Starting-point EQ for jazz tone, averaged from 18 famous jazz recordings. Dial these in, then fine-tune by ear — or let the tool below adapt them to the exact amp and guitar you own.
Midnight Rendezvous — Casiopea · Kid Charlemagne — Steely Dan · So What — John McLaughlin · Cause Weve Ended as Lovers — Jeff Beck · Mediterranean Sundance — Al Di Meola · Four on Six — Wes Montgomery · West Coast Blues — Wes Montgomery · Breezin — George Benson
Averaged across 18 famous jazz recordings: gain 2, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 5.5, presence 4.5 (out of 10). Jazz tone is WARM and CLEAN — neck (front) pickup on an archtop, tone control rolled well back (often to 2–3), gain near zero into a clean amp (Polytone, Fender, or a jazz-voiced combo). Dark and round, not bright; let the notes bloom. A touch of reverb, no drive — the phrasing is the tone.
Start with gain 2, bass 5.5, mid 6, treble 5.5, presence 4.5 (all out of 10), then fine-tune by ear. Lower the gain for cleaner passages, and push the mids up if the guitar disappears in a band mix.
The amps most used across these jazz tones are Roland JC-120. You don’t need the exact amp, though — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any jazz tone for the amp and guitar you already own, free in the browser.
Set the starting EQ above, then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for your specific amp, guitar and pedals so it sits like the record — no new gear needed.