TimmyPage
New member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
Literally anything will do. When I did mostly jazz gigs, I used to just call ahead and see if they had amps laying around rather than drag a huge amp halfway across the city. I've played gigs with tiny solid state amps (ZT Lunchbox, little Fender SS amps that I've forgotten the name of), I've played gigs with tube amps (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Deville, Deluxe Reissue, Virbolux, Twin). My favourite local jazz guitarist played with a Plexi clone for years and got one of the best clean tones I've ever heard, more recently he switched to the Mesa Mark 5:25 and sounds fantastic.
The funniest gig setup of my life, I called ahead and asked if they had a backline for me and the guy was like 'yeah we have some amps around', but when I showed up all he had was a Peavey 6505+ amp, so I dialed it in for a standard clean tone, rolled my tone knob off and went for it. It actually didn't sound half bad, because the cabinet had enough push to it's speakers to feel nice and punchy.
If I have a preference though, I hate the Jazz Chorus. They sound awful and tinny, I always had to run my tone knob and volume knob much lower to get the tone soft enough to mix well with other instruments. They sound great if you are in an 80s new wave band, but for straight up jazz I find them lacking. The Twin Reverb as well, while it can sound really warm and sweet, I've never been in a rehearsal space or jazz gig where I was allowed to turn it up enough to get there tonally.
My favourite amps that I have played gigs with were the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (I'm convinced it's one of the best amps ever made at this point), the Fender Deluxe Reverb, the Supro Coronado (think a Deluxe Reverb with a much more complex midrange), and my Traynor YCV 50 Blue (which is honestly nothing special, I think you could get the same result with any EL34 clean amp, nice and dark with a strong midrange).
Literally anything will do. When I did mostly jazz gigs, I used to just call ahead and see if they had amps laying around rather than drag a huge amp halfway across the city. I've played gigs with tiny solid state amps (ZT Lunchbox, little Fender SS amps that I've forgotten the name of), I've played gigs with tube amps (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Deville, Deluxe Reissue, Virbolux, Twin). My favourite local jazz guitarist played with a Plexi clone for years and got one of the best clean tones I've ever heard, more recently he switched to the Mesa Mark 5:25 and sounds fantastic.
The funniest gig setup of my life, I called ahead and asked if they had a backline for me and the guy was like 'yeah we have some amps around', but when I showed up all he had was a Peavey 6505+ amp, so I dialed it in for a standard clean tone, rolled my tone knob off and went for it. It actually didn't sound half bad, because the cabinet had enough push to it's speakers to feel nice and punchy.
If I have a preference though, I hate the Jazz Chorus. They sound awful and tinny, I always had to run my tone knob and volume knob much lower to get the tone soft enough to mix well with other instruments. They sound great if you are in an 80s new wave band, but for straight up jazz I find them lacking. The Twin Reverb as well, while it can sound really warm and sweet, I've never been in a rehearsal space or jazz gig where I was allowed to turn it up enough to get there tonally.
My favourite amps that I have played gigs with were the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (I'm convinced it's one of the best amps ever made at this point), the Fender Deluxe Reverb, the Supro Coronado (think a Deluxe Reverb with a much more complex midrange), and my Traynor YCV 50 Blue (which is honestly nothing special, I think you could get the same result with any EL34 clean amp, nice and dark with a strong midrange).
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
When I saw the late great Allen Holdsworth play in the 80s he was playing a single bridge humbucker Charvel strat through two 60 watt Fender tube amps for loud cleans and a custom 6v6 tube powered amp for distortion.
When I saw the late great Allen Holdsworth play in the 80s he was playing a single bridge humbucker Charvel strat through two 60 watt Fender tube amps for loud cleans and a custom 6v6 tube powered amp for distortion.
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
Allan used 2 Twins when I saw him last year, but I am guessing they were just provided backline. When I mentioned Twins to him, he shook his head and said they were terrible for what he likes. However, Allan's clean tone (and distorted tone) are about as far away from traditional jazz tone as Megadeth. Which is why I love his music so much.
He was using 6 Yamaha Magic Stomps when I saw him, and 2 of his signature Yamaha delays.
Allan used 2 Twins when I saw him last year, but I am guessing they were just provided backline. When I mentioned Twins to him, he shook his head and said they were terrible for what he likes. However, Allan's clean tone (and distorted tone) are about as far away from traditional jazz tone as Megadeth. Which is why I love his music so much.
