A question for Jazzmaster Experts..

Hattigol

Love my CS one - in my profile picture. 

Excited about the Ultra arriving on Tuesday. Love the mods they've done to it.

stickyfiddle

@GavRichList had a gold AV65 iirc. Similarly spanky looking. I have a Jag build in mind at some point, with aztec gold on the shortlist. I already have a bridge, trem and switchplate but nothing else! 

My JM has a Musikraft neck to get the right headstock. Early 60's slim-ish profile (83-92, I think?). Birdseye maple, rosewood, bound with dots. I had a Strat neck with the same profile made a couple of years ago as well. It's fairly skinny but really comfortable.

LPManic

Hattigol said:

Love my CS one - in my profile picture. 

Excited about the Ultra arriving on Tuesday. Love the mods they've done to it.

Please do a NGD and chat a little about the differences. If I go JM again, it would be between Ultra and a CS.

mcsdan

stickyfiddle said:

@GavRichList had a gold AV65 iirc. Similarly spanky looking. I have a Jag build in mind at some point, with aztec gold on the shortlist. I already have a bridge, trem and switchplate but nothing else! 

My JM has a Musikraft neck to get the right headstock. Early 60's slim-ish profile (83-92, I think?). Birdseye maple, rosewood, bound with dots. I had a Strat neck with the same profile made a couple of years ago as well. It's fairly skinny but really comfortable.

Thanks for the info. Sure it was someone on this forum!

A jag build sounds good - not ventured into those yet! Do like the offset guitars.  I'm going to go a for a chunky neck if possible.

I've just put together a build thread in Making and Modding. Won't be finished until around /MarchApril though but good to have something on the back burner.

ThePrettyDamned

meltedbuzzbox said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Whatever you choose, get it set up by someone who understands them - they're slightly different in some ways to a strat/tele as they need a bit of neck angle and a high bridge/saddles to get the break angle required. Once done, you'll have a trem that stays in tune better than most on the market and is easy to sound really good with (opposed to a Floyd which is super sensitive and easy to sound bad with!). 

Thats not true for all of them

Modern ones have angled neck pockets

That is true, and brilliant! 

GavRichList

Yep, was me. Here it is:

https://youtu.be/-35hyRAQUe4

was a brilliant, brilliant jazzmaster. Huge neck, and light and lively. Sold it when I went through my “I’m bored of guitar” stage. Some bugger split it out for parts. A sad demise of a great guitar though. 

punchesjudy

GavRichList said:

Yep, was me. Here it is:

https://youtu.be/-35hyRAQUe4

was a brilliant, brilliant jazzmaster. Huge neck, and light and lively. Sold it when I went through my “I’m bored of guitar” stage. Some bugger split it out for parts. A sad demise of a great guitar though. 

I bought it.. Was brilliant. I then sold it cos I'm an idiot. Do prefer non bound necks though so that's my excuse I'll be sticking with forever more.  
I was not the one who parted it out. I'm not quite that much of an idiot. 

mcsdan

B*****cks. Did see the build but was in my tele build stage then! Great video btw

Loobs

I'd be looking for a used US AVRI '62, '62 thinskin, American Original or American Vintage '65 RI, or perhaps even a MIJ '62 reissue with mods. The 'modern' ones like the Am. Pro, Classic Player etc. don't really deliver the classic JM sound and have some pretty weird features that most JM fans aren't fond of. As others said, with a decent neck angle - shimmed, probably, a 'better' bridge and some good pickups, you'll be golden.

They are super versatile (and misunderstood) guitars. From surf to funk and vintage r'n'b tones to the most wiry fingers-on-the-blackboard post-punk and noise rock, it's all there. What's great about them is how they inspire you to play differently and do stuff you might not do with a Strat or Tele. 

smogfalls

thanks everybody for all of your input, it's been massively helpful. I'm pretty well decided on the American original.. just need to choose a color now.. harder than it sounds as I quite like all 3 of the options!

