Which one is your favorite? Is there a solid body I don't know yet, that's even better for jazz? Let me know! Thanks all for coming to the live chat. That was a super nerdy chat. I loved it :-))
Try a G&L ASAT Fullerton (American) Bluesboy. The pickups are not "ice picky" like the Fender Tele and it has a nice humbucker in the neck position. Leo Fender got the Tele into the present with this design, Pleked from the factory....rolled fingerboard edges, 9.5 radius and very low straight from the factory. Mine blows my Fender away in almost every way. If you bottom out the pickups you get the classic Tele sound, up it sounds like an S-1 is engaged with absolutely NO 60 cycle hum. You would have to spend over $2500- 3500 on a Fender to get close.
Les Paul, the man himself, proved the LP's capabilities for jazz on his old show back in the day. It is good to hear the LP still has what it takes. Thanks, Sandra.
@@jltrem And not by Les Paul. Jazz was the dominant popular music at the time (people forget that). Les Paul wasn't much of a jazz artist though. No one listens to his jazz recordings.
Personally the telecaster is my favorite jazz guitar. Ted Greene, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell... It's extremely dynamic. Also, as mentioned in the video, the chord melodies on a telecaster are fantastic!
One more tele jazz fan: my #1 pick for solid body jazz, and I prefer its traditional single coil in the neck. Just roll a smidge of volume off, tweak bass to taste on the amp. Oh, and add Mr. Tim Lerch to the army of great tele-wielding jazzmen. The amazing Anthony Wilson also seems to share the passion!
Actually also love SGs for Jazz , not the first guitar you think of for jazz just lookwise, but since it sounds kinda like a Les Paul with a bit extra mid accentuation, they also work great. And overall i personally prefer SGs for the great fretacess and lighter weight compared to les pauls. Also both guitars with humbuckers OR p90 pickups for jazz
Great fun. Vielen Dank. Came to same conclusion a while ago between my Strat, LP & Tele. LP takes top place for solid body. My Ibanez archtop is the zenith. :)
You know one you didn’t consider which is actually my personal choice for solid body jazz guitar is the Jazzmaster or even the jaguar with vintage pick ups. I got a squier j mascis Jazzmaster in 2020 and bought some 1965 vintage pick ups to deepen the sound. When I tell you the sound is incredible, especially for a guitar that is considered to be a rock and roll guitar, it plays way better than my tele as far tone, and the actual neck and action has a bit of a heavy pull as well (plus I like hybrid strings) so this is a wonderful choice as well for anyone with a Jazzmaster already, or considering getting one. I’d actually like your take on this one personally if you get a chance!
I'll be on the LIVE CHAT dring the premiere. The live chat will last 25 minutes (the length of the video). Make sure to set the reminder and be on time. Let's have some nerdy gear talk See you here, Sandra
I liked the PRS, I didn’t think it would be as nice for jazz as it was. The one I liked least was the strat, lacking those mids like you said. Cool video
Fun video, Tele all the way i gotta say~ big Ted Greene fan ;) The fret buzz on the strat and tele sounds setup related, raising the string saddle on those high e strings just a touch ought to sort you out. It sounds like you play with quite a low action generally, so it’s quite easy for the instruments to develop string buzz with changes in the weather and temperature. You could say they’re... Tempermental 😜
Lol, that's right. I think there is a lot of mic bleed on the first part, that amplifies the string noise. That's why there's the direct sound comparison.
To get the best jazz tone in that Tele, drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting. I have. 012. Flat wound strings.... It sounds super jazzy! Trust me... The Tele is actually a 5 stars with that setting... It's an all-in-one guitar. But it's like a manual transmission. You just have to have the right strings and settings. Thanks for sharing your video. I learned more about solid bodies
I totally agree with you. You put flat wounds on a Tele, and it becomes transformed. I did that on mine. For me, there is no better guitar made. The most versatile guitar out there.
@@kelalamusic9258 Very good description. Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Tele. I have never enjoyed any other electric like this one. Just my opinion. The only thing I wish it had is a whammy bar.
"Drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting". Nathan how do you do that as the Tele only has one tone control knob. Do you mean drop the tone knob to 0 and then set the mid position on the selector switch (both pickups now) and the volume knob to the highest setting?
Another fine video from Sandra! Just goes to show you, we spend so much time, money and effort on gear-we often forget that great Jazz comes from the player and not the instrument. Thanks Sandra!
Sandra, Ted Greene played Telecasters but, one of his favorite Tele's had a humbucker in the neck position instead of a single coil. Mike Stern has a signature Yamaha Tele also with a humbucker in the neck position. Your right about the Gibson Les Paul being the best in terms of 1. Fit and Finish 2.Playability 3.Tone. Although Gibson also makes semihollow Les Pauls with 2 f holes that might have an even better tone for Jazz. Thanks.
Very good comparison with some nice Jazz playing. I am 'over' watching/listening to reviews comparing instruments and amps etc, with about +40% distortion. The reviews are just playing the effect pedal, not the guitar. Your review is a breath of fresh air. I was surprised about the PRS. Not surprised that the Les Paul sounded so good. Thank you so much. Cheers from Australia
Excellent comparison...although, if you put a good EQ pedal in the chain you will be able to get very very similar sounds from all the guitars. The real difference will be in the feeling when you play, and for me a bigger guitar will make me feel a bit more into the jazz mood!!!
@@TheHumbuckerboy but then it's not a fair test or demonstration of each guitar. You would of course in reality tweak your amp if you were playing Jazz with a strat and achieve a suitable tone but I guess the point of these type of demos is to expose the core properties of each guitar, which even aside from Jazz I find extremely useful as a guitar addict and tone hound.
@@danhaggarty2178 In your reasoning if the amp isn't adjusted to bring out the sought after tone of each individual guitar then obviously the amp is going to happen to suit some of these guitars and not to suit the others and that isn't fair is it ?
@@bjunk5344 But individual guitars require different amp settings in order to achieve their most appropriate tone according to what style of music is being played.
Agree the telecaster can still provide jazzy tones (check out Jim Mullen throughout the 80s although more Jazz/Funk using his thumb). For me it's about finding a broad thin fretboard with good humbuckers rather than a hollow body, but each to his own. Thanks for upload. PS Don Mock gets an amazing sound in his Instructional video "Jazz rhythm chops", 3 pickup solid body.
Great video. I completely agree with your take on this. I've been considering the PRS CE 24 and after this I may very well get one. The PRS is an extremely versatile guitar They look great as well. Thanks so much for sharing
Great job, Sandra. This is exactly how sound comparisons should be. Only with a fast cut you can tell the differences. Too many UA-camrs have all the talking in between.
You play so well that you can make any guitar sound jazzy. An interesting option is a Telecaster with a neck humbucker. Also, the Tele sound with both pickups selected (no special switching) is brilliant.
I found on the fender if you put it in the middle position and THEN roll the bottom tone knob you can get a good jazz tone. I came here to see what the best guitar tone wise for jazz is. Also, I am shocked how good the tele sounds
Thanks for the input, Nicholas! I left the sounds untweaked on purpose. I have a Tele with very dark sounding humbuckers myself and it sounds super jazzy. But for this video I wanted to shocase the nature of the guitars, without much tweaking necessary.
Middle position on a strat, with volume rolled down to 8 and tone knob rolled down to 6 or 7 and most people have no idea what they're missing. Full and woody tone, almost like like magic.
