Do You Really Need a Jazz Guitar?

One of the fun parts of learning something new is exploring the gear that comes along with it. So it’s only natural that when you start learning jazz, you start looking into jazz guitars.

But what is a jazz guitar really? And do you even need a special instrument to get started? Does it really make a difference?

Well yes and no – it really depends on your situation, what you’re trying to do, and the jazz guitarists you like to listen to.

Let’s take a look at what “jazz guitars” are, and figure out what you really need to get started playing jazz.

What Instruments Count as Jazz Guitars?

This is a common problem that there are a variety of ways to deal with. It’s just something that comes along with amplifying an acoustic instrument.

Arch top guitars give you a nice warm sound, and they’ve traditionally been used in jazz music for a long time. Look at pictures of Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow and other great jazz guitarists, and you’ll probably see them holding archtops.

What If I Don’t Want to Deal With Feedback?

Another instrument people will tend to think of as a jazz guitar is what we call a semi-hollow body guitar. 

These have a solid piece of wood down the middle of the body attached to the neck, and “acoustic” chambers making up the rest of the body of the guitar.

A semi hollow instrument gives you a similar tone to an archtop, but lets you play at higher volumes without getting feedback from your amplifier.

They’re not as loud acoustically, but sometimes not having to deal with feedback is the priority.

I used to play in a big band that did a lot of Pat Metheny and Radiohead arrangements, and that band was LOUD.

An archtop would have been a nightmare to play in that group, where a semi-hollow guitar was the perfect fit.

There are lots of great players who use these guitars – think John Scofield and Larry Carlton to start with. 

Semi-hollow guitars are also a good option if you’re looking for one instrument that can easily handle multiple styles of music.

Because it doesn’t feed back as easily, you’ll see this type of guitar used in all kinds of musical styles beyond jazz or blues.

What If You Have a Solid Body Electric?

And it seems like you’re always seeing someone new playing on a solid body guitar. My thoughts on using a solid body for jazz is this:

Do what you want – if you have a guitar you like to play, you can play jazz on it.

Your jazz guitar chords are going to have the same notes in them… no matter what guitar you play them on.

There’s no need to get a whole new gear setup… unless you want to. I find that every time I’m happy with my current setup I see something really cool that I have to talk myself out of for a while.

As far as trying to get a traditional sound with a solid body guitar, little tweaks like heavier strings and picks will help you get there.

The Downside of Solid Body Electric Guitars

The only downside I can see to using a solid body electric guitar for jazz is that sometimes people “hear what they see.”

It’s unfortunate, but in some situations people don’t really hear what you’re playing – they make a judgment on your playing based on what they see in your hands.

Even people who really should know better…

Now if you’re playing jazz for fun with your friends or even gigs around town, there’s nothing to worry about. Do what you want and have fun. The guitar in your hands really has no bearing on how you sound.

But sometimes if you’re in a school music program or a community big band, you might want to consider looking into some “jazz guitars” you might like.

Believe it or not, some people will think you sound better for jazz if they see what they think is a “jazz guitar” in your hands. (And then think you sound better for rock with a strat…)

When People “Hear What They See”

When I was in college, I bought a Carvin solid body guitar to be my main instrument.

It was a great guitar – and I loved playing it. The Carvin was my workhorse – I was using it for big bands, combos, gigs, you name it.

But there were some pro gigs I had where I used an archtop – it was just the right look for a big band.

A guitar player friend of mine came to see me play in the pro band, and commented about how much better my jazz playing was – how much I must have been practicing.

But nothing had changed! I was just playing a guitar that looked right to him.

He “heard what he saw” and not what I actually played. (We’d even played together the previous week…)

As far as downsides go, this isn’t a big one. 

Jazz Guitars Are Nice, But Not Necessary

I’d suggest that you make your own choice on guitars, based on what you like and what you want to do. 

It’s always a good idea to be realistic about what you need this for.

If you like the jazz tradition and want to really go for the classic sounds, consider an archtop or semi hollow. 

Or if you’re planning on going to school for jazz, trying to get into a high school jazz band, or something like that…

… a guitar that “looks right” can go a long way. As dumb as that seems.

Now if you want to pick up the style and techniques, but need something that handles a lot of different music, a solid body guitar will still work great. There’s no need to pick up a different guitar for every style of music you learn.

Conclusion

It’s always important to remember that jazz is a style of music, not a type of guitar. You can play jazz and sound great on any guitar you happen to have… 

… you don’t need to wait until you have the right equipment, you can just start playing. I would even argue that there is no “right” equipment. Too many players out there sound great on all kinds of different guitars.

What it really comes down to is your needs, experience, and preferences. 

What kind of guitar are you playing jazz on right now? Let me know in the comments below.