Jazzmaster Now Available on Fender Mod Shop

[marqueemoon]

9 is the default string gauge.

I am having a hard time determining if this is an ironic comment directed at future bitching posts, or if that itself is a bitching post.

If the latter, then that's a whole new level of bitching!

Eh, I looked at the specs of the normal ol' American Pro and sure enough it comes with 9s. It looks like that's what you get with a Mod Shop Strat or Tele too, with no other options. A local shop will usually either throw in a setup or do one for a nominal fee on a brand new $1,500 guitar.

A base model Mod Shop JM is $250 more than a (list price) American Pro. Is it too much to ask for part of that $250 for the guitar to be set up for my string preference?

On one hand I think this is a great example of Leo's dream at work, but it doesn't appeal to me personally.

[August]

I know they aren't UNICEF but offering official Fender gear with classic options could draw people back who've gone to warmoth, MJT, musikraft, usacg, etc..

This would describe me. I'm almost 95% certain I'll never buy a new Fender guitar or amp again—I just can't picture it for whatever reason. It might sound a little bitter, but it's more really just a strong disinterest at this point. Life is good in regards to all the other options available today. Always loved a lot of Leo's designs, aside from the Strat (lol), but never was moved by the branding, especially now that there are Mayer sigs, sandals, hand bags etc. (mostly assuming).

[Gordon]

The web site itself is a dumpster fire, at least for me. I can't get it to work at all, in any browser. Is anyone else having any problems? On Chrome, half the functions just don't load, and half the page is actually missing. On MS Edge (which I usually use for sites I suspect were tested on IE), it just freezes after selecting any option. On IE itself, nothing loads at all.

I would love to try this out.

I have to turn on a VPN, and use the incognito option of Chrome to make it work (otherwise I'm redirected to the Fender homepage). Abd even with this trick, I only have access to the given link, and can't check the other models, I get an error page.

[Mike S]

It's nice of them to include "Orientation" as an option, followed by the typical Fender "Fuck You" when you click on it.

[Mike S]

I went on Fender's chat and I ask about the lack of options that you guys mentioned as well as orientation. The guy says that the mod shop used their American Professional line as base models and that there are no plans to change that. Then he went into the typical Fender spiel about how they don't have the machines and resources to build anything left-handed or to cut pickguards and reroute existing body cavities or customize necks, etc. I said "Yeah, you had them in Japan and decided to close down that operation" and ended the conversation. Typical.

[Larsongs]

Any Metalflake or Sparkle finishes? Or Maple Neck option?

[leokula]

I went on Fender's chat and I ask about the lack of options that you guys mentioned as well as orientation. The guy says that the mod shop used their American Professional line as base models and that there are no plans to change that. Then he went into the typical Fender spiel about how they don't have the machines and resources to build anything left-handed or to cut pickguards and reroute existing body cavities or customize necks, etc. I said "Yeah, you had them in Japan and decided to close down that operation" and ended the conversation. Typical.

You know, you could start a guitar company and create a website with all those options you want instead of going into a webpage chat to play katniss everdeen and whine about it lol

[mcjt]

ha!!

You know, you could start a guitar company and create a website with all those options you want instead of going into a webpage chat to play katniss everdeen and whine about it lol

[TeenageShutdown!]

So many uptight, pretentious fucks these days...

[andy_tchp]

I said "Yeah, you had them in Japan and decided to close down that operation" and ended the conversation. Typical.

You've repeated this several times on the forum but it remains untrue.

The changes to 'Fender Japan' were Fender Musical Corporation (Japan) acquiring the license.

New made in Japan Fenders were announced here just a few weeks ago.

[Mike S]

I'm not a luthier or much of an electrician. I just know what I like. The fact remains that Fender had or has the capacity to make products for which there is demand and which were selling. They made a conscious choice to stop making those products and drive part of their market either to the used market, their very expensive custom shop or to other manufacturers, also effectively driving up prices by creating an artificial shortage. Japan no longer makes any of the offset Fenders, including the Jazzmaster, left-handed.

