery

i bet he could play a tissue box with 6 rubberbands on it and make it sound incredible

cheers
t4d

note - i edited this post in order to try to clarify my point

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: looking for some info

actually, he doesnt .. he endorses an upscale yamaha signature model based on the one he really plays ... his #1 is a custom made (sadowsky?) replica of the tele that got stolen from him at knife point in a street robbery

i bet he could play a tissue box with 6 rubberbands on it and make it sound incredible

cheers
t4d

Uh, Tele's aren't solid bodies?

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: looking for some info

Give Martin Taylor a whirl if you like Pat Metheny

With a name like Martin Taylor you have to play guitar, it's the law. :smack:

 

[tone4days]

Re: looking for some info

Uh, Tele's aren't solid bodies?

i'm afraid we must be talking past each other, friend ... i tried to reread your post, but i am still coming up confused - sorry

and i edited my post to try to make it clearer - hope this helps dispel any residual confusion

but yes, of course, most teles are solidbodies ... on this we can agree

cheers,
t4d

 

[Bludave]

Re: looking for some info

Essential Listening for Jazz.
1. Wes Montgomery (played Gibson L5)
2. Kenny Burell (Heavily infuenced Stevie Ray Vaughn)
3. Jango Reinhert (Gypsy Jazz. Most of his early work was played on an mid 30's Epiphone. Later he played Macaferri guitars)
4. Grant Green (plays I belive a Super 400 or a D'Angelico).
5. Jim Hall
6. Johnny Smith (played a variety of guitars Gibson, D'Angelico, D'Aquisto).
7. The Icomporable Joe Pass (Gibson 175).
Although I have listed a varitey of great Jazz guitarist here. I would say Wes and Joe Pass as being some of the more important Jazz players to listen to (IMO). I would also recommend you listen to Non Guitar playing Jazz, such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. The importance on this music form that the last 3 names represent is incredible. Parker, and Coltrane basically redefined a musical style much like Hendrix did with Rock.
As far as the guitars used almost all Jazz greats played Archtop guitars. They offer the greatest flexibility for this style of music. Unforunatley arctop guitars are expensive. Gibson L5 being one of the most commonly used guitars for these players. An L5 will run 5,000 and up. A good alternative is a Gibson L50,L12 or L48. These will vary in price depending on age and condition but all will be under 3,000. If the $ you are looking to spend is well below this a good alternative as a starter Jazz box would be an Epiphone regent. This is a laminated top guitar with a floating Pup. for about $600. Highend Archtop guitars are essentially acoustic guitars with a pickup that gives them the ability to be amplified. A great alternative to a "hollow" body is a Telecaster. The neck pup in a Tele offers some suprisingly good tones for Jazz. Typically Humbucking type of pickups are more desired by most Jazz players. They are warmer and cleaner and of course do not have the 60 cycle hum we typically battle with a single coil. If you are looking to get into more "mordern" style Jazz, or Fusion A 335 or a semi hollow body would be a good choice. Robin Ford, Larry Carlton,and John Scolfield all have played this style of guitar! Good luck on your "new" musical journey!!

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: looking for some info

i'm afraid we must be talking past each other, friend ... i tried to reread your post, but i am still coming up confused - sorry

and i edited my post to try to make it clearer - hope this helps dispel any residual confusion

but yes, of course, most teles are solidbodies ... on this we can agree

cheers,
t4d

NO worries, my friend! And since you're obviously into Mike Stern, here's an interesting tidbit: When I saw Mike Stern at the Bottom Line in NYC in May 2003, with Dennis Chambers on drums and VIctor Wooten on bass, he did play his Yamaha Tele, with a Yamaha rack mounted effects unit, as well as a Yamaha (solid state?) amplifier ... his tone was good, overall, and he played everything from fusion to SRV style blues-rock!

 

[tone4days]

Re: looking for some info

... with a Yamaha rack mounted effects unit, as well as a Yamaha (solid state?) amplifier ...

cool - glad to see he pulled it out at least once .. i saw him at the ram's head tavern here in MD last year and he had it on a stand as a backup but never touched it ... he used an ANCIENT yamaha SPX90 for a chorus-y effect ... he uses either a Yamaha G-100 combo with two EV 12"s or a Pearce GR-1 head into a Hartke 4x12 cab with four JBL cones ... sometimes BOTH for stereo .. he has a handful of boss pedals (distortion/octave/delay) on the floor too

cheers,
t4d

 

[Artie]

Re: looking for some info

I may be a little off-base here, but I think that if you like Pat Metheny, you might also like anything by Russ Freeman, (Rippingtons).

 

[Curly]

Re: looking for some info

to me, Pat Metheny doesn't have a traditional jazz sound, although I love his tone and music ... stuff like "Secret Story", and "Still Life Talking" ....

there are a lot of jazz guys I like, but mostly straight ahead jazz from the likes of Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Roland Kirk

and yeah, the guy who plays with Diana Krall is excellent - he did a cool solo on a cable show that was pure blues, very soulful

another player I like who is kinda jazz/ blues is Ronnie Earl

Peace

 

[Marty Horne]

Re: looking for some info

Myfaves are Wes Montgomery, Howard Roberts, Joe Pass, George Benson, Mike Stern, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, and Chuck Loeb.