I'm a bass player, why am I here? I don't know, but I really like what I'm listening to, you're very good and I really like what you play! My fav solid body is the Les Paul. 😍
Nice. I am missing here the comparison with a Tele with humbucker at the neck ( like a Seymour Duncan antiquity), as Ed Bickert. That sounds beautiful for jazz and very similar to a thick archtop.
Something I'd point out on the Telecaster -- a 3 saddle bridge with compensated brass saddles is way warmer and more "woody" sounding, I use mine for jazz and swing stuff all the time.
It's all a question of humbucker versus single coil. Humbuckers tend to cut high frequencies naturally. If you have 2 single coils that are humbucking they cut different frequencies because the distance is different. Question of wave length.
I learned a lot from this comparison video. I’ve been practicing guitar for less than 2 years but my everyday guitars are Stratocaster and Ibanez RG series. 😂 your videos are making me want to have a jazz guitar so bad. 😂 I guess I have to get better at playing first even with my strat then I will shop for a jazz guitar in the future. I love you Sandra❣️ I really love your channel and your tutorials. You are an amazing person and amazing musician! One day, I’d love to be able to play jazz like you do…(perhaps my next life time…😂) Thank you from bottom of my ❤️
Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ I really love how you enjoy the tutorials and reviews. If you go for your first jazz guitar, check out my video "5 bestJazz Guitars undee $ 1000". The Epi Joe Pass isn't produced anymore, though.
Great comparison and interesting results. I've got a 335 and Strat, and for pure jazz tones, the 335 is incredible, and hard to beat. It's also so versatile, in that you go almost instantly from beautiful, creamy jazz tones on the neck pickup to vintage blues by dialling in the bridge pickup.
@@topitopka , The calibrated T-Types. But these new ones are beautiful. Really great pickups. Lovely blend of bell like chiming highs on the bridge pick up and fat full tones on the neck. It's what makes it so versatile for blues and jazz. I often play middle position with the treble tone knob down to about 5.5. It's a real sweet spot.
I loved each one of those guitars for the different character that they posses but if I'd have to pick just one,well I guess I would go for the Les Paul, a little bit sweeter than the rest but remember that variety is the spice of life. Thank God all guitars don't sound the same!
I love the diverdity too. Sometimes I stand in front of my guitar rig, like a little kid, enjoying to have the possibility to choose. It's like a full fridge to me. I don't need it, but it's great to have 😁
I don't really care much about jazz or guitars, but I still find this fascinating. I like the tone of the Les Paul the best among the solid bodies-the roundness of it is just beautiful.
You can get a 4-way switch for non-S1 Telecasters. Love that series pickup combo with the tone rolled back on my Thinline, especially with Wilde Microcoil pickups for bell-like chord solos.
for a jazz tone on a strat I drive the power amp section on the amp relatively hard also rolling off the highs in the pre amp section while having the guitar volume set to around 1 or as low as I need it for the warm tone, that way all the high freq's are lost and only the lows & mids get through... even for fusion some nice round warm smooth distortion is a nice topping, still love the humbuckers though can't beat them for a fat jazz tone xD
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman You're absolutely correct. The intrinsic sound of the guitar itself. Humbuckers in a semi acoustic electric will win hands down every time for that kind of tone... no argument there, especially with flatwound heavy gauge strings. I'm imagining how playing a choppy funk vamp would not work as well with humbuckers :) Perhaps there could be a video "how to get a jazz tone from my strat"
Sounds like it would be too dead for hardbop. Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and George Benson had some trebly high notes, it's just about that woody tone
The PRS was really sweet. Very piano-like attack if that makes any sense. I think a Custom 22 may sound even jazzier thanks to the neck pickup's position.
Totally agree. I have a student with a McCarthy, that has an awesome jazz sound. For everything else it's too dark for me, but it does jazz and Blues really well.
Thank you so much for uploading such a good video. I am a beginner and just starting to study jazz with interest. I like jazz, but I was looking for a guitar that could be used in a variety of genres, so I was watching several guitar-related videos, and this video was very helpful. Among solid guitars, Telecaster seems to be the best fit for jazz and other music style. Thanks to the wonderful performances and advice, I made a decision in my heart. Thank you sincerely. It's a small reward, but I subscribed and liked it. I look forward to seeing you in another video.
If you like jazz check out Biréli Lagrène, He sometimes uses a Yamaha 311 which comes as standard with a P90 bridge pick up. He gets lovely jazzy tones from this solid body guitar. The guitar is versatile enough to be used with many different styles and genres and may be of interest to you. Best wishes.
cjorg16 - Ted got the most beautiful tone I've ever heard on an electric guitar, besides being a masterful and soulful player. Also had his Chord Chemistry book.
I play a strat and I have tried prs, and it’s a no go , I have a tele and classic LP, with my ears when you play the jazz on the PRS it has something more and a bit authentic, magical sound when you play, the LP was second to the PRS , I think I would gravitate to a guitar that felt right and settle with the sound than play one with no connection and feel but sounds better. This was a fun video to watch. Thank you !
Love your videos and appreciate all you do. One thing that I tell people: if they plan to use a Tele or even a strat for jazz - I say to use an "always on" clean boost. I stole that idea from Jon Harrington of Steely Dan when he was on their rig rundown - the RC Booster, an EQ pedal, the EP Booster, the Duncan Pickup Booster - I've used them all and they're all a great way of getting a bit more "mass" so that your amp "sees" more humbucker. You can also get more out of your volume and tone with more output as well as the fact that, i believe, more output makes solid state amps sound better. Also, for that strat in particular: I believe in making sure the pots are linear (250b or 500kb). That way when I roll the volume down I'm not losing all definition like most strats. I also like the 50s wiring so that when I roll off tone I'm not losing volume and visa versa. I went through and had my tech change the pots on ALL my guitars though especially the ones with single coils. They really transform the axe - they can still do great "SRV/Hendrix/Blues" and rock, though they sound more "right" for jazz in my opinion. I would bet that (linear volume/audio tone with 50s wiring) is what you have going on with the PRS, Edit: also another thing I noticed - while the strat neck single coil and the neck tele single coil are different in some ways, they really are ultimately the same. I think most strat players have the pickups very close to the strings. that "pummels" the amp and sucks out the sustain. I LOVE that great "hendrix" sound though with the pickups lowered they sound a lot more like a tele to my ears. They still have that strat characteristic though get back some neutral "top". I've heard some great jazzers play jazz "Lorn Lofsky" so I think it's just a matter of getting the strat closer to what we take for granted on other guitars. (Thanks again for opening up your platform for us to discuss.)
I know, and they are very cool. I myself have a Tele (custom build) with very dark sounding humbuckers, that sounds awesome for jazz. But I wanted to go with the most played types in this video.