He was using 6 Yamaha Magic Stomps when I saw him, and 2 of his signature Yamaha delays.
Open lane
New member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
I like the henrisken jazzamp. Doesn't do gain well and i've tried fenders that i think sound better but It sounds nice, is loud enough to play w/ a drummer, has a built in reverb, stays clean and is light and portable. I typically reach for it when feeling lazy.
I like the henrisken jazzamp. Doesn't do gain well and i've tried fenders that i think sound better but It sounds nice, is loud enough to play w/ a drummer, has a built in reverb, stays clean and is light and portable. I typically reach for it when feeling lazy.
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
We've had some good times talking about amps in the other jazz threads. There're a lot of recommendations for solid-state amps, and I'm wondering why that is. Is it because they're supposed to have better clean tones than tube amps? Is it because, since you don't need distortion, you'd might as well have an amp that either doesn't have distortion or doesn't have good distortion? Is it a headroom issue?
We've had some good times talking about amps in the other jazz threads. There're a lot of recommendations for solid-state amps, and I'm wondering why that is. Is it because they're supposed to have better clean tones than tube amps? Is it because, since you don't need distortion, you'd might as well have an amp that either doesn't have distortion or doesn't have good distortion? Is it a headroom issue?
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
Several jazz players around here use pedal steel amps - very clean and powerful for more headroom, with 15's. One of my best friends is a jazzer, and he uses an Ampeg solid state head powering a pair of neodymium 12's in a custom cabinet for his clean, and a single vintage 12 Hiwatt combo for his dirt. He gets a great tone with a solidbody or archtop.
Several jazz players around here use pedal steel amps - very clean and powerful for more headroom, with 15's. One of my best friends is a jazzer, and he uses an Ampeg solid state head powering a pair of neodymium 12's in a custom cabinet for his clean, and a single vintage 12 Hiwatt combo for his dirt. He gets a great tone with a solidbody or archtop.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
I think rock guys like tubes because of the way they sound when they distort.
That's not important to traditional jazz guys who play big hollowbody jazz guitars.
They're looking for loud, warm, clean, dependable, reliable...and light weight.
They aren't looking to pose in front of walls of Marshalls or big rock amps. Or for an amp that needs maintenance all the time like most tube amps do.
Solid state fills the bill.
I think rock guys like tubes because of the way they sound when they distort.
That's not important to traditional jazz guys who play big hollowbody jazz guitars.
They're looking for loud, warm, clean, dependable, reliable...and light weight.
They aren't looking to pose in front of walls of Marshalls or big rock amps. Or for an amp that needs maintenance all the time like most tube amps do.
Solid state fills the bill.
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MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
I disagree. Loud, warm, reliable, and weight have little or nothing to do with it. Volume is a consideration, but basically any great Jazz amp is defacto loud enough...Clean, yes... Jazz guys want a very Hi-fi, sterile tone, to let the jazz box get dark, even muddy on it's own-they play on the neck pickup.They want the guitar to have a very neutral transparent sound without any amp coloration in general.The great guitars of the high end Gibson and some other Hollow body jazz guitars get plenty of beautiful tone all on their own. Thats the traditional jazz sound, although of course you have some ol;d Jazz greats liking the old Fender tube amps with a hint of breakup, but then again, back in the day, what else was there?
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Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
Good points. There are certain expectations when it comes to traditional jazz guitar. In traditional jazz, the guitar is expected to be part of the "rhythm section". Being part of the rhythm section means it, along with the bass , drums, and the piano, provides the sonic back ground for the reeds and horns when playing in an ensemble, or when playing playing quietly alone, such as in a restaurant, it is expected to perform much the same role as the jazz piano. In both cases the guitar is thought of more or less as a portable piano. Hence portability is an important aspect, because if the guitar rig is big and heavy, why have it instead of a piano?
Distortion (and other effects) transforms the electric guitar into an entirely different instrument from the above expectations. Distortion allows the guitar to occupy much of the same sonic space as reeds and horns. Indeed, a distorted guitar playing riffs allows it to perform the same roles as entire horn sections did in earlier jazz eras. It transforms the genre. That is not always welcome.
