Best Solid Body Guitar For Jazz - Shootout - Solid Body Jazz Guitars

Direct sound comparison | Best solid body jazz guitar winner | Solid body guitars vs archtop | Jazz sound setting tips
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In this shootout video I'll try to find the best solid body guitar for jazz. We'll test the Gibson Les Paul, a Sherman Stratocaster, a Fender Telecaster Deluxe and a PRS CE24.
I'll talk about each solid body jazz guitar and its advantages and drawbacks. I'll show you the best sound settings for each of the electric guitars. Then you'll hear a direct sound comparison between those solid body Jazz guitars, so you hear the differences and nuances without bla bla.
Then I'll compare all four solid body guitars to an Eastman archtop. This may help you decide wheter you want to stick with your currect electric guitar for jazz or change over to an archtop or semi acoustic guitar.
I'll also announce a winner for best solid body jazz guitar.
I hope you'll enjoy my solid body jazz guitar shootout and it helps you with your sound desicion.
Please give this solid body vs archtop comparison video a thumbs up, share the love and the knowledge and subscribe my channel for jazz guitar reviews and tutorials.
Best Solid Body Guitars for Jazz:
00:00 What's in the video
00:32 The four solid body guitars reviewed
01:04: Gibson Les Paul for Jazz
04:47 Stratocaster for Jazz
08:08 Fender Telecaster for Jazz
12:28 PRS for jazz
17:16 Solid body jazz guitars: Direct sound comparison
(Gibson Les Paul jazz Tone vs
Stratocaster jazz tone vs
Fender Telecaster jazz Tone vs
PRS Jazz jazz Tone)
20:13 Solid body vs hollow body archtop: Direct sound comparison
(All solid body guitars vs Eastman 905 archtop jazz guitar)
23:09 Best solid body jazz guitar - WINNER
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Enjoy, Sandra :-)

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Which one is your favorite? Is there a solid body I don't know yet, that's even better for jazz? Let me know! Thanks all for coming to the live chat. That was a super nerdy chat. I loved it :-))

[@rockstarjazzcat]

💜 Please pardon the Dan-splains. ;-)

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

@@rockstarjazzcat I loved them 🧡I so much enjoy nerdy gear talk :-)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I'm relieved to hear so! Thanks for all of your work to provide quality content!

[@jimshorts6751]

Try a G&L ASAT Fullerton (American) Bluesboy. The pickups are not "ice picky" like the Fender Tele and it has a nice humbucker in the neck position. Leo Fender got the Tele into the present with this design, Pleked from the factory....rolled fingerboard edges, 9.5 radius and very low straight from the factory. Mine blows my Fender away in almost every way. If you bottom out the pickups you get the classic Tele sound, up it sounds like an S-1 is engaged with absolutely NO 60 cycle hum. You would have to spend over $2500- 3500 on a Fender to get close.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

@@jimshorts6751 I know the Asat series - great guitars

[@patricklennox9572]

Les Paul, the man himself, proved the LP's capabilities for jazz on his old show back in the day. It is good to hear the LP still has what it takes. Thanks, Sandra.

[@jltrem]

The Les Paul was designed as a jazz guitar.

[@khangenbamavanjit122]

I'd like a Les Paul but with p90 pickups....after having seen Julian Lage play with it 🙌

[@Great-Documentaries]

@@jltrem And not by Les Paul. Jazz was the dominant popular music at the time (people forget that). Les Paul wasn't much of a jazz artist though. No one listens to his jazz recordings.

[@Great-Documentaries]

@@jltrem Oh, and the Jazzmaster was also designed as a jazz guitar. How did that work out?

[@MusicWeRemember]

But Les used his own custom pickups which had a much wider frequency range than the humbuckers that Gibson put on them.

[@CC-fi3pp]

Les Paul is SUPER slept on for Jazz.

[@JamesFlemingIreland]

Personally the telecaster is my favorite jazz guitar. Ted Greene, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell... It's extremely dynamic. Also, as mentioned in the video, the chord melodies on a telecaster are fantastic!

[@doczik]

Prs is quite interesting...another model like a 594 hollow could be nice and original

[@alexmanganaris234]

Add in Ed Bickert

[@G_Demolished]

Julian Lage for the win!

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

..especially if you have a Rosewood fretboard .

[@titobattaglia7932]

One more tele jazz fan: my #1 pick for solid body jazz, and I prefer its traditional single coil in the neck. Just roll a smidge of volume off, tweak bass to taste on the amp. Oh, and add Mr. Tim Lerch to the army of great tele-wielding jazzmen. The amazing Anthony Wilson also seems to share the passion!

