Fender Jazzmaster

[JakeK]

Since I got a winter job yesterday, coupled with a possible cr*pload of Christmas money, I'm already starting to debate on my next guitar. I think about the fact I have no Gibsons (don't really want them aside from Custom Shop reissues, and that'll never happen given my budget!) or Gretsches, I think about that, but I've decided the next guitar I want is a Fender Jazzmaster. I've played two before, and I was extremely impressed with them both. What I want is a Japan reissue in candy apple red or surf green possibly with block inlays. The Jazzmaster is one of the most versatile guitars I've ever played, and I believe I'm ready for one!

This is what I would look at first:
http://www.fullersguitar.com/index.php? ... turer_id=2

Seems like I've met this one before, oh wait, I have!

Can anyone give me the run down on Jazzmasters and their thoughts of them?

[sloop_john_b]

Jazzmasters are cool Jake, but keep in mind that any off-the-shelf MIJ variant will require a pickup upgrade and possibly a bridge upgrade if you are so inclined.

MIJ Jazzmaster pickups are nothing more than re-housed Strat pickups. Lots of pickup guys do Jazzmaster pickups, but my top three choices would be Curtis Novak, Jason Lollar, or Seymour Duncan Antiquity.

As far as bridges, the most common Jazzmaster modification is to replace the stock bridge with a Mustang bridge. However, all the big name serious Jazzmaster/Jaguar players of the world have switched to the high quality Mastery Bridge.

[antipodean]

The JM is a cool "nonconformist" kind of guitar. The vibrato action is kind of amusing if you're used to a Strat but that's just a small part of the equation. JB is spot on about the pickups and bridge (unless you're using ultra-heavy strings the threaded saddles can be a bit frustrating).

If you are happy with a more road-worn item, Ishibashi has a cool Burgundy Mist JM for around USD800 shipped ......sadly the pics are too big to post.

[whojamfan]

The upgrades are definitely worth getting. Enjoy.

[egosheep]

I would get my pile of cash together and shop around... I haven't checked ebay in a while, but I think you could get a USA vintage reissue used for somewhere in the range of that Japanese one, or even less($1K range). You can also get a MIJ one for a lot less than that, if you look around, and that could leave you with more money to trick it out. But with an AVRI you wont need to change the pickups. Keep an eye out for "thinskin" nitrocellulose reissues.

I think the Mastery bridge is great, but a mustang bridge will be a cheaper upgrade that will be perfectly functional if you don't have the scratch for a Mastery right away.

One thing I would steer clear of is the Classic Player series. They moved the tremolo unit closer to the bridge... it's a poor look and there's nothing you can do about it.

[jingle_jangle]

I grew up with Jags and JMs, and to me their vibrato action is most familiar, as are their quirks. I much prefer the position of the Jag/JM's vibrato handle, over the Strat's, height-wise. I know--a pwersonal preference.

EVERYBODY gets on the band wagon, re: the saddles, but a few minutes' work with a small triangular or nut file to deepen the one thread that locates each string, makes all the difference in the world. I see the mastery bridge as a step backward in some ways--remember when Teles had only three intonation screws?

[egosheep]

EVERYBODY gets on the band wagon, re: the saddles, but a few minutes' work with a small triangular or nut file to deepen the one thread that locates each string, makes all the difference in the world. I see the mastery bridge as a step backward in some ways--remember when Teles had only three intonation screws?

It's said though, that there is more sustain in having just two saddles, vs. 6 individual ones. I don't actually have a Mastery... just what I have read.

[sloop_john_b]

If you are happy with a more road-worn item, Ishibashi has a cool Burgundy Mist JM for around USD800 shipped ......sadly the pics are too big to post.

Umm, care to point me in the direction of this guitar?

[egosheep]

If you are happy with a more road-worn item, Ishibashi has a cool Burgundy Mist JM for around USD800 shipped ......sadly the pics are too big to post.

Umm, care to point me in the direction of this guitar?

I assume here, but I couldn't find one in Burgundy Mist.

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/eng/

[iiipopes]

Pickups. I'm a humbucker guy. But humbuckers on a JM look, well, you know. I don't have the time, talent, tooling or experience to design pickups. I wish someone would do something like take the sidewinder concept of a Gibson EB pickup, put a reasonable amount of wire on it with a matched magnet, and develop a cosmetically compatable JM humbucking pickup with only six polepieces.

[electrofaro]

I went to a Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 gig the other day, and now I seriously even want a Jazzmaster in OW.

Image1.jpg

[sloop_john_b]

Pickups. I'm a humbucker guy. But humbuckers on a JM look, well, you know. I don't have the time, talent, tooling or experience to design pickups. I wish someone would do something like take the sidewinder concept of a Gibson EB pickup, put a reasonable amount of wire on it with a matched magnet, and develop a cosmetically compatable JM humbucking pickup with only six polepieces.

Novak: http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/Offsets.shtml

[Grey]

If I ever were to buy another guitar...

[antipodean]

If you are happy with a more road-worn item, Ishibashi has a cool Burgundy Mist JM for around USD800 shipped ......sadly the pics are too big to post.

Umm, care to point me in the direction of this guitar?

Sorry JB- it's gone - they had it advertised on their main webshop page as well as their "used box" pages and the exposure must have worked. I'll do my best to keep an eye out for you (in my shambolic, disorganised way).

Edit: Different custom colour - but this surf green JM looks pretty cool...

[egosheep]

If you are happy with a more road-worn item, Ishibashi has a cool Burgundy Mist JM for around USD800 shipped ......sadly the pics are too big to post.

Umm, care to point me in the direction of this guitar?

Sorry JB- it's gone - they had it advertised on their main webshop page as well as their "used box" pages and the exposure must have worked. I'll do my best to keep an eye out for you (in my shambolic, disorganised way).

Edit: Different custom colour - but this surf green JM looks pretty cool...

That looks like Ocean Turquoise Metallic. Surf Green is not metallic.