Still amazes me every time I hear and see any of your intros. The Jazz improv ones really get me especially. That guitar sounds beautiful in your hands.
I put a Seymour Duncan Jazz Neck Pickup in an Epiphone SG and get some really nice tones from that. Paired with the SD 59/Custom in the bridge position and coil-splitting either or both pickups that guitar has a super wide variety of tones.
I have an Ibanez AS 153 I got for jazz school and absolutely love it. Even my teacher has asked me to use it from time to time when he doesn't have his es 335 at hand for a jam session
Peerless is great for sure. A sleeper for Jazz is a Casino. Med. Flat wounds on a Casino can do a classic 50's Jazz sound. (The newer Epi Casino has really nice sounding pickups )
The new Dangelicos are really nice. The new Excl 1 are perfect for standard gigs and the mini dc deluxe is really impressive as well. For versatility the PRS Se hollowbodies seem perfect for fusion guys that also do a little djent on the side. With all that said Im currently saving up for a Benedetto Bambino.
To minimise feedback with an archtop guitar do like George Benson and put some cling wrap strips over the f holes. Almost invisible. Also you’ll notice most jazzers position their amps to their left and stand or sit so that their body acts as a buffer. Another fix I used on a full 3” Gibson that was very light and resonant was to get a violin/cello maker install a sound post. Just a piece of dowel that coupled the top and back and was held in place by the close fit. Kept most of the full sound of the guitar played acoustically and canceled the fb so I could play through my Fender Twin Reverb on about 5-6 (ie pretty loud) But as has been said, if you want to play jazz, you have to listen/learn/practice jazz! Will keep you busy for the rest of your days….🤓
Lovely playing, much better backing track than previously, which helps to give a more inspiring background against which to improvise. I agree that rolling all (or most) of the treble off is NOT the way forward when trying to get a good jazz tone. The nicest jazz guitar I've ever owned was a cheap old hollow body archtop by Samick (these haven't been made for many years, and they are VERY rare here in the UK). It was made in South Korea. At one point I had a Peerless archtop (also fom Korea) which was a good guitar, but had to sell it because it was too big for me (I have developed tendonitis in my right shoulder from playing big body guitars for many years). I've had some Ibanez archtops, and have played some good ones, but the smaller body ones don't seem to sound as good to my ears. Like John, I also had an Epiphone 339 type but I found the tone to be very inflexible and disappointing. One friend of mine has a signature Ibanez Pat Methany with asymetric double cutaway, and it's awful. The tone is as lifeless and dead as a dodo. Possibly the most impressive jazz guitar I've played is an Eastman archtop (again made in South Korea). However, prices have gone up significantly over the past 8 years of so, making this a fairly major purchase for most of us. One guitar I'm impressed with for jazz is the Reverend Club King 290, which is a semi-hollow guitar with a solid Spruce top - quite an unusual instrument in terms of the construction/materials used. That. in conjunction with a Supro Delta King 12 combo amp gives the kind of tone I'm looking for without being too big. Another guitar I tried - in the spirit of being as open-minded as possible - was an Epiphone Firebird. Strangely, it had a GREAT tone for jazz - again through a Supro Delta King 12 combo amp. Finally, the Gibson Les Paul Special - or one of the cheaper copies, such as the Edwards - also sound great for jazz. Here's a link: ua-cam.com/users/results?search_query=Edwards+Les+Paul+Special+P90+Jazz+Tone+kharchenko_guitar
I've got a beautiful Fender D'aquisto, kind of like the Ibanez PM, but I find that it's a bit of a one trick pony, sounds great at low volume but feedbacks terribly at any kind of gig volume. Currently I'm using an Epiphone Casino Coupe (the Casino's smaller sibling) which I can get a traditional jazz tone. I also have used a Tele which covers all the bases. I also found that leaving a $3k guitar on stage during breaks is just not worth the anxiety.
I liked my Peerless guitar so much I bought another one. They sound great, play great, and look cool. I played a Gibson ES-175 and L-5 for many years, but I prefer the Peerless . . . .
That 165 sounds beautiful. Curious what amp settings you used. A lot of a good jazz tone also comes from the amps; high mids, very low treble and bass.
Hollow or semi-hollows are typically used especially by th iconic jazz players but it's truly more about the tonal quality and style of playing as opposed to the guitar itself...these days lots of players are using Gibson or Epiphone ES335, 339s or solid bodies like Telecasters...
