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Jazz tone on LP Classic


dcmiller

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Hello all...

 

I am new to guitar playing (3 months) and really new to electrics (3 days). I just bought a Les Paul Classic. The amp is a Roland 30X.

 

I am looking for help in setting the guitar and amp for a good warm jazz tone. Any feedback is definitely appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Derrick

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You know, I started out with acoustics because I wanted to play the guitar as a solo instrument...just for my own enjoyment.

 

Unfortunately, other than classical stuff, I am having a hard time finding music for acoustic solo guitar. Hence the LP and an interest in Jazz.

 

Thanks for the input on jazzy pickups. I am not to the point of upgrading such things at the moment. I have some good learning materials and am ready to go.

 

The tip about the neck pickup was right on the money. And it turns out the Roland 30x has a "JC Clean" setting modelled on their Jazz Chorus 120 amp. Looks like I am good to go if I can keep parts from falling off the guitar.

 

Derrick

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You know' date=' I started out with acoustics because I wanted to play the guitar as a solo instrument...just for my own enjoyment.

 

Unfortunately, other than classical stuff, I am having a hard time finding music for acoustic solo guitar. Hence the LP and an interest in Jazz.

 

Thanks for the input on jazzy pickups. I am not to the point of upgrading such things at the moment. I have some good learning materials and am ready to go.

 

The tip about the neck pickup was right on the money. And it turns out the Roland 30x has a "JC Clean" setting modelled on their Jazz Chorus 120 amp. Looks like I am good to go if I can keep parts from falling off the guitar.

 

Derrick[/quote']

 

I'm a relative newbie here myself so haven't got much to add to the good advice you've already had - except, maybe, a certain amount of encouragement.

 

I began trying to play jazz (for my own amusement) on a classical; moved to a nylon acoustic; then tried an Epi LP Standard through a 15W Marshall (not the best jazz amp there is, but OK). I took the advice of the jazz forums and bought the Roland 30 - seems to be the best choice, and the LP is capable of a great jazz sound given the chance. And RotcanX gives good advice - don't neglect the middle position. If you're used to classical finger playing the middle position gives you a good range of sounds. Just play around with the settings. If you're a finger-style player you'll find the amp takes a lot of the stress out of producing sound and enables you to think more about tone. More good advice I had was not to try and copy Jim Hall's sound (for example) - and certainly not his sound as it comes out of your CD player ... that's not what Jim Hall sounds like. Just play the damn thing. Eventually I swapped the pups for Gibson 490/498 - bit of a gamble, but it's worked OK. Plenty of time for that though.

 

HOWEVER - beware. Before long you begin to wonder what the DOT sounds like - and that LP is a bit small to sit on your lap; then you think about the ES175 reissue, cause that's what real jazzers play; unless you think about trying the Broadway, cause nothing sounds like a 17'' hollow-body ... unless, maybe it's an Emperor with a spruce top and a floating pick-up. But by the time you get to this stage there'll be so many guitars around the house nobody, but nobody, can keep track of how many you've got.

 

 

Bob

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I totally enjoyed reading that, Bob! Back when I used to hunt we would say that after the third hunting rifle folks starting referring to the group as "those" rather than using a number to specify amount. At that point you could buy all you wanted, provided you didn't have a cabinet to keep them in.

 

I am still fighting a buzz in the A string that gets amplified but all else seems to be coming together.

 

Thanks,

 

Derrick

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