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I have found a few solid body guitars that I have played at this local guitar shop - Gibson LP. SG and a Fender Telecaster.
I am taking lessons in Jazz and personally don't like the feel of the archtop guitar - I just won't own one because it was not very comfortable for me.
For years I have played on a Gibson LP, but I have heard that Fender Tellys and Gibson SG are really great solid body jazz guitars. I have played both and they are more comfortable and not a heavy as the LP.
Having a tough time trying to decide. All the guitars I have played sound great and feel comfortable. I am just having a tough time with deciding on what a good investment on a solid body jazz guitar.
MK
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07-26-2013 12:32 AM
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A tele of course. <grin>
I don't like LP's part to do with the weight, but I also find the small body uncomfortable. A LP to me doesn't get the varity of tones a tele can.
SG's are nice but you either love or hate the way they feel with the neck stuck on the end of the body always seems like you're stretching out further to get things. So spend some time playing an SG before buying. Tone wise similar to a LP but not as dark.
Tele the most versatile guitar and very comfortable body shape, bigger than a LP so sits nicely. Longer scale, single coil PUP so more chimey and defined. The necks can vary a lot depending on age or model. Also they can range from very inexpensive to Custom Shop big bucks and many of the inexpensive tele are excellent guitars. Last tele's are the hackers guitars you can mod'd them and don't feel bad. A LP you get reluctant to start taking a router to for extra or different shape pickups.
All that said it a personal decision and I say keep going to store and playing them and eliminate them one by one till you have the one that talks to you.
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Thanks for the advice.
Yes, Gibson QC is hit and miss in both the standard USA line and Custom shop line - I think more so in the standard USA line.
Fender seems to have really good QC and consistency with both their standard and custom line. Fender Telly's have really beautiful jazz voice for a solid body. I have always heard Tellys are really versatile and they make great blues guitars also.
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Telecasters are a lot less expensive than a Gibson!
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True. Gibson has really priced themselves too high with inconsistent quality issues. Fender has made some improvements here and there, but Fender also understood "if isn't broke don't fix it".
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I like playing both my Les Paul and my G&L ASAT Classic (t-style guitar). Both have their pros and cons.
- The weight of the LP is definitely a con for me, but I prefer the darker tone of the the LP over the chimy of the tele... at least for jazz.
- The body shape (w/ back contour) of my ASAT if far more comfortable to play than the LP, but again the bright chime t-style is less preferred.
So which do I play mostly... the ASAT (t-style).. go figure
That stated, my LP is going no where.
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There are many other choice other than just LP or tele in the solid body world that may also fit your search for confront and tone. I would recommend just going into a guitar store and playing any and all guitars you find that peak your curiosity. If you decide that you want either the LP or tele, then be sure to still play as many variants as you can of each to include different manufacturers that create like-styled guitars as each is different, has a unique playing feel and sound.
Two other things that determine the sound are of course (1) the amp you choose and speaker in that amp, but that is an entirely different and lengthily discussion, (2) type of pickup on the guitar can change the tone of any model of guitar, (3) type/brand of strings, and
(4) Picks! It is amazing how something as inexpensive as a guitar pick can greatly alter the tone of a guitar. When you go guitar shopping bring light and heavy picks to hear and feel how each guitar you play responds... you'll be amazed!
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One other thought... if you already have a LP and like it, then just start learning on the LP. Try to avoid the "this guitar is better for jazz" roller coaster that we are all guilty of as no guitar will allow you to learn jazz faster... though I know I have used that as an excuse in the past to get new guitars...
I will say though that the "right guitar" for each individual may be more inspiring therefore enhance the experience.
Damn, did I just contradict myself
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I knew a fellow who played a goldtop LP for jazz, and he actually got a great jazz tone. He was a great player, too. Used an old Fender Blues Deluxe amp. He was very particular about setup, too. Consider keeping your LP and learning on that. I've always enjoyed the way a good LP feels.
As for tele vs. SG:
I like to think that image is important, and I never could get used to the look of an SG. Devil horns don't exactly scream "jazz". I've never owned an SG, mind you, and the ones in the shop are always strung too lightly for jazz. I have no idea what a properly setup SG is capable of. I do know the neck is ideal if you favor the higher positions. This is the big reason Santana, who has heavy jazz influences, chose an SG in his early career. The SG is the dark horse of the competition, I think.
Tele's are a popular choice for jazz, and the reason is clear. You don't have to bend over backwards for a good jazz tone. There are some questions to take into consideration when buying a tele, including neck details, brand, and pickup configuration. Maple fingerboard vs. rosewood, thicker neck vs. thinner, Fender vs. G&L, HB neck pickup vs. SC, two pickups vs. three, etc.. I can tell you, I've been on both sides of each of these debates, and no matter what specific choices you pick you're going to end up with a good guitar for jazz.Last edited by =DK=; 07-26-2013 at 10:12 AM.
