Best Guitars for Jazz

Jazz guitar tone favours warmth, sustain, and a round, dark character that sits naturally in the midrange of a mix. Hollow and semi-hollow body guitars produce these qualities naturally, though many fusion and jazz-rock players prefer solid bodies for their sustain and feedback resistance. These guitars cover every jazz application from traditional to modern.

Last updated: June 2026

#1

Epiphone es-335

Top Pick
$634

The Epiphone ES-335 is the most accessible jazz guitar available — its semi-hollow thinline body produces the warm, sustaining character jazz demands without the extreme feedback risk of a full hollow body.

Pros

  • Warm semi-hollow tone at a very affordable price
  • Centreblock controls feedback at higher volumes
  • Versatile enough for blues and rock too

Cons

  • Not as acoustically resonant as a true hollow body
  • Alnico Classic Pro pickups could be improved
#2

Gretsch g6120 nashville

For Traditional Jazz & Country
$2,539

The G6120 Nashville's FilterTron humbuckers and hollow body produce a bright, chimey jazz tone that sits between a single-coil and a traditional PAF humbucker — perfect for chord melody playing and swing jazz.

Pros

  • FilterTron pickups give a unique bright-warm character
  • Iconic country and jazz aesthetics
  • Hollow body resonance is excellent

Cons

  • Full hollow body feeds back at higher volumes
  • Bigsby tremolo requires practice to stay in tune
Used by: Chet Atkins
#3

Gibson les paul standard '60s

For Fusion & Jazz-Rock
$3,174

Many jazz-rock and fusion players choose Les Pauls for their sustain and hum-cancelling humbuckers. The neck pickup of a Les Paul rolled off on the tone control approaches a convincing hollow-body warmth.

Pros

  • Outstanding sustain for legato jazz-rock lines
  • Neck pickup with tone rolled off approximates hollow warmth
  • No feedback issues at any volume

Cons

  • Lacks the acoustic resonance of a true hollow body
  • Heavy for extended performances
#4

Epiphone les paul standard 60s

Budget Fusion Pick
$634

For jazz-rock and fusion at a budget price, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard's humbucker neck pickup with tone rolled back produces a warm, dark character usable for chord-melody and single-note jazz work.

Pros

  • Excellent value for a full-feature Les Paul
  • Neck humbucker gives genuine jazz warmth
  • Versatile enough for all other styles

Cons

  • Not ideal for traditional hollow-body jazz
  • ProBucker pickups have limited dynamic range compared to Gibson PAFs
Used by: Larry Carlton

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a hollow body guitar for jazz?

Not necessarily. Traditional jazz — bebop, swing, chord melody — benefits from a hollow or semi-hollow body for the acoustic resonance and warm character. But fusion, jazz-rock and contemporary jazz players often use solid-body guitars (Les Pauls, Stratocasters, even superstrats) because the sustain and feedback resistance suits the style. Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Kenny Burrell used hollow bodies; John McLaughlin and Larry Carlton both used solid bodies for much of their recording work.

What pickups are best for jazz?

For traditional jazz, a humbucker with the tone control rolled back (70–80%) produces the warm, round character most associated with jazz. Neck position is almost always preferred over bridge — the bridge pickup's bright, biting character doesn't suit the midrange-forward jazz tone. Some jazz players also use P-90 pickups or archtop-style floating pickups for their particular character.