software

1) I want a Jazzmaster (don't own one yet) with a SJM-3 QP in the bridge. For Muse/Incubus/Radiohead, should I pair it with a SJM-2 Hot or a SJM-1 Vintage?

2) What would be a good pup set for a Jazzmaster/Telecaster to get a sound that's halfway between those guitars?

I live in South Africa - testing equipment out myself is impossible as no-one stocks anything except Cort Strat ripoffs. I therefore rely on all y'all's experience.

Shotalot.

Anyone?

There is no way I know of to make a Jazzmaster sound like anything except a Jazzmaster and the same goes for a Tele...both of those guitars have very different pickups and the pickups in question have a very signature kind of sound. Also, FWIW...a QP for jazzmaster will not get you a classic/vintage Jazzmaster tone.


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireThere is no way I know of to make a Jazzmaster sound like anything except a Jazzmaster and the same goes for a Tele...

Alrighty then.

Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireAlso, FWIW...a QP for jazzmaster will not get you a classic/vintage Jazzmaster tone.

I kinda figured that - I need lekker beefy fat distortion tones as well as the classic JM sound, which is why I'm asking about the neck pup. For classic JM tone, would you say Hot or Vintage?

For a classic Jazzmaster tone go with either the Vintage or if you can swing the extra cash go with the Antiquity's...Im not saying that the Hot's or the QP's are not good pickups and Im not saying that they don't have some Jazzmaster ton in them but they are not the classic Jazzmaster tone.

Do you know what you're getting into with a Jazzmaster? If you haven't played a Jazzmaster, you really might want to find someone that has one to check it out first. First the scale length is longer- the neck really sticks out there. Secondly, I hate the bridge/tremolo setup. Maybe I wouldn't have hated it as much if I would have known about the Buzz Stop... Still, I had issues of the strings popping out of the bridge saddles- there's not a lot of downward pressure on the bridge. The bridge also rocks back and forth- it's really not stable. Because of the distance between the bridge and where the strings are anchored to the trem- you can get a lot of sympathetic vibration behind the bridge. I also found the extra tone circuit (the little rolly controls) to be completely useless. My guitar was very quot;polite.quot; It didn't do a very good job of being mean- It was, however, a comfortable guitar, and really cool in the looks and uniqueness department. I will never get another one.


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyDo you know what you're getting into with a Jazzmaster? If you haven't played a Jazzmaster, you really might want to find someone that has one to check it out first. First the scale length is longer- the neck really sticks out there. Secondly, I hate the bridge/tremolo setup. Maybe I wouldn't have hated it as much if I would have known about the Buzz Stop... Still, I had issues of the strings popping out of the bridge saddles- there's not a lot of downward pressure on the bridge. The bridge also rocks back and forth- it's really not stable. Because of the distance between the bridge and where the strings are anchored to the trem- you can get a lot of sympathetic vibration behind the bridge. I also found the extra tone circuit (the little rolly controls) to be completely useless. My guitar was very quot;polite.quot; It didn't do a very good job of being mean- It was, however, a comfortable guitar, and really cool in the looks and uniqueness department. I will never get another one.

Good advice, but

Originally Posted by mutant!I live in South Africa - testing equipment out myself is impossible as no-one stocks (or owns) anything except Cort Strat ripoffs.

I'll check it out some more before buying, but so far you're the only person that has complained (to my ears). I'm cool with long scale - I'm really tall and have uber-long fingers so no worries. I don't care for tone controls and whatnot. Comfortable is cool, and so is cool looks. However, the politeness thing might be a bother. I plan on spankin' the plank in the literal sense of the word, so a Tele might be a smarter option for me.

Thanks for the reply.

Go for a set of QP's, they will sound good! I have a set in my Squier Tele and it rocks. Get yourself one of these, you'll need it from : localhost/korgparts.com/content/estore_...sp?product=764

Haha, thanks! Of course I'll get the little buzz stop thing if I get a JM. Right now mr Golden Boy has planted the idea of a Tele in my mind again. We'll see what happens.

