Jazzmasters, which one?

MIKA-the-better-one

I am going to get a jazzmaster on monday......... here are my 3 options.........

J mascis Signature... its a MIJ....... closest out of the three to vintage specs.....

The Thurston moore Jazzmaster.......... my favourite, but only if they give me the right price http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0115200750

Classic player jazzmaster........... surprisingly very nice when i played it :/ and its MIM

I like videos just so much more......... ☹

MikeM

I'd get a friend to go with. Take a blindfold and play all three in random orders till you find one you like. Bearing in mind that you must fiddle with the eq to get the best out of each of them.

vic

May I ask...why a Jazz....?
Anything in particular you like about the Jazz M ?

Vintage-Vibe

Depends on your budget - a MIJ is always going to be more expensive than a MIM, but I've played Mex guitars that feel as goos as Jap and US versions - you are definitely paying an extra premium for the artist's paintjobs on the Mascis & Moore - both of which will be hard to resell should you ever go off the instrument.

The TOM bridge on the Moore & Classic are nothing to write home about.
Personally I would get one of these (what all the big boys like S Youth actually use):
http://www.masterybridge.com/home.html

Your Artist Fender models use the "Adjust-o-matic" - a cheap generic thing not much better than a Mighty Mite spare TOM

NB: The odds are the Jazz & Jags you pick up in the shop are not going to be set up correctly (unless you are in Andy McGibbons) - it's a VERY fiddly tremolo system and takes a while to get the hang of ...

I would go for a normal Jap JM or the Classic MIM and buy the bridge upgrade from the link I referred
At some point a pickup upgrade on the stock generics would be a good idea too ...

VV

singemonkey

I agree MIKA. I wouldn't worry too much about a signature versions. Just get one that's well made one out of good wood and get the set-up and the upgrades going to your taste.

Vick

Oky,I'd go for the classic player...and probably change the pickups in time...

My solution to the bridge thing:
-use flat wounds...and have the guitar set up properly,then there are never issues(the guitar was designed to use FW btw)
-swap the bridge for a mustang bridge and use heavy gauge strings...

Setup is really supper important on a jazzmastar/jag/mustang...

Vick

O and those are 2 separate solutions ?

MIKA-the-better-one

Why a jamaster......... its the only fender guitar i havent owned, I hated all my teles, and loved strats.............. All my favourite bands and guitarists use jazzmasters so I might as well wing it.............

I think they look great as well.

I looked into the mastery bridge, a bit expensive but worth it....... I definatly will consider it....... The otherg uy in my band has ordered 1 for his jag........

If I do get a classic player :/ Ile definatly get some pups with it and get them put in.

I dont care for sig guitars, but generally I find they are quite cool,,, For example my john mayer strat was the only strat i liked in store cuz all the american strats were ugly necked in my view ☹

So the J mascis could have a great bunch of things the classic player wont, and i can live with that purple.

the j mascis is basswood, any experience with this wood.... I here it bumps easier, but sounds brighter.... also the pups on the j mascis arent p90s but single coils, quite close to a strat. jumbo frets to, which I prefer. and the gold anadized pick gaurd.............COOOL

vic

MIKA the better one wrote: Why a jamaster......... its the only fender guitar i havent owned, I hated all my teles, and loved strats.............. All my favourite bands and guitarists use jazzmasters so I might as well wing it.............

I think they look great as well.

I looked into the mastery bridge, a bit expensive but worth it....... I definatly will consider it....... The otherg uy in my band has ordered 1 for his jag........

If I do get a classic player :/ Ile definatly get some pups with it and get them put in.

I dont care for sig guitars, but generally I find they are quite cool,,, For example my john mayer strat was the only strat i liked in store cuz all the american strats were ugly necked in my view ☹

So the J mascis could have a great bunch of things the classic player wont, and i can live with that purple.

the j mascis is basswood, any experience with this wood.... I here it bumps easier, but sounds brighter.... also the pups on the j mascis arent p90s but single coils, quite close to a strat. jumbo frets to, which I prefer. and the gold anadized pick gaurd.............COOOL

Basswood is a soft wood with a greenish tinge to it and was used extensively in furniture production in the late 1800's...not very dense so should have good tonal properties.

So which one is it gonna be ?

MIKA-the-better-one

haha i still have a whole day to decide ?
I know what i prefer..... but we shall see

singemonkey

If you want a classic jazzmaster sound, I'd avoid the basswood and get one with P90s if at all possible. Otherwise it's more or less a different looking strat.

vic

singemonkey wrote: If you want a classic jazzmaster sound, I'd avoid the basswood and get one with P90s if at all possible. Otherwise it's more or less a different looking strat.

agree, get the P90 model....these are probably the best sounding pups around, provided its not cheap imitations

MIKA-the-better-one

aLot of guys say the j mascis jm with basswood and singles is very much like a strat, with a tiny bit more mmmmmf............. I like strats :-\

hmmmmmmmmm, I guess ile just have to test them all and see ?

chris77

Basswood is also commonly used in Eastern made guitars. Like Squires.... And Ibanez. ?

MIKA-the-better-one

uh oh......... thats no good, at least febder makes it sound good ?

Reinhard

I've seen the J Mascis, I really dig the pruple sparkle.

makepeace

if it were me, and it might be one of these days (really like the jazzmaster), i'd go with the classic player. price difference gives you a bit to play around with in terms of upgrades if you're that way inclined (pickups, bridge, trem-plate etc). it looks to be more versatile than the t-moore, alder body too, and i'm not a fan of painted fender headstocks >☹. but that's just me. i am also a bit tentative about the flashiness of the j mascis.. the jazzmaster is already a pretty flashy guitar.. of course with aesthetics it all depends on what floats your boat.

good luck man! i'm sure whatever you choose you'll end up with a killer guitar!

MIKA-the-better-one

thanks man, i think my constant sonic youth binge has me hookedo n a jazzmaster, the more i listen i just go........... thats how i want to sound......... The classic player is nice, but definatly a pickup change would be in order.............. we shall see.......... j mascis is just a cool sounding guitar, thurston moore, well thats my fave its simple which i like, its not very vintage which i like, it matching headstock ? ? ? I love ??? sorry