OVERVIEW
For jazz, the best electric guitars for jazz must walk a fine line. Whether you want a traditional or modern sound, chords and melodies with a lot of parts need to be clear and not sound muddy. The guitar tones in jazz also have a warm quality to them.
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When you're looking for the best jazz guitar for you, there are a few things to think about that will help you find the right one.
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Body guitars
If you play straight-ahead jazz, you'll probably want an instrument that fits that style. Jazz players have been using hollowbody guitars for decades because they sound warm and have a great low end response. You lose some sustain, which is something to keep in mind, but for a lot of jazz music, that can be a good thing.
If you play close to a really loud amp or use a lot of overdrive, hollowbody guitars can also be prone to feedback. This shouldn't be a problem for a lot of jazz styles, but if you know you'll be playing sections with gain, a solid body or semi-hollow guitar should help.
If you plan to mix jazz with rock, blues, country, or any other kind of music, you might want something a little more flexible. You'll still want that mellow warmth, but sometimes you might want your tone to have a little more bite and brightness. Guitars with more than one pickup can be very helpful in these situations.
D’Angelico Excel EXL-1 One of the original jazz boxes and still going strong
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Pickup
When you play jazz, it can be very helpful to have a range of slightly different tones at your fingertips. If you play a guitar with two pickups, you can get the right rhythm and lead tones by adjusting the volume and tone knobs for each pickup separately. For rhythm sounds, turn down the volume a little on the neck pickup. For solos, turn up the volume on the bridge pickup and roll off some of the tone. There are so many options without having to look at a single pedal.
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Neck shape
All of these best jazz guitars have different neck profiles. Many players have their own preferences, and in the end, it comes down to what feels best to you. Jazz chord inversions and scales can require a lot of stretching, so how the neck feels in your fretting hand is an important thing to think about.
Epiphone Broadway This forgotten Epi classic is a big ’n' curvy tone machine
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Price
Price will be a factor, as it is with most things in life. If you want a professional instrument that will last you a lifetime of live performances and studio sessions, the best jazz guitars for you will probably cost more than $/£1,500. Still, there are some great choices much lower than that.
LyxPro Electric Guitar Vintage mojo on tap with DeArmond Dynasonic single coils
- Best electric guitar for blues and jazz
- Best electric guitar amp under 500
- Best ELECTRIC GUITAR FOR BEGINNER UNDER 200
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How do I find the best amp for my jazz guitar?
Well, first of all, if you care about how it looks, you have a lot of options. Guitar amplifiers come in a wide range of styles, from retro to futuristic. But that's not the most important thing to consider when looking for the best amp for your jazz guitar. The controls are important, and they should be as flexible as they can be. The watt power is also important, and you should keep that in mind when you buy one. Most jazz guitar amps have two 60-watt power amps that are hooked up to two separate 12
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Can acoustic guitar be used to play jazz?
Jazz music can be played on an acoustic guitar, but it won't sound as good. Check out our suggestions for the best Jazz music to listen to.
That's about all you need to know about jazz guitars and what amps to use with them, whether you're playing at home or outside. Now that we've gone over all of that, you should have a good idea of what to look for, what the best jazz guitar for jazz is, and what meets your needs the most.
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