[@TariasNiniel]

Actually also love SGs for Jazz , not the first guitar you think of for jazz just lookwise, but since it sounds kinda like a Les Paul with a bit extra mid accentuation, they also work great. And overall i personally prefer SGs for the great fretacess and lighter weight compared to les pauls. Also both guitars with humbuckers OR p90 pickups for jazz

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

I also like the better clarity of the SG guitars.

[@stevenjewell460]

SG is an underrated axe. Take some time to discover my favorite solid-body guitar.

[@kennyblackbird5674]

Being a Gibson it was designed to be a compact solid body jazz guitar.

[@robertbenton2804]

I agree with you, the Les Paul sounded better.

[@williamj1813]

You make them all sound so beautiful. With you playing them they're all winners. However, the Tele sounds the best to my ears.

[@Gregabalese]

Another fine video from Sandra! Just goes to show you, we spend so much time, money and effort on gear-we often forget that great Jazz comes from the player and not the instrument. Thanks Sandra!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

True dat 😊. It's in the fingers 👋

[@tomasvanecek8626]

"It is not the arrow... it is the Indian .. " 😝

[@actionoriented]

Absolutely love your comparisons and tasteful playing. Great to see an apples to apples comparison across these instruments, thanks!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you, Jason! ❤️ Trying my best 😊.

[@SingPsalms]

I liked the PRS, I didn’t think it would be as nice for jazz as it was. The one I liked least was the strat, lacking those mids like you said. Cool video

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks so much ❤️

[@craigridley9618]

Fun video, Tele all the way i gotta say~ big Ted Greene fan ;) The fret buzz on the strat and tele sounds setup related, raising the string saddle on those high e strings just a touch ought to sort you out. It sounds like you play with quite a low action generally, so it’s quite easy for the instruments to develop string buzz with changes in the weather and temperature. You could say they’re... Tempermental 😜

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Lol, that's right. I think there is a lot of mic bleed on the first part, that amplifies the string noise. That's why there's the direct sound comparison.

[@jamesmargulis332]

That is an excellent review. The comparisson at the end was really revealling.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

To be honest it was revealing for me too. I was really surprised when I edited the video, to hear the huge differncies.

[@Sunscxpe2]

You know one you didn’t consider which is actually my personal choice for solid body jazz guitar is the Jazzmaster or even the jaguar with vintage pick ups. I got a squier j mascis Jazzmaster in 2020 and bought some 1965 vintage pick ups to deepen the sound. When I tell you the sound is incredible, especially for a guitar that is considered to be a rock and roll guitar, it plays way better than my tele as far tone, and the actual neck and action has a bit of a heavy pull as well (plus I like hybrid strings) so this is a wonderful choice as well for anyone with a Jazzmaster already, or considering getting one. I’d actually like your take on this one personally if you get a chance!

[@NathanSotoGuitar]

To get the best jazz tone in that Tele, drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting. I have. 012. Flat wound strings.... It sounds super jazzy! Trust me... The Tele is actually a 5 stars with that setting... It's an all-in-one guitar. But it's like a manual transmission. You just have to have the right strings and settings. Thanks for sharing your video. I learned more about solid bodies

[@kelalamusic9258]

I totally agree with you. You put flat wounds on a Tele, and it becomes transformed. I did that on mine. For me, there is no better guitar made. The most versatile guitar out there.

[@NathanSotoGuitar]

@@kelalamusic9258 Very good description. Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Tele. I have never enjoyed any other electric like this one. Just my opinion. The only thing I wish it had is a whammy bar.

[@kelalamusic9258]

@@NathanSotoGuitar me too. We can always have one installed, but then, it wouldn't be a Tele . . . a modified one at best.

[@NathanSotoGuitar]

@@kelalamusic9258 💯 I like it as is: original with that nice metal piece that makes it a Tele.

[@PeterDad60]

"Drop the treble to 0 and boost the mid to the highest setting". Nathan how do you do that as the Tele only has one tone control knob. Do you mean drop the tone knob to 0 and then set the mid position on the selector switch (both pickups now) and the volume knob to the highest setting?

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

I'll be on the LIVE CHAT dring the premiere. The live chat will last 25 minutes (the length of the video). Make sure to set the reminder and be on time. Let's have some nerdy gear talk See you here, Sandra

[@andisgalaxysvieractive]

How could I miss this :-(((

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

@@andisgalaxysvieractive Do you have the bell notification activated?

[@chriscozine]

Thanks for taking the time to compare these guitars - it is a huge help when looking at jazz solidbody candidates.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks, Chris!

