Has there ever been definitive tone – a tone that is “the standard jazz tone” by which all other tones are measured or compared? Find your tone with this selction of jazz guitar strings.
I used to think there was a standard jazz guitar tone, especially in the 60′s and 70′s before so many different guitar makes became popular in the field of jazz and so many more new jazz guitarists came on the scene and created their own sound.
The fact is, there probably isn’t an ideal jazz tone that is the same for everybody, the true jazz tone is the tone that is in each individual’s head – his or her own personal “ideal jazz sound”.
That aside, it has been the case that the hollow body, “f-hole” guitar has been the most popular type of guitar in this style, giving a warmth and a depth of tone that holds the attention of the listener, rather like a voice.
Perhaps it is true to say that there are as many distinctive jazz sounds are there are voices, but the thing is, you find the sound and tone that you like and stick to it – it is your sound.
My old guitar teacher used to use tape-wound strings and if that wasn’t mellow enough, he used to turn the tone controls right down on his Gibson 175. He was so mellow his sound could only be heard by whales swimming in the ocean!
The combination of classic humbuckers combined with flatwound strings is what jazz tone was all about for me.