History still guides us when looking for a jazz guitar today. Traditional styles still dominate the market. If you are an avowed jazz player, those would be better for you – a specialist player requires a specialist instrument.
But if jazz is just one of many styles in your locker, we would recommend casting your net a little further, auditioning guitars such as the Gibson ES-335 and PRS SE Hollowbody Standard, or checking out the Guild Starfire II ST Dynasonic and Gretsch hollowbodies.
Likewise for contemporary jazz. It’s unlikely that a fusion player whose style abuts progressive instrumental rock would choose a D’Angelico Excel EXL-1, but, again, there are options. The PRS SE Hollowbody Standard is a jazz guitar by stealth – or, if they were prepared to break with the semi-hollow/hollowbody paradigm and go with a solidbody, a Les Paul or an SG could be pressed into the services of jazz.
Think about the pickups you want. The warmth of the humbucker makes it a natural companion for jazz, though it’s a medium that favours low-output pickups, lest it distorts the tone. Clarity is all important, too. There’s no use in warmth, width and depth to your tone if it turns your chords to mud and your leads to wool.
The P-90, which can be found on the Guild T-50 Slim, has a tone that sits somewhere off the axis between single coil and humbucker, but its articulate, rounded heat makes it a popular choice for jazz builds. And as we’ve seen from modern boutique builds such as the Collings 470 JL, the early single-coil designs of DeArmond and co have proven the test of time. Likewise, the tonewoods and builds, where a quick scan through our list of the best jazz guitars will find a preponderance for spruce tops and maple, bright tonewood choices mellowed out a little by the hollow and semi-hollow builds.