[@paulthompson1988]

Very good comparison with some nice Jazz playing. I am 'over' watching/listening to reviews comparing instruments and amps etc, with about +40% distortion. The reviews are just playing the effect pedal, not the guitar. Your review is a breath of fresh air. I was surprised about the PRS. Not surprised that the Les Paul sounded so good. Thank you so much. Cheers from Australia

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you Paul! Glad you dig the video. Greetings to Australia! Did you know that we have T-Shirts here saying "No kangaroos in Austria" 😊

[@andrewg1016]

Great comparison and interesting results. I've got a 335 and Strat, and for pure jazz tones, the 335 is incredible, and hard to beat. It's also so versatile, in that you go almost instantly from beautiful, creamy jazz tones on the neck pickup to vintage blues by dialling in the bridge pickup.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Congrats on your 335! That's a great guitar.

[@andrewg1016]

@@topitopka , The calibrated T-Types. But these new ones are beautiful. Really great pickups. Lovely blend of bell like chiming highs on the bridge pick up and fat full tones on the neck. It's what makes it so versatile for blues and jazz. I often play middle position with the treble tone knob down to about 5.5. It's a real sweet spot.

[@michaelstevens8]

Sandra, Ted Greene played Telecasters but, one of his favorite Tele's had a humbucker in the neck position instead of a single coil. Mike Stern has a signature Yamaha Tele also with a humbucker in the neck position. Your right about the Gibson Les Paul being the best in terms of 1. Fit and Finish 2.Playability 3.Tone. Although Gibson also makes semihollow Les Pauls with 2 f holes that might have an even better tone for Jazz. Thanks.

[@timwood6115]

You play so well that you can make any guitar sound jazzy. An interesting option is a Telecaster with a neck humbucker. Also, the Tele sound with both pickups selected (no special switching) is brilliant.

[@gerdvanjuuten1581]

Great job, Sandra. This is exactly how sound comparisons should be. Only with a fast cut you can tell the differences. Too many KZbinrs have all the talking in between.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you, Gerd! Yes, that's so annoying. I talk a lot too, that's why I always do a seperate section of "direct sound comparison"

[@gsdvii7177]

"Hate cables and noise..." Oh, yeah! Totally agree! Also, for me, shredding falls into the noise category. Love your videos and content. Thank you.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Hehe, you're so right 😁

[@Marceloseiao]

I simply loved that telecaster!! Wonderful sound!!

[@mikeanderson7955]

Thank you Sandra. Love your videos - so helpful. As far as jazz guitars, I have a Strat, a Gretsch County Gentleman, and a Jazzmaster with Jason Lollar pickups. I ran them all through my bassman amp. I found the Strat and Gretsch could not come close to your awesome Howard Robert's sound, but the Jazzmaster did when playing with the neck pickup and the tone to about 3. Thank you again for posting these videos!

[@mychaelpierce8049]

Great video. I completely agree with your take on this. I've been considering the PRS CE 24 and after this I may very well get one. The PRS is an extremely versatile guitar They look great as well. Thanks so much for sharing

[@powbobs]

PRS are ugly.

[@jazzFABRYk]

Look at Jack Pearson playing Jazz on his 99$ Bullet Strat :-) Nice video though - thanks!

[@MT-yu8qx]

Love the sound you get from those guitars, thanks for the comparison!

[@seanhallahan14]

Dear Sandra, you are a gift to us!! Thank you for all that you are and all that you do. Love 'n Light best & cheers, Sean

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Awh, thanks so much for your kind words! ❤️

[@divineangelplace]

I learned a lot from this comparison video. I’ve been practicing guitar for less than 2 years but my everyday guitars are Stratocaster and Ibanez RG series. 😂 your videos are making me want to have a jazz guitar so bad. 😂 I guess I have to get better at playing first even with my strat then I will shop for a jazz guitar in the future. I love you Sandra❣️ I really love your channel and your tutorials. You are an amazing person and amazing musician! One day, I’d love to be able to play jazz like you do…(perhaps my next life time…😂) Thank you from bottom of my ❤️

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ I really love how you enjoy the tutorials and reviews. If you go for your first jazz guitar, check out my video "5 bestJazz Guitars undee $ 1000". The Epi Joe Pass isn't produced anymore, though.

[@nosferatu7325]

The Fender Jazzmaster is actually a solid choice. I definitely like the sounds you can get with a Tele too.

[@fredhystair5789]

I love teles for modern jazz. Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, John Scofield (and some) proved the case. Cool episode !

[@elevenAD]

Yuck, love Bill's playing but his tone is not for me. Different strokes i guess.

