St_Genesius
New member
The worst guitar I've ever owned was a (high end) Jazzmaster, with very similar specs to this one, But FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUit just LOOKS so good: https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electr...201006_NPI_TVL
I do not want a Jazzmaster.
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St_Genesius
New member
Agree on sound (though I've heard JMs sound great in other people's hands) but I'll never not love the look.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
I don't like the Jazzmaster bridge - Leo screwed it up. I also find standard JM pickups/wiring to be a little tricky to get a good sound out of. Like the sounds are in there, but you have to do a lot of knob playing to find 'em.
The JM body is incredibly comfortable to play both standing up and sitting down though, and I love the shape.
The JM body is incredibly comfortable to play both standing up and sitting down though, and I love the shape.
St_Genesius
New member
The more vintage-correct a Jazzmaster is, the less likely I am to get along with it. The bridge is definitely part of that.
More than once, I've been tempted by the American Performer JM, since it keeps the shape, but gets rid of a lot of the stuff I don't like. I'd probably get Novak to hide some other sort of pickup in there for me, though.
More than once, I've been tempted by the American Performer JM, since it keeps the shape, but gets rid of a lot of the stuff I don't like. I'd probably get Novak to hide some other sort of pickup in there for me, though.
Powdered Toast Man
New member
The TVL Signature JM uses a Mustang saddle bridge. That means it has notched brass saddles instead of the threaded steel ones. That completely solves the bridge issues.
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Jazzmaster can be cool but I understand the hate for stock form
I have had a squier JM for a few years and have learned some tricks to get it to be versatile but it's like
Why put in so much work when so many other two pickup guitars give up the goods automagically by comparison, with no sustain issues, no zingy overtones, no searching the 1meg volume pot for that sweet spot that kills ice pick but still pushes the amp...
They do look so cool though
that tvl one seems kinda nice but I don't love the JM that much that I would pay that!
Here's my squier. Used to be "sonic blue", now she's a duplicolor-fantastic JM-66/CO wannabe
Duncan designed pickups are like regular JM pickups but with a little upper midrange spikeyness.
I have had a squier JM for a few years and have learned some tricks to get it to be versatile but it's like
Why put in so much work when so many other two pickup guitars give up the goods automagically by comparison, with no sustain issues, no zingy overtones, no searching the 1meg volume pot for that sweet spot that kills ice pick but still pushes the amp...
They do look so cool though
that tvl one seems kinda nice but I don't love the JM that much that I would pay that!
Here's my squier. Used to be "sonic blue", now she's a duplicolor-fantastic JM-66/CO wannabe
Duncan designed pickups are like regular JM pickups but with a little upper midrange spikeyness.
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Boogie Bill
New member
If you like the offset body, look at the G&L Doheny.
Bill
Bill
ItsaBass
New member
The "problems" with "stock" Jags and JMs are due to unsuitable setup. They originally came out of the factory set up fine. They had neck shims and flat wound 12s on them, and were made to be played "clean," for old style music. Put round wound 9s or 10s on them with no shim, start playing modern distorted music and rock guitar solos on them, and you'll obviously think they suck. It's like driving a race car with cheap-o, undersized street tires on it. Set them up perfectly, and they are problem free. No expensive new replacement parts (bridges, tension bars, etc.) required. Problem is that most players, and even techs, don't know how to set them up very well.
The original wiring circuit works great IME. You just have to become adept at using it, and approach it differently than a Strat or a Tele. JMs were designed to offer a huge tonal palette from dark to bright, while Teles and Strats occupied a more narrow band. Having a wider tonal palette means that you need to take a more decisive and active role in telling the guitar what it is you want from it.
The rhythm circuit dimed (1M volume and 50K tone) sounds very similar to the neck pickup on a Strat; it isn't just a "dark" circuit (as many think of it) unless you have the tone knob rolled down. The lead circuit on neck pickup sounds like a Strat middle. And the lead circuit treble pickup sounds like Strat bridge. So if you want something closer to what you get from a traditional Strat or Tele, you will find your best use for the guitar to be switching between rhythm circuit dimed and lead circuit on the neck pickup, and setting the amp for those two main tones. NOT using lead circuit neck and lead circuit bridge as your two main tones, and setting the amp for them; doing that leaves your rhythm circuit too dark (the problem most people experience).