Hi Sandra gRRRRReetings from Texas ! We're a lot jazzers here , besides all the country music so popular too. Let's remember our beloved and wonderful jazz guitarist Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. On your stratocaster doing some mods makes some difference, but of course it won't get to sound as a real hollow archtop. I set one of my strats to sound more " jazzy " as follows. 1. Installed all 3 Bill n'Becky Wilde Pickups L-290 (Bill Lawrence originals) noiseless, real more midrange and P90 feel. For me this pickups work amazing. Looking for that enhanced midrange and a bit hotter output closer to a vintage PAF, these are incredibly versatile too and still keep some of the single coil clarity, but with some more body. You may also try a different cap to roll off more highs, but in my strat with the .022mf and 250k pots ( I also use 1 volume and 1 tone) works pretty well, rolling back the tone about half. 2. Strings: Using Thomastik-Infeld JS111, yes flatwounds are the real deal, these ones are amazing ( thank you Vienna ! ). Strongly recommended to try a set of flatwounds before any other mod, you may get a more real jazz tone. What you call as "fizzy", here is "buzzy", or string buzz. I believe your first string on the strat may be too light, or some fret may need leveling. The JS111 set I'm using feels heavier with a 25.5 inch scale, but for a jazz sound really makes a difference. 3. Tremolo set floating with the black box trem stabilizer from FU-Tone. I feel like more resonance overall, I would say because the trem is more stable makes for better sound transmission and you don't have the problem of strings going flat in pitch when bending one string, or if a string breaks. Well a bit long but I hope it helps for "straters" get the jazz or some good ideas. Keep on modding, be happy !
Teles are great for tweaking them towards a jazz sound. I also have a custom made Tele with humbuckers. Great jazz sound! This video's intention, however, is to show the nature of solid body guitars. Like, which has the most natural tendencies towards jazz. In my opinion those are the Les Paul and the PRS. They don't need to be modded or tweaked with tons of pedals before it to make it sound like jazz. I wanted to show beginners a way to jazz with a guitar they might already own, coming from blues or rock 😊. Keep swinging, my friend! And send some of that great Texas BBQ over 😋
Just a comment about the Strat for jazz. I've used mine in various styles for 32 years. I think the reason for the failure on your first string is that the guitar needs a fret dress or raised action. For me, I don't use the neck pickup alone. I use the neck and middle pickup with the treble rolled off substantially. I have different pickups so your mileage may vary. I get a useful but not traditional jazz sound. I love your videos!
Yes, the neck and middle combo with some tone control rolled off. Neck is 8 on tone control and middle is 6. Played with the flesh part of the thumb and fingers. It will work.
I absolutely love the Tele for solid body Jazz tones. They sound better than strats to me too to me every time they are compared. I could use a Tele for every genre. I wish Teles were used as much as strats tbh.
I like the Strat the least. Then it’s hard. But really then it’s humbucker vs Tele single coil. Then it’s what’s my mood, do I want a brighter sound with a bit more clarity (maybe cuts through in a band better?) or a smokey darker sound? I agree with the Les Paul better than the PRS. Well done 👍
Yes, it also depends on the song, I guess. Some songs really like a little brighter sound. Also the Tele can be tweaked to great jazz tones. I just want so impressed with the untweaked sound.
I use a Tele. A lot can be done to dial in a Jazz tone with, obviously, different pickups. But more easily, and cost effective, by playing around with pot and capacitor values.
i use Telecaster deluxe with wide range lollar pickups. mids like a les paul attack like telly. the le(x) paul sounds best. if you play with band the telly sounds best. graet playing sandra!
Surprise answer: Sandra’s shows that you can get a good jazz tone from any guitar. It’s in your fingers and your settings. The guitar is the least important part of the equation. Gabor Szabo played jazz on an Ovation acoustic with a pickup. Play what feels good in your hands.
We used a trick back in the 70's to get a 'natural' sound out of a strat which was the middle pickup alone with the tone backed off to 8 or 9. That might give you a better strat sound for jazz. Loved the shootout and many thanks for the vids.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman The common thought at the time was the middle pickup on a strat came close to an acoustic sound and the tone controls on the amp allowed tweaking to still get a good bass but far less of the high treble
I have a baha tele and a ventura tele with the 4way switch and the S1 so you get series/ parallel and with the S1 you get out of phase for both. Really versatile really fun guitar feels like so many options.
Beautiful guitars compared by a beautiful, and talented lovely lady. Your humble opinion is highly appreciated. Congratulations to your brother for his artistic paint work.
Do you like the Ibanez artcore? I bought one (AF85) for my other appartment and I think it sounds ok accoustically, but really terrible when amped. The pickups are trash.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I think you are right. I don’t think it sounds right when connected to the amplifier. I thought it was my lack of experience playing with electric guitars. It’s always great to hear from you Sandra. Have a blessed day!
By the way, forget the telecaster tone knob. When you reduce the guitar volume a little bit, it will sound fatter and jazzier. The dynamic response also gets smoother and suitable for this kind of music.
I'm amazed how great the Les Paul sounds. To me it's just as good as the hollow body. I have a tele and PRS and I can instantly recognize those sounds even though yours are different than mine. I have a tele with noiseless pickups and a 4 way switch. I believe the 4 way gives you the pickups in series option so basically the same effect as your S switch. (Beautiful playing BTW!)
I know it sounds crazy but I play Jazz on my Strat. My secret is to use the parametric eq in my amp or pedal to boost the mids. I also have a PRS Single cut with humbucker sized p90s which needs less eq but I pick up my strat more because I love the longer scale length. Nice video
I genuinely think the Les Paul sounded best. But I hate playing them myself, and every time Ive had one Ive ended up selling it because they are just so damn uncomfortable to play. I think you should have definitely included an SG in this comparison test. I play one for Jazz and I love it.
Whoa, an sg? Thats something i didnt expect on jazz haha i find kinda funny how the les paul cause such a division, for some ppl uncomfortable, for other ppl(incluiding me) sooo comfortable
Amazing sounds from these. Thank you for the video. The wonderfully mellow jazzer Quentin Warren used a Fender Strat when in Jimmy Smith's band in the 1960s...there are black n white videos of him on ytube (check out a 1964 clip "'Wagon Wheels"' by Jimmy Smith here on ytube) . He got a fantastic, very thick sound! Grant Green used a Strat also in his earliest days. I think the rosewood necked Fenders will sound better equipped for jazz. Thank you again .
If you are playing on the neck pickup primarily (jazz) you'll want a 22 fret PRS as the neck pickup is in a similar position to the Les Paul. A 24 fret PRS puts the neck pickup in the same location as a Gibson SG (you know, like ACDC rock). That's why you noticed how both your LP and PRS 24 were 'voiced differently', pickup position is important, like neck vs bridge pickup position -- Strats are classically built with the same pickup spec in all three positions and most know the tone change between Strat pickups. Also, I watched your Tele and Strat playing and you are picking nearly on top of the Strat pickup while picking further back in the middle of the Tele -- which changes the tone too! The Strat volume knob placement tends to cause players to pick closer to the neck to avoid hitting the knob but that also causes a rounder tone. Some players move the Strat volume knob back to the first tone pot hole and just use a master tone knob.
I removed my volume knob completely adn soldered the volume to the tone pot. My upper tone pot now functions as a volume pot. Btw, I build that Strat myself, so I know a little something about guitars too, even as a woman ;-)
I mainly use my stratocaster, mostly because it's my favourite guitar to play, and it doesn't sound nearly as thin as yours seemed to sound! Maybe some EQ'ing would've helped, because in my case humbuckers can sound overwhelming when I use the same settings as my stratocaster, and in your case the opposite was true. Thank you for demoing those solid bodies, but that Eastman sounded divine!
I think you'd be pleasantly surprised by the Reverend Jetstream 390. It's looks may be a turn off, but it's 3 p-90's are good for mid-range, it has treble bleed, and it has a "Bass Contour" knob that may seem like a gimmick, but really works, for me at least. Thanks for this upload.
Thanks so much! ❤️ I needed that after the badh from the Strat lovers 😊. I actually love Strats too ( I built the one in the video myself), but not particularly for jazz.