[@afmickel]

Very informative video, Sandra! Thanks! I agreed with your assessment, but that PRS was a really close second (very nice jazz sound). Great job!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

It was my winner for tone actually. But it's really unjazzy haptically. That 24 fret neck is very unusual. But the PRS with a slightly rolled back tone knob is awesome.

[@TheJazzweed]

I loved each one of those guitars for the different character that they posses but if I'd have to pick just one,well I guess I would go for the Les Paul, a little bit sweeter than the rest but remember that variety is the spice of life. Thank God all guitars don't sound the same!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

I love the diverdity too. Sometimes I stand in front of my guitar rig, like a little kid, enjoying to have the possibility to choose. It's like a full fridge to me. I don't need it, but it's great to have 😁

[@userin811]

Thank you so much for uploading such a good video. I am a beginner and just starting to study jazz with interest. I like jazz, but I was looking for a guitar that could be used in a variety of genres, so I was watching several guitar-related videos, and this video was very helpful. Among solid guitars, Telecaster seems to be the best fit for jazz and other music style. Thanks to the wonderful performances and advice, I made a decision in my heart. Thank you sincerely. It's a small reward, but I subscribed and liked it. I look forward to seeing you in another video.

[@doggylover1958]

If you like jazz check out Biréli Lagrène, He sometimes uses a Yamaha 311 which comes as standard with a P90 bridge pick up. He gets lovely jazzy tones from this solid body guitar. The guitar is versatile enough to be used with many different styles and genres and may be of interest to you. Best wishes.

[@userin811]

@@doggylover1958 Wow, that's the information I really need. Thank you very much for your advice.

[@Buc27blount]

Great playing. This is one of the best guitar comparison videos I’ve ever seen. You are very detailed. I give a slight edge to the Les Paul.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks so much! ❤️ I needed that after the badh from the Strat lovers 😊. I actually love Strats too ( I built the one in the video myself), but not particularly for jazz.

[@Bluze1King]

I had a Howard Roberts but my hands are 70 years old and getting a little stiff! I have a Les Paul Traditional and a PRS Custom SE and a Gretsch G540T. I think your right about using 11 Gauge stings instead of tens. If I need to bend to play blues I have a Fender Squire Strat that's great and a ES 335 copy as well. I did a nice rendition of the Christmas Song on the Gretsch using 11 Gauge strings. Time to get rid of some 10s! I love your channel. Thank You!

[@cjorg16]

I believe the sound is 90% the player and 10% the Axe. Ted Greene made his Tele sing with lots of soul (RIP Ted).

[@onlyrick]

cjorg16 - Ted got the most beautiful tone I've ever heard on an electric guitar, besides being a masterful and soulful player. Also had his Chord Chemistry book.

[@flaviosanguigni8783]

Excellent comparison...although, if you put a good EQ pedal in the chain you will be able to get very very similar sounds from all the guitars. The real difference will be in the feeling when you play, and for me a bigger guitar will make me feel a bit more into the jazz mood!!!

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

The amp should have been adjusted to suit each individual guitar

[@danhaggarty2178]

@@TheHumbuckerboy but then it's not a fair test or demonstration of each guitar. You would of course in reality tweak your amp if you were playing Jazz with a strat and achieve a suitable tone but I guess the point of these type of demos is to expose the core properties of each guitar, which even aside from Jazz I find extremely useful as a guitar addict and tone hound.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@danhaggarty2178 In your reasoning if the amp isn't adjusted to bring out the sought after tone of each individual guitar then obviously the amp is going to happen to suit some of these guitars and not to suit the others and that isn't fair is it ?

[@bjunk5344]

The test is on the guitar not the amps.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@bjunk5344 But individual guitars require different amp settings in order to achieve their most appropriate tone according to what style of music is being played.

[@jeremybaker195]

I have a baha tele and a ventura tele with the 4way switch and the S1 so you get series/ parallel and with the S1 you get out of phase for both. Really versatile really fun guitar feels like so many options.

[@thegallantsaint2034]

Nice video and playing! For me, 10s on a Les Paul is the perfect all-rounder. Jazz, blues, Rock, Funk, Disco, and even country on the bridge pickups.

[@farko63]

Missing Les Paul with P90 : in my opinion a good choice for Jazz sound cause a middle sound of Humbucker and single coil PU

[@matthewcasey892]

I like the Strat the least. Then it’s hard. But really then it’s humbucker vs Tele single coil. Then it’s what’s my mood, do I want a brighter sound with a bit more clarity (maybe cuts through in a band better?) or a smokey darker sound? I agree with the Les Paul better than the PRS. Well done 👍

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Yes, it also depends on the song, I guess. Some songs really like a little brighter sound. Also the Tele can be tweaked to great jazz tones. I just want so impressed with the untweaked sound.

