Can I play jazz on my ESP Ron Wood custom telecaster?

[Grigoris]

Hello to everyone on the forum,

I will pose this question here, even though I have this feeling that it has been answered about a million times already.
I am studying classical guitar and through the works of Takemitsu and Dyens I have found myself to be more and more interested in jazz. I also started out by playing the piano when I was 10 but always stayed within the classical music frame, except for Nikolai Kapustin and Gershwin works which follow the vocabulary of jazz but it's sheet music and not improvisation based.

As a teen I started playing rock and was a massive fan of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, so when we formed a band to play similar type of rock/funk style I bought myself a ESP Ron Wood telecaster and I even have recorded an album with it. This guitar is really good for that type of music, but I was wondering whether I could use it to try and learn jazz on the guitar, in the style of Joe Pass let's say (finger rather than with a pick).

It's always fun to buy more new gear and I am currently obsessing about buying an Epiphone Joe Pass II Emperor hollow-body for my jazz initiation. Do you think it's a wise choice for a beginner or should I stick to my telecaster and try my best with what I already have?

What can I do to get a nice fat jazz sound out of my tele? Should I use flatwound strings (12) and stick to the neck humbucker? What type of amp should I go for? Is a Blackstar ID V2 good enough for home practice?

Any advice highly appreciated

[TOMMO]

...and absolutely: yes!

[Northenlights]

Stick to your tele (if you like it) until you can afford the epiphone. After that, play both!
There was recently a string gauge discussion here, and I for one am convinced that you can get a perfect jazz sound with 10s. It's more about feel than tone imo.
The most common is to use the neck pickup with tone rolled off, but you can achieve alot just by altering your pick attack, using your fingers etc. Experiment! Who knows, maybe you'll find your own, unique signature tone on the bridge pickup!

[marcwhy]

Welcome! Lots of tele love here, including how to get "jazz sounds" (whatever that means!) on one. Explore around -- lots to be found!

Marc

[John A.]

Hello to everyone on the forum,

I will pose this question here, even though I have this feeling that it has been answered about a million times already.
I am studying classical guitar and through the works of Takemitsu and Dyens I have found myself to be more and more interested in jazz. I also started out by playing the piano when I was 10 but always stayed within the classical music frame, except for Nikolai Kapustin and Gershwin works which follow the vocabulary of jazz but it's sheet music and not improvisation based.

As a teen I started playing rock and was a massive fan of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, so when we formed a band to play similar type of rock/funk style I bought myself a ESP Ron Wood telecaster and I even have recorded an album with it. This guitar is really good for that type of music, but I was wondering whether I could use it to try and learn jazz on the guitar, in the style of Joe Pass let's say (finger rather than with a pick).

It's always fun to buy more new gear and I am currently obsessing about buying an Epiphone Joe Pass II Emperor hollow-body for my jazz initiation. Do you think it's a wise choice for a beginner or should I stick to my telecaster and try my best with what I already have?

What can I do to get a nice fat jazz sound out of my tele? Should I use flatwound strings (12) and stick to the neck humbucker? What type of amp should I go for? Is a Blackstar ID V2 good enough for home practice?

Any advice highly appreciated

No, you must absolutely not ever play jazz on your ESP Ron Wood Telecaster! The harm this would do to you, and all living beings in the universe would be vast and irreversible! You must immediately send it to me so that I can protect you and all living beings in the universe by making sure jazz is never played on it! Also, the warranty on your car appears to have expired ...


John

[Gitterbug]

With a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck position, you can play jazz with a street broom.

[339 in june]

I just called the Jazz Police
They're coming to get you
Better run, better run, better run!

[Tal_175]

It appears to be in direct violation of the Jazz Constitution Article 2 section 1:

Article 2, section 1: Guitars suitable for jazz performance shall solely utilize hollow body construction. Consequences of failure to comply with the instrument construction requirements are outlined in the jazz treason clause.

[rpjazzguitar]

First, listen to Ted Greene on youtube. The one at the wedding gig.

His Tele sounds like a chorus of angels.

Then, just start playing whatever jazz you like. Experiment with the tone controls.

If you really can't get a sound you like, you might try a humbucking pickup (if you want a darker tone) or maybe a change in capacitor value. I use the Duncan Lil 59 in a cheap Strat copy, which you can hear on the jam thread for Unit 7 under Improvisation on this forum.

Great jazz has been played on every kind of guitar.

