Absolutely not. You don’t need to use them. If you like it, you can choose to use a more “standard” approach to the Jazz guitar sound; nobody will complain. As a matter of fact, even nowadays, you might get some weird looks if you decide to use overdrives and other effect pedals. So, by any means, if you honestly like the straight-ahead “classic” Jazz guitar sound, go ahead and use it. You might not be getting a call from the most cutting-edge hip musicians, but at the end of the day, you are the one that has to be satisfied with your tone.