Talk Me Into/Out of a Jazzmaster

Peen Simmons

Peen Simmons

Let’s Get Obtuse!
Pros —
Distinct single coil voice
Look cool
Only trem system I find useful

Cons —
Fussiness
Can be heavy
Endless rabbit holes of concern/modification/setup optimization/etc.
Getting mistaken for an “offset guy” and being forcibly made to sport a beard, a flannel, and weird IPA preferences.

I’ve had a couple Jazzmaster and Jazzmaster-alikes over the years and I’m feeling the call again (despite my better judgement). In particular, I’ve got plans to finish and record some songs and my arrangement plans require some vintage F-style single coil noises and a trem would allow me to work in some sonic ideas I want to explore with this stuff. (All my other guitars are hardtails.)
 
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Ive always liked traditional JMs. Every time Ive picked one up in a shop I've gone "this is cool".
But due mainly to the same reservations expressed, I've never bit the bullet on one.
 
Rent one for the project.
If you like it and feel the need to have one handy, go shopping.

I recently looked at rental prices at my local shop. Stupid cheap.
To be fair, I haven't done it yet. So, I'm not sure of the experience.
I guess I'd worry about the setup on the guitar and if the strings are clean/new.
 
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My knee-jerk reaction is “get it,” of course. But the cons you list there like weight and fussiness are enough to give me pause.

Ah, heck with it. Get one just to be on the safe side.
 
Peen Simmons said:
Getting mistaken for an “offset guy” and being forcibly made to sport a beard, a flannel, and weird IPA preferences.
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I am not an offset guy yet I have a beard, wear flannel, and have weird IPA preferences.

Maybe you could rent a Jazzmaster? Back in the 60s our lead guitar player would rent a Coral electric sitar for some gigs rather than pay for an instrument that didn't get much use.

(I thought this posted earlier but it was still pending.)
 
I like Jazzys, and even had an American Original for a short time a couple of years ago. The only things I don't like about them? All too often the necks are on the thin side for my preference, and more than anything else, the volume knob location drives me up the wall. If I were an arm slinger (who swung my arm up and down to play a guitar), or I played up by the neck, it would be no problem, but nooooo! I anchor my hand at the bridge, and pick from the wrist. As a result, my fingers on my right hand were constantly hitting the volume knob! Geez Louise! Not every player wants the volume control where it's close to their hand for pedal steel style volume swells. Move the bloody thing!

Nope, I prefer to stick with Jaguars (when I can find one I can afford that doesn't have a thin neck), which have the volume knob moved away from the bridge.
 
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Lerxst said:
They sit fine on ones with the bottoms that tilt. My cheap onstage stand has no problem with my jm
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They seem more like a fashion statement than a supplier of worthwhile sounds. I'm positive I couldn't tell a JM from a strat played by a guy who dialed it in to sound like a JM. Unless the trem system is enough to sell you by itself, I think it's a passing fancy.
 
As far as - "Endless rabbit holes of concern/modification/setup optimization/etc." Maybe do Warmouth so you only pay once for all the parts, pay someone to do it?
 
Disclamer: I've never played a JM, but I've owned a Jag.

I wouldn't worry about what message you supposedly send by playing a JM. All guitars are statements if you really want to look at it that way.

To me, the main thing that sets offsets apart from a Strat is the pickup configuration. You just can't get that distinct, slightly nasal, honky/hollow transparent type of in-between neck and bridge sound with a Strat, unless you mod the switching of course, but even then I don't think it would sound quite the same. Then there's the trem that is different too, and I find it a lot easier to pick while holding that style of trem. Same with a Bigsby, and you might want to consider a Gretsch with single coils and a Bigsby, like a Duo or something like that.

That's what I miss the most about owning an offset, and the Les Paul is too thick and midrangy to come even close, though I do like that sound too.
 
My Jazzzmaster is one of my favorite guitars. I really like the sounds it can produce.

The fiddliness of the Jazzmaster is overrated and overhyped on the internet. The rhythm circuit can be set to something you like, then left there forever, I use it to make a strat type single coil neck sound, as that is a useful thing to have as a fallback. The other issues are the old style bridge and break angle from the tailpiece. You cam get a mastery bridge, but most fenders now come with the mustang bridge, and that fixes the problems of the original. My JM came with an original Jazzmaster bridge, and it worked OK, but I found on uppicks I would knock the high e to the next groove in the saddle and fuck up the tuning, it wasn't all the time, but not a disaster. I can imagine if one is a punk style flogger, the trem would be a disaster. I got a mastery and never had another issue. I like the break angle ringing, as it makes it sound like a Jazzmaster, but one can put foam in there to stop that if you want. I guess one final one is the midunderstanding of the trem and what the adjustments do, but it isn't hard to set up or use, so I suspect the problem is one of dimwits...the same people that can't set up a strat, or flood rose or any other kind of trem also can't make a Jazzmasters work. The web is full of good instructions in video format.

If you think you want the sound of a Jazzmaster, get a Jazzmaster. A real one makes a distinct collection of sounds that a tele or strat cannot. Be careful as Fender has made lots of weird variants that are not so Jazzmaster like in recent years, like TOM with humbuckers. I've tried a few of these and they do not sound or feel like a Jazzmaster at all.

As for the fashion component, ignore that and play what works for you. You don't have to be in a beardsy angst core with a dash of roots band to like it.
 
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