Settings for big jazz band work

[RiverCityKen]

Hi there, folks! Although I've had my Hollowbody II for 8 or 9 years, I've used a huge archtop for the 14-piece swing band I play in. Now that I'm getting older, the bulky, heavy guitar is becoming a drag. I never tried finding good settings for my PRS for this type of music. (I currently only use the Piezo pickup for solo work on Latin music, otherwise preferring my Humbucker neck pickup.) Can anyone suggest settings that might work for me, at least as a starting point for experimentation, in a big band environment? Thank you!

 

[dogrocketp]

I use a Tech21 Trademark 60 to start with. Depending on the venue and the wiring, I changed my tone settings each gig. With my PRS, I roll off the treble slightly and only play the neck pickup. Mostly, I use a Loar L-500 prototype when playing swing Or Hot Jazz. Unfortunately, I haven’t found the right rhythm bark with my bevy of PRS. The Loar has a carved top, and is a non cut away 16” carved top, 3” deep, made in Korea. If I’m playing a musical that has a mixture of styles, I use an SE piezo Hollowbody for the swing tunes, mixing the neck pickup with the piezo. The Loar weighs 6 pounds, and is the only non-PRS I have. I just haven’t found a PRS that does swing to my liking.

 

[RiverCityKen]

Man, I should have tried this years ago! Blending the Piezo with only a small amount of neck pickup, tone to full treble, sounds great and "thunky" through my Quilter combo amp. Can't wait to try this setup with the band.