GavRichList

at the moment if I had a gun to my head, i'd personally probably go for a new Am Pro II, and switch the pickups out for Mojos. I might even have the rhythm circuit reinstalled. I too favour an unbound neck, and AVRI necks are a little too skinny for my tastes. The paintjob on the AO / AV65 is preferable of course; the nitro finish on AVRIs is remarkably plasticky by comparison. I think the neck on the Am Pro is the main thing for me - they feel incredible. I'll forgive the poly finish. 

camerondavidsonmusic

GavRichList said:

at the moment if I had a gun to my head, i'd personally probably go for a new Am Pro II, and switch the pickups out for Mojos. I might even have the rhythm circuit reinstalled. I too favour an unbound neck, and AVRI necks are a little too skinny for my tastes. The paintjob on the AO / AV65 is preferable of course; the nitro finish on AVRIs is remarkably plasticky by comparison. I think the neck on the Am Pro is the main thing for me - they feel incredible. I'll forgive the poly finish. 

Poly might even be preferable if they have put it on thin. I've seen 2 AO, one had the paint chips in the neck (See thread), the second at GAK had pen marks on the neck that had "Sunk into the nitro". Hopefully its bad luck, but the quality control seem a bit hit or miss with them. Considering its a poly undercoat on the AO, might be good to go all poly on the Pro? 

smogfalls

meltedbuzzbox said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Whatever you choose, get it set up by someone who understands them - they're slightly different in some ways to a strat/tele as they need a bit of neck angle and a high bridge/saddles to get the break angle required. Once done, you'll have a trem that stays in tune better than most on the market and is easy to sound really good with (opposed to a Floyd which is super sensitive and easy to sound bad with!). 

Thats not true for all of them

Modern ones have angled neck pockets

when you say the modern ones have angled neck pockets, does this include the American Original line?

GavRichList

smogfalls said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Whatever you choose, get it set up by someone who understands them - they're slightly different in some ways to a strat/tele as they need a bit of neck angle and a high bridge/saddles to get the break angle required. Once done, you'll have a trem that stays in tune better than most on the market and is easy to sound really good with (opposed to a Floyd which is super sensitive and easy to sound bad with!). 

Thats not true for all of them

Modern ones have angled neck pockets

when you say the modern ones have angled neck pockets, does this include the American Original line?

yes. 

Hattigol

I must be in the minority. I don't understand all these issues that people are always reporting with Jazzmasters (and Jags). I've had two (and I'm awaiting my third) and can happily report zero issues, zero need to arse about with anything, zero problems whatsoever.

Maybe I got lucky...

meltedbuzzbox

Hattigol said:

I must be in the minority. I don't understand all these issues that people are always reporting with Jazzmasters (and Jags). I've had two (and I'm awaiting my third) and can happily report zero issues, zero need to arse about with anything, zero problems whatsoever.

Maybe I got lucky...

I've never owned one that had to be upgraded.
I have chosen to upgrade all of them and they all played better for it.

Ignorance can be bliss. Stay as you are if it works for you

Loobs

I can safely say the '62 RI MIJ I had definitely needed most stuff upgraded. 

Loobs

GavRichList said:

at the moment if I had a gun to my head, i'd personally probably go for a new Am Pro II, and switch the pickups out for Mojos. I might even have the rhythm circuit reinstalled. I too favour an unbound neck, and AVRI necks are a little too skinny for my tastes. The paintjob on the AO / AV65 is preferable of course; the nitro finish on AVRIs is remarkably plasticky by comparison. I think the neck on the Am Pro is the main thing for me - they feel incredible. I'll forgive the poly finish. 

Haven't yet tried an Am Pro II, keen to. Why didn't you like the pickups? 

Riviera

Does anyone have any experience of the Vintera 60’s modified Jazzmaster?

smogfalls

GavRichList said:

at the moment if I had a gun to my head, i'd personally probably go for a new Am Pro II, and switch the pickups out for Mojos. I might even have the rhythm circuit reinstalled. I too favour an unbound neck, and AVRI necks are a little too skinny for my tastes. The paintjob on the AO / AV65 is preferable of course; the nitro finish on AVRIs is remarkably plasticky by comparison. I think the neck on the Am Pro is the main thing for me - they feel incredible. I'll forgive the poly finish. 

I have to admit that I also prefer the look without binding. I like the looks of the Am pro ii in sunburst. I'm wondering, what exactly are the differences in the wiring scheme and how do these effect things playing/tone wise?