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Any Jazzmaster fans?

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Any Jazzmaster fans?

I’d love to see yours. Especially any thinline JM’s as that will likely be my next project. I’m collecting color/pickguard ideas for future use. It will be a thinline partscaster if I could find a good thinline body.

I have two CS Jazzmasters that I adore, tone, playability and ergonomics. The Shell Pink Wildwood 10 is 7.93lbs, and the Vintage White Closet Classic is 8.03 lbs.

The Closet Classic has the traditional/typical low neck angle and it does tend to need the heavier gauge strings to cure bridge rattling/buzzing. Even if the bridge saddles or other parts don’t rattle much, if the break angle across the saddles is not high enough you will have the low E, maybe others, buzz in the saddle. I shimmed it with a 0.5deg Stew Mac shim and no buzzes whatsoever with a Staytrem bridge (not available anymore but you can look at the Johnny Marr bridge and the American JM Pro bridge, or a Mastery bridge…I think the latest AVRI bridge may be good to go too), and with Thomastik flat wound strings, which I’ve tried both 12gauge and 10 gauge, again with no buzzing whatsoever. I have put 10-50 round wound strings on it, from a 10 gauge NYXL top and a 11-50 NYXL balanced tension bottom, and the low E buzzed in the saddle <gasp>. But after I properly stretched the string including across the saddle, and the string stabilized, no buzz, and I think I’ve found my perfect JM string gauge set up.

The Wildwood 10 JM has the RSD bridge, which is pretty impressive. Extremely solid and stable, and I think it gives the guitar great sustain and punchy twang, and yet the guitar retains JM shimmer and jangle. This guitar has a neck pocket that gives the same neck angle, or thereabouts, like the Closet Classic WITH the shim in. This guitar has no buzzes/rattles strung up with 10-50 round wounds, and if the relief is pretty flat allowing you to raise the bridge higher, even 10-46 is totally doable. But again I love the feel and tonality of the 10-50 set.

So Jazzmasters can have issues but most are totally resolved by keeping a nice flat neck relief, and/or adding a shim. The payoff is huge in my opinion however if they are dialed in right.

VePpwV7.jpg

B2nlUfD.jpg

vDB538w.jpg

Tz3ydQ1.jpg


Forgive the sloppy pedal board but I’m in the middle of rebuilding it.

As a bonus, for Greg Koch fans, here he is playing the Shell Pink one before I bought it, right after he plays an awesome Strat.


https://www.facebook.com/wildwoodgu...6491790012/?q=wildwood guitars&epa=SEARCH_BOX
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
That looks like it might be a Fender. :hmm

:ganz

Should have I posted that in the Fender forum? But lots of people can have PartsMasters too, which would not be Fenders. But yeah it's obvious that mine are Fenders :hee so thanks for moving it!
 
Last edited:

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
Not really my thing, But I did like the Mondrian-esque paint scheme on Adrian Belew's mid-'80s-era Kahler and Roland synth pickup-equipped Jazzmaster:

a37958ad48102c6e80d18d82ae0202c4.jpg


Update: 30 seconds after posting this, I just discovered that it's a Fender Mustang. Oh well, close enough for Fender work. :##
 

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,417
I love Jazzmasters...aside from Les Pauls and ES thinlines they are my favourite electrics.

Mine's from 1961...

DSC_0190_zpsjf2wogca.jpg


for all things Jazzmaster, check out www.offsetguitars.com

:jim
 

fakejake

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
I just recently got this refinished '64 JM. Really great guitar. Light, big neck, strong pickups.
I dind't care fro the trem so I put a fixed tailpiece on. That really changed the feel of the guitar.

