Best Beginner Jazz Guitar: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide 2023

Best Beginner Jazz Guitar Reviews

1. Best Overall: D'Angelico Premier EXL-1 Hollowbody Guitar

A guitar made by D'Angelico bears the weight of history. When the jazz age began, John D'Angelico was there, constructing the archtops that provided the music. The South Korean-made Excel EXL-1 has wide proportions and a neck from a more affluent time. Although it seems to be a C-profile, it has an asymmetrical feel, much like the originals, which were created when hand carving naturally lent itself to such player-friendly ergonomics. 

2. Best Shape: Epiphone Broadway Hollowbody Vintage Natural

With seven-ply binding around the body and multi-ply binding around the neck and headstock, the latter embellished with a Pearloid "vine of life" inlay, it is more opulent. The reissued Broadway is one of the greatest jazz guitars you can purchase right now, thanks to this, as well as the gold hardware, the Frequensator tailpiece, and a tone that melts hot butter over whatever chord you choose to play on it. 

3. Best Construction: PRS Guitars 6 String SE Hollowbody

Not necessarily the first name that comes to mind when you think about jazz guitar is Paul Reed Smith. Ultimately, the PRS strives for greatness across all genres, including rock, blues, jazz, and even metal. The manufacturer is also disqualified from being a pioneer since it was established in the middle of the 1980s. But for professional players who want more from their jazz guitar, the SE version of the Hollowbody Standard is a fantastic choice. 

4. Best Material Type: Guild Guitars T-50 Slim Hollow Body Electric Guitar

The T-50 Slim is a thin-body archtop right out of the old school and is the only non-cutaway model in Guild's mid-priced Newark Street Collection. It seemed to collect its pension long before houses began to get color TVs. But in reality, the T-50, a child of the 1960s, served as inspiration for this, although with a depth reduced to 1.75"/44mm. A single low-output dog-ear P-90 in the neck, with its wide-bobbin construction and alnico V-magnet ensuring some glassiness in what is naturally a warm and woody, organic tone, provides just enough vigor to enunciate each note in your chord.

5. Best Mahogany Set Neck: Ibanez Artcore AF75 Hollowbody Electric Guitar

In terms of modernity, the AF75 differs most from Ibanez's more well-known shred-ready designs. However, the same guidelines were used while building this vintage jazz box. Wrapping your hand around a chord is quite easy, thanks to the neck's gentle taper from the first fret's 21mm neck depth to the ninth fret's 0,9"/24mm depth. Thanks to its Classic Elite humbuckers, the AF75 is a versatile instrument that may be used for rock performances, provided the feedback at high volumes can be controlled.