The Jazz Guitar World Through Solid-Body Guitars

Hello, everyone.
I am a sales representative at Sound House.

When you hear the term “jazz guitar”, what kind of things come to mind?
Many people probably think of full or semi-acoustic guitars such as Gibson’s ES-175 or ES-335, or Ibanez’s GB10.
If you play jazz guitar, there is no such thing as “it has to be a hollow body guitar,” and there are famous jazz guitar players and other great musicians with great performances on solid guitars as well.
In this article, together we will explore the appeal of the solid-body jazz guitar.

1. Les Paul

First, let me introduce Les Paul, the father of the Gibson Les Paul.
Les Paul’s real name was Lester William Polsfuss.
He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Amazingly, he started working as a semi-professional at the age of 13 and became famous for his outstanding skills and sense of style.
In 1952, Gibson introduced Les Paul, the company’s first solid guitar, and his name became known as the model name of the guitar.
From Les Paul, you can hear how this guitar retains that jazz tone with blues and country tones.

EPIPHONE / Les Paul Custom Ebony

2. Mike Stern

The next person I will introduce is Mike Stern.
Mike Stern was born on January 10, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts.
He is active in a variety of jazz styles, including electric jazz, fusion, and post-bop.
Mike Stern has been an important figure in the jazz fusion scene, playing in the famous Miles Davis band and has played with other prominent jazz musicians such as the Brecker Brothers.
Many of you have probably already heard his name before, as he has played with a great many Japanese musicians, such as Kazumi Watanabe and Makoto Ozone. Mike Stern’s guitar is the iconic Yamaha T-style guitar.
While many guitarists switch between many guitars, Mike Stern is famous for making his Yamaha T-style guitar a part of his career.
His distinctive pitch-shifted tone is produced by the Yamaha SPX90.
The technical playing that comes out of this distinctive sound is truly outstanding!

Yamaha / Pacifica 1611MS Mike Stern

3. Julian Lage

Lastly, I would like to introduce Julian Lage, who is just 35 years old (as of 2023).
It is no exaggeration to say that he is the face of contemporary jazz guitar.
He has played with many jazz legends such as Gary Burton and Charles Lloyd, and his innovative ideas for phrasing show his potential in jazz as a genre.

He plays a variety of guitars, from full acoustic guitars to Les Paul and steel guitars, but he is probably most known for playing on a Telecaster.
His modern and innovative phrasing and chord work are better suited to a guitar with a clear sound separation, like a solid guitar.

Fender / Made in Japan Traditional 70s Telecaster Thinline, Natural

Well, I have introduced three of my favorite solid guitar virtuosos in jazz guitar.

There are so many more guitarists I would like to introduce, but I will leave that for another time!
I hope this article will show you that any guitar has the potential to be used for jazz!