SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

[GuitarStv]

Like a superstrat, but with a superior body. This plan for a neon pink jazzmaster with a floyd has been really banging around my head since some time last June . . . but I started putting together parts for it around November.


Started with this 3 lb chunk of ash . . . but don't worry, you'll never see any of that ugly wood colour/pattern again:



Been waiting for the weather to get nice enough to paint the body in the garage (picked up all the paint and clearcoat I think I'll need before lockdown started fortunately). Spent about a month prepping the body . . . basically sanding down the neck heel joint and grain filling like crazy. It took about 9 coats of grain filler followed by sanding to get the guitar mostly smooth.


Primer on (three coats, at least 48 hrs between them):

Neon on (done today - and it's very neon):

Had a friend cut an aluminum trem cover a few months back, and am painting that to match the body as well. You can see it on the washing machine in the laundry room.


Next I'll need to spray a couple coats of clear, sand, coats of clear. Then the polishing.



At the rate it has been going, I should have the whole guitar done some time in June.

 

[shupe13]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Sent from my REVVLPLUS C3701A using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

This is really cool. I love in-process pics.
Since I built my Warmoth, I have been thinking of slowly building another. I'd like to curate the parts so I don't have a big initial investment, but I wanna get really great stuff. I have no idea what it is gonna be yet.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Thanks!

It's all dried, and looking about as good as I think I can get it (flourescent paint is translucent and a giant picky ***** about how much you put on . . . too little, not bright, too much not bright enough). I'm hoping to get the first coat of clear done tomorrow.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Well, I'm done with the neck.

The only thing I don't like about my oiled Charvel neck is the fretboard is impossible to keep clean . . . so . . . clear gloss poly on the top of the fretboard and the headstock, but Danish oil on the back and sides. It was a little trickier to apply than I was expecting, but ended up OK.

About 12 coats of Danish oil over the whole body, then rounding the frets, then board edge rolling, then then taped everything off and two coats of wipe on poly on top. A little light sanding of the edges and there's no transition that you can feel at all between the gloss and the oil. Then just had to drill the holes for the string retainer and screw on the tuners.

 

[MikeS]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Very cool! You're not helping my own GAS... I've toying with the idea of a Jazzmaster build through Warmoth.

There's something extra rewarding about laying down your own finish. I wish I had taken more in-progress photos of my mahogany Warmoth SG. The hardest part of the finishing process for me was waiting for the nitro to cure out so I could do final wet sand and polishing compound.

 

[Silver]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

I'm only saying this because I know you'll take it well GuitarStv... that is FUGLY!

:earl:

 

[Silver]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Reminds me a bit of this abomination that is still (and will be forever) for sale on the Music Man Vault.

https://shop.music-man.com/ernie-ball-music-man-majesty-guitar-hot-pink.html

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Reminds me a bit of this abomination that is still (and will be forever) for sale on the Music Man Vault.

https://shop.music-man.com/ernie-ball-music-man-majesty-guitar-hot-pink.html

Needs a locking string nut. That's why nobody's buying it.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

I don't think it needs a locking nut. But the color is not the reason it has not sold...it's everything else about the guitar (including the price)!

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

It's surprisingly hard to find a neon pink jazzmaster for sale these days. You would think this would be a standard colour . . .

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Finally, something to bring the forum together in an orgy of hatred for neon pink excess!

So, I screwed up and ended up sanding through the clearcoat and colour in one section of the guitar. This required an awful lot of swearing, followed by some careful taping off of almost the whole guitar, then respraying the flourescent paint and re-doing the colour coat. Then I put a couple dings in the paint when putting the bridge on, but I think they're mostly hidden by the pickguard.

From 10 ft it looks pretty good!



It's kinda a weird colour. In dark light it is a very dark pink, but in bright light it's super bright. Hard to capture on camera.

Still need a couple days to tweak the setup just right, but the upper fret access is outstanding compared to my Charvel So Cal. I know it doesn't matter to amplified tone, but acoustically the guitar is really loud . . . about the same volume as my Epi Dot. Guess the light weight roasted swamp ash acts kinda like a semi-hollow. I'll have to wait until I've got some free time to really let her sing at volume.

Wiring is cool. Tone Zone in the bridge, and Evo in the neck. Knobs-wise, there's a master volume, a regular tone pot, and a bass cut pot. The bass cut is pretty sweet to have on a guitar with a Tone Zone, it lets you tighten things up nicely.

Three way selector for the two pickups. Each pickup has a push/pull tone pot to control series/parallel switching. At the upper horn there are two switches. One toggles between telecaster and LP mode (Both pickups split/both pickups full HB). The other switch is a blower, and connects the bridge in humbucking mode directly to the output jack for a bit of a solo boost. Everything is easily accessible while playing, but not in the way while strumming.


Now let the hatred of pink guitars flow through you . . .

 

[Hsb]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Hate, hate, hate, there its out there. In the end, if you are happy its a win and if someone doesnt like it because of the color, well wgas, you made it for you. I actually like it, the black block inlays throw me off a bit on their own but together as a whole guitar it works really well. Nicely done sir, nicely done

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

At first look, those nut bolts on the back of neck make me really really nervous\

but then I have to remind myself that it's not an offset head angle design, nor from the Gibson factory

so all good

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Hate, hate, hate, there its out there. In the end, if you are happy its a win and if someone doesnt like it because of the color, well wgas, you made it for you. I actually like it, the black block inlays throw me off a bit on their own but together as a whole guitar it works really well. Nicely done sir, nicely done

Jazzmasters don't look right to me without block inlays. Not sure why.

At first look, those nut bolts on the back of neck make me really really nervous\

but then I have to remind myself that it's not an offset head angle design, nor from the Gibson factory

so all good

Warmoth actually recommends the rear bolted floyd over the top wood screwed one. Their argument is that the tension and tension release caused by use of the whammy over long periods of time can strip the holes of the wood screws over time, whereas the bolts thread into the nut so never have this problem.

The neck is their wolfgang profile, and is actually a bit beefier compared to my Charvel, so it inspires some confidence.

 

[AniML]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

i like, but after all that, black pickups?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

i like, but after all that, black pickups?

I actually wanted white ones. But I had the Tone Zone and Evo kicking around and they were already black. If I don't gel with the set in this guitar, I'm going to swap the guard for two SSL-2 and an SSL-5 in the bridge - all with white covers.

 

[MikeS]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

Congrats on the build! Looks like a lot of fun.

 

[AniML]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

I actually wanted white ones. But I had the Tone Zone and Evo kicking around and they were already black. If I don't gel with the set in this guitar, I'm going to swap the guard for two SSL-2 and an SSL-5 in the bridge - all with white covers.

Jay Jay French would approve

 

[jeremy]

Re: SuperJazz . . . completion in sight!

i think it looks great!