BeKb0DU9UGdOxXR7uPYz6wgUBNumZjn83_0ITMjXof6w_6sczAYDDPgrml4mcAvq8YWTl6vczXVy2ZbcK2wwfO9LIYgKKl91Jp69loc80xwUkXSxRdJAbWvxEawpwbuMUOLw_eRkh3qZEJTJT3-NlZhW25dtkTHGlPAwCckRKv4VdOjK-tBbI17CpFo2pnXpCp2hw2ZjWvYApoqsCtoZlghvTaATXekQkx8IQ1J53JEOUHuMpXqdRDwc2SKJOwDTxmZUMNg8LWZg4Gxe99_z5YCWXerGgccTWUB5OWMcTWm5W_skLmqxg5ee9zOGJVqXPq2gQ-p7MmceK7GlW8NfswLT2ucqkfYk5UnhdQhPuje9dHxvgCsOemxLK6QWx21R3aSm6FOYVd37Nt_6PhS3x2MlrunWc0pSxoA7B9Mc8BS-jqhDa4Ht8KOHzp5euTs3uIpct-KrLXYZd0bfcS8lIWB_W9eNuOrAENE0AX6avTfDYGDsFr9v-HUmaHIMx7Uvao7_zo9SfX-rs5RjVyrlCejqmhI02wHZP-FK7uZIkEc11nXXdbcCJJBZBT3SS1syrqOz7edm5XH-g1k03Z7Gt_HCBYgOkjpqCTL265mAi87mrQscuqzuDOnXI5dKQVVoVD6drbNzIo6C628MnqJa1HsauwZb7g=w709-h945-no
 
Last edited:

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Should have I posted that in the Fender forum? But lots of people can have PartsMasters too, which would not be Fenders. But yeah it's obvious that mine are Fenders :hee so thanks for moving it!

I didn't move it [I can't]. But I think you'll find more Jazzmaster fans here. :salude
 

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
What bridge is on that pink one? Doesn't look like a StayTrem...or not at least the ones I've seen?

I love JM's when they're "right". Here's my '63. Massive sound. Puts a smile on my face everytime I use it live.



b3C2tsq.jpg

pHquFia.jpg

X51Kl7z.jpg
 

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
Hot_Snake, I think your 63 has played fewer gigs than mine! What a beauty!
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Not really my thing, But I did like the Mondrian-esque paint scheme on Adrian Belew's mid-'80s-era Kahler and Roland synth pickup-equipped Jazzmaster:

a37958ad48102c6e80d18d82ae0202c4.jpg


Update: 30 seconds after posting this, I just discovered that it's a Fender Mustang. Oh well, close enough for Fender work. :##

Yeah I was trying to figure out what that was! Well it is an offset body so yeah close enough! But very cool 80’s art work.
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
I just recently got this refinished '64 JM. Really great guitar. Light, big neck, strong pickups.
I dind't care fro the trem so I put a fixed tailpiece on. That really changed the feel of the guitar.

BeKb0DU9UGdOxXR7uPYz6wgUBNumZjn83_0ITMjXof6w_6sczAYDDPgrml4mcAvq8YWTl6vczXVy2ZbcK2wwfO9LIYgKKl91Jp69loc80xwUkXSxRdJAbWvxEawpwbuMUOLw_eRkh3qZEJTJT3-NlZhW25dtkTHGlPAwCckRKv4VdOjK-tBbI17CpFo2pnXpCp2hw2ZjWvYApoqsCtoZlghvTaATXekQkx8IQ1J53JEOUHuMpXqdRDwc2SKJOwDTxmZUMNg8LWZg4Gxe99_z5YCWXerGgccTWUB5OWMcTWm5W_skLmqxg5ee9zOGJVqXPq2gQ-p7MmceK7GlW8NfswLT2ucqkfYk5UnhdQhPuje9dHxvgCsOemxLK6QWx21R3aSm6FOYVd37Nt_6PhS3x2MlrunWc0pSxoA7B9Mc8BS-jqhDa4Ht8KOHzp5euTs3uIpct-KrLXYZd0bfcS8lIWB_W9eNuOrAENE0AX6avTfDYGDsFr9v-HUmaHIMx7Uvao7_zo9SfX-rs5RjVyrlCejqmhI02wHZP-FK7uZIkEc11nXXdbcCJJBZBT3SS1syrqOz7edm5XH-g1k03Z7Gt_HCBYgOkjpqCTL265mAi87mrQscuqzuDOnXI5dKQVVoVD6drbNzIo6C628MnqJa1HsauwZb7g=w709-h945-no

Sounds fab. Picture didn’t come through, please try to repost. I’m intrigued about the fixed tailpiece, although I love the Jazzmaster trem!
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
I didn't move it [I can't]. But I think you'll find more Jazzmaster fans here. :salude

Oh man I’m all sorts of confused I guess :D
Well people can have like a Danocaster, or other boutique JM, or PartsMasters, so I guess it’s OK where it is. But yeah, good point.
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
What bridge is on that pink one? Doesn't look like a StayTrem...or not at least the ones I've seen?