Charlie parker recorder his best live performance with a plastic sax. There is not more limited jazz musician than those that can not play with other tones than the 'classic'.
1. A Les Paul is a fine jazz instrument especially in a more or less traditional configuration. You don’t even need very much money. In Feb 22 I purchased a new Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s for less than 600 Euro and upgraded it with Seymour Duncan „Seth Lover“ vintage PAF style pick ups. It is amazing! Together with a nice case and a fine leather strap I paid way under 1000 Euro. 2. A Stratocaster to me is more an instrument for fusion music, just like Scott Henderson, Wayne Krantz or even Jeff Beck. The lack of mids in my opinion is one of the reasons why a Tube Screamer works so well with a Strat by the way. 3. A Telecaster can be a good jazz guitar. I own a Japanese Fender Tele with a rosewood fingerboard and a Bigsby. It sounds silghtly warmer than a usual Telecaster and the neck pick up gives it a beautiful jazz tone. 4. The PRS seems to have the same issue than Gibson SGs have. It sits on your lap in a way that you have to stretch your arm quite far. You should be aware of this. Another thing is that due to the 24 frets of the PRS and the general design of an SG their neck pick ups are located a little more tot he rear of the guitar which leads to a brighter tone in the neck position. Thank you for this interesting video!
I have the Seth Lovers now in two guitars already, bc they're so awesome. Just can't go wrong with them, no matter the genre. I love em for jazz and Blues.
I do agree with your findings! The PRS with signature strings give me a great sound and allows me to roll off the tone more for a great sound. I use a 345 for Jazz. Your LP had a cleaner sound than the PRS but they were both great for Jazz!
I actually prefer the PRS sound wise, but overall the LP made the win 😊. I have a Tele with dark sounding humbuckers, which also sounds great for jazz (not shown here). But nothing beats my archtops 😊
Wonderful playing and spectacular work as usual. Love the Les Paul and thank you for describing the pickups. A 4 way switch for series / parallel on the Tele is a terrific. It gives near humbucker tones and wonderful. Why Fender doesn't do an arm AND belly carve on anything other than vintage correct with the 4 way switch is confusing. Cavalier pickups for the Tele, check out the Nashville Lion or Fat Lion. I used them on my Tele jazz guitar and pretty spectacular. You will want a no-load pot (or modify it yourself in a few seconds) and/or treble bleed circuit. Great pickups.
Fortunately, I also have a Les Paul Classic from my blues rock days (which I actually used for everything from Lloyd Webber musicals to Led Zeppelin), which I will try with thicker strings for the jazz stuff, based on Sandra's comparison here. Ulf Wakenius gets a great jazz tone from his all-black Les Paul, which is in fact a cheap copy -- it cost him something like $150 but is nonetheless maybe his main touring axe. I thought the PRS had very nice definition but I just don''t like the way they look -- shallow of me, I know.
Excellent video. I have all except the PRS. I like my Les Paul for jazz tones though I'm just now adding jazz chords and tone to my rock/blues background. I'd like to add an archtop but my LP will suffice for now.
Which one is your favorite? Is there a solid body I don't know yet, that's even better for jazz? Let me know!
Thanks all for coming to the live chat. That was a super nerdy chat. I loved it :-))
💜 Please pardon the Dan-splains. ;-)
@@rockstarjazzcat I loved them 🧡I so much enjoy nerdy gear talk :-)
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I'm relieved to hear so! Thanks for all of your work to provide quality content!
Try a G&L ASAT Fullerton (American) Bluesboy. The pickups are not "ice picky" like the Fender Tele and it has a nice humbucker in the neck position. Leo Fender got the Tele into the present with this design, Pleked from the factory....rolled fingerboard edges, 9.5 radius and very low straight from the factory. Mine blows my Fender away in almost every way. If you bottom out the pickups you get the classic Tele sound, up it sounds like an S-1 is engaged with absolutely NO 60 cycle hum. You would have to spend over $2500- 3500 on a Fender to get close.
@@jimshorts6751 I know the Asat series - great guitars
Les Paul, the man himself, proved the LP's capabilities for jazz on his old show back in the day. It is good to hear the LP still has what it takes. Thanks, Sandra.
The Les Paul was designed as a jazz guitar.
I'd like a Les Paul but with p90 pickups....after having seen Julian Lage play with it 🙌
@@jltrem And not by Les Paul. Jazz was the dominant popular music at the time (people forget that). Les Paul wasn't much of a jazz artist though. No one listens to his jazz recordings.
@@jltrem Oh, and the Jazzmaster was also designed as a jazz guitar. How did that work out?
But Les used his own custom pickups which had a much wider frequency range than the humbuckers that Gibson put on them.
Personally the telecaster is my favorite jazz guitar. Ted Greene, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell... It's extremely dynamic. Also, as mentioned in the video, the chord melodies on a telecaster are fantastic!
Prs is quite interesting...another model like a 594 hollow could be nice and original
Add in Ed Bickert
Julian Lage for the win!
..especially if you have a Rosewood fretboard .
One more tele jazz fan: my #1 pick for solid body jazz, and I prefer its traditional single coil in the neck. Just roll a smidge of volume off, tweak bass to taste on the amp. Oh, and add Mr. Tim Lerch to the army of great tele-wielding jazzmen. The amazing Anthony Wilson also seems to share the passion!
You make them all sound so beautiful. With you playing them they're all winners. However, the Tele sounds the best to my ears.
Les Paul is SUPER slept on for Jazz.
Actually also love SGs for Jazz , not the first guitar you think of for jazz just lookwise, but since it sounds kinda like a Les Paul with a bit extra mid accentuation, they also work great. And overall i personally prefer SGs for the great fretacess and lighter weight compared to les pauls. Also both guitars with humbuckers OR p90 pickups for jazz
I also like the better clarity of the SG guitars.
SG is an underrated axe. Take some time to discover my favorite solid-body guitar.
Being a Gibson it was designed to be a compact solid body jazz guitar.
Great fun. Vielen Dank. Came to same conclusion a while ago between my Strat, LP & Tele. LP takes top place for solid body. My Ibanez archtop is the zenith. :)
You know one you didn’t consider which is actually my personal choice for solid body jazz guitar is the Jazzmaster or even the jaguar with vintage pick ups. I got a squier j mascis Jazzmaster in 2020 and bought some 1965 vintage pick ups to deepen the sound. When I tell you the sound is incredible, especially for a guitar that is considered to be a rock and roll guitar, it plays way better than my tele as far tone, and the actual neck and action has a bit of a heavy pull as well (plus I like hybrid strings) so this is a wonderful choice as well for anyone with a Jazzmaster already, or considering getting one. I’d actually like your take on this one personally if you get a chance!
I'll be on the LIVE CHAT dring the premiere. The live chat will last 25 minutes (the length of the video). Make sure to set the reminder and be on time. Let's have some nerdy gear talk
See you here,
Sandra
How could I miss this :-(((
@@andisgalaxysvieractive Do you have the bell notification activated?
I liked the PRS, I didn’t think it would be as nice for jazz as it was. The one I liked least was the strat, lacking those mids like you said. Cool video
Thanks so much ❤️
Fun video, Tele all the way i gotta say~ big Ted Greene fan ;)
The fret buzz on the strat and tele sounds setup related, raising the string saddle on those high e strings just a touch ought to sort you out. It sounds like you play with quite a low action generally, so it’s quite easy for the instruments to develop string buzz with changes in the weather and temperature. You could say they’re... Tempermental 😜
Lol, that's right. I think there is a lot of mic bleed on the first part, that amplifies the string noise. That's why there's the direct sound comparison.
