Hi all. I want to get myself a Jazzmaster soon. I'd like something vintage styled, so I was looking at used AVRI (discontinued) or the newer American Vintage '65 (in white w/ matching headstock, really cool). Then I thought, maybe it's worth extending the budget to a CS, for example like this
https://www.coda-music.com/electric-guitars/fender-custom-shop-62-jazzmaster-nos-sunburst-18487.html Have any of you experience playing a custom shop guitar side-by-side one from the american vintage series? Is there much difference in quality? For what it's worth, I would probably also upgrade the bridge to a Mastery, I recently did a session on a borrowed Jaguar where the owner had replaced the bridge for a Mastery and I was most impressed.
Thoughts?
Comments
^
Most of this.
AVRI series instruments are a recreation of period instruments in new condition. Nitro-cellulose can take a very long time to cure fully. Hence, the smell, the stickiness and the slightly uneven feel.
On Custom Shop instruments, efforts have been made to simulate decades of finish curing and natural wear. They probably apply less of it to begin with and allow it to sink in to the wood.
The pre-2012 AVRI pickups can be disappointing. On the CS guitar, I felt no urge to change the pickups.
What I would say is you can get really great AVRIs, and you can get less good ones. The same is true of the CS guitars. The ratio of great to not so great ones will be higher with the CS guitars, but it does depend on the individual guitar.
Go and try a bunch - and personally I wouldn't rule out Mexican ones either.
If you’re ok with simpler switching (and relicing) then also check out the Novo Serus J that Coda has at the same time. The magic in the Novos seems to be in the wood - they do have straight up P90s though rather than JM-style pickups.
Looks like maybe I should seek out an oly white '65 American Vintage JM.
http://i.imgur.com/JMetI7B.jpg
Shame, because they are fantastic-looking instruments.