Which Heritage guitar would you recommend for playing jazz?

[1ply]

Which Heritage guitar would you recommend for playing jazz?

 

I confess that I do not know anything about electric or archtop guitars. I have played flat top guitars.

 

My wife wants me to learn to play jazz guitar. This will be a major shift for me because I have played rhythm guitar for years but never lead guitar. I do play some songs with instrumental guitar like “Blackbird,” “Tears in Heaven” and I have been working on Chet Atkins “Vincent” for quite awhile.

 

I do not read music but I do read tabs.

 

Here is the equipment I currently own:

A Collings CJ Mh A guitar.

A Guild D-50 guitar.

A Yamaha Stagepas 500 PA system.

A couple of good microphones.

 

I think I want a guitar with a short scale because when I attempt to play Chet Atkins “Vincent,” I find some of the reaches difficult to make.

 

I am not wealthy. Money is an object. I am sure I will need to buy something used.

 

I want to buy American. I live in Seattle and there are no Heritage dealers in the Pacific Northwest.

 

I think the H 575 might be the right guitar for this purpose. What do you think?

 

Peace,

Rip

[Dick Seacup]

If you are asking which Heritage is beset for jazz, the short answer is "just about any of them." Another short answer might be, "the model that gives you the tone you seek." With that out of the way, the H-575 is probably what most would call a traditional jazz-box and certainly would get you in the ballpark.

 

The reality, though, and I really hate to say this, being an ardent Heritage fanboy and all, is that there is no specific "jazz guitar." You can play just about any style of music on just about any guitar. It's funny. Ed Bickert gets fantabulous jazz tones out of a beat up old Fender Telecaster. I've heard some very tasty fusion jazz played on Stratocasters and "superstrats" (Ibeenhad, for instance). Les Paul played some great jazz standards on, well, the Gibbon Less Paul...for a while.

 

I fully subscribe to the "tone is in the fingers" school of thought. But, I also fully subscribe to the "I need another guitar so I can do X" school of thought. So, now that I'm done rambling...get the 575, play it for a while, then get a 535 for the Larry Carlton stuff, and then a Sweet 16 for the old timey jazz stuff, and maybe a Millennium DC for those gigs where you go from rock to blues to jazz and don't feel like taking three different guitars.

 

 

Oh, and Welcome to the Club!

[1ply]

Thanks Dick Seacup for your response.

 

I have heard that a jazz guitar needs to have a quick decay instead of a long sustain and that flattops have a longer sustain than archtops.

 

I should have added that I want a guitar that I can play without amplification.

 

When I want to amplify it, would my PA be adequate. I cannot imagine that I would play jazz guitar for a large audience.

 

Peace,

Rip

[mark555]

taking on board your point about not having a great deal of spare money to buy your new guitar, I would advise a 535. This guitar will give you perfectly acceptable tones. I was in the same position as yourself, wanting to explore some jazz playing, I sold a les paul special and used the money to buy a used 555, it really does cover what ever I want from Jazz but still gives me what ever else I need to play other styles of music. In an ideal world I would have a 150CM for rock, a 575 for jazz and the 555 for just the sake of it, but a 535 will give you just what you are looking for very adequately, and it is a very comfortable guitar to live with. The fully hollow bodied guitars are also prone to feedback, you won't get much of that with the semi solid 535, yet you will still get that warmth o tone. Welcome to the HOC and let us know how you get along.

 

By the way, it doesn't matter how good or bad you are as a player, if you enjoy guitar and appreciate Heritage guitars, that's all that matters.

[Jazzpunk]

I think the H 575 might be the right guitar for this purpose. What do you think?

 

Peace,

Rip

 

If you dig 'traditional' jazz tones and recordings than the 575 is a fantastic choice! If you think you'll just be dabbling in jazz a bit and wanting to play other styles of music as well than I'd say any of the semi-hollow's would be suitable.