I love JM's when they're "right". Here's my '63. Massive sound. Puts a smile on my face everytime I use it live.



b3C2tsq.jpg

pHquFia.jpg

X51Kl7z.jpg

Damn, another beauty! I love it.

That bridge is an RSD bridge, exclusive to the CS JM’s as of more recently. Superb bridge and I’ve tried most of them. Can’t buy it aftermarket though. The vintage white one is a Staytrem!
 

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589

(Stupid F*ing Photobucket.)


Early '60 Blonde.

Refret in the mid 90's, otherwise she's all stock.

Was my main guitar for most of the 90's. Now my happy house guitar.
 

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,417
What a beauty! I have to say black with tort guard is Super bad ass! How are the neck dimensions on it?
I do sometimes post on offsetguitars.com.

Hey thanks!

The neck feels a bit chunkier than other vintage JMs I've played...I've never measured it properly as I have no callipers.

It's a very playable neck all around...I re-fretted it a few years ago and it just plays effortlessly :salude
 

fakejake

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Sounds fab. Picture didn’t come through, please try to repost. I’m intrigued about the fixed tailpiece, although I love the Jazzmaster trem!

Trying again...somehow it seems I have trouple posting pic from my google account...:hmm
AF1QipMbXpYdgKuowju5ipOgkP7EbayJqF5hQLo39q0oT5dga5kOuEdjz3hdNqHRNZiAjg
[/URL][/IMG]


7jSv2ueBSUdlVNNfjR4y6QeMEuM2y2KORrSo2wVndaAl9TEm0ezZVQPKGTI33TGgNJMXFriYPB9TLV5gycALsImj8W66X2MUOZYqnOa4CkTZVFUE-ztK5j0t74d9OOg41utnfueNQ2lS0RAABCW0tNDJWtQTW57yQOpE4AJZqThwMc5oXY9mRYUyrSECWzPoAu8_R6ShkrtuxUbUEsscba9fHfGNGMzsOPUbY2hG2_nJz08nQWtl7TkSNCtA7ncvsYc_ebSjVhYyXb6Qixb6SbXYmFUXDrWf1hdqXFRn58HgqTqAZYAat7XlLh7Nc60KPMzDizeSHtYD85z4w9Sa7ARk8BgetqFhsBjBrhFGzqqjYc2r4nfzT9NmEpNSCq0nnDvNC8Yj8FHfhV2LCmeThGarXZpO0vp_igFTyVVY8UL2b0XNv56MZ-CPBZqqtb-wcpj8DNKd11g8HHlvGaUHzMPbVFWIK4YoBLGXt-8key8r2RKWpGemD577XyoEzWjZIP2x5tYq0tKT6wDEyKkwW13BV0t7A90aU7-HK_NH57ochz9PrPEY04oPIjWkK4RN3B0vosrm-IQH6DlB1g6iHz9lp6BtgsRWTPvO4P086HPkcVg8R6qsm3hirRGpo378nofZeBKU8c22OTOjnnpQWKecMGXNqw=w709-h945-no

 

Hot_Snake

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
197
Gorgeous..ok so instead of having a thinline JM built I may ought to think about a vintage one!
How do you like the Mastery? Did the stock bridge give you issues?

Mastery Bridge is a killer add on to a Jazzmaster.
The original one was as long as you didn't use the tremolo.
Mastery doesn't move in the post, intonation is spot on, strings don't move, tremolo is a pleasure to use, even with light string gauges.
Can't say enough good things about it.
 
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