To get the best jazz tone in that Tele, drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting. I have. 012. Flat wound strings.... It sounds super jazzy! Trust me... The Tele is actually a 5 stars with that setting... It's an all-in-one guitar. But it's like a manual transmission. You just have to have the right strings and settings. Thanks for sharing your video. I learned more about solid bodies
I totally agree with you. You put flat wounds on a Tele, and it becomes transformed. I did that on mine. For me, there is no better guitar made. The most versatile guitar out there.
@@kelalamusic9258 Very good description. Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Tele. I have never enjoyed any other electric like this one. Just my opinion. The only thing I wish it had is a whammy bar.
@@NathanSotoGuitar me too. We can always have one installed, but then, it wouldn't be a Tele . . . a modified one at best.
@@kelalamusic9258 💯 I like it as is: original with that nice metal piece that makes it a Tele.
"Drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting". Nathan how do you do that as the Tele only has one tone control knob. Do you mean drop the tone knob to 0 and then set the mid position on the selector switch (both pickups now) and the volume knob to the highest setting?
Another fine video from Sandra! Just goes to show you, we spend so much time, money and effort on gear-we often forget that great Jazz comes from the player and not the instrument. Thanks Sandra!
True dat 😊. It's in the fingers 👋
"It is not the arrow... it is the Indian .. " 😝
Sandra, Ted Greene played Telecasters but, one of his favorite Tele's had a humbucker in the neck position instead of a single coil. Mike Stern has a signature Yamaha Tele also with a humbucker in the neck position. Your right about the Gibson Les Paul being the best in terms of 1. Fit and Finish 2.Playability 3.Tone. Although Gibson also makes semihollow Les Pauls with 2 f holes that might have an even better tone for Jazz. Thanks.
Very good comparison with some nice Jazz playing. I am 'over' watching/listening to reviews comparing instruments and amps etc, with about +40% distortion. The reviews are just playing the effect pedal, not the guitar. Your review is a breath of fresh air. I was surprised about the PRS. Not surprised that the Les Paul sounded so good. Thank you so much. Cheers from Australia
Thank you Paul! Glad you dig the video. Greetings to Australia! Did you know that we have T-Shirts here saying "No kangaroos in Austria" 😊
Excellent comparison...although, if you put a good EQ pedal in the chain you will be able to get very very similar sounds from all the guitars. The real difference will be in the feeling when you play, and for me a bigger guitar will make me feel a bit more into the jazz mood!!!
The amp should have been adjusted to suit each individual guitar
@@TheHumbuckerboy but then it's not a fair test or demonstration of each guitar. You would of course in reality tweak your amp if you were playing Jazz with a strat and achieve a suitable tone but I guess the point of these type of demos is to expose the core properties of each guitar, which even aside from Jazz I find extremely useful as a guitar addict and tone hound.
@@danhaggarty2178 In your reasoning if the amp isn't adjusted to bring out the sought after tone of each individual guitar then obviously the amp is going to happen to suit some of these guitars and not to suit the others and that isn't fair is it ?
The test is on the guitar not the amps.
@@bjunk5344 But individual guitars require different amp settings in order to achieve their most appropriate tone according to what style of music is being played.
Agree the telecaster can still provide jazzy tones (check out Jim Mullen throughout the 80s although more Jazz/Funk using his thumb). For me it's about finding a broad thin fretboard with good humbuckers rather than a hollow body, but each to his own. Thanks for upload.
PS Don Mock gets an amazing sound in his Instructional video "Jazz rhythm chops", 3 pickup solid body.
Great video. I completely agree with your take on this. I've been considering the PRS CE 24 and after this I may very well get one. The PRS is an extremely versatile guitar They look great as well. Thanks so much for sharing
PRS are ugly.
Great job, Sandra. This is exactly how sound comparisons should be. Only with a fast cut you can tell the differences. Too many UA-camrs have all the talking in between.
Thank you, Gerd! Yes, that's so annoying. I talk a lot too, that's why I always do a seperate section of "direct sound comparison"
The Fender Jazzmaster is actually a solid choice. I definitely like the sounds you can get with a Tele too.
Hi Sandra, My opinions were exactly the same as yours, but that was a really interesting little exercise .....Thank you !
That is an excellent review. The comparisson at the end was really revealling.
To be honest it was revealing for me too. I was really surprised when I edited the video, to hear the huge differncies.
You play so well that you can make any guitar sound jazzy. An interesting option is a Telecaster with a neck humbucker. Also, the Tele sound with both pickups selected (no special switching) is brilliant.
I love teles for modern jazz. Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, John Scofield (and some) proved the case. Cool episode !
Yuck, love Bill's playing but his tone is not for me. Different strokes i guess.
I found on the fender if you put it in the middle position and THEN roll the bottom tone knob you can get a good jazz tone. I came here to see what the best guitar tone wise for jazz is.
Also, I am shocked how good the tele sounds
Thanks for the input, Nicholas! I left the sounds untweaked on purpose. I have a Tele with very dark sounding humbuckers myself and it sounds super jazzy. But for this video I wanted to shocase the nature of the guitars, without much tweaking necessary.
Middle position on a strat, with volume rolled down to 8 and tone knob rolled down to 6 or 7 and most people have no idea what they're missing. Full and woody tone, almost like like magic.
"Hate cables and noise..." Oh, yeah! Totally agree! Also, for me, shredding falls into the noise category. Love your videos and content. Thank you.
Hehe, you're so right 😁
Absolutely love your comparisons and tasteful playing. Great to see an apples to apples comparison across these instruments, thanks!
Thank you, Jason! ❤️ Trying my best 😊.
I simply loved that telecaster!! Wonderful sound!!
I'm a bass player, why am I here? I don't know, but I really like what I'm listening to, you're very good and I really like what you play! My fav solid body is the Les Paul. 😍
I agree with you, the Les Paul sounded better.
I agree, the Les Paul. But that said, I’m really partial to Teles, neck pickup, tone 5-6, It’s thinner sounding than a humbucker, but still awesome.
Nice. I am missing here the comparison with a Tele with humbucker at the neck ( like a Seymour Duncan antiquity), as Ed Bickert. That sounds beautiful for jazz and very similar to a thick archtop.
I know, that makes all the difference! I I want to get a Tele with a humbucker neck pup myself.
And/or a Tele with P90 or P rail pup in the neck. Actually a P rail with mini toggle switch will give humbucking, P90 and single coil sounds.
Nice video and playing! For me, 10s on a Les Paul is the perfect all-rounder. Jazz, blues, Rock, Funk, Disco, and even country on the bridge pickups.
Something I'd point out on the Telecaster -- a 3 saddle bridge with compensated brass saddles is way warmer and more "woody" sounding, I use mine for jazz and swing stuff all the time.
Exactly
It's all a question of humbucker versus single coil. Humbuckers tend to cut high frequencies naturally.
If you have 2 single coils that are humbucking they cut different frequencies because the distance is different. Question of wave length.
Lower the strat pickup. Would have loved to see a P90 in the mix. PRS was the best sound for me, most balanced between the high and lows.
Definitely. She should have used a Les Paul Goldtop, the traditional kind with P-90s. They were originally made to be jazz guitars, I believe.
@@jaredallen439 I agree about p-90's, but, she hates noise! I do believe they make noiseless ones but have never tried them.
