Jazzmasters

BintyTwanger77

GavRichList said:

Never tried Novaks, but they're much better than the SD Antiquity I's I had in my JMJM. 

I do like the pickups that I already have in the RWJM (they're Vintage 65s, I believe) but I really like the pickups in the Custom Shop JM I tried, huge clarity and presence: I've been told that Mojos and Novaks sound even better.

GavRichList

Certainly preferable to stock AVRI & AV65s  

impmann

Not a 'rythmn guitar' with the right bridge and they have a sound of their own. The hype is bloody silly though.

Gives me an opportunity to share this again-   the solo by Nels is at 2.30 if you want to skip to that:

Stuckfast

stimpsonslostson said:

The only Jazzmaster player I'm really familiar with is J Mascis & his tone seems to be built on layers of fuzz & distortion. (I do like the chimey clean bits too though). 

Tom Verlaine of Television played a Jazzmaster a lot, and made it sound great. But IIRC he put ludicrously heavy strings on (15s?) because it wouldn't stay in tune otherwise.

impmann

Stuckfast said:

stimpsonslostson said:

The only Jazzmaster player I'm really familiar with is J Mascis & his tone seems to be built on layers of fuzz & distortion. (I do like the chimey clean bits too though). 

Tom Verlaine of Television played a Jazzmaster a lot, and made it sound great. But IIRC he put ludicrously heavy strings on (15s?) because it wouldn't stay in tune otherwise.

Then his guitar was fucked - I've got 10s on my Jazzmaster and it stays in tune perfectly.

lasermonkey

I love 'em. I got my first, an  Olympic White '86 MIJ back in 1991/2. That was followed with a Daphne Blue '62 AVRI "thin skin" at the tail end of 2008, and then a CAR '94/'95 CIJ three or four years ago.
















My favourite is the blue, American one. That said, the white MIJ is close behind, especially since I fitted a set of Mojo pickups to it. If you do go down the MIJ/CIJ route, budget for a set of replacement pickups, as they really do bring the guitar to life.

Another thing about the white one is that, despite having the same neck radius (7.25") as the later, red JM, overall it feels more like the American one. Certainly, there are subtle body shape differences (mainly in thickness) between the red one and the other two. The hardware also feels slightly less substantial on the red one and the electrics are definitely inferior. I probably ought to deal with that before making further judgements on it though, and a set of Mojo pickups are long overdue!

Anyway, I'm a huge fan. They are harmonically rich and play with modulation, delay and reverb better than any other guitar I've tried. The tremolo is fantastic. Every other trem I've tried seems rubbish in comparison. The tuning is perfect on all three, and I use 010s on them with no hassles whatsoever.

BintyTwanger77

lasermonkey said:

I love 'em. I got my first, an  Olympic White '86 MIJ back in 1991/2. That was followed with a Daphne Blue '62 AVRI "thin skin" at the tail end of 2008, and then a CAR '94/'95 CIJ three or four years ago.
















My favourite is the blue, American one. That said, the white MIJ is close behind, especially since I fitted a set of Mojo pickups to it. If you do go down the MIJ/CIJ route, budget for a set of replacement pickups, as they really do bring the guitar to life.

Another thing about the white one is that, despite having the same neck radius (7.25") as the later, red JM, overall it feels more like the American one. Certainly, there are subtle body shape differences (mainly in thickness) between the red one and the other two. The hardware also feels slightly less substantial on the red one and the electrics are definitely inferior. I probably ought to deal with that before making further judgements on it though, and a set of Mojo pickups are long overdue!

Anyway, I'm a huge fan. They are harmonically rich and play with modulation, delay and reverb better than any other guitar I've tried. The tremolo is fantastic. Every other trem I've tried seems rubbish in comparison. The tuning is perfect on all three, and I use 010s on them with no hassles whatsoever.

Well this is positively pornographic. Stunning collection.

GavRichList

impmann said:

Not a 'rythmn guitar' with the right bridge and they have a sound of their own. The hype is bloody silly though.

Gives me an opportunity to share this again-   the solo by Nels is at 2.30 if you want to skip to that:

Have you seen the vid on YouTube of someone doing a pretty serviceable cover of this on their AVRI? Given your penchant for this song and the fact it's a white AVRI, I always wondered whether it was in fact you! 

impmann

GavRichList said:

impmann said:

Not a 'rythmn guitar' with the right bridge and they have a sound of their own. The hype is bloody silly though.

Gives me an opportunity to share this again-   the solo by Nels is at 2.30 if you want to skip to that:

Have you seen the vid on YouTube of someone doing a pretty serviceable cover of this on their AVRI? Given your penchant for this song and the fact it's a white AVRI, I always wondered whether it was in fact you! 

Hah! No, not me!! :-)

TTBZ

Love the look of them but didn't get on with the big body on my telemaster. Just felt like a big heavy telecaster. Strangely don't have that problem with my Jaguar bass which is only a bit smaller. I'd try one again though!

dogload

TTBZ said:

Love the look of them but didn't get on with the big body on my telemaster. Just felt like a big heavy telecaster. Strangely don't have that problem with my Jaguar bass which is only a bit smaller. I'd try one again though!