[@slimsantilli4476]

Great comparison. Mike Stern plays a Yamaha Telecaster and though I'm not big on his tones. It's him that makes it. Like others have said, a great player can adapt.

[@gustavochiozza6465]

Love to hear you play! Thanks

[@ajprickett7272]

I think the Les Paul is the only one that came close to the Eastman. Speaking of which, wow what gorgeous tone from that archtop. 😍

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Yes, unfortunately it had a dead spot that even my experienced luthier couldn't get rid of. So I sold it and bought a Heritage.

[@schpotzlzwergl2888]

Great review, Sandra! I prefer my Tele, but you have to boost the bass on the amp for a better jazz tone.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

True, you can tweak a Tele to get a great jazz sound. Just wanted to test, how they sound out of the box.

[@schpotzlzwergl2888]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman That's only fair :-)

[@eze4cuerdas]

Es el video que necesitaba, gracias, gran trabajo!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you for your appreciation! ❤️

[@gscgold]

They all sound great to me and for sure each has its own unique tone...great playing , you make them all sound good

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you kindly!

[@jakelawson1]

I don't really care much about jazz or guitars, but I still find this fascinating. I like the tone of the Les Paul the best among the solid bodies-the roundness of it is just beautiful.

[@jonathanallen2560]

" And you may ask yourself.... how did I get here? "

[@Impractical_Engineer]

Lower the strat pickup. Would have loved to see a P90 in the mix. PRS was the best sound for me, most balanced between the high and lows.

[@jaredallen439]

Definitely. She should have used a Les Paul Goldtop, the traditional kind with P-90s. They were originally made to be jazz guitars, I believe.

[@mickstick5112]

@@jaredallen439 I agree about p-90's, but, she hates noise! I do believe they make noiseless ones but have never tried them.

[@francoisdunord7169]

After hearing this video, i am surprised the les paul is such a versatile guitar, i love the jazz sound of it. 🇳🇱

[@kjatexas3679]

I agree, the Les Paul. But that said, I’m really partial to Teles, neck pickup, tone 5-6, It’s thinner sounding than a humbucker, but still awesome.

[@toamaori]

for a jazz tone on a strat I drive the power amp section on the amp relatively hard also rolling off the highs in the pre amp section while having the guitar volume set to around 1 or as low as I need it for the warm tone, that way all the high freq's are lost and only the lows & mids get through... even for fusion some nice round warm smooth distortion is a nice topping, still love the humbuckers though can't beat them for a fat jazz tone xD

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Yes, but this video is about the raw, untweaked sounds :-)

[@toamaori]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman You're absolutely correct. The intrinsic sound of the guitar itself. Humbuckers in a semi acoustic electric will win hands down every time for that kind of tone... no argument there, especially with flatwound heavy gauge strings. I'm imagining how playing a choppy funk vamp would not work as well with humbuckers :) Perhaps there could be a video "how to get a jazz tone from my strat"

[@RhodokTribesman]

Sounds like it would be too dead for hardbop. Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and George Benson had some trebly high notes, it's just about that woody tone

[@toamaori]

@@RhodokTribesman yup it doesn't compare for that type of tone with the guitars they are using.. just an approximation, and better for fusion.

[@RhodokTribesman]

@@toamaori For sure, there are so many types of jazz, it is definitely not only guitar dependent haha. Casiopea comes to mind

[@nylonshredder]

Any decent hum bucker works for me for a solid body. I do most of my playing on a nylon string though. That Les Paul is a great tone.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

That's kinda my recipe too. Humbucker usually does the trick.

[@gregorylumpkin2128]

Great playing and I agree with your rankings for jazz style tone. The PRS generally sounded good but could be a great option for other styles of music. But, that telecaster really impressed me with some nice tones. Thanks for posting this video!

[@GS-uy4xo]

Agree with the LP ! Great comparison especially the haptic comparison.

[@pedrosanz4100]

Nice. I am missing here the comparison with a Tele with humbucker at the neck ( like a Seymour Duncan antiquity), as Ed Bickert. That sounds beautiful for jazz and very similar to a thick archtop.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

I know, that makes all the difference! I I want to get a Tele with a humbucker neck pup myself.

[@RexLancaster]

And/or a Tele with P90 or P rail pup in the neck. Actually a P rail with mini toggle switch will give humbucking, P90 and single coil sounds.