Dear Sandra, you are a gift to us!! Thank you for all that you are and all that you do. Love 'n Light best & cheers, Sean
Awh, thanks so much for your kind words! ❤️
I learned a lot from this comparison video. I’ve been practicing guitar for less than 2 years but my everyday guitars are Stratocaster and Ibanez RG series. 😂 your videos are making me want to have a jazz guitar so bad. 😂 I guess I have to get better at playing first even with my strat then I will shop for a jazz guitar in the future. I love you Sandra❣️ I really love your channel and your tutorials. You are an amazing person and amazing musician! One day, I’d love to be able to play jazz like you do…(perhaps my next life time…😂) Thank you from bottom of my ❤️
Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ I really love how you enjoy the tutorials and reviews. If you go for your first jazz guitar, check out my video "5 bestJazz Guitars undee $ 1000". The Epi Joe Pass isn't produced anymore, though.
Thanks for taking the time to compare these guitars - it is a huge help when looking at jazz solidbody candidates.
Thanks, Chris!
Great comparison and interesting results. I've got a 335 and Strat, and for pure jazz tones, the 335 is incredible, and hard to beat. It's also so versatile, in that you go almost instantly from beautiful, creamy jazz tones on the neck pickup to vintage blues by dialling in the bridge pickup.
Congrats on your 335! That's a great guitar.
@@topitopka , The calibrated T-Types. But these new ones are beautiful. Really great pickups. Lovely blend of bell like chiming highs on the bridge pick up and fat full tones on the neck. It's what makes it so versatile for blues and jazz. I often play middle position with the treble tone knob down to about 5.5. It's a real sweet spot.
Missing Les Paul with P90 : in my opinion a good choice for Jazz sound cause a middle sound of Humbucker and single coil PU
I loved each one of those guitars for the different character that they posses but if I'd have to pick just one,well I guess I would go for the Les Paul, a little bit sweeter than the rest but remember that variety is the spice of life. Thank God all guitars don't sound the same!
I love the diverdity too. Sometimes I stand in front of my guitar rig, like a little kid, enjoying to have the possibility to choose. It's like a full fridge to me. I don't need it, but it's great to have 😁
A four position switch on a tele also puts both pick ups in series. I got one from Stewmac some years ago.
I don't really care much about jazz or guitars, but I still find this fascinating. I like the tone of the Les Paul the best among the solid bodies-the roundness of it is just beautiful.
" And you may ask yourself.... how did I get here? "
You can get a 4-way switch for non-S1 Telecasters. Love that series pickup combo with the tone rolled back on my Thinline, especially with Wilde Microcoil pickups for bell-like chord solos.
Great suggestion! Thanks! ❤️
for a jazz tone on a strat I drive the power amp section on the amp relatively hard also rolling off the highs in the pre amp section while having the guitar volume set to around 1 or as low as I need it for the warm tone, that way all the high freq's are lost and only the lows & mids get through... even for fusion some nice round warm smooth distortion is a nice topping, still love the humbuckers though can't beat them for a fat jazz tone xD
Yes, but this video is about the raw, untweaked sounds :-)
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman You're absolutely correct. The intrinsic sound of the guitar itself. Humbuckers in a semi acoustic electric will win hands down every time for that kind of tone... no argument there, especially with flatwound heavy gauge strings. I'm imagining how playing a choppy funk vamp would not work as well with humbuckers :) Perhaps there could be a video "how to get a jazz tone from my strat"
Sounds like it would be too dead for hardbop. Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and George Benson had some trebly high notes, it's just about that woody tone
@@RhodokTribesman yup it doesn't compare for that type of tone with the guitars they are using.. just an approximation, and better for fusion.
@@toamaori For sure, there are so many types of jazz, it is definitely not only guitar dependent haha. Casiopea comes to mind
After hearing this video, i am surprised the les paul is such a versatile guitar, i love the jazz sound of it. 🇳🇱
Any decent hum bucker works for me for a solid body. I do most of my playing on a nylon string though.
That Les Paul is a great tone.
That's kinda my recipe too. Humbucker usually does the trick.
Brilliant program. Check out the YAMAHA Revstar. The higher range. It combines all the guitars you showed in one instrument.
The PRS was really sweet. Very piano-like attack if that makes any sense. I think a Custom 22 may sound even jazzier thanks to the neck pickup's position.
Totally agree. I have a student with a McCarthy, that has an awesome jazz sound. For everything else it's too dark for me, but it does jazz and Blues really well.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Horses for courses ;-)
The PRS blew me away. Nice sounds.
The core line sounds even jazzier.
Thank you so much for uploading such a good video.
I am a beginner and just starting to study jazz with interest.
I like jazz, but I was looking for a guitar that could be used in a variety of genres, so I was watching several guitar-related videos, and this video was very helpful.
Among solid guitars, Telecaster seems to be the best fit for jazz and other music style. Thanks to the wonderful performances and advice, I made a decision in my heart. Thank you sincerely. It's a small reward, but I subscribed and liked it.
I look forward to seeing you in another video.
If you like jazz check out Biréli Lagrène, He sometimes uses a Yamaha 311 which comes as standard with a P90 bridge pick up. He gets lovely jazzy tones from this solid body guitar. The guitar is versatile enough to be used with many different styles and genres and may be of interest to you. Best wishes.
@@doggylover1958 Wow, that's the information I really need. Thank you very much for your advice.
Your video is the absolute best in doing this comparison! THANK YOU!!!
Wow, thank you! Glad it was helpful
I believe the sound is 90% the player and 10% the Axe. Ted Greene made his Tele sing with lots of soul (RIP Ted).
cjorg16 - Ted got the most beautiful tone I've ever heard on an electric guitar, besides being a masterful and soulful player. Also had his Chord Chemistry book.
I play a strat and I have tried prs, and it’s a no go , I have a tele and classic LP, with my ears when you play the jazz on the PRS it has something more and a bit authentic, magical sound when you play, the LP was second to the PRS , I think I would gravitate to a guitar that felt right and settle with the sound than play one with no connection and feel but sounds better. This was a fun video to watch. Thank you !
O
PRS is my sound winner, but the 24 gets are a weird feeling in Jazz.
Love your videos and appreciate all you do. One thing that I tell people: if they plan to use a Tele or even a strat for jazz - I say to use an "always on" clean boost. I stole that idea from Jon Harrington of Steely Dan when he was on their rig rundown - the RC Booster, an EQ pedal, the EP Booster, the Duncan Pickup Booster - I've used them all and they're all a great way of getting a bit more "mass" so that your amp "sees" more humbucker. You can also get more out of your volume and tone with more output as well as the fact that, i believe, more output makes solid state amps sound better.
Also, for that strat in particular: I believe in making sure the pots are linear (250b or 500kb). That way when I roll the volume down I'm not losing all definition like most strats. I also like the 50s wiring so that when I roll off tone I'm not losing volume and visa versa. I went through and had my tech change the pots on ALL my guitars though especially the ones with single coils. They really transform the axe - they can still do great "SRV/Hendrix/Blues" and rock, though they sound more "right" for jazz in my opinion. I would bet that (linear volume/audio tone with 50s wiring) is what you have going on with the PRS,
Edit: also another thing I noticed - while the strat neck single coil and the neck tele single coil are different in some ways, they really are ultimately the same. I think most strat players have the pickups very close to the strings. that "pummels" the amp and sucks out the sustain. I LOVE that great "hendrix" sound though with the pickups lowered they sound a lot more like a tele to my ears. They still have that strat characteristic though get back some neutral "top". I've heard some great jazzers play jazz "Lorn Lofsky" so I think it's just a matter of getting the strat closer to what we take for granted on other guitars. (Thanks again for opening up your platform for us to discuss.)
