As a guitarist and electric bassist, I know that getting volume and tone for jazz right can be tricky. Here are some simple tips to help you (or your students, or the guitarist in your band) get the right guitar settings for jazz and avoid some common pitfalls. These tips are focused on conventional jazz. Techniques in other genres, such as high-gain Metal, might differ.
Tip #1:
Set the solo volume on the amp
Start by setting the volume to maximum on the guitar or bass. Then use the volume control or “master” volume control on the amp to get your solo level right. When you are playing, turn the volume down on the instrument to get the lower volume you need for playing chords or bass lines. This should get the best solo tone out of your instrument.
DO NOT set the amp super-loud. Only as loud as you need. Turning down the volume on the instrument too much tends to make the tone worse. This is for jazz, not rock where players may use the volume control to ‘clean up’ an overdriven sound for chords then turn it up for more distorted leads/solos. Jazz guitar finds its best tone with the guitar volume at or close to maximum.
Set the general ‘ballpark’ volume (and tone) with the amp controls. Make fine adjustments with the controls on the instrument.
Tip #2:
Soundcheck your volume & tone with something you’ll actually be playing
Always test your level and sound by playing something, or the kind or thing, you will actually be playing. For example, if you are going to be soloing, then play some solo lines. DON’T JUST STRUM SOME OPEN STRINGS!
Likewise, test some of the actual chords and voicing types you’ll be using. Not using any open chords? Then don’t play any during your soundcheck. Not going to be playing any slap bass lines this gig? Then don’t slap in your soundcheck. Using overdrive for some solos? Test that during the soundcheck.
Bass players, check your walking bass sound by playing walking bass lines, and check your solo sound by doing a few short solo lines.
Remember that when you play there will probably be other instruments playing with you, such as rhythm section and horns. Account for this in your soundcheck. If you test your volume level when everyone else is silent, it will seem louder than when you have to mix with other instruments. Try to test your levels (and tone) in a mix of sounds.
Tip #3:
There’s no one ideal tone or setting
Every player and every different combination of instrument and amplifier has a unique range of sounds. There is no single “do it this way” setting that will make every player and setup sound great. Instead, it is up to you the player or, early on, the teacher to find what settings sound best for each player and setup. Listen to professionals playing or to good recordings to get used to the kind of tone you should be aiming for in the different styles you play in. Then learn how to set your instrument and amp to get that tone.
Don’t just plug in and turn on and play without paying attention to your sound and volume.
Tip #4:
Your instrument & amp sound different in different rooms
It isn’t just instruments, players, and amps that have unique sounds. Each different space you play in has its own sound too. Your setup and your playing will respond differently depending on the room. I’ve even found that different amps sound better in different rooms, even regardless of how they are set. My old Fender Rumble 100 combo sounds great in my office, but not so much anywhere else.
What you need to do is tune your amp and instrument to the room. You can start by setting tone controls to a neutral position and then boosting or cutting frequencies as needed until you get your usual tone. Alternatively, start with your settings about where you usually have them but adjust if needed. There is no ‘set and forget’.
Tip #5
Amps on the floor sound different to amps on a chair
Amps can be 1) flat on the floor, 2) on the floor but angled upwards, or 3) raised up off the floor on a chair or other stand. Each one of these can sound different and bring various pros and cons.
Flat on the floor
Bass amp: can be powerful and resonant. There’s a strong connection between the speaker and the ground. The whole stage or floor or room can become a more active part of the system. Often this is ‘more bassy’ but less clear.
Guitar amp: can have similar effects to bass, but with the drawback that the guitarist can’t hear themselves so well. The back of their legs hears most of the sound, leading them to think they must turn up louder than they really need to. It can also be harder for others in the band to hear. But it is easy and convenient.
Angled
This means tilting the amp backwards to that the speaker is angled upwards towards the player’s head.
Bass: Can make it easier for the bassist to hear their own playing. Is often a little less boomy. Bass amps and speakers are often quite big and heavy so this may not be so easy or even safe to do.
Guitar: Much easier for the player to hear themselves and balance with the band. Also easier for others to hear. Can be less ‘boomy’ or ‘bassy’. An easy way to do this is to carry a wooden door wedge or two and stick them under the front side of the amp.
On a chair or on a stand
Bass: Clearer sound, often better if the bassist will be soloing. Can seem thinner to the players in the band. If the stage or the room is very boomy or the bass sounds ‘muddy’ and too ‘bassy’, then this can help.
Guitar: very popular and effective. This usually makes the sound clearer and less ‘muddy’, often ideal for jazz players. Easy for the player to hear and can fix balance problems. It can also increase projection – good for getting more sound out of a weak amp but can appear too directional. Off the ground is often the best setup for a guitar amp.
Bonus tips
- Guitarists should use the neck pickup for a conventional jazz tone.
- For the best guitar settings for jazz, people usually prefer a less bright tone, so roll the tone back a little but not so much that it becomes muddy. The super ‘dark’ electric archtop tones of the 70s and 80s are less in vogue today and often inappropriate for current music.
- Electric bassists should aim for a tone that is neither very ‘bright’ or ‘trebly’, nor ‘muddy’ or ‘bassy’. If there will be any solos, a clearer tone is better. The tone controls on the instrument can be used to make small adjustments when shifting from bass line (more ‘bassy’) to solo (less ‘bassy’).