Back on topic, Fender is now offering to mod a version of the Jazzmaster which they market as an upgrade despite having the Jazzmaster's unique dual circuit removed. Per their mod shop, they are giving you, the consumer, the option to swap out a pickguard, get a different paint job, a different neck, and a choice of two pickups for an extra $200+. Other than the colors, the difference these mods make seem to be relatively minor, considering the charge. It seems like a gimicky way of getting rid of excess stock. At least when CBS did it, we got some quirky guitars out of it like the Swinger and the Maverick.

[marqueemoon]

It seems like a gimicky way of getting rid of excess stock. At least when CBS did it, we got some quirky guitars out of it like the Swinger and the Maverick.

I don't think that's quite accurate. Think about the advances that have been made in electric guitar manufacturing since the 50's and 60's. Bodies and necks get cranked out on CNC routers, finishes cure in hours or even minutes, not weeks.
There's not much need to keep "excess stock" around.

It's not really custom. It's a production guitar circa 2017.

[sunburster]

Japan no longer makes any of the offset Fenders, including the Jazzmaster, left-handed.

They made a batch of left-handed Jazzmasters last year, they do a small batch periodically and still have the tools to make them in the factories. They make a lot more left-handed strats and teles, though.

[tealsixtysix]

My first thought when I saw that they had added Jazzmasters to the Mod Shop was, "There's an American Elite Jazzmaster coming." (Why? Because there's an option to get an Elite-shape neck with, presumably, a Jazzmaster headstock.)

I don't know for sure, but I can see it happening easily: Elite compound neck (choice of maple or ebony board, probably bound with blocks), noiseless pickups, locking tuners, that goofy RSD offset bridge with the two brass saddles... they'd sell some, especially if the pickups sounded like proper Jazzmaster pickups. (They'd sell more if they returned to something close to vintage routing for the body and put something interesting in the rhythm circuit's spot... a preamp, maybe?)

(My second thought was, why no Jaguar? But I think I know the answer to that... sales of the American Pro haven't been great. And my third thought was, "WTF, Mystic Seafoam still isn't a color option?" I mostly hate the Mod Shop, but I would probably pay the extra to order a Jag in Mystic Seafoam/maple with AV65 pickups if it was offered. I might even settle for Ocean Turq, which is now an option.)

I bet a lefty option for the Jazzmaster is in the works. They already make a lefty trem for the Kurt Cobain Jaguar, I don't see why they can't use that tooling to make some for Jazzmasters with the American Pro collets and bars. Everything else they'd have to change is just wood (or put another way, it's mostly just CNC software). I wouldn't be surprised to see gold hardware (finally!) show up as well.

Beyond something for the lefties, what I would most love to see is a rhythm circuit option, but I think that's unlikely unless they change the default routing of the American Pro bodies to accommodate it. (Which they totally should, but that's another discussion.)

[Mad-Mike]

Just checked this out, as much a joke as the others, even moreso....

- Only availible right handed, that counts out my wife
- Only has the Pro Series wiring, dammit, I like original Jazzmaster Wiring
- No option to put a hotter pickup at the bridge and a vintage pickup in the neck (that's my preferred combo on the Jazzmaster), no options for Mascius/CP/whatever pickups
- .009's are hte only strings, sure, that's what I use, but what about the rest of you I know that use .010's, .011's, and heavier, and they're leaving out the surfers without flatwounds
- can't get black pickups or knobs or tips dangit....Jazzmasters with the blackout treatment look badass
- only 2 neck shapes, I think the Tele and Strat had at least 3 or 4
- no Sea Foam Green!
- Blocks? Binding? Anyone?

Let's see, in 2010 I built a Jazzmaster myself for $800 and it turned out 100% to my liking. Why should I do that again when I can go spend $1300 for limited electronics, limited neck shape options, pickups I don't want, no blackout plastic hardware for pickups/switch/knobs, and limited color options? (rolls eyes)

I could probably do it for even less in the not too distant future. Fender should rename this "The Fender Option Shop"....it's not modding anything at all. My next Jazzy will have a Free-Way Selector in it!