[DC Ron]

Just my opinions, all of my points are debatable. If playing acoustically is really a priority, think you're looking for a carved spruce top. These can be had in 16" (sweet 16), 17" (eagle classic, golden eagle) and 18" (super eagle) body sizes. These are all long scale. For maximum acoustic properties, look for one with a floating pickup or just a mounted neck pickup, as these usually have x-bracing that allows the top to vibrate more than the parallel braced guitars that have two mounted pickups. Sweet 16's and Golden Eagles nearly always have x-bracing, other models by special order. There are also a few 16" short scale H-575's with a carved top, and these can be had for not a lot of money relative to the others. There is also a 17" x-braced carved mahogany top eagle model that is a very cool budget archtop. I own or have owned a super eagle, golden eagle and eagle classic, and are all fine acoustic archtops in the classic tradition. Since money is an object I'd recommend either the eagle or the H-575 with a spruce top. (You can usually tell a spruce top since it will not have a curly or figured appearance, but will have a straight grain that runs parallel to the neck of the guitar.) These can be had for less than $2K, or as low as $1K if you're adventurous enough for eBay. Good luck!

[zydecosoultrain]

If you dig 'traditional' jazz tones and recordings than the 575 is a fantastic choice! If you think you'll just be dabbling in jazz a bit and wanting to play other styles of music as well than I'd say any of the semi-hollow's would be suitable.

 

 

I second that. The 575 sounds great for jazz and is comfortable enough to play for many hours - which tends to be what happens when you (a) try to learn jazz melodies, and ( have a guitar that really speaks to you. On the other hand a H 535 will be fine for jazz and great for just about anything else. Gotta say I love my 575 though... it was secondhand and I had it on lay-buy (layaway) for 5 months while I sold my motorcycle, the last vestige of my pre-children life.

 

Good luck with finding a good secondhand heritage and learning some jazz. You'll never look back.

[ronalr]

I have to put my vote in for the 575 also...of course I an a little prejudice I got mine from a HOC member for a great price...so look around...I play a lot of chord melody jazz on it and it sounds really nice and mellow...great neck ....I had a friend form Oslo Norway stay with me in September...(he came over for the PRS Experience) he played all my guitars and was really impressed with the neck and sound of the 575 (he owns mostly PRS guitars)

[barrymclark]

Yeah, if you wanting something very traditional, I would go with the 575. You aren't gonna be upset with anything you get. My 140 does subtle jazz tones that are just to die for through the Vox.

[tsp17]

My 575MH (solid mahogany back and sides, carved spruce top) is very close to perfect. highly recommend 575. 17" or 18" may give you a bit more bottom end, but will be substantially more $. 575 is definitely the bang for the buck (solid carved models).

[JohnCovach]

Another vote here for the 575 as the default choice for jazz.

[blueox]

My wife wants me to learn to play jazz guitar. This will be a major shift for me because I have played rhythm guitar for years but never lead guitar.

 

Your comment makes me think that you should get into jazz and lead playing using one of your present guitars. It's nice to try to please one's spouse or other friends and relation, but for you, playing lead would be quite a change of pace and then to play jazz, that would be another leap from what you've been doing. Do you listen to a lot of recorded jazz? Do you often get out and see live jazz? Is playing jazz something YOU've wanted to do? Do you feel it? To me, you have to feel it--you have to be motivated by the sound of the style to want to learn it. Because someone else wants you to learn to play jazz, for me, is not a good enough reason to put the time and money into something, unless YOU want it to happen, no matter if anyone else wants you to. Yes, it would be great to see you go out and get a Heritage H-575 and a Polytone amp with a 15" speaker, but with your budget, I would like to see how you progress with what you have at the present time.

[DC Ron]

My 575MH (solid mahogany back and sides, carved spruce top) is very close to perfect. highly recommend 575. 17" or 18" may give you a bit more bottom end, but will be substantially more $. 575 is definitely the bang for the buck (solid carved models).

 

+1. This is the way to go.

[barrymclark]

Your comment makes me think that you should get into jazz and lead playing using one of your present guitars. It's nice to try to please one's spouse or other friends and relation, but for you, playing lead would be quite a change of pace and then to play jazz, that would be another leap from what you've been doing. Do you listen to a lot of recorded jazz? Do you often get out and see live jazz? Is playing jazz something YOU've wanted to do? Do you feel it? To me, you have to feel it--you have to be motivated by the sound of the style to want to learn it. Because someone else wants you to learn to play jazz, for me, is not a good enough reason to put the time and money into something, unless YOU want it to happen, no matter if anyone else wants you to. Yes, it would be great to see you go out and get a Heritage H-575 and a Polytone amp with a 15" speaker, but with your budget, I would like to see how you progress with what you have at the present time.

Agreed.

 

Regardless of what anyone tells you, you can play jazz on just about anything. There are excepted standards for sure, but I have seen jazz played on about every kind of guitar and through about every kind of amp.

