Jazzmaster or Jaguar?

[JimTidmarsh]

For looks alone, it has to be a Jaguar!

[David Martin]

I have both modern incarnations ... I like the short scale of the Jag... have stopped the bridge being stupid by substituting a Mustang bridge, and shimming the posts with insulation off some cable. Have rewired the strangle switch - which on the MiJ versions does almost nothing - to be phase reversal, and bought a second hand Seymour vintage bridge pickup cheap on Ebay. Result is a great playing, great looking guitar with an anonymous tone.

Having recently played a Squier Vintage modified Tele with Semour designed Jazzmaster pu in the neck - which was fabulous - I got stuck into my sunburst Jazzmaster... locked the trem with the button having reset the spring, put a shimmed Mustang bridge on it... and discovered that the fretboard radius doesn't match it and there's no adjustment to compensate, so a higher action called for... Japanese pickups even more anonymous, except with both on...

A common feature of both guitars is the crummy choice of pots. Well chosen pot values allow you to set a throaty rock tone at full belt and turn down to clean... neither of these guitars will do that... the moment you reduce volume they get woolly...

So... buy one to look at, or to modify (but it will never be as good as the original)...

Or buy this at the silly price shown, and love it... http://www.peachguitars.com/guitars/electric-guitars/solid-body/squier-vintage-modified-telecaster-special-butterscotch-blonde.htm?gclid=CNOfopG_jLICFaXJtAodVXsAvw

p.s. I had an original Jag in the 60s and the MiJs are nothing like them - except to look at...
p.p.s. Or, better still for rockin' out one of these http://www.reidys.com/index.pl?submit=View_PLU&PLU=13147&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=Feed&utm_campaign=PriceComparison

[cockroach]

I've always fancied having a guitar with a neck humbucker (for jazz etc) strat type middle p/u, and Tele bridge p/u or similar- plus one tone and one volume and a 5 position switch, very simple....you could play virtually any style live with something like that..

I recently tried an Epiphone Nighthawk...similar layout to the above...and it was very good indeed.

But Jags and Jazzmasters look better!

[George Geddes]

Here's a variation - a Manhattan (possibly a Sound Control brand?) but identical - apart from the headstock - to a Stagg M350


George

[Bluesnote]

Or buy this at the silly price shown, and love it... http://www.peachguitars.com/guitars/electric-guitars/solid-body/squier-vintage-modified-telecaster-special-butterscotch-blonde.htm?gclid=CNOfopG_jLICFaXJtAodVXsAvw
[/url]

That was the one I was going for til I saw this one.....
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_ ... 2416344358
In metalic red. Plays and sounds fantastic.

Got it at an even sillier price £50+ cheaper in Canada
Took the neck off it and stuck it in my case for the trip home
Wife was really pleased that I saved all that money
Not

[Pol]

It`s no wonder consumers get confused as to which model is which, with so many variants of the classic Fender designed guitar models available. Even the so-called experts can go wrong. Years ago I bought from a local pawnshop auction a sunburst/tortoise Telecaster for a bargain price. The auctioneer sold it as a modified Tele, with a pre-owner installed Strat pickup. But, it was in fact an original issue Fender Deluxe series Nashville Telecaster. The only giveaway sign to distinguish it from a standard Tele was the tiny "Deluxe" decal applied on the headstock tip.

Demo here http://affordable-guitar.blogspot.fi/20 ... ville.html.

Pol

[Bluesnote]

Great sounds but there was one hell of a background hum off some of these selections

That would drive me nuts, it sounds as if the pups dont match each other in output.
That said, it would give a great variation to a gigging musician that requires many different sounds.
Hugh.

[abstamaria]

When i was a teenager in the early 1960s, heavily influenced by Bob Bogle and The Ventures, the guitar to have was a Jazzmaster.o

Here is a Fender Customshop Jazzmaster that I ordered in 2010 and received last year from Frank Glionna of Music Gallery in Highland Park.  It is supposed to be as close as possible to the first Jazzmaster that Bob Bogle used, but with a flamed neck and better finish and workmanship.  After some discussion with Frank and the Customshop, it was decided that Dennis Galuszka would be the best to build it.

According to Frank and Fender, this has the same neck as the early 1960 Jazzmaster that was used with the Ventures Jazzmaster.  The neck for these did change in 1963. Fender uses the 1962 year as a reference and sometimes calls this a “1962 neck.”  Frank said “In 1963 the rosewood fingerboard became much thinner.  Prior to this Fender used a big slab of rosewood for the fingerboard.   It is referred to as a slab board.  The Ventures Jazzmaster had this slab board.”

It took seceral months for Dennis Galuszka to deliver this "Walk don't Run" Jazzmaster.  This is the what Dennis & Frank named the guitar.  Its really cool.  There is some beautiful flame maple on the neck.  Frank said “This should sound more like the 1960 Ventures than they do now.”  Well, the guitar probably would anyway.
   

[abstamaria]

Here is the headstock of my Jazzmaster-



It probably doesn't sound any better that a good reissue or MIJ version, but it is very pretty. It is a pleasure to play.

Andy

[cockroach]

Hugh

The standard modern Fenders and Squiers are all noisy when only one pickup is in use. Any two pickups in combination are wired like a humbucker however, and there is little or no noise.