I use an -EQ pedal on my telecaster to fix the bright sound. Alnico II pickups are important too.
Look at Jack Pearson playing Jazz on his 99$ Bullet Strat :-) Nice video though - thanks!
Hello Sandra I use a godin from Canada and it's a veru good guitare; i used one nylon for bossa and a olid bdy for jazz. Very good
I think the Les Paul is the only one that came close to the Eastman. Speaking of which, wow what gorgeous tone from that archtop. 😍
Yes, unfortunately it had a dead spot that even my experienced luthier couldn't get rid of. So I sold it and bought a Heritage.
Hi there. Fender does offer several Teles with humbuckers including the thinline which is semi hollow
I know, and they are very cool. I myself have a Tele (custom build) with very dark sounding humbuckers, that sounds awesome for jazz. But I wanted to go with the most played types in this video.
Great review, Sandra! I prefer my Tele, but you have to boost the bass on the amp for a better jazz tone.
True, you can tweak a Tele to get a great jazz sound. Just wanted to test, how they sound out of the box.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman That's only fair :-)
Hi Sandra gRRRRReetings from Texas ! We're a lot jazzers here , besides all the country music so popular too. Let's remember our beloved and wonderful jazz guitarist Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas.
On your stratocaster doing some mods makes some difference, but of course it won't get to sound as a real hollow archtop. I set one of my strats to sound more " jazzy " as follows.
1. Installed all 3 Bill n'Becky Wilde Pickups L-290 (Bill Lawrence originals)
noiseless, real more midrange and P90 feel. For me this pickups work amazing. Looking for that enhanced midrange and a bit hotter output closer to a vintage PAF, these are incredibly versatile too and still keep some of the single coil clarity, but with some more body.
You may also try a different cap to roll off more highs, but in my strat with the .022mf and 250k pots ( I also use 1 volume and 1 tone) works pretty well, rolling back the tone about half.
2. Strings: Using Thomastik-Infeld JS111, yes flatwounds are the real deal, these ones are amazing ( thank you Vienna ! ). Strongly recommended to try a set of flatwounds before any other mod, you may get a more real jazz tone. What you call as "fizzy", here is "buzzy", or string buzz. I believe your first string on the strat may be too light, or some fret may need leveling.
The JS111 set I'm using feels heavier with a 25.5 inch scale, but for a jazz sound really makes a difference.
3. Tremolo set floating with the black box trem stabilizer from
FU-Tone. I feel like more resonance overall, I would say because the trem is more stable makes for better sound transmission and you don't have the problem of strings going flat in pitch when bending one string, or if a string breaks.
Well a bit long but I hope it helps for "straters" get the jazz or some good ideas.
Keep on modding, be happy !
Teles are great for tweaking them towards a jazz sound. I also have a custom made Tele with humbuckers. Great jazz sound! This video's intention, however, is to show the nature of solid body guitars. Like, which has the most natural tendencies towards jazz. In my opinion those are the Les Paul and the PRS. They don't need to be modded or tweaked with tons of pedals before it to make it sound like jazz. I wanted to show beginners a way to jazz with a guitar they might already own, coming from blues or rock 😊.
Keep swinging, my friend! And send some of that great Texas BBQ over 😋
Just a comment about the Strat for jazz. I've used mine in various styles for 32 years. I think the reason for the failure on your first string is that the guitar needs a fret dress or raised action. For me, I don't use the neck pickup alone. I use the neck and middle pickup with the treble rolled off substantially. I have different pickups so your mileage may vary. I get a useful but not traditional jazz sound. I love your videos!
Neck and middle is an acquired taste but it's really nice
Yes, the neck and middle combo with some tone control rolled off. Neck is 8 on tone control and middle is 6.
Played with the flesh part of the thumb and fingers. It will work.
@@DaigoParry ceramic pickups also have a warmer quality to them. Even if my strat is cheap it sounds nice.
Yes. The first string sounds as if the action or fret levels need to be addressed.
I absolutely love the Tele for solid body Jazz tones. They sound better than strats to me too to me every time they are compared. I could use a Tele for every genre. I wish Teles were used as much as strats tbh.
I like the Strat the least. Then it’s hard. But really then it’s humbucker vs Tele single coil. Then it’s what’s my mood, do I want a brighter sound with a bit more clarity (maybe cuts through in a band better?) or a smokey darker sound? I agree with the Les Paul better than the PRS. Well done 👍
Yes, it also depends on the song, I guess. Some songs really like a little brighter sound. Also the Tele can be tweaked to great jazz tones. I just want so impressed with the untweaked sound.
I use a Tele. A lot can be done to dial in a Jazz tone with, obviously, different pickups. But more easily, and cost effective, by playing around with pot and capacitor values.
All of these guitars are perfectly fine for Jazz or any other type of music.
Yeah but I don't agree with you if you want to play Classic Jazz as Bebop Style or Hard Bop style just like did Wes Montgomery...
i use Telecaster deluxe with wide range lollar pickups. mids like a les paul attack like telly. the le(x) paul sounds best. if you play with band the telly sounds best. graet playing sandra!
Surprise answer: Sandra’s shows that you can get a good jazz tone from any guitar. It’s in your fingers and your settings. The guitar is the least important part of the equation. Gabor Szabo played jazz on an Ovation acoustic with a pickup. Play what feels good in your hands.
True that :-)
But when compare diff guitars with the same guitarist you do get a difference in sound. At least according to the actual guitarist
We used a trick back in the 70's to get a 'natural' sound out of a strat which was the middle pickup alone with the tone backed off to 8 or 9. That might give you a better strat sound for jazz. Loved the shootout and many thanks for the vids.
Interesting. The neck pickup sounds way fatter, so why the middle pickup?
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman The common thought at the time was the middle pickup on a strat came close to an acoustic sound and the tone controls on the amp allowed tweaking to still get a good bass but far less of the high treble
I have a baha tele and a ventura tele with the 4way switch and the S1 so you get series/ parallel and with the S1 you get out of phase for both. Really versatile really fun guitar feels like so many options.
Beautiful guitars compared by a beautiful, and talented lovely lady. Your humble opinion is highly appreciated. Congratulations to your brother for his artistic paint work.
Glad you liked it, Luis. What guitar do you play actually?
Hi Sandra!
Mostly, I play acoustic guitar. I have an Epiphone and a Dean. I also have an old solid body Peavey T-25 and an Ibanez AF75D Artcore.
Do you like the Ibanez artcore? I bought one (AF85) for my other appartment and I think it sounds ok accoustically, but really terrible when amped. The pickups are trash.
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I think you are right. I don’t think it sounds right when connected to the amplifier. I thought it was my lack of experience playing with electric guitars.
It’s always great to hear from you Sandra. Have a blessed day!
By the way, forget the telecaster tone knob. When you reduce the guitar volume a little bit, it will sound fatter and jazzier. The dynamic response also gets smoother and suitable for this kind of music.
I'm amazed how great the Les Paul sounds. To me it's just as good as the hollow body. I have a tele and PRS and I can instantly recognize those sounds even though yours are different than mine. I have a tele with noiseless pickups and a 4 way switch. I believe the 4 way gives you the pickups in series option so basically the same effect as your S switch. (Beautiful playing BTW!)
That's a great idea with that 4-way switch!
