Squire VM Jazzmaster - any good?

TonyR

All this talk of Jazzmasters recently has got me thinking - do I want one? 

I can't justify the huge prices Fenders are commanding at the moment so, I thought how about the Squier ones?

Bearing in mind I have no budget guitars in my collection and given these guitars do seem to be relatively cheap - would it be worth me purchasing one?

Sound wise I can imagine they don't sound as good as the genuine Fender but is there anything that could be done to bring them close?

Pickups obviously will need changing, tuners, bridge, anything else?

In fact as I write this doubts are creeping in, should I just save my money?

meltedbuzzbox

they are a good introduction to the world of offsets.

I think second hand you can pick one up on here in the classifieds for £175

the stock pups aren't bad at all. The other electrics can be. 

the stock bridge is marmite

Tuners generally seem fine. My one was stable enough. 

You might need to dress the frets a bit. 

Nunogilberto

I took one in trade recently, and was pleasantly surprised - lovely wide neck and sounds gorgeous clean and with some low gain. I personally don't like the stacked tone/vol controls though - they're a bit flimsy and the one for my bridge pup has broken, so I'm minded to swap them both for a master tone and volume.

Pyroman

   I thought they just had a global volume and tone and a lead circuit with separate vol and tone for the neck pickup.  Which ones were knackered, the pots or the roller controls?

  For the OP, I have to agree with buzzbox and nuno about the pickups.  As is they sound rather good.   You may be pleasantly surprised- and save yourself some quid on replacements.  With both pickups on, it has a very lovely chime to it on cleans and at the edge tones.  I was quite happy with both on their own, but that middle position really got me.

 I just paid appx $1000 US for my Fender 60's Jazzmaster Lacquer, so a new Fender one isn't unreasonably dear.  Unless, of course that's out of your budget.   Used Jazzmasters- and new ones- are unreasonably difficult to find in my area.  They don't last -at all- in the stores, and I've never seen one on Craigs list...  You'd think someone would notice and order MORE for next time, but they never do.

HarrySeven

I've had a VM Jaguar (S/H £175) and Jazzmaster (S/H £140) - excellent value for the money and ripe for upgrades.

Nunogilberto

@Pyroman I think it's probably the roller control that's had it, more so than the pot itself. This one (and I think it's the same for all the VM range of Jazzmasters) doesn't have the separate lead circuit and switching etc - just a stacked concentric tone/vol pot for each pickup. Currently the bridge unit spins right around without doing anything, so I want to change them both for a simpler global tone/vol arrangement.

Nunogilberto

I would also add for the OP's benefit that the hardtail bridge and vintage tuners these guitars come with, are more than up to the job from what I've seen so far.

meltedbuzzbox

Nunogilberto said:

@Pyroman I think it's probably the roller control that's had it, more so than the pot itself. This one (and I think it's the same for all the VM range of Jazzmasters) doesn't have the separate lead circuit and switching etc - just a stacked concentric tone/vol pot for each pickup. Currently the bridge unit spins right around without doing anything, so I want to change them both for a simpler global tone/vol arrangement.

the vm does have a rhythm circuit (neck pickup and roller controls) and a "lead" circuit (3 way switch (both pickups) and conventional volume and tone pots). 

meltedbuzzbox

Nunogilberto said:

I would also add for the OP's benefit that the hardtail bridge and vintage tuners these guitars come with, are more than up to the job from what I've seen so far.

you know there are 2 types of VM Jazzmaster? I think you are referring to the one with the strat jack socket?

Nunogilberto

@Meltedbuzzbox The point I was trying to make was that it doesn't have the crazy switching system the original Jazzmaster is known for.

Gassage

I had one of the Jazzers- bloody amazing for the money.

meltedbuzzbox

Nunogilberto said:

@Meltedbuzzbox The point I was trying to make was that it doesn't have the crazy switching system the original Jazzmaster is known for.

which one?

This is the old VM Jazzmaster which isnt really a Jazzmaster

http://assets.fender.com/frl/8f4b62b78495452ac89461bee34d5925/generated/f9f9cc2d017d52e9db3f650dec1d0a50.png

this is the newer VM Jazzmaster which is more faithful to a proper Jazzmaster 

http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/thumbs3/squier-vintage-modified-jazzmaster-olympic-white-rosewood-477668.jpg

dogload

Nunogilberto said: @Meltedbuzzbox The point I was trying to make was that it doesn't have the crazy switching system the original Jazzmaster is known for.

The switching isn't in the least bit crazy. It has a 3-way toggle for bridge, bridge and neck, and neck pickup selection just like a Gibson. What it does have is the ability to have an extra sound at the flick of a switch. This notion of complicated switching is a fallacy, and you may be thinking of the Jaguar.

meltedbuzzbox

To be fair the Jaguar isn't all that complicated either, different yes but it takes 30 seconds to get it. 

I wish people would play the damn things before they start telling how things are over complicated on them etc 

impmann

The rhythm circuit is so useful - I find it hilarious that it's so poorly thought of and that so many guitarists can't seem to cope with it.

Nunogilberto

@Meltedbuzzbox @Dogload The first one. I may have been thinking of the Jaguar then, because I had it in my head that the original JM had a multitude of switches on them.

hotpot

I took the plunge on a Sonic Blue one recently & the clean rhythm tones are super nice, I thought I'd have to do quite a bit of modding but I'll be leaving it as is, I really like it. I read horror stories of the bridge being pants but I've had no trouble with it whatsoever, I play with a light touch so that might be the reason the strings haven't been "jumping off the saddles" like so many report!

JookyChap

impmann said:

The rhythm circuit is so useful - I find it hilarious that it's so poorly thought of and that so many guitarists can't seem to cope with it.

+1 - That really tricky slider switch, man, who could cope?

dogload

JookyChap said:

impmann said:

The rhythm circuit is so useful - I find it hilarious that it's so poorly thought of and that so many guitarists can't seem to cope with it.

+1 - That really tricky slider switch, man, who could cope?

Yes, but you have to actually think about what you are doing when using it... you know, should you have the tone all the way off or up a bit. It's difficult. 

Pyroman

meltedbuzzbox said:

Nunogilberto said:

@Meltedbuzzbox The point I was trying to make was that it doesn't have the crazy switching system the original Jazzmaster is known for.

which one?

This is the old VM Jazzmaster which isnt really a Jazzmaster

http://assets.fender.com/frl/8f4b62b78495452ac89461bee34d5925/generated/f9f9cc2d017d52e9db3f650dec1d0a50.png

this is the newer VM Jazzmaster which is more faithful to a proper Jazzmaster 

http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/thumbs3/squier-vintage-modified-jazzmaster-olympic-white-rosewood-477668.jpg

   The second one is what I tried.   I'd have to agree with you- the first isn't what I'd call a Jazzmaster, either.   Where's the vibrato?  Where's the rhythm circuit??  At least it has the pickups and cool shape.

  I think the rhythm controls are deceptively brilliant.  At first glance, they look like "What? why?..."   When you play it, though, those roller pots are right under your thumb- in a perfect position to adjust on the fly.  They also don't get in the way of your playing or get accidentally changed, like a regular pot would. Imo, that quirkiness is part of it's charm- it appeals to those who DON"T want something that's just like every other guitar.

the_jaffa

I've got a Sonic Blue VM JM.  Once I fitted some 11s and had a pro setup it's plays really well.  No problems with the bridge but I don't really use the trem so that might have influenced that.

I think they look great but sadly, since getting a Strat, I don't really use the JM anymore.  Not really sure why, just one of those things.

I could be persuaded to part with it if someone was interested