Getting That Jazz Tone

The Guitar

For an authentic jazz tone, a semi-acoustic hollow body electric guitar is probably best. A Gibson ES-175 can cost thousands of dollars but there are also some good quality entry models such as Guild, Yamaha , Ibanez Artcore line of guitars and Epiphone, owned by Gibson, are designed for aspiring musicians who lack the budget for a top model. Look for a guitar which provides a clean tone with plenty of sustain.

Roll off the treble on your guitar’s controls. Jazz guitar players often like to play with a rich mellow tone.

Jazz Guitar Amplifier

Traditional jazz guitar players often use solid state amplifiers that produce a clean sound that can compliment acoustic arch-top guitars. Others prefer a slightly more distorted sound, so a tube amp might fit the bill.

Guitar Effect Pedals

A touch of reverb might be all that you need without having to get into effects in any great depth. However, many jazz guitar players today use the whole range at their disposal, chorus, overdrive, distortion and wah-wah pedals. When you are using Effects Pedals, make sure they compliment your playing style and that you still have that “clarity” in your tone. Many guitar players make the mistake of using a too intense or too many effects in their guitar tone which results in a poor quality or muddy sound.

Listen to all the recordings of all the jazz guitarists that you can. Listen closely to their sounds and try to recreate them. When you experience this enough, you will be able to develop and create your own special guitar sound. You will have a signature sound all of your own.