I know it sounds crazy but I play Jazz on my Strat. My secret is to use the parametric eq in my amp or pedal to boost the mids. I also have a PRS Single cut with humbucker sized p90s which needs less eq but I pick up my strat more because I love the longer scale length. Nice video
I genuinely think the Les Paul sounded best.
But I hate playing them myself, and every time Ive had one Ive ended up selling it because they are just so damn uncomfortable to play.
I think you should have definitely included an SG in this comparison test.
I play one for Jazz and I love it.
Yeah, but I don't have an SG 😊
Whoa, an sg? Thats something i didnt expect on jazz haha i find kinda funny how the les paul cause such a division, for some ppl uncomfortable, for other ppl(incluiding me) sooo comfortable
Amazing sounds from these. Thank you for the video. The wonderfully mellow jazzer Quentin Warren used a Fender Strat when in Jimmy Smith's band in the 1960s...there are black n white videos of him on ytube (check out a 1964 clip "'Wagon Wheels"' by Jimmy Smith here on ytube) . He got a fantastic, very thick sound! Grant Green used a Strat also in his earliest days. I think the rosewood necked Fenders will sound better equipped for jazz. Thank you again .
They all sound good because you're the one playing them.
Aawh, that's so niche of you. Thank you 🧡
True!
If you are playing on the neck pickup primarily (jazz) you'll want a 22 fret PRS as the neck pickup is in a similar position to the Les Paul. A 24 fret PRS puts the neck pickup in the same location as a Gibson SG (you know, like ACDC rock). That's why you noticed how both your LP and PRS 24 were 'voiced differently', pickup position is important, like neck vs bridge pickup position -- Strats are classically built with the same pickup spec in all three positions and most know the tone change between Strat pickups. Also, I watched your Tele and Strat playing and you are picking nearly on top of the Strat pickup while picking further back in the middle of the Tele -- which changes the tone too! The Strat volume knob placement tends to cause players to pick closer to the neck to avoid hitting the knob but that also causes a rounder tone. Some players move the Strat volume knob back to the first tone pot hole and just use a master tone knob.
I removed my volume knob completely adn soldered the volume to the tone pot. My upper tone pot now functions as a volume pot. Btw, I build that Strat myself, so I know a little something about guitars too, even as a woman ;-)
I did like the sound of the PRS, but the LP could probably win on its beauty alone. 👍 Peace to you all.
But the PRS looks beautiful too, I think :-)
I mainly use my stratocaster, mostly because it's my favourite guitar to play, and it doesn't sound nearly as thin as yours seemed to sound!
Maybe some EQ'ing would've helped, because in my case humbuckers can sound overwhelming when I use the same settings as my stratocaster, and in your case the opposite was true.
Thank you for demoing those solid bodies, but that Eastman sounded divine!
The Jazzmaster!
Yes!
Great guitar for Jazz!
Unfortunately I don't own one 🙄
Do you mean the fender's jazzmaster?
@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I really liked this video! I also hope in a future review of the Jazzmaster
I use a Epiphone Les Laul Custom made in korea for Jazz stuff and didnt costs like 4 months rent for my flat. Works for my needs.👍
A solid body that self-identifies as semi-hollow will always be just a solid body with an F-hole.
I think you'd be pleasantly surprised by the Reverend Jetstream 390. It's looks may be a turn off, but it's 3 p-90's are good for mid-range, it has treble bleed, and it has a "Bass Contour" knob that may seem like a gimmick, but really works, for me at least. Thanks for this upload.
Great playing. This is one of the best guitar comparison videos I’ve ever seen. You are very detailed. I give a slight edge to the Les Paul.
Thanks so much! ❤️ I needed that after the badh from the Strat lovers 😊. I actually love Strats too ( I built the one in the video myself), but not particularly for jazz.
My two favorites are Teles and Les Pauls but you make all of them sound good Sandra.
Charlie parker recorder his best live performance with a plastic sax. There is not more limited jazz musician than those that can not play with other tones than the 'classic'.
1. A Les Paul is a fine jazz instrument especially in a more or less traditional configuration. You don’t even need very much money. In Feb 22 I purchased a new Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s for less than 600 Euro and upgraded it with Seymour Duncan „Seth Lover“ vintage PAF style pick ups. It is amazing! Together with a nice case and a fine leather strap I paid way under 1000 Euro.
2. A Stratocaster to me is more an instrument for fusion music, just like Scott Henderson, Wayne Krantz or even Jeff Beck. The lack of mids in my opinion is one of the reasons why a Tube Screamer works so well with a Strat by the way.
3. A Telecaster can be a good jazz guitar. I own a Japanese Fender Tele with a rosewood fingerboard and a Bigsby. It sounds silghtly warmer than a usual Telecaster and the neck pick up gives it a beautiful jazz tone.
4. The PRS seems to have the same issue than Gibson SGs have. It sits on your lap in a way that you have to stretch your arm quite far. You should be aware of this. Another thing is that due to the 24 frets of the PRS and the general design of an SG their neck pick ups are located a little more tot he rear of the guitar which leads to a brighter tone in the neck position.
Thank you for this interesting video!
I have the Seth Lovers now in two guitars already, bc they're so awesome. Just can't go wrong with them, no matter the genre. I love em for jazz and Blues.
I do agree with your findings! The PRS with signature strings give me a great sound and allows me to roll off the tone more for a great sound. I use a 345 for Jazz. Your LP had a cleaner sound than the PRS but they were both great for Jazz!
I actually prefer the PRS sound wise, but overall the LP made the win 😊. I have a Tele with dark sounding humbuckers, which also sounds great for jazz (not shown here). But nothing beats my archtops 😊
For this video I very extremely definitely prefer the Les Paul.
As to your direct comparison in the end I prefer the Les Paul over your Eastman too.
Wonderful playing and spectacular work as usual. Love the Les Paul and thank you for describing the pickups. A 4 way switch for series / parallel on the Tele is a terrific. It gives near humbucker tones and wonderful. Why Fender doesn't do an arm AND belly carve on anything other than vintage correct with the 4 way switch is confusing. Cavalier pickups for the Tele, check out the Nashville Lion or Fat Lion. I used them on my Tele jazz guitar and pretty spectacular. You will want a no-load pot (or modify it yourself in a few seconds) and/or treble bleed circuit. Great pickups.
Sandra, I think the made in Japan Ibanez GB10 would be magic in your hands
Fortunately, I also have a Les Paul Classic from my blues rock days (which I actually used for everything from Lloyd Webber musicals to Led Zeppelin), which I will try with thicker strings for the jazz stuff, based on Sandra's comparison here. Ulf Wakenius gets a great jazz tone from his all-black Les Paul, which is in fact a cheap copy -- it cost him something like $150 but is nonetheless maybe his main touring axe. I thought the PRS had very nice definition but I just don''t like the way they look -- shallow of me, I know.
They all sound great to me and for sure each has its own unique tone...great playing , you make them all sound good
Thank you kindly!
Excellent video. I have all except the PRS. I like my Les Paul for jazz tones though I'm just now adding jazz chords and tone to my rock/blues background. I'd like to add an archtop but my LP will suffice for now.
Very interesting and informative look at these possible Jazz guitars. Nice work Sandra!
I likes the PRS best for sound actually, but the 24 fret haptic feels odd for jazz.
I love Les Paul best too. Because it sounds fat and Jazzy. And it never howls. So that I have one.
I have a LP Classic and I use it for everything. I love it.