Fender Japan Junior Series - 24” Scale Jazzmaster

[drybiro]

Just placed my order. Not fun to pay 5% extra just for Paypal/currency fuckery but oh well, don't think I'm getting one of these any other way. Will post pictures once I get it.

Congrats! Hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying mine! I've since swapped in a Staytrem tremolo which feels like a big upgrade from the screw in one.

Drybiro, what do you say, is it a Jag size neck or smaller? Could you measure it please? Pics can be deceiving (Mustangs). Or compare the guard to a regular JM guard if you happen to have one within your reach?
Thaaaaaank you!

I've not got any callipers but can try and measure the neck if you let me know what dimensions you want. I've just taken a ruler to it and it looks like it's 42mm (1 10/16 inches) at the nut and 51mm (2 inches) at the 12th fret. Profile feels very similar to my 2017 Duo-Sonic so I believe it's just a really standard Fender modern C shape.

I've not got a regular JM pickguard to hand but I measured a few of the dimensions against the template below that I found on the Allparts website and it seems a little bit smaller. Every part of it seems to have been reduced in size so where it says 61mm between the pickups on the diagram it looks closer to 57/58mm. Not sure if the screw measurements are from the middle of the holes or the edges but they all seem to be a few mm shorter as well. Like the two screws closest to the neck pocket say 102mm on the diagram but they're about 98mm between the middle of the holes.

[Wucan]

So the guitar is already in the US and I've paid all the fees ahead of delivery. Should be here in Canada by Friday. All in it came to about 1550 CAD... cheaper than a lot of Mexican Fenders despite having to pay intercontinental shipping, tariffs and clearance. How? Hope the quality holds up.

[mediocreplayer]

The quality is outstanding as you will very soon find out. Easily on par with any American Tele I have had.

[Wucan]

The quality is outstanding as you will very soon find out. Easily on par with any American Tele I have had.

Well, the guitar arrived early. Can't do a write up right now but first impressions... yep, very impressive quality. The fit and finish, I'd compare it very favorably to Am Pro IIs. I love the MIMs I do have and I'd compare them to the old MIJ reissues, but this one is a different beast.

[Wucan]

Had a chance to play with it today, plugged into a Fender Ramparte.

This is my first Jazzmaster so I'm no expert in how it compares sonically with the Junior's bigger counterparts, but it does sound quite warm and mellow. Can coax some spank out of it sure, but it seems quite true to the "Jazz" billing. Didn't fiddle much with pedals, but it takes dirt just fine. Doesn't have much personality but if you're buying one of these, you're not worried about standing out.

Playability is great, the narrow tall thing doesn't bother me as much as it does in other Fenders/Squiers. I'll need to tinker with the setup a bit though because it does get a bit high past the halfway point. I didn't get the impression that it comes shimmed, I recall the MIJ Mustangs I had having the same issue that was corrected only after shimming. I'll try to adjust the bridge first, of course.

I found the neck profile a bit weird. From Japan I had only owned reissues before so maybe they're truer to their MIA originals, but the U profile is just as billed I suppose - a bit flatter and slimmer at the middle while having comparatively bigger shoulders. I'll need to learn to grip this one a little differently.

As mentioned before, the craftsmanship is genuinely flawless. The satin on the neck is ultra smooth, the body finish feels amazing, never feel any fret ends going up/down the neck, they picked a nice Rosewood slab for this one.

Looking like a keeper.

[mediocreplayer]

I found the neck profile a bit weird. From Japan I had only owned reissues before so maybe they're truer to their MIA originals, but the U profile is just as billed I suppose - a bit flatter and slimmer at the middle while having comparatively bigger shoulders. I'll need to learn to grip this one a little differently.

These guitars do not have U-profile necks -- it's a C profile. It is almost identical to an American Modern C.

[Wucan]

I found the neck profile a bit weird. From Japan I had only owned reissues before so maybe they're truer to their MIA originals, but the U profile is just as billed I suppose - a bit flatter and slimmer at the middle while having comparatively bigger shoulders. I'll need to learn to grip this one a little differently.

These guitars do not have U-profile necks -- it's a C profile. It is almost identical to an American Modern C.

Hmm... the Jr. definitely feels like it has bigger shoulders while being a bit flatter/thinner at the center, gripping my Jaguarillo and CV strat they don't feel similar. Granted, the guitars I mentioned could be different from the latest Fenders.

[drybiro]

Looks great!

The finish feels lovely doesn't it! I wonder if it'll buff into something different over time but for the moment I'm really into the feel of the satin body every time I pick it up.

[andare]

I found the neck profile a bit weird. From Japan I had only owned reissues before so maybe they're truer to their MIA originals, but the U profile is just as billed I suppose - a bit flatter and slimmer at the middle while having comparatively bigger shoulders. I'll need to learn to grip this one a little differently.

These guitars do not have U-profile necks -- it's a C profile. It is almost identical to an American Modern C.

Hmm... the Jr. definitely feels like it has bigger shoulders while being a bit flatter/thinner at the center, gripping my Jaguarillo and CV strat they don't feel similar. Granted, the guitars I mentioned could be different from the latest Fenders.

I have an early 90s MIJ Fender P bass and the neck was described as oval in the catalog and it's exactly as you describe it: rounded shoulders and flat back. Definitely not a C, more like a D. A U neck would be very thick front to back. This one feels like the neck is wider than the fretboard. I love it on bass but I can see how it might be weird on guitar, especially if you fret with the thumb like I do.

[RPadTV]

thinking of picking one of these up. doesn't anyone know if the upper cavity has enough room for a proper rhythm circuit?

[GilmourD]

So, did anybody figure out if these beauties have a conversion neck on a full scale body or is everything different?

[sunburster]

So, did anybody figure out if these beauties have a conversion neck on a full scale body or is everything different?

According to Fender the body dimensions are scaled down 6% from a normal Jazzmaster.

[GilmourD]

So, did anybody figure out if these beauties have a conversion neck on a full scale body or is everything different?

According to Fender the body dimensions are scaled down 6% from a normal Jazzmaster.

But the question (to me, at least) remains...

• Is this just a regular Jaguar/Mustang neck with a Jazzmaster headstock on a modified Jazzmaster body?
  OR
• Is this a 24" conversion neck on a body (whether the outer perimeter is scaled down or not) intended for a 25.5" neck?

[tammyw]

Hopefully someone who has one can get some good measurements, but just looking at it I don't think it's either. That 22nd fret looks too close to the end of the fingerboard to be a Mustang/Jaguar. And a 24" conversion neck for 25.5" scale body isn't going to have 22 frets without an overhanging fingerboard. But I could be wrong.

[drybiro]

Just measured my Jazzmaster against my Mustang and there is definitely a difference between the necks. I've tried to take a photo showing the difference when holding the necks together at the nut. On the Mustang I measure 11mm from the bottom edge of the 22nd fret to the bottom edge of the neck between the D and G strings. On the Jazzmaster it's 6mm from the 22nd fret to the bottom of the neck.

I've not got a normal Jazzmaster to compare it to but I think the whole thing has been shrunk and shifted

thinking of picking one of these up. doesn't anyone know if the upper cavity has enough room for a proper rhythm circuit?

There is a fairly big route where the rhythm circuit would normally be so you could definitely squeeze something in there but going off the dimensions I found in this picture (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6xMAAOSw ... -l1200.jpg) I don't think you could just drop in the circuit from a full size Jazzmaster.