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#288824 - 16/10/11 12:35 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: Megi]
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Lester
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 28/05/11
Posts: 543
Loc: UK & Slovakia
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Gibson 339 - that must be a very nice thing to own!
The music shop in Guildford I bought it from sent me a faulty one and it has taken a long time to get it sorted. My replacement is now with Richards Guitars, being repaired due to Gibson's awful build quality - all ES-339s currently being made (I checked 4 Guitars) do not have the neck glued into the body straight, resulting in the top string being too close to the edge of the neck. I got an email from Richard yesterday so I hope to have my guitar in a week or two.
Lester, how does the 339 compare to your Burny for jazz?
The 339 is the more versatile guitar but the bigger archtop body and sound of the pickup on the Burny has a sound that the 339 cannot match. I think of the Burny as a one trick pony (one sound only) but it does that one trick exceeding well. I want to sort out recording, either audio on SoundCloud or video on YouTube. You have given me a task: to demonstrate both for comparison so that you can make your own mind up.
Jazz theory? I thought the idea was just to get up there and play as the mood takes you...
Sometimes I want to include some lush extended chords like 11ths but my fingers don't instinctively know where to go so I have some learning to do before I can play as the mood takes me.
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#288828 - 16/10/11 04:21 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: Lester]
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elkay
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 23/11/05
Posts: 386
Loc: Croydon
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Lester, sorry to hear of your problems with the 339. I got mine from that Guildford store too. Mine's a 2010 model, and fortunately does not have any issues (except that the store somehow managed to get their stock tickets mixed up, and initially sent me the fat '50s one instead of the 30/60). This store is pretty poor on quality control and the care they give to their instruments. Just last week I had to return a Fender Deluxe Reverb which had a non-functional treble tone control. I've also received other faulty items from them, as well as items covered in dust and grit, etc. The only reason I continue to use them is that they're very good on returns and refunds, usually arranging for collection without any cost to the buyers. As long as they do this, I don't mind them sending me any number of dogs, which will just get returned to them. So far, the keeps are just ahead of the returns.
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#288829 - 16/10/11 05:57 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: elkay]
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Lester
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 28/05/11
Posts: 543
Loc: UK & Slovakia
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elkay, here is a good comparison between a 339 and a Burny, both played by Gregor Hilden and through the same amp.
In Gibson Custom Shop ES-339 Part2 Overdrive & Clean Greg lets the ES-339 sing (like Robben Ford and Larry Carlton) for the first 3 minutes and then plays it clean.
In 2004 Gibson ES-165 "Herb Ellis" Part1 Greg plays an ES-165 clean.
Ultimately, the sound will depend on who is playing.
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#288844 - 17/10/11 12:05 AM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: Lester]
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elkay
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 23/11/05
Posts: 386
Loc: Croydon
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Thanks Lester.
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#289036 - 26/10/11 12:27 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: elkay]
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Mark 123
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 05/10/11
Posts: 26
Loc: Kent
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Sadly, my company interweb access won't allow me to see any pictures posted here! Have to say though that the collections sound very nice...
I'm picking up some jazz guitar at the moment, and will shortly be treating myself to an ES-175 or similar. Probably be an Epiphone though until I'm sure I'm taking to the music (or it's taking to me).
In any case, does anybody have any recommendations re listening? Django, di Meola and co aside, what great albums should I be searching out?
Mark.
_________________________
Current Gear:
Fender MIM Strat;
Epiphone Les Paul;
'No-Name Pes Laul';
Takamine Classical.
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#289039 - 26/10/11 02:34 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: Mark 123]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Hi Mark - good luck with the guitar buy, also worth looking at some of the Ibanez Artcore range of jazz Guitars as an alternative to the Epi 175, just to throw that in. Also bear in mind that there is no rule that says you absolutely have to have an archtop to play jazz, it's perfectly possible on a solid guitar - use neck pickup, go for a mellow tone etc. Also there is quite a tradition for using a telecaster for jazz if you have such a guitar.
But anyway, as to the albums, for what I think of as the kind of "classic" jazz guitar sound, you just can't ignore Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel and Joe Pass. Wes: I'd pick "Smokin at the Half Note" (the best jazz guitar album ever IMHO...) and maybe "Boss guitar", although any of his stuff on the Riverside label is wonderful. Some of his later recordings are more aimed at the commercial/popular end of the market, but of less interest from a jazz point of view, so bear that in mind.
Barney Kessel: "Autumn Leaves" is a really good one, also any of the Poll Winners albums are great.
Joe Pass - I've not heard any bad stuff - (he was just incapable of playing anything bad!), but the Virtuoso solo albums are wonderful.
A couple of other guitarists are Pat Martino - "Conciousness" is a really good example of classic Pat from the '70s, and Jim Hall - I really like his playing with Paul Desmond, you can get a 5 CD set of all their recordings for less than £20 on the internet. Also I would want to include Kenny Burrell (maybe "Midnight Blue") and Emily Remler (try "East to Wes" or "Take Two").
But this is only scratching the surface, there is so much terrific jazz guitar to listen to - I haven't even gone into the more modern players, but people like Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, John Scofield spring to mind. I've never been a massive fan of Di Meola I have to say, but that's just me!
EDIT: don't know why a link automatically appeared above for Kessel - I didn't put that in! or indeed for Burrell...
Edited by Megi (26/10/11 02:37 PM)
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#289224 - 01/11/11 01:21 PM
Re: Learning to play jazz guitar
[Re: Megi]
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Mark 123
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 05/10/11
Posts: 26
Loc: Kent
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Cheers for that Megi, all players I've heard of (and probably heard at some point, without being able to name said music or muso). I'll be seeking them out accordingly.
Also, thanks for the referral to Ibanez: I'll be having a look at them too.
With regard to the lack of a rule about playing an archtop, I'm afraid I have incurable and severe GAS, and quite frankly, who needs an excuse?!
Mark.
_________________________
Current Gear:
Fender MIM Strat;
Epiphone Les Paul;
'No-Name Pes Laul';
Takamine Classical.
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