[@nicholaswilson598]

I found on the fender if you put it in the middle position and THEN roll the bottom tone knob you can get a good jazz tone. I came here to see what the best guitar tone wise for jazz is. Also, I am shocked how good the tele sounds

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks for the input, Nicholas! I left the sounds untweaked on purpose. I have a Tele with very dark sounding humbuckers myself and it sounds super jazzy. But for this video I wanted to shocase the nature of the guitars, without much tweaking necessary.

[@socialdef3]

Middle position on a strat, with volume rolled down to 8 and tone knob rolled down to 6 or 7 and most people have no idea what they're missing. Full and woody tone, almost like like magic.

[@steverolfeca]

You can get a 4-way switch for non-S1 Telecasters. Love that series pickup combo with the tone rolled back on my Thinline, especially with Wilde Microcoil pickups for bell-like chord solos.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Great suggestion! Thanks! ❤️

[@daveduffy2823]

I have a LP Classic and I use it for everything. I love it.

[@jerichothedrifter60]

Something I'd point out on the Telecaster -- a 3 saddle bridge with compensated brass saddles is way warmer and more "woody" sounding, I use mine for jazz and swing stuff all the time.

[@rashidrani2333]

Exactly

[@pipotherium]

The PRS was really sweet. Very piano-like attack if that makes any sense. I think a Custom 22 may sound even jazzier thanks to the neck pickup's position.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Totally agree. I have a student with a McCarthy, that has an awesome jazz sound. For everything else it's too dark for me, but it does jazz and Blues really well.

[@pipotherium]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Horses for courses ;-)

[@cvgbbc]

Excellent comparison. Thanks! For me, one of the problems with solid guitars for jazz sound is their excessive sustain .... Of the 4 guitars, I think the PRS has the best compromise between a fat sound, a measured sustain and a more contained bass than the Les Paul. The PRS, despite not having a very jazzy design, I think its 24 frets help make all frequencies very balanced for playing jazz on a solidbody, especially playing with the tone knob.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

The 24 frets are probably the unjazziest thing about the PRS. Tone wise it was my favorite. But yes, maybe the 24 frets help to balance the sound.

[@lindsaythomas2283]

Very nice, honest, comparison. Thanks. Oh, and you have a good ear.

[@lancelotlink6545]

I'm amazed how great the Les Paul sounds. To me it's just as good as the hollow body. I have a tele and PRS and I can instantly recognize those sounds even though yours are different than mine. I have a tele with noiseless pickups and a 4 way switch. I believe the 4 way gives you the pickups in series option so basically the same effect as your S switch. (Beautiful playing BTW!)

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

That's a great idea with that 4-way switch!

[@matthewf1979]

All of these guitars are perfectly fine for Jazz or any other type of music.

[@FrancisL-5CES]

Yeah but I don't agree with you if you want to play Classic Jazz as Bebop Style or Hard Bop style just like did Wes Montgomery...

[@hearpalhere]

Fantastic demonstrations and explanations of the tones Sandra, I really enjoyed your video! I thought you sounded great on all the guitars.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks so much! Glad you find it useful. 😊

[@joephillips4082]

An excellent comparison. Thanks for putting this together. I like the Les Paul best. It has all the characteristics we want in jazz. In the final shootout with the Eastman, I thought the LP could have used a bit of compression, something I didn't hear the first time. After the LP, I suppose I liked the PRS best. The PRS had very bold presence. Everything you played, single notes, chords, really stood out. I rank the Tele third, but I think it sounded very good, and I'll echo the remarks of Pedro Sanz below in pointing out the excellent tone of a humbucker-equipped Tele. I hope you can demonstrate one someday. I thought the Strat sounded better in the second playing against the archtop. I wasn't hearing your issues with the first string tone, but I think this proves that with a few tweak at the pots, at the amp, or with a pedal, you can coax out excellent jazz tones from almost any quality solidbody.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you for your great feedback! I think the Strats e-string is an acoustic problem, that isn't as present listening back on the recording. But it really popped out holding the guitar in my hand. The vocal mic, that picked up the acoustic sound from the guitars boosted it as well. In the direct sound comparison there's no such mic bleed and the guitar sounds a lot better. My fav sound is the PRS with a slightly rolled back tone knob.

[@luishiguera3995]

Beautiful guitars compared by a beautiful, and talented lovely lady. Your humble opinion is highly appreciated. Congratulations to your brother for his artistic paint work.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Glad you liked it, Luis. What guitar do you play actually?