Allen Holdsworth was mentioned above. He, and a few others, took these aspects of the electric guitar and jumped into the same sonic space as somebody like John Coltrane or Miles Davis occupied. And when playing chords he didn't want any twang. He wanted the sound to be like a whole horn section playing complex chord voicing.
Good points. There are certain expectations when it comes to traditional jazz guitar. In traditional jazz, the guitar is expected to be part of the "rhythm section". Being part of the rhythm section means it, along with the bass , drums, and the piano, provides the sonic back ground for the reeds and horns when playing in an ensemble, or when playing playing quietly alone, such as in a restaurant, it is expected to perform much the same role as the jazz piano. In both cases the guitar is thought of more or less as a portable piano. Hence portability is an important aspect, because if the guitar rig is big and heavy, why have it instead of a piano?
Distortion (and other effects) transforms the electric guitar into an entirely different instrument from the above expectations. Distortion allows the guitar to occupy much of the same sonic space as reeds and horns. Indeed, a distorted guitar playing riffs allows it to perform the same roles as entire horn sections did in earlier jazz eras. It transforms the genre. That is not always welcome.
Allen Holdsworth was mentioned above. He, and a few others, took these aspects of the electric guitar and jumped into the same sonic space as somebody like John Coltrane or Miles Davis occupied. And when playing chords he didn't want any twang. He wanted the sound to be like a whole horn section playing complex chord voicing.
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
I always heard a bit of overdrive in trditional jazz guitar. Maybe they were overdriving the amp, maybe the microphone, but that warmness was never totally clean (like a JC-120) to me. I think it was a function of using small tube amps.
I always heard a bit of overdrive in trditional jazz guitar. Maybe they were overdriving the amp, maybe the microphone, but that warmness was never totally clean (like a JC-120) to me. I think it was a function of using small tube amps.
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
Traditional jazz is definitely the kind of sound I'm after. When I put those flatwounds on and started picking with my thumb and fingers, I knew I was heading in the right direction. To be honest, with a decent hollowbody I can make it sound like something, unamplified.
Traditional jazz is definitely the kind of sound I'm after. When I put those flatwounds on and started picking with my thumb and fingers, I knew I was heading in the right direction. To be honest, with a decent hollowbody I can make it sound like something, unamplified.
voggin
Well-known member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
For a cheap, used alternative, you might want to try to find an old Hughes and Kettner Edition Blonde. It's a SS amp with a great clean channel. I borrowed one for a while when I was between amps. The owner used it exclusively for jazz.
I didn't find it at all sterile, quite warm, actually. I was trying to play jazz at that time, learning the chords and melodies to stuff like "Misty" and "Autumn Leaves". I was playing a 339 on the neck through the H and K, and was getting the tone that I think of as traditional jazz guitar, with a dash of the amps reverb. I've seen these babies used for a hundred bucks.
For a cheap, used alternative, you might want to try to find an old Hughes and Kettner Edition Blonde. It's a SS amp with a great clean channel. I borrowed one for a while when I was between amps. The owner used it exclusively for jazz.
I didn't find it at all sterile, quite warm, actually. I was trying to play jazz at that time, learning the chords and melodies to stuff like "Misty" and "Autumn Leaves". I was playing a 339 on the neck through the H and K, and was getting the tone that I think of as traditional jazz guitar, with a dash of the amps reverb. I've seen these babies used for a hundred bucks.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/59351-jazz-guitar-amps-compilation.html
http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/59351-jazz-guitar-amps-compilation.html
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
^ Fantastic find..thanks so much for that link LPB.
^ Fantastic find..thanks so much for that link LPB.
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: What makes a good jazz amp?
The last thing I'm going to do is buy an amp before I (a) learn to play in at least a couple of styles, and (b) run that through my current amps to hear how they sound. I don't need to travel, and I don't care about heat or energy efficiency, so solid state has no appeal for me along those lines. I know this is way out of character for me, but I would rather try to get better tone by practicing or changing my technique than by buying an amp. I already want two more jazz guitars; that's bad enough.
The last thing I'm going to do is buy an amp before I (a) learn to play in at least a couple of styles, and (b) run that through my current amps to hear how they sound. I don't need to travel, and I don't care about heat or energy efficiency, so solid state has no appeal for me along those lines. I know this is way out of character for me, but I would rather try to get better tone by practicing or changing my technique than by buying an amp. I already want two more jazz guitars; that's bad enough.
