The jazz guitar amp needs to be of sufficient quality to able to project the instrument player's unique sound to the audience with minimal interference. The amp is more usually required to enhance the instruments warmth of tone and sense of intimacy to match the atmosphere of where it is being played.
This is unlike the amp used by a rock player who is more interested in being heard above cacophony of surrounding noise from other band members and the audience. The requirement here is for volume and shredding tone to cut through this interference with either shrill lead breaks or earth moving power chords. Whilst some volume is needed the requirement of the jazz player is quality of sound.
The rock player often employs a plethora of additional modulated sounds to create large washes of sound to either penetrate this background or create moods to accompany it. Country players will similarly employ devises or use volume to slice through the background sound especially with their typical penetrating shrill solos.
Unlike their rock and country compatriots who will often play in larger spaces form halls to stadiums, with off stage controlled public address systems, jazz is often played in small intimate clubs. I refer here more to trios or quartets where the guitar is often the melody instrument and not so much to the big band form where space may be not such an issue. In the small clubs gear size becomes an issue because audience space for seating not to mention drinking and eating is already small enough.
In such situations the jazz guitar amp needs to be small and compact but pack enough punch to allow the guitarist to be heard above the appreciative but often noisy crowd. It is often a fine line to stay loud enough for fellow band members to hear with out upsetting the audience with too much volume.
Considering that many of these clubs are in the heart of a city an added advantage is that the jazz guitarist can reach the gig venue by public transport, amp in one hand and instrument in the other. The double bass player unfortunately is at a significant disadvantage here.
Most amplifiers these days are mass produced in Asian countries and as such can be offered for sale at relatively cheap prices historically. For the learner or cash strapped amateur these are often the best and only alternative. They do what they are designed to do and that is to give the guitarist volume. There are often all sorts of add on knobs and switches to make the guitar not sound like the guitar and this probably fine if this is the desired outcome.
It is ironical then that to buy a jazz guitar amp that will faithfully reproduce the sound of the instrument without the added on bells and whistles can cost quite a sum of money. This is because these units are often hand made, to the customer's specific requirements, and utilize the finest of components.
This is unlike the amp used by a rock player who is more interested in being heard above cacophony of surrounding noise from other band members and the audience. The requirement here is for volume and shredding tone to cut through this interference with either shrill lead breaks or earth moving power chords. Whilst some volume is needed the requirement of the jazz player is quality of sound.
The rock player often employs a plethora of additional modulated sounds to create large washes of sound to either penetrate this background or create moods to accompany it. Country players will similarly employ devises or use volume to slice through the background sound especially with their typical penetrating shrill solos.
Unlike their rock and country compatriots who will often play in larger spaces form halls to stadiums, with off stage controlled public address systems, jazz is often played in small intimate clubs. I refer here more to trios or quartets where the guitar is often the melody instrument and not so much to the big band form where space may be not such an issue. In the small clubs gear size becomes an issue because audience space for seating not to mention drinking and eating is already small enough.
In such situations the jazz guitar amp needs to be small and compact but pack enough punch to allow the guitarist to be heard above the appreciative but often noisy crowd. It is often a fine line to stay loud enough for fellow band members to hear with out upsetting the audience with too much volume.
Considering that many of these clubs are in the heart of a city an added advantage is that the jazz guitarist can reach the gig venue by public transport, amp in one hand and instrument in the other. The double bass player unfortunately is at a significant disadvantage here.
Most amplifiers these days are mass produced in Asian countries and as such can be offered for sale at relatively cheap prices historically. For the learner or cash strapped amateur these are often the best and only alternative. They do what they are designed to do and that is to give the guitarist volume. There are often all sorts of add on knobs and switches to make the guitar not sound like the guitar and this probably fine if this is the desired outcome.
It is ironical then that to buy a jazz guitar amp that will faithfully reproduce the sound of the instrument without the added on bells and whistles can cost quite a sum of money. This is because these units are often hand made, to the customer's specific requirements, and utilize the finest of components.
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