FGN makes a hollow body and a semi but I can’t find a place to buy one in the states. I have an FGN Iliad j standard that’s amazing so I imagine their other stuff is killer too
Hi Jon .. amazing tone. Although you sound like a modern player ie Jim Hall etc, if you haven't gone down the rabbit hole that is Barney Kessel, highly recommended. Besides Wes and Kurt Rosenwinkel, Barney was the most harmonically advanced guitarist to ever live. A recommendation album is actually the box set Barney Kessel Plays for Lovers' amazing chord melody. Barley of course played an es350 w/ a Charlie Christian pickup. . No other jazz box sounds like an actual Gibson jazz box...I've owned a bunch of the spoofs and a real es175 and Talk Far low...i think Gibson is really good at tuning the archtop tops. Cheers
If you're going to play Jazz live at any significant volume, it looks like Tele is the way to go. If you want to "look" like Jazz guitarist, then an Arch top is the way to go.
True but the trend is for reduced stage volumes these days so it becomes less of a problem once more. While the Tele CAN, and does for some, do a respectable 'Jazz' tone, it doesn't do that 'hollow' tone so you have to be prepared to do without that particular sound.
Still amazes me every time I hear and see any of your intros. The Jazz improv ones really get me especially. That guitar sounds beautiful in your hands.
Thanks for the “family” history John. I recommend a 330 or 390 style Gibson/Epi as well. Very comfortable and great w a set of flats.
I put a Seymour Duncan Jazz Neck Pickup in an Epiphone SG and get some really nice tones from that. Paired with the SD 59/Custom in the bridge position and coil-splitting either or both pickups that guitar has a super wide variety of tones.
The Eastman AR-480-CE is similar to the ES-165 and is a really nice guitar at a much lower price.
I have an Ibanez AS 153 I got for jazz school and absolutely love it. Even my teacher has asked me to use it from time to time when he doesn't have his es 335 at hand for a jam session
Mine is really amazing. I had to do some set up but she still blows me away.
Peerless is great for sure. A sleeper for Jazz is a Casino. Med. Flat wounds on a Casino can do a classic 50's Jazz sound. (The newer Epi Casino has really nice sounding pickups )
The really dark Metheny tone is on the trio album “Rejoicing”.
Beautiful playing as always. Thanks for that little tour
The new Dangelicos are really nice. The new Excl 1 are perfect for standard gigs and the mini dc deluxe is really impressive as well. For versatility the PRS Se hollowbodies seem perfect for fusion guys that also do a little djent on the side. With all that said Im currently saving up for a Benedetto Bambino.
Strat got a mention again let’s gooooo!!
Really dig "While They Were Sleeping by Candelight". ❤
Great sounding guitar. Great playing of same.
To minimise feedback with an archtop guitar do like George Benson and put some cling wrap strips over the f holes. Almost invisible. Also you’ll notice most jazzers position their amps to their left and stand or sit so that their body acts as a buffer. Another fix I used on a full 3” Gibson that was very light and resonant was to get a violin/cello maker install a sound post. Just a piece of dowel that coupled the top and back and was held in place by the close fit. Kept most of the full sound of the guitar played acoustically and canceled the fb so I could play through my Fender Twin Reverb on about 5-6 (ie pretty loud) But as has been said, if you want to play jazz, you have to listen/learn/practice jazz! Will keep you busy for the rest of your days….🤓
Plenty of people gig, or have gigged, with archtops and drummers. It's perfectly possible, you just need the knowledge to control the feedback.
Well I love my Gibson 61SG from the Custom Shop. It's an SG, not hollow at all, but very smooth and jazzy. Tone between 6 and 8 or so...
Abercrombie and Frisell both played SGs at one point.
Lovely playing, much better backing track than previously, which helps to give a more inspiring background against which to improvise.
I agree that rolling all (or most) of the treble off is NOT the way forward when trying to get a good jazz tone.
The nicest jazz guitar I've ever owned was a cheap old hollow body archtop by Samick (these haven't been made for many years, and they are VERY rare here in the UK). It was made in South Korea.
At one point I had a Peerless archtop (also fom Korea) which was a good guitar, but had to sell it because it was too big for me (I have developed tendonitis in my right shoulder from playing big body guitars for many years).