I've got a MIJ Jazzmaster and I absolutely love it. But what you hear about them is right... you need to do some work on them to make it an everyday player... unless your into sit-down Jazz which is what they were originally designed for. I've got Antiquity 2s in mine (hotter than the original Antiquities). As fas as this guitar being polite.... well all I can say is put in any Dinosaur Jr album and you'll see quite the contrary. J Mascis plays vintage JMs and makes them friggin scream! As far as I know the only mod he's done to them is he uses Gibson tune-o-matic bridges.

Here's what I've done to my Jazzy...
1) SD Antiquity 2s
2) Buzzstop
3) Graphtech saddles onto the stock bridge
4) Flatwound strings (10s)

With the exception of the strings (I wanted to add warmth) I'd say everything else is mandatory. Nobody has accused my JM of being quot;politequot;. Through the right amp/settings the guitar will supply more than enough quot;rudenessquot;!!!

Rock On!


Originally Posted by sooperunknI've got a MIJ Jazzmaster and I absolutely love it. But what you hear about them is right... you need to do some work on them to make it an everyday player... unless your into sit-down Jazz which is what they were originally designed for. I've got Antiquity 2s in mine (hotter than the original Antiquities). As fas as this guitar being polite.... well all I can say is put in any Dinosaur Jr album and you'll see quite the contrary. J Mascis plays vintage JMs and makes them friggin scream! As far as I know the only mod he's done to them is he uses Gibson tune-o-matic bridges.

Here's what I've done to my Jazzy...
1) SD Antiquity 2s
2) Buzzstop
3) Graphtech saddles onto the stock bridge
4) Flatwound strings (10s)

That's a great looking guitar!! Between the GraphTech Saddles and the Buzzstop that would take care of about half the issues I had with mine. (Mine was a 65). You might want to rethink the 'designed for sit down jazz' thing. I don't think you'll find any real jazz guitarist ever trading in their Barney Kessel or ES-5 for a Jazzmaster- I believe the name is more to associate with the Jazz Bass (which was still in the design phases when the Jazzmaster was released- it even originally had 2 Jazzmaster style quot;soapbarsquot; instead of the thin pickups you associate with the Jazz Bass).

I remember working on my first quot;realquot; record in a quot;realquot; recording studio shortly after Dinosaur Jr's quot;Where Ya Beenquot; came out- I so much wanted that quot;Out Therequot; tone- at the time I was using a 100w MV Marshall and a Big Muff- it still never happend for me.


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyThat's a great looking guitar!! Between the GraphTech Saddles and the Buzzstop that would take care of about half the issues I had with mine. (Mine was a 65). You might want to rethink the 'designed for sit down jazz' thing. I don't think you'll find any real jazz guitarist ever trading in their Barney Kessel or ES-5 for a Jazzmaster- I believe the name is more to associate with the Jazz Bass (which was still in the design phases when the Jazzmaster was released- it even originally had 2 Jazzmaster style quot;soapbarsquot; instead of the thin pickups you associate with the Jazz Bass).

I remember working on my first quot;realquot; record in a quot;realquot; recording studio shortly after Dinosaur Jr's quot;Where Ya Beenquot; came out- I so much wanted that quot;Out Therequot; tone- at the time I was using a 100w MV Marshall and a Big Muff- it still never happend for me.

Good point about the Jazz dudes... Fender's intentions were to appeal to the Jazz crowd with the JMs mellower pups (compared to the Strat), but it obviously didn't work out that way. Here's a cool site with some good info (some nice pics of Mr Mascis too)...

from : localhost/like you had everything you needed for quot;Out Therequot;... unfortunately it's hard to track down exactly what he used but the Marshall and Muff are definitely big parts of his live setup. I'm pretty sure part of the secret to his tone is DIME EVERYTHING. I've seen him live a ton and he is absolutely the loudest show iquot;ve ever been to!


