Gold Jazzmaster build

mcsdan

I've been thinking about doing a JM or tele build for a while and I'm partial to a gold guitar (Have a goldtop LP and strat). A quick search online a used AVRI gold anodised JM scratchplate has been purchased. Decision made - a JM.

A XMAS pressie is too close but my birthday is in April which seems more realistic to get everything together.  Rough specs are

• aztec gold nitro body which a "closet classic" style finish i.e. some paint cracking with a couple of dings etc. Not a gold sparkle - sorted
  
• light(ish) alder body - sorted
  
• rosewood bound neck 9.5 radius, C shape, chunky not thin - probably source an actual fender neck
• vintage sounding boutique(?) pickups with rhythm circuit - Montys do a 59 JM pickup set
  
• gold scratchplate -sorted
  
• upgraded bridge - maybe a mustang or staytrem etc
• quality parts
  
• cost £999 or less!
  

This thread is to keep track of the progress (and costs)

mcsdan

Costs - to date

• Gold anodised scratchplate from AVRI - £40 inc delivery - off reverb - Done
  
• Body - theFB SCrelics - £315 + delivery - ordered - body picked.
  
• trem - fender parts -  £85 inc delivery - off theFB - Done
• BKP P90 & P91 pickups - £90 inc delivery - used off theFB - Done
• neck - SCrelics - £300 - nitro clean on the back with a tad of wear around the cowboy chords area. Dark board, dark dots
  
• nut fitted - £~20-30
• 500k cts tvt pots (already have) x 4 - £20 - Done
  
• pio caps - various spares - x1 - £2 - Done
  
• pickup covers aged white - £9 - Done
  
• fender jag/jm mustang style bridge 9.5 radius - used off Reverb - £45 inc delivery - Done
  

Total (to date) = £926

Items to get/decide - WIP

• tuners
• neck plate/screws
  
• trem arm
• knobs - to match pickup covers
• strap buttons
• electronics - switches and mounting plate + rollers for "dark" circuit controls
  

mcsdan

Rough idea of the look

eSully

Following with interest. Love gold guitar finishes. 

Rich210

Love a gold Jazzmaster!  Here's my Doheny 

mcsdan

Rich210 said:

Love a gold Jazzmaster!  Here's my Doheny 

  Wow. Looks great. Humbuckers? Toggles are coil splits?

mcsdan

Some more gold goodness for @eSully

Rich210

On the pickups side, I'm very impressed with the vintage creamery pups in my MIJ Jazzmaster. Good look with build watching keenly! 

Rich210

mcsdan said:

Rich210 said:

Love a gold Jazzmaster!  Here's my Doheny 

  Wow. Looks great. Humbuckers? Toggles are coil splits?

It's the Doheny V12 in a firemist finish. The pickups are developments of the f-100 MFD humbuckers to suit a jazzmaster housing I've not played on a F-100 (I'd like an original). It's a great studio guitar because you can dial in loads of tones. The white toggle is for the neck pick up and the red for the bridge. In the 'up' position they work the humbuckers in series, 'middle' as a single coil and 'down' runs the humbuckers in parallel. There's some great demos online. Here's a G&L one which is what really caught my eye to the guitar 


There's also a really good demo from a Japanese fella 

mcsdan

@Rich210 ; lots of options there on the pickups. I'll take a look at the vids.

Rich210

@mcsdan Yeah it's a bit of a melting pot, you soon find combinations that suit your playing. I'm a big fan of having the neck in the parallel and the bridge in single, but it really depends on the sound you're going for. I've not actually seen any other guitar that has the same kind of setup either.

Rich210

Here's a look at the pickups under the covers - At one point I was gonna make some 3D printed pickup covers for it but never got round to it! 

mcsdan

oooh. TBH I've played around with gibson electronics and strat/teles but jazzmasters are new to me (in terms of electronics). The ryhthm circuit has always seemed a mystery hence another reason to do a build/wire one up.

eSully

mcsdan said:

Some more gold goodness for @eSully

Loving the strat in particular. this is my gold tele-strat monstrosity

mcsdan

Excellent! A gold tele was the toss up with the JM so will be on another build.

The gold strat I have I saw upon entering peaches store to buy my first jazzmaster and was so tempted by it but was there to get a JM. Stay on track Dan! However I went back 5 months later and was still there so took it home! 

Rich210

mcsdan said:

oooh. TBH I've played around with gibson electronics and strat/teles but jazzmasters are new to me (in terms of electronics). The ryhthm circuit has always seemed a mystery hence another reason to do a build/wire one up.

I love the rhythm circuit on the Jazzmaster! The doheny is defiantly not a jazzmaster apart from it's shape but I do love an offset.  That tele look the really cool!  have you seen the G&L espada?

mcsdan

Nope! Horizons opening..

Rich210

mcsdan said:

Nope! Horizons opening..

They're billed as the guitar fender put in production and is based on notepad designs and mockups in his workshop. I'd love a go on one. Looking at your tele-strat I think it's definitely worth your time 

mcsdan

Seen a couple of fender JM necks. Blimey they are expensive! May have to reconsider an actual fender neck and go third party instead to keep within budget.

stickyfiddle

Nice - watching this with interest. I suspect it might be too much gold for me but should be a great build either way. You can always chuck some tort at it if you see sense  

mcsdan

stickyfiddle said:

Nice - watching this with interest. I suspect it might be too much gold for me but should be a great build either way. You can always chuck some tort at it if you see sense  

May well be too much gold lol I'll see once it is together - at least only a scratch is easy to switch out.