 

I play what I call Jazz on a flat top all the time. If you aren't sure that you will be getting into Jazz for the long haul (which I am sure you will. Don't see how you don't get sucked in once you find that song that makes you want to learn), I definitely wouldn't drop the change it would take to get a new setup.

[Crow]

I'll add my 2 cents.

 

You say you don't want to have to use an amp? I have an Eagle. Now I usually play it not plugged in, but beleive me it is nowhere near as loud as a fine flat-top. If your playing with a Martin it will drown you right out. I imagine you will find any archtop to be quiet compared to your Collings.

[mark555]

Your comment makes me think that you should get into jazz and lead playing using one of your present guitars. It's nice to try to please one's spouse or other friends and relation, but for you, playing lead would be quite a change of pace and then to play jazz, that would be another leap from what you've been doing. Do you listen to a lot of recorded jazz? Do you often get out and see live jazz? Is playing jazz something YOU've wanted to do? Do you feel it? To me, you have to feel it--you have to be motivated by the sound of the style to want to learn it. Because someone else wants you to learn to play jazz, for me, is not a good enough reason to put the time and money into something, unless YOU want it to happen, no matter if anyone else wants you to. Yes, it would be great to see you go out and get a Heritage H-575 and a Polytone amp with a 15" speaker, but with your budget, I would like to see how you progress with what you have at the present time.

 

I think Blue Ox has spoken some wise words here, and I can thoroughly back him up on playing jazz on anything. Adrian Ingram is a tremendous jazz player and I have sen him use a telecaster for jazz several times, producing terrific tone. But what ever you do, I hope that you enjoy your new direction on the guitar.

[1ply]

Thank you so much for your wise counsel.

 

I will get into lead playing and then into jazz playing my present guitar.

 

Blue Ox, your questions were especially helpful.

 

When and if I get to the point that my skills have outgrown my present guitars, I will get a new guitar. My present guitars can do so much more than I can make them do already.

 

Peace,

Rip

[tulk1]

When and if I get to the point that my skills have outgrown my present guitars, I will get a new guitar. My present guitars can do so much more than I can make them do already.

 

Peace,

Rip

 

Rip,

 

Don't let the thought that your current guitars are sufficient for jazz keep you from getting another guitar. That logic seems somehow skewed - from my own skewed point of view, anyway.

[blueox]

On the other hand, putting myself in your shoes and remembering how it was when I started down this rocky (blues) road . . . very often a great-sounding and great-playing guitar can do wonders for one's inspiration and motivation, if it is the right one that helps you make YOUR kind of music. Yes, jazz can be played on a wide variety of guitars, but you might progress by leaps and bounds if you had a quality, classic jazz axe to learn on, such as the Heritage H-575--one that when you pick it up to play, you really feel it and are not just getting by, but are really learning the craft as it was meant to be played. With the economy the way it is, along with some of the pricing, now might be a good time to pick up a good used Heritage H-575 or an H-535 if and/or when you run across one, as long as your budget can swing it. Having your spouse's approval is a plus. You could get a feel for the pricing by checking out a variety of Internet dealers that sell Heritage.

[mark555]

One of the reasons I never got a group of guitars together is because m wife would never aggree.. She just does not understand the guitar players mind! More good words from Blue Ox, who's name sounds like a brand of beef jerky!

[mark555]

I have good friend who owns a 575, and I can only back up what others have said in that it is the perfect jazz guitar. The only thing with these hollow bodied single cutaway instruments though is that (in my opinion) they are very job specific.

[barrymclark]

I have good friend who owns a 575, and I can only back up what others have said in that it is the perfect jazz guitar. The only thing with these hollow bodied single cutaway instruments though is that (in my opinion) they are very job specific.

Maybe... but what a job it does!

[big bob]

I have good friend who owns a 575, and I can only back up what others have said in that it is the perfect jazz guitar. The only thing with these hollow bodied single cutaway instruments though is that (in my opinion) they are very job specific.

how so, My 575 is loaded with p-rails and works great for lots of sounds including: blues, rock, rockabilly, jazz, ska, pop, you name it.. It can also be played acoustic around the campfire..

[RJLII]

An H-550 will work very well for jazz. I will cover other areas too. Good for blues, country, roots rock.

 

Metal? not so much

[Crow]

When I got the Eagle, I plugged it right into my MesaBoogie I was using in a rock band. Without tweaking the knobs it sounded very much just like the Les Paul.