What's more versatile: Telecaster or Jazzmaster?

Nikc

JerkMoans said:

Nikc said:

Who cares Jazzmaster's are just ugly 

Sacrilege  

I just looked at a picture of one and I don't think ill able to see for a week - and its got a big butt, but not in a good way 

JerkMoans

Nikc said:

JerkMoans said:

Nikc said:

Who cares Jazzmaster's are just ugly 

Sacrilege  

I just looked at a picture of one and I don't think ill able to see for a week - and its got a big butt, but not in a good way 

I LIKE big butts, and I cannot lie.

My identical twin brother, on the other hand, can't stand them - but always lies.

You have one question...

ICBM

heavyrocker said:

Just look at the range of players in different styles who used Teles vs Jazzmasters.

A lot of that is historical context, partly dictated by the available amps and pedals, and partly just fashion. Nowadays, players in an equally diverse range of styles use Jazzmasters too.

You *can* use an Ibanez RG for almost any style of music, and the reason you don't see them very much outside hard rock/metal isn't because they aren't versatile.

Philly_Q said:

That should be screaming "too much hardware!" but it actually looks very cool.

It puzzles me why Fender didn't do that at the time they brought out the Bigsby Tele, since they had the hardware already - especially as demand for the Jazzmaster and Jaguar was falling in the late 60s - rather than buying in Bigsbys. Presumably the Bigsby was just so much more fashionable that the marketing people said that's what they needed to do.

Philtre

Nikc said:

Who cares Jazzmaster's are just ugly 

I would have taken you seriously had you not used that unnecessary apostrophe.

Roland

Telecaster. It does break when defend yourself against a stage invader.

impmann

ICBM said:

but there’s no song you can play on a Tele that you can’t play on a Jazzmaster - so the Jazzmaster wins.


Actually without modification (such as shoving a lump of foam under the strings behind the bridge, there’s a lot of choppy rhythm stuff with high gain you can’t play on the Jazzmaster because the ringing strings interfere. Even playing some reggae/ska is difficult, as I said above - and I say that after trying it!

ICBM

impmann said:

Actually without modification (such as shoving a lump of foam under the strings behind the bridge, there’s a lot of choppy rhythm stuff with high gain you can’t play on the Jazzmaster because the ringing strings interfere. Even playing some reggae/ska is difficult, as I said above - and I say that after trying it!

Fair point.

Just stuff a cloth under it. I had to do that on my Jaguar when I was playing high-gain stuff on it a couple of times. A more clever trick would have been to fit the mute backwards, but I didn't have one at the time.

StuartMac290

Philtre said:

Nikc said:

Who cares Jazzmaster's are just ugly 

I would have taken you seriously had you not used that unnecessary apostrophe.

It's not unnecessary, it's just that he's deleted the word "genitalia".

octatonic

Versatility is overrated.

The most versatile instrument is a synthesiser and nothing gets boring quicker than a new sound if there isn't some technique behind it and ideally a good song.

Play the one that makes you feel more like you.

Sporky

ICBM said:

Tele, just - but it's very close. The Jazzmaster also has the extra 'rhythm' circuit which contrary to what seems to be popular belief, is actually quite useful and makes it more versatile.

Or you could always do this...

That's the worst of both worlds.

meltedbuzzbox

impmann said:

ICBM said:

but there’s no song you can play on a Tele that you can’t play on a Jazzmaster - so the Jazzmaster wins.


Actually without modification (such as shoving a lump of foam under the strings behind the bridge, there’s a lot of choppy rhythm stuff with high gain you can’t play on the Jazzmaster because the ringing strings interfere. Even playing some reggae/ska is difficult, as I said above - and I say that after trying it!

you rest the fatty bit of your hand behind the bridge and it stops that problem. 
They can behave as well as any other guitar once you are used to them. 

dazzajl

There’s never going to be any agreement in this thread clearly. And since I have neither, someone send me one of each and I’ll deliver a judgement for everyone. 

Although surely the answer is JM?? As long as there is only the one criteria of versatility 

Jota

ICBM said:

Jota said:

musicman100 said:

Any guitar is only as versatile as the hands that hold it. 

Exactly.

Can we get an "Amen"?

No...

Give Steve Vai a Les Paul Jr and he'd still be brilliant, but unable to do some the things he can do on his Jem.

That makes the guitar more appropriate to him, not more versatile!

Sporky

Jota said:

ICBM said:

Jota said:

musicman100 said:

Any guitar is only as versatile as the hands that hold it. 

Exactly.

Can we get an "Amen"?

No...

Give Steve Vai a Les Paul Jr and he'd still be brilliant, but unable to do some the things he can do on his Jem.

That makes the guitar more appropriate to him, not more versatile!

The lack of a trem makes it less versatile. There are things you cannot do on a hardtail guitar that you can on one with a tremolo.

ICBM

Jota said:

ICBM said:

Give Steve Vai a Les Paul Jr and he'd still be brilliant, but unable to do some the things he can do on his Jem.

That makes the guitar more appropriate to him, not more versatile!

No, there's absolutely no question that a Jem is more versatile than a LP Jr - to claim otherwise is just daft. There's loads of stuff you can play on a Jem that you can't on a Jr, therefore it *is* more versatile - fact.

It's like the 'tone is all in the hands' argument - yes it is, up to a point... but there is no player who can make a Strat and a JC120 sound like a PRS and a Boogie. It's not *all* in the hands, just as versatility is not all down to the player.

chris78

RMJ said:

Lebarque said:

What about if the Jazzmaster didn't have a trem? So I guess we're getting down to which pickups are more versatile: Tele or Jazzmaster?

You can swap out pickups....

Jazzmaster is one of the most ergonomically comfortable guitars I've played. If that's even a consideration.

I own both and enjoy using both for different things. Jazzmaster makes we want to play clean wobbly stuff, but I also enjoy ripping on it too.

But the real answer is.....Les Paul

The answer on this board is that it’s a Les Paul, provided it’s a 2017 r8

Lebarque

mikeyrob73 said:

Telemaster

This is the way I am thinking of going tbh. Comfort of a JM with pups and controls of a TC. Perfect 

meltedbuzzbox

Lebarque said:

mikeyrob73 said:

Telemaster

This is the way I am thinking of going tbh. Comfort of a JM with pups and controls of a TC. Perfect 

I couldn't disagree more

Lebarque

JerkMoans said:

Nikc said:

Who cares Jazzmaster's are just ugly 

Sacrilege  

Correct. Coolest looking guitars out there.

Lebarque

Philly_Q said:

ICBM said:

Or you could always do this...

That should be screaming "too much hardware!" but it actually looks very cool.

Would be even better with a matching headstock.  

Too much hardware! Love shoreline gold though.