Also, you're dealing with 1M pots, which are designed not to be used dimed during normal play – only when maximum treble is desired. The point is to give you a wider tonal palate, which you then manipulate into the range you want, using the onboard controls.
The only real "problems" with these guitars are that people don't know how to set them up, and don't know how to control them. They require you to tell them exactly what you want them to sound like, and they are unrewarding to those who just want to "plug-n-play."
FWIW, I am a Tele and Strat guy too, for the most part. But when it comes to exploring the extremes of controllable tonal range in a vintage style passive instrument, the JMs can't be beat. If I had a recording session and could only have one guitar, it would be a stock vintage style JM, hands down. It can do anything.
Also...how many of you play the stock vintage setup on Strats and Teles? I'd reckon that almost all of you use modern wiring on both, i.e. five way switch and bridge tone control with Strats, and modern switching on a Tele. So don't knock that JMs "need" mods to work better with modern style music...because so did Strats and Teles.
The original wiring circuit works great IME. You just have to become adept at using it, and approach it differently than a Strat or a Tele. JMs were designed to offer a huge tonal palette from dark to bright, while Teles and Strats occupied a more narrow band. Having a wider tonal palette means that you need to take a more decisive and active role in telling the guitar what it is you want from it.
The rhythm circuit dimed (1M volume and 50K tone) sounds very similar to the neck pickup on a Strat; it isn't just a "dark" circuit (as many think of it) unless you have the tone knob rolled down. The lead circuit on neck pickup sounds like a Strat middle. And the lead circuit treble pickup sounds like Strat bridge. So if you want something closer to what you get from a traditional Strat or Tele, you will find your best use for the guitar to be switching between rhythm circuit dimed and lead circuit on the neck pickup, and setting the amp for those two main tones. NOT using lead circuit neck and lead circuit bridge as your two main tones, and setting the amp for them; doing that leaves your rhythm circuit too dark (the problem most people experience).
Also, you're dealing with 1M pots, which are designed not to be used dimed during normal play – only when maximum treble is desired. The point is to give you a wider tonal palate, which you then manipulate into the range you want, using the onboard controls.
The only real "problems" with these guitars are that people don't know how to set them up, and don't know how to control them. They require you to tell them exactly what you want them to sound like, and they are unrewarding to those who just want to "plug-n-play."
FWIW, I am a Tele and Strat guy too, for the most part. But when it comes to exploring the extremes of controllable tonal range in a vintage style passive instrument, the JMs can't be beat. If I had a recording session and could only have one guitar, it would be a stock vintage style JM, hands down. It can do anything.
Also...how many of you play the stock vintage setup on Strats and Teles? I'd reckon that almost all of you use modern wiring on both, i.e. five way switch and bridge tone control with Strats, and modern switching on a Tele. So don't knock that JMs "need" mods to work better with modern style music...because so did Strats and Teles.
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Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
I hate single coils, structurely unsound guitar designs like its bridge, and HH layout. I do like the sound of the body and the pickups tho. I would like to try a Jazzmaster but I fear I'd have to spend a lot in order to customize something that I'd like. Although I hate single coils, I love the inherent tone color of mustangs and jaguars so I found a way around it - I just make stag mags for the neck out of a mustang or jaguar set then use a spin a split. I might put in work assembling more offsets later down the road. For right now, swimming pool strats just work tho.
I had a love/hate relationship with jazzmasters. I loved the look and sound but I hated them when I played them. Until I got this Troy van leeuwen jazzmaster (in oxblood) a couple of months ago. Its by far the best guitar I have ever had and it will never ever leave me 
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St_Genesius
New member
Here's another Jazzmaster that it takes a *little* self control not to buy: https://reverb.com/item/36235476-am...i-jazzmaster-rosewood-fingerboard-mercury?bk=
And that one even has a fingerboard radius I like, though the color isn't quite as cool as the Van Whoever copper. And there's supposedly something different about the Trem, but honestly, I never had huge complaints about the JM trem system. It's not as flexible as something like a Strat, but it's...fine? Nowhere near the headache that a bigsby is.
And that one even has a fingerboard radius I like, though the color isn't quite as cool as the Van Whoever copper. And there's supposedly something different about the Trem, but honestly, I never had huge complaints about the JM trem system. It's not as flexible as something like a Strat, but it's...fine? Nowhere near the headache that a bigsby is.