That's because a 'Telemaster' is an abomination! impmann said:

Stuckfast said:

stimpsonslostson said:

The only Jazzmaster player I'm really familiar with is J Mascis & his tone seems to be built on layers of fuzz & distortion. (I do like the chimey clean bits too though). 

Tom Verlaine of Television played a Jazzmaster a lot, and made it sound great. But IIRC he put ludicrously heavy strings on (15s?) because it wouldn't stay in tune otherwise.

Then his guitar was fucked - I've got 10s on my Jazzmaster and it stays in tune perfectly.

Seconded!

riscado

dogload said:

riscado said:

Jazzmasters themselves are slightly overhyped. What they are in fact, is a great rhythm instrument with a bridge design that gives them a really cool reverberation/feel.

Admittedly they are a bit on the 'far-too-trendy' side at the moment, but no more over-hyped than anything else that I can think of (apart from DeArmonds!).
They're also much more than rhythm instruments. Especially the J Mascis ones and CPs etc with the re-positioned trems. Although putting a Tune-o-matic on them is rubbish.

Nice JM btw @riscado ;;;

Far from me to be disagreeing with you, but I never said they were nothing else other than rhythm instruments. Of course, being a guitar, I expect them to do so much more... my point being that, in my modest opinion, they really excel at that, which is why I have one. I do also think they are over hyped and far too trendy, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't really matter, I still think they are in fact excellent guitars. But so is a good tele, or a good strat, or a good LP, etc...

p90fool

Neil said:

OP, I would definitely try one out if it's not a FTF trade and you haven't played one before.

Personally I found them to have a weird feel with that long body, everything feels further to the left.

Again the bulky body can make them heavy too.

They are pretty trendy which makes them more expensive in general compared to a Strat.

I would too. Good JM pickups are amongst the finest things known to man, but although I like looking at them, I hate playing Jazzmasters.

I'm in no way undermining the love for them on this thread because I do actually understand it, but for me they feel like a 70s Soviet-built guitar, designed by someone who once saw a real Fender on the TV and can almost remember most of it.

That Wilco clip in fact sums them up pretty honestly whatever your viewpoint, great look, great sound, but weird, tremble-y and fragile in use which can appeal to your sensitive side, or that of your dippy date.

Kind of the Hugh Grant of electric guitars.

GavRichList

I don't think they have to be fragile; once the obligatory changes have been made to the bridge, they're as solid as any other guitar out there for me. 

TTBZ

dogload said:

TTBZ said:

Love the look of them but didn't get on with the big body on my telemaster. Just felt like a big heavy telecaster. Strangely don't have that problem with my Jaguar bass which is only a bit smaller. I'd try one again though!

That's because a 'Telemaster' is an abomination! 

Same body shape and size though isn't it? Only difference being there's no route for the trem but does that really cut much weight?

dogload

TTBZ said:

dogload said:

TTBZ said:

Love the look of them but didn't get on with the big body on my telemaster. Just felt like a big heavy telecaster. Strangely don't have that problem with my Jaguar bass which is only a bit smaller. I'd try one again though!

That's because a 'Telemaster' is an abomination! 

Same body shape and size though isn't it? Only difference being there's no route for the trem but does that really cut much weight?

Wood-wise there is quite a lot of air underneath a regular JM scratchplate. Big pickup routs and the various switch cavities. It could make a difference

blueskunk

Got hipster imagine problem now. Apart from that I like em.

p90fool

GavRichList said:

I don't think they have to be fragile; once the obligatory changes have been made to the bridge, they're as solid as any other guitar out there for me. 

You're no doubt absolutely right, I haven't played one since the early 80s, before there was an internet to help out with parts and advice and a stock pre-CBS Jazzmaster felt very wobbly compared to a Strat or Tele. 

jonnygreentrees

Here's mine...

2007 MIJ: it's got new tuners, a Staytrem bridge, Fender AVRI 62 pickups, cloth wiring, CTS 500 Meg pots and a Switchcraft pickup selector. I've removed the rhythm circuit and the upper toggle is now a series/parallel selector. I also changed the pickguard from the horrible brown tort it came with.

Love this guitar and the 500 Meg pots really tame the ice-pick treble through my Twin.

Might put some Mojo pickups in it in the long run and maybe a Spitfire Tort pickguard if I can bring myself to spend that sort of cash on a bit of plastic 

Neil

jonnygreentrees said:

Here's mine...

2007 MIJ: it's got new tuners, a Staytrem bridge, Fender AVRI 62 pickups, cloth wiring, CTS 500 Meg pots and a Switchcraft pickup selector. I've removed the rhythm circuit and the upper toggle is now a series/parallel selector. I also changed the pickguard from the horrible brown tort it came with.

Love this guitar and the 500 Meg pots really tame the ice-pick treble through my Twin.

Might put some Mojo pickups in it in the long run and maybe a Spitfire Tort pickguard if I can bring myself to spend that sort of cash on a bit of plastic 

So just the wood left then?