[citizenk74]

Hello to everyone on the forum,

I will pose this question here, even though I have this feeling that it has been answered about a million times already.
I am studying classical guitar and through the works of Takemitsu and Dyens I have found myself to be more and more interested in jazz. I also started out by playing the piano when I was 10 but always stayed within the classical music frame, except for Nikolai Kapustin and Gershwin works which follow the vocabulary of jazz but it's sheet music and not improvisation based.

As a teen I started playing rock and was a massive fan of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, so when we formed a band to play similar type of rock/funk style I bought myself a ESP Ron Wood telecaster and I even have recorded an album with it. This guitar is really good for that type of music, but I was wondering whether I could use it to try and learn jazz on the guitar, in the style of Joe Pass let's say (finger rather than with a pick).

It's always fun to buy more new gear and I am currently obsessing about buying an Epiphone Joe Pass II Emperor hollow-body for my jazz initiation. Do you think it's a wise choice for a beginner or should I stick to my telecaster and try my best with what I already have?

What can I do to get a nice fat jazz sound out of my tele? Should I use flatwound strings (12) and stick to the neck humbucker? What type of amp should I go for? Is a Blackstar ID V2 good enough for home practice?

Any advice highly appreciated

[grahambop]

No, it will invalidate the guitar’s warranty.

[Jim Soloway]

It should actually be a very nice guitar for playing jazz. Just try dialing in the cleanest tone you can and turning the volume down a bit and you'll have a starting point.

[AllanAllen]

You can play jazz on any guitar.

[2bornot2bop]

Get an archtop. It’s traditional.

See the tele thread for all things tele. There’s no need to create another thread about your thoughts on a tele.

[marcwhy]

Heheh:

[Litterick]

Ask Ron Wood.

[neatomic]

ron "wood"

cheers

ps- i always liked those esp tele's and strats...very nice quality at a time when fender was floundering a bit...

and you don't have to go to 12 flats..try 10 flats first!

cheers

[Donplaysguitar]

Ask your classical guitar teacher. He knows everything and is smarter than you’ll ever be.

[wzpgsr]

I sold my first decent guitar, a 1989 or 1990 Strat Plus several years ago, when I was old enough to know better, and now regret it every time I think of it. That was the guitar I learned to play on, and although I have several “nicer jazz guitars” now, none of them has ever felt as comfortable in my hands as that guitar. I recently reached out to the buyer to see if I could buy it back, but he appears to be a dealer/collector of Strat Pluses, and my guitar was long gone.

You can play jazz on anything. If you like your ESP and it feels good, play jazz on it.

[neatomic]

I sold my first decent guitar, a 1989 or 1990 Strat Plus several years ago, when I was old enough to know better, and now regret it every time I think of it. That was the guitar I learned to play on, and although I have several “nicer jazz guitars” now, none of them has ever felt as comfortable in my hands as that guitar. I recently reached out to the buyer to see if I could buy it back, but he appears to be a dealer/collector of Strat Pluses, and my guitar was long gone.

retrospect can be a dangerous thing...esp. when it comes to the one that got away!!...

stick with the niceties you presently have

there’s an old adage, adapted for the title of a 1940 Thomas Wolfe novel, that states, “You can never go home again.”

cheers

[Grigoris]

Thanks peeps, I feel like I have received a warm welcome to your jazz cave.

One more thing, I'm thinking of equipping my tele with flatwounds ECG25, hope they're not too difficult to play?

Also; there's an ad for a Fender Champion 40 just here where I live, brand new. Do you consider it a versatile enough amp to get a good fat jazz sound or will it be too treble-y with my telecaster? I'm really asking if it pairs well with a tele, but with a humbucker at the neck. I'm currently using a friend's bass amp and the sound is not bad at all. But eventually the friend would want his amp back, so...

[grahambop]

This may be of interest:

[maggles55]

CAN I PLAY JAZZ ON MY ESP RON WOOD CUSTOM TELECASTER?

Definitely!!, but you must only play the following tunes:

Sympathy for the Satin Doll
Brown Stella
(I Can't Get No) Salt Peanuts
Jumpin' Jack Freedom Jazz Dance
Basin Street Beast of Burden
etc.

[kris]

It's not easy to play jazz on Telecaster.
You have to look for the right sound, strings, etc.
A guitar that is designed to play jazz is easier to handle.

[Tal_175]

OK, let's keep it civil people.