[@luishiguera3995]

Hi Sandra! Mostly, I play acoustic guitar. I have an Epiphone and a Dean. I also have an old solid body Peavey T-25 and an Ibanez AF75D Artcore.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Do you like the Ibanez artcore? I bought one (AF85) for my other appartment and I think it sounds ok accoustically, but really terrible when amped. The pickups are trash.

[@luishiguera3995]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I think you are right. I don’t think it sounds right when connected to the amplifier. I thought it was my lack of experience playing with electric guitars. It’s always great to hear from you Sandra. Have a blessed day!

[@greggjones441]

Just a comment about the Strat for jazz. I've used mine in various styles for 32 years. I think the reason for the failure on your first string is that the guitar needs a fret dress or raised action. For me, I don't use the neck pickup alone. I use the neck and middle pickup with the treble rolled off substantially. I have different pickups so your mileage may vary. I get a useful but not traditional jazz sound. I love your videos!

[@fishwigy]

Neck and middle is an acquired taste but it's really nice

[@DaigoParry]

Yes, the neck and middle combo with some tone control rolled off. Neck is 8 on tone control and middle is 6. Played with the flesh part of the thumb and fingers. It will work.

[@fishwigy]

@@DaigoParry ceramic pickups also have a warmer quality to them. Even if my strat is cheap it sounds nice.

[@charleshuguley9323]

Yes. The first string sounds as if the action or fret levels need to be addressed.

[@kennybluet5527]

Great video. I own several low end electrics and string them all with acoustic 10 gauge phosphor bronze. They actually work well. Almost a flat wound type tone. My Tele, with the volume backed off just a bit. That takes away some of the brightness and lessens the single coil hum. Your playing is wonderful. Love your accent as well.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

That's an interesting choice. Never thought about that option with the phosphor bronze strings.

[@brianhadley527]

I have a PRS CE24 and found the comparison interesting. This is an informative and enjoyable presentation. Nicely done.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thanks, Brian! Do you enjoy your PRS? What color is it?

[@brianhadley527]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman Yes, I’ve had the PRS for about 2 years and am very happy with both the playability and sounds produced. The color is Whale Blue. Thanks for asking.

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

Surprise answer: Sandra’s shows that you can get a good jazz tone from any guitar. It’s in your fingers and your settings. The guitar is the least important part of the equation. Gabor Szabo played jazz on an Ovation acoustic with a pickup. Play what feels good in your hands.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

True that :-)

[@granthurlburt4062]

But when compare diff guitars with the same guitarist you do get a difference in sound. At least according to the actual guitarist

[@jinjxmusic]

Love your videos and appreciate all you do. One thing that I tell people: if they plan to use a Tele or even a strat for jazz - I say to use an "always on" clean boost. I stole that idea from Jon Harrington of Steely Dan when he was on their rig rundown - the RC Booster, an EQ pedal, the EP Booster, the Duncan Pickup Booster - I've used them all and they're all a great way of getting a bit more "mass" so that your amp "sees" more humbucker. You can also get more out of your volume and tone with more output as well as the fact that, i believe, more output makes solid state amps sound better. Also, for that strat in particular: I believe in making sure the pots are linear (250b or 500kb). That way when I roll the volume down I'm not losing all definition like most strats. I also like the 50s wiring so that when I roll off tone I'm not losing volume and visa versa. I went through and had my tech change the pots on ALL my guitars though especially the ones with single coils. They really transform the axe - they can still do great "SRV/Hendrix/Blues" and rock, though they sound more "right" for jazz in my opinion. I would bet that (linear volume/audio tone with 50s wiring) is what you have going on with the PRS, Edit: also another thing I noticed - while the strat neck single coil and the neck tele single coil are different in some ways, they really are ultimately the same. I think most strat players have the pickups very close to the strings. that "pummels" the amp and sucks out the sustain. I LOVE that great "hendrix" sound though with the pickups lowered they sound a lot more like a tele to my ears. They still have that strat characteristic though get back some neutral "top". I've heard some great jazzers play jazz "Lorn Lofsky" so I think it's just a matter of getting the strat closer to what we take for granted on other guitars. (Thanks again for opening up your platform for us to discuss.)

[@victorasikele7147]

I use an -EQ pedal on my telecaster to fix the bright sound. Alnico II pickups are important too.

[@shamsamokhber8973]

this videos was really great! thank you...

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Glad you found it useful, Shamsa!