Originally Posted by mutant!2) What would be a good pup set for a Jazzmaster/Telecaster to get a sound that's halfway between those guitars?

Jaguar? (the guitar, not a pickup)


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyDo you know what you're getting into with a Jazzmaster? If you haven't played a Jazzmaster, you really might want to find someone that has one to check it out first. First the scale length is longer- the neck really sticks out there.

longer than a jag? A jazz is normal 25.5quot; scale. Anyways, soops done all the necessary things to quot;curequot; the inherent problems. Except for either adding a TOM or taping the bridge posts. I also found the extra tone circuit (the little rolly controls) to be completely useless. My guitar was very quot;polite.quot; It didn't do a very good job of being mean- It was, however, a comfortable guitar, and really cool in the looks and uniqueness department. I will never get another one.

yeah... rhythm circuit is kind of useless, but begs for mods to make it do something useful

I never intended to get dirty with my Jag (or any Jazz I've wanted) neither guitar was really meant for getting too dirty... best clean tone ever between em though

A jag actually might be a good intermediary

slade

Good suggestion. Jag with a Tele pup maybe?


Originally Posted by mutant!Good suggestion. Jag with a Tele pup maybe?

Jag with jag pickups will probably do it. I find the Jag sound to be a lot like a strat, but with more of a tele twang and less glass. And a special jag factor that I don't know how to measure... listen to Under the Bridge.

Remember it's 24quot; scale. Also, even with the buzz stop etc it won't sustain as well as a similar Jazz.

slade

Isn't the sustain on a JM already beyond shite?

Anyway, someone please explain to me how the controls on a JM/Jag work.


Originally Posted by sooperunkn2) Buzzstop
3) Graphtech saddles onto the stock bridge

I have also added both of these modifications to my Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars (Can be seen in the avatar)

I use SD Quarter Pounders in the Jaguar, which I now use a lot more that the various Stratocasters that I own...

I also have Harmonic Design P-90's in the Jazzmaster. Very powerful guitar that over powers most amps...

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On a different problem that I ran into regarded a pickguard that I ordered from Warmoth, as stated in my e-mail that I sent to them:

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Gentlemen:

I called to obtain an RMA number for a pick guard that was improperly manufactured.

I ordered a Jazzmaster style pick guard with (2) P-90 pickups, bottom rout for a 3-way blade switch like on a telecaster using original Jazzmaster tremolo.

But I received a 3-way Gibson toggle type hole instead.

I spoke to GREG, and received a run-around, in which he kept changing the conversation around and I had to keep repeating what the original order was!

I had to keep asking for a RMA #, while he kept asking me if I wanted to make a new order.

He finally gave me a RMA #GS0406.

I indicated that since this is Warmoth’s mistake, that Warmoth should pay for the return shipping as is done in most normal business. (I already knew Warmoth’s policy)

I got another run-around and was told that just return the product and I will get credit, but not for shipment and that a replacement pick guard would not be made.

Warmoth does a lot of business and is receiving a bad reputation for customer satisfaction on return products. Is this how you want to continue?

I am retuning this improperly made pick guard and will expect the correct one to be manufactured as ordered.

I am not being combative, but I fully expect the buyer’s rights to be fulfilled and the PO honored.

I would appreciate receiving you reply to this e-mail.

Never got a response, except for some by Greg on this forum and ended up keeping the pickguard because I lost trust in Warmoth's so-called customer satisfaction.

you know... as much **** as people talk about the sustain on jag's and jazzs, I've never not been able to do something because of it.

And that's on my unmodded Jag, which theoretically has worse sustain than anything on the planet.

slade

I'm now pretty much off Jags/JMs and onto Teles again. But still, on the mellower side of things, there's a round hollowness (oxymoron?) to the Jazz that I still want. Maybe I should just get a Tele now and a JM later.