Jazz Guitar recommendations.

adamino

I have started studying jazz guitar and I feel the need to invest in a JAZZ guitar.

Of course I am not well off, especially at the moment.

Any recommendations please?

I am an advanced player

cheers

Jalapeno

Ibanez Artcore. Epiphone Joe Pass

Maybe a 335 style - loads of choice £350-£500+ range

adamino

Yes funnily enough I was looking into the Joe Pass Epiphone series.I am hoping one can get low action on these guitars for the stretched out wide Jazz chords.

Jalapeno

I think the Epi ES175 is still made too

Winny_Pooh

Flats on a telecaster would do the job too

Jackobean

You don't need an archtop for jazz - just ask Mike Stern, Ed Bickert, Lorne Lofsky etc.

adamino

Wow the Epi ES175 is really pricey.

Jalapeno

My bad - it's discontinued

Agree with flatwounds on a Tele comments

rossi

yup ...flats on a Tele ..

guitars4you

Not sure what guitar(s) you are playing at the moment, hence what you are familiar with - The issue with many 'old school' style jazz boxes (like a ES175) is that they can feel/play so differently to what you are used to - As such you end up fighting the new jazz box which can be off putting and lead to the end of the journey

Whilst still a jazz box I've found modern version like the Ibanez Artcore, some of the Gretsch Electromatic models and the Peavey Rockingham can feel more slick to handle

At this stage I'd be more inclined to go with a Tele and re-string as required - as per other comments above - Start this way then you can change at a later date if required - Many jazz players I know inc Adrian Ingram play a Tele for jazz

JerkMoans

Jazzmaster? Just scored some flats to put on mine. If I ever sober up and put some clothes on.

octatonic

Whatever guitar you have now that you play best with.
Jazz is an approach to playing- you don't want to be thinking too much about the gear.

adamino

Im currently playing 

Gibson Les Paul slim tapered Neck
Jackson SDX
ESP LTD EC 100
Gibson Les Paul Studio Chunky neck.

Basically Im looking for a clean sounding guitar with a slim neck that can handle thick strings pref 12s

Jalapeno

A Les Paul would be perfectly adequate - listen to some Les Paul / Mary Ford recordings and turn down the gain on guitar and amp. Same thing with a Tele or 335 - I played a 335 with half-wounds & flat-wounds for a few years until I succumbed to bad archtop GAS.

adamino

thank you for the advice ,much appreciated

I think that I will eventually go for the Joe Pass model owing to the fact that I hope to perform at the casino and the hotels when all returns to normality.

I love my Gibsons but I would love to have a semi hollow guitar too which will also go well with my smart suit.

Branshen

adamino said:

Im currently playing 

Gibson Les Paul slim tapered Neck
Jackson SDX
ESP LTD EC 100
Gibson Les Paul Studio Chunky neck.

Basically Im looking for a clean sounding guitar with a slim neck that can handle thick strings pref 12s

oooh. Is your studio black? You could do a ulf wakenius thing, he uses a knockoff les paul studio, which looks plenty smart with a suit to me! Great playing obviously, one of my fav jazz guitarists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRuY3_4BxhE

artiebear

Without breaking the bank, an Ibanez GB10SE-BS George Benson would do you very well. Great design, a lot of guitar for the money and looks the part. 

Loobs

Ibanez 335 style with 11s or 12s 

DB1

Some good points made above - the Peavey Rockingham and Epi Joe Pass is a good shout. If you can find an Aria FA-70 or FA-71, that's pretty good. Bigger bodied, of course. You don't have to have a jazz guitar, as mentioned above, but if it helps you FEEL like a jazz player, and it helps the mood, great. Ibanez is a good shout, and some of the Peerless models are well worth a look.

octatonic

adamino said:

Im currently playing 

Gibson Les Paul slim tapered Neck
Jackson SDX
ESP LTD EC 100
Gibson Les Paul Studio Chunky neck.

Basically Im looking for a clean sounding guitar with a slim neck that can handle thick strings pref 12s

Why 12's?
It will just be harder work.
Mike Outram plays his 335's strung with 10's (as do I incidentally).
I've seen Dario Cortese play on a set of 9-42's on a HSS Musicman Luke and he sounded awesome.
Frankly any of those guitars will be fine- get a nice clean tone and start transcribing.

Being focussed on the technical details of the guitar is a distraction from what you should be thinking about, which is the next 10 years of practicing Jazz and specifically what you need to be playing today.
Anything with a decent action that intonates well that you like playing is fine.

guitars4you

adamino said:

Im currently playing 

Gibson Les Paul slim tapered Neck
Jackson SDX
ESP LTD EC 100
Gibson Les Paul Studio Chunky neck.

Basically I'm looking for a clean sounding guitar with a slim neck that can handle thick strings pref 12s

No reason why either of your LP's won't work - Not sure if you are playing jazz with a pic or thumb - You might like to try either LP's with a set of 1/2 wound by D'addario, or Flat wounds, to deliver more of a traditional jazz voice and remove some of the string noise you get with regular wound strings - I prefer 1/2 wound but a matter of taste 

If you normally play 10's then the jump to 12's might be to big a step in one go - You can start with 10's certainly for more jazz/fusion styles ie Larry Carlton etc - D'addario offer 1/2 wound 10-52 set with a wound 3rd which might be worth a visit