I've had some Ibanez archtops, and have played some good ones, but the smaller body ones don't seem to sound as good to my ears. Like John, I also had an Epiphone 339 type but I found the tone to be very inflexible and disappointing.
One friend of mine has a signature Ibanez Pat Methany with asymetric double cutaway, and it's awful. The tone is as lifeless and dead as a dodo.
Possibly the most impressive jazz guitar I've played is an Eastman archtop (again made in South Korea). However, prices have gone up significantly over the past 8 years of so, making this a fairly major purchase for most of us.
One guitar I'm impressed with for jazz is the Reverend Club King 290, which is a semi-hollow guitar with a solid Spruce top - quite an unusual instrument in terms of the construction/materials used.
That. in conjunction with a Supro Delta King 12 combo amp gives the kind of tone I'm looking for without being too big.
Another guitar I tried - in the spirit of being as open-minded as possible - was an Epiphone Firebird. Strangely, it had a GREAT tone for jazz - again through a Supro Delta King 12 combo amp.
Finally, the Gibson Les Paul Special - or one of the cheaper copies, such as the Edwards - also sound great for jazz. Here's a link:
ua-cam.com/users/results?search_query=Edwards+Les+Paul+Special+P90+Jazz+Tone+kharchenko_guitar
I've got a beautiful Fender D'aquisto, kind of like the Ibanez PM, but I find that it's a bit of a one trick pony, sounds great at low volume but feedbacks terribly at any kind of gig volume. Currently I'm using an Epiphone Casino Coupe (the Casino's smaller sibling) which I can get a traditional jazz tone. I also have used a Tele which covers all the bases. I also found that leaving a $3k guitar on stage during breaks is just not worth the anxiety.
I liked my Peerless guitar so much I bought another one. They sound great, play great, and look cool. I played a Gibson ES-175 and L-5 for many years, but I prefer the Peerless . . . .
Eastman are really good!
That 165 sounds beautiful. Curious what amp settings you used. A lot of a good jazz tone also comes from the amps; high mids, very low treble and bass.
Smokin’ the Herb. Always a good vid when you break it owt. ❤️
Hollow or semi-hollows are typically used especially by th iconic jazz players but it's truly more about the tonal quality and style of playing as opposed to the guitar itself...these days lots of players are using Gibson or Epiphone ES335, 339s or solid bodies like Telecasters...
FGN makes a hollow body and a semi but I can’t find a place to buy one in the states. I have an FGN Iliad j standard that’s amazing so I imagine their other stuff is killer too
which preset was this ? sounded phenomenal!
I love your 165 jazz tone and playing. Do you use flatwounds? What patch?
Hi Jon .. amazing tone. Although you sound like a modern player ie Jim Hall etc, if you haven't gone down the rabbit hole that is Barney Kessel, highly recommended. Besides Wes and Kurt Rosenwinkel, Barney was the most harmonically advanced guitarist to ever live. A recommendation album is actually the box set Barney Kessel Plays for Lovers' amazing chord melody. Barley of course played an es350 w/ a Charlie Christian pickup. .
No other jazz box sounds like an actual Gibson jazz box...I've owned a bunch of the spoofs and a real es175 and Talk Far low...i think Gibson is really good at tuning the archtop tops. Cheers
Probably thinking of the album Jim Hall & Pat Metheny... by Jim Hall and Pat Metheny. LOL
Plays *tEh LiCc* within the first 30 seconds of playing. This is truly jazz.
Sire H7
Hey John, where can you buy Peerless guitars? Can't seem to be able to buy them from their website. Thx !
If you're going to play Jazz live at any significant volume, it looks like Tele is the way to go. If you want to "look" like Jazz guitarist, then an Arch top is the way to go.
True but the trend is for reduced stage volumes these days so it becomes less of a problem once more.
While the Tele CAN, and does for some, do a respectable 'Jazz' tone, it doesn't do that 'hollow' tone so you have to be prepared to do without that particular sound.
*Telecaster Deluxe with Wide Range humbuckers, or Custom with a neck humbucker.
The Squier ones are really affordable.
Or a 335. Works great at volume and can get a great jazz tone
Ibanez is a great value I have an AF85 all I need !
✅
Technically a Les Paul guitar IS a Jazz guitar,....