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Since you own a Gibson LP, buy the Fender Tele, better compliment/contrast/change to what you currently own. I believe every player who plugs in should own a Tele!
Last edited by ESCC; 07-26-2013 at 10:40 AM. Reason: type-o
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Tele. Used ones can be reasonable in price, and if you are looking at the cheaper Fender Squier models, the Classic Vibe (CV) Teles get a lot of love. I'm also a fan of the clearer sound of single coil pickups.
Aside: when you play your Tele sitting down, which leg do you rest it on? I find the body is small enough that it feels better on my left leg (I am right handed.)
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I have both. They are both fine for jazz sounds. The telecaster is the most comfortable guitar I have ever played. It is a thinline and weighs almost nothing.
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OP: just don't think that being a thinline will make it sound more like an archtop. It's mainly about weight-reduction. And heft the guitar before you buy it. Some suspicious people think they save the densest slabs for thinlines.
Originally Posted by Sonnyboy
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The Les Paul is fine...if you want a different "jazz oriented" guitar you can set up with heavier strings, etc., I'd pick a tele over an SG...
but that's just personal preference. I go for a tele over ANY solidbody.
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They are quite different. Life is short and more guitars the merrier as far as I'm concerned. However, you might want to spend some more listening time to figure out what you want to sound like. That should trump most everything else.
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I like Les Pauls a lot, but they are heavy as others have pointed out. And they are solid mahogany, short scale, with humbuckers. So they sustain a LOT and can easily have a too-warm, too-loud kind of sound for jazz.
Teles are long scale, made of ash or alder, and have single coils (usually) for more brightness and articulation in the fundamental sound (always tweakable with tone controls and such).
Les Pauls are excellent for all kinds of rock and clean funk or R&B, but I don't prefer them for jazz. I do, however, have two Teles that are great jazz guitars.
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I am looking at some really cool Teles at Wildwood Guitars in Colorado next week when I get to Denver.
I noticed they have Teles with humbuckers for the neck pup and they sound great on the You Tube video. Sound really great for Jazz!
Some of the Wildwood spec'd Teles have Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers.
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Lou Pallo.......
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Larry - nice LP.
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I played a few Teles and they play beautifully and very comfortable. These were also custom shop Teles which are huge difference in feel from the regular line Teles and the Mexican Teles. Money is not the issue so I would probably look into one of the custom shop telecasters.
Also, I played a custom shop Fender Jazzmaster. It played nice also - great sound and feel. I know these were real popular with 60's surf music bands, but I never under stood why they never caught on with jazz players.
Joe Pass used a Fender Jaguar for a while in the 1960's.
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The Jazzmaster is cool looking, but has a goofy bridge design and even wackier controls. Not really compatible with the jazz guitarist's ethos, which usually favors simplicity of design and purity of tone. And the Jag is, I believe, quite short scale at 24".
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Recently bought a LP with P90's, fabulous sound, more vibrant than my Tele's, suits the more modern sound I like. You can see and hear the Lou Pallo on his website.....
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Remember LPs are now chambered so you can find one @ 7 lb not 9 or 10. The single coils do however stand out more where you are playing with some some brass in the band. If you play classically play sax parts esp.
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Tele. Check Jim Adkins model...
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In the last year, I've owned a new 2011 Les Paul Supreme, an SG Standard with '50's neck profile and rosewood board, and an American Deluxe Telecaster (N3 noiseless pickups, a 9.5" to 14" compound radius neck, in Olympic Pearl with "belly cut"). The American Standard Tele looks nice too.
Sold the LP Supreme due to weight and is uncomfortable sitting down or standing, selling the SG because of "image" but great tone, and I'm keeping the Tele for the best overall mix of qualities. Don't believe the "neck diving" tales about the SG - it is really nice seated or standing.
My other guitars are both ES 175s (one natural and one in antique cherry), and little problem transitioning among them.
I'm looking at a second American Deluxe Tele in Cherry Burst to round things out.
Bill
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My Gibson Les Paul is the best jazz guitar I've played (although I admittedly haven't tried many). Mine is a model with split coil pickups, so I can dial in some single coil brightness if necessary, but usually find the darker rich tone desirable for jazz.
Interesting that so many people describe a Telecaster as versatile. I want desperately to own one, but I don't find them versatile at all. They really only seem to do one or two sounds well, and most of the ground is better covered by a Stratocaster IMHO. The only thing a Tele can do that a standard wired Strat can't is the jangly neck + bridge thing, and my Les Paul nails that tone with the split coils.
I ended up getting rid of my Ibanez hollow body because the Gibson yielded a nicer, richer tone- dark but not muddy, strong but not overpowering, and its versatility with the split coils was amazing.
Played a 335 a few weeks ago, thinking that might even be better, but no- different, certainly, but not better. Still prefer my Paul.
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