[@jasonm3602]

I did like the sound of the PRS, but the LP could probably win on its beauty alone. 👍 Peace to you all.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

But the PRS looks beautiful too, I think :-)

[@christoguichard4311]

I genuinely think the Les Paul sounded best. But I hate playing them myself, and every time Ive had one Ive ended up selling it because they are just so damn uncomfortable to play. I think you should have definitely included an SG in this comparison test. I play one for Jazz and I love it.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Yeah, but I don't have an SG 😊

[@rixxortiz8744]

Whoa, an sg? Thats something i didnt expect on jazz haha i find kinda funny how the les paul cause such a division, for some ppl uncomfortable, for other ppl(incluiding me) sooo comfortable

[@saepiumv3813]

Very surprised with the sound of the PRS! Great to see this comparison, thank you so much Sandra 👍 the LP was my favourite which surprised me! Also this helped me realise why I don’t like my strat when playing Jazz as much 😂 it’s really fizzy and high pitched when I play high notes and rolling the tone back doesn’t help and I never quite understood what I was doing wrong.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

While with some tweaking jazz can be played on almost every guitar, each one has a natural strength.

[@threeleafflutes]

Such an excellent presentation. Thanks!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you, Glad you find it helpful 😊

[@joelabramson1]

They all sound good because you're the one playing them.

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Aawh, that's so niche of you. Thank you 🧡

[@Raggo12345]

True!

[@andreanovello3570]

The Jazzmaster!

[@trekmarvelscomics5894]

Yes!

[@trekmarvelscomics5894]

Great guitar for Jazz!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Unfortunately I don't own one 🙄

[@jaredn4002]

Do you mean the fender's jazzmaster?

[@andreanovello3570]

@@GuitarversumSandraSherman I really liked this video! I also hope in a future review of the Jazzmaster

[@kevinwalker3755]

Just as a matter of interest I really like my Parker PM10 for Jazz. My favourite there was the Les Paul. More mellow and buttery than the others. Would've like to hear a 335 in comparison also.

[@curtishansen7270]

Great stuff!! Thanks!

[@cironicholas526]

A solid body that self-identifies as semi-hollow will always be just a solid body with an F-hole.

[@flogginga_dead_horse4022]

The PRS since it's 24 fret has the neck pickup moved back a little... On a Strat I like the neck/bridge pickups together for jazz.

[@TheStobb50]

Thank you I’ve been thinking about buying LP type guitar you’ve convinced me I’ll play both jazz and rock

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

If you play both the Les Psul is the perfect choice 👍

[@felixjordanguitar]

for me guitar tone is not static it follows the bell curve crescendo of a song as it progresses. So with the Strat i perceived the pinnacle of the curve leading into some sort of distortion and the tele into an overdrive. However, with the LP and PRS I hear the pinnacle leading into a greater attack or crescendo into octave playing. Thank you for sharing this comparison

[@juergensguitarlounge]

A four position switch on a tele also puts both pick ups in series. I got one from Stewmac some years ago.

[@dicecreamman1739]

I love the look of the Telecaster you own. Beautiful.

[@greysuit17]

I love the tele for Jazz! It’s such a good tone!

[@jimconnelly2851]

My two favorites are Teles and Les Pauls but you make all of them sound good Sandra.

[@anthonybosser810]

Hello Sandra I use a godin from Canada and it's a veru good guitare; i used one nylon for bossa and a olid bdy for jazz. Very good

[@spacepodi]

Love the custom scratchplate on the Tele. ❤ nothing beats your hollow body for jazz tone though everything bar the strat was plenty good enough.

[@SpartanLaserCanon]

I absolutely love the Tele for solid body Jazz tones. They sound better than strats to me too to me every time they are compared. I could use a Tele for every genre. I wish Teles were used as much as strats tbh.

[@samueltaylor2757]

I know it sounds crazy but I play Jazz on my Strat. My secret is to use the parametric eq in my amp or pedal to boost the mids. I also have a PRS Single cut with humbucker sized p90s which needs less eq but I pick up my strat more because I love the longer scale length. Nice video

[@jorgetrimboli]

You reinforced my preference for the Gibson Les Paul. Great video, thank you!

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

It was made for jazz initially. Probably that's why it has that touch to it.

[@ostinatomusicnews]

Great comparison and great jazz box sound from the Les Paul. I have my Baja Telecaster (with S switch) and it plays jazz beautifully. Also 335 model from Greco does its job well.

[@paests]

Love ur gear reviews! Hope to see one about amps some day :)

[@GuitarversumSandraSherman]

Thank you! Indeed I was planning on one. Unfortunately I don't have access to the Henriksen amps, that are very popular in the US.

[@marquisdecarabas1312]

I use a Epiphone Les Laul Custom made in korea for Jazz stuff and didnt costs like 4 months rent for my flat. Works for my needs.👍