under £500 Jazzmaster - what would you go for?

markblack

Hello, 

I'm tempted to try a jazzmaster - I have around £500 in mind. I'm just a bit confused by the variety of both squier and fender versions out there around that?

Would you go Squier and do a pickup upgrade for example... 

I would like to get a close to the classic JM sound as possible.

Thanks

Mark

munckee

I would personally get a second hand classic vibe, then buy a staytrem bridge for it before I changed the pickups.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

The 40th Anniversary Squiers are excellent guitars.

Whitecat

You’ll probably have to go Squier in that price range, and the suggestions made already are both good. Do try to budget a bit for some upgrades - StayTrem as mentioned is a critical one. Pickups you can do down the road. 

maw4neu

I had a JM Jazzmaster, it was awesome but a bit on the heavy side . . . . Awesome neck though !

dindude

Sire have started to do a JM under £500, I’d have a look at that. 

markblack

Thanks all. I'll have Google on the above

steer

Do check out the ones by Revelation, if you are not afraid of a guitar from outside of the Fender family. 

impmann

I have a 40th Anniversary Squier - I fitted Mojos. I then decided I didn't like it/Jazzmasters, so took the Mojos out to prepare it for sale and sold the Mojos. I then played it again with the standard pickups and have decided to keep it...

Genuinely... I've owned a load of Offsets and that Squier is the best I've owned (Mexican, US, high-end partcaster, etc). It stays in tune no matter what I do with the trem, it sounds great and it doesn't buzz in the background. No its not as good as my friend's CS Jazzmaster - very few guitars are - but its a nicer guitar than my old American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster was.

 

Gerz6558

As others have suggested, the Squier Classic Vibes will give you the Jazzmaster experience for under 400 quid. Nothing is desperate for swapping out on them, but can be improved upon if you are into modding (the trem being one).

I've owned the Squiers alongside USA Fender variants, and Squier do a good job of getting into the ballpark.

JJ72

Another Squier CV owner with a Staytrem bridge(and trem) here. Absolutely love it although I have put in the excellent Q pickups 58 spec 

inewham

+1 Squier CV with Staytrem bridge and trem collet. 

The stock pickups are good, the laurel fingerboard is as good as the rosewood on one of my other guitars. 

The bridge is a nice to have but not absolutely necessary, the trem collet is definitely an upgrade as the fender one squeaks. Do expect to wait 3 months for the Staytrem bits (they do come but John states clearly there is a wait).

FWIW I also think it is much nicer on 11s with a wound third.

markblack

Thanks again all.

thermionic

I’m not sure you really need a Staytrem bridge as it seems the CVs now come with Mustang-type saddles. I don’t know if they have the nylon bushings that stop the bridge posts sinking, but those are available relatively cheaply as a spare part.

LionAquaLooper

Squier 40th.
Chris Buck talks about it in the latest TPS episode. Actually he made his own video about it a while ago as well. 

UnclePsychosis

The 40th anniversary range of squier stuff is really good.

I suspect you may struggle to find one at a sensible price though. Pretty sure they're OOS and unavailable new now. 

jellybelly

Just a heads up - spotted this on Reverb. Reckon it's a good shout...

(No affiliation!!)

https://reverb.com/item/83010004?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=83010004

markarkark

I have a Squier J Mascis and I love it

markblack

@jellybelly thanks for the link

duotone

Found a nice timeline of Fender Jazzmaster models: https://reverb.com/uk/news/a-timeline-of-fender-jazzmasters

Cookiemonster

I have the JM and a Vintera. I like both equally, and I feel they cover different sounds, probably due to the pick ups.