Which American Jazzmaster?

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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bacca51
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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by bacca51 » Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:02 am

gnoleb wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:28 pm
bacca51 wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:16 pm
If you're looking for something vintage correct I don't know why anyone is trying to convince you to get a Thurston Moore Jazzmaster. With the TOM bridge and the other appointments mentioned, it's clearly not what you're looking for (and not what you'd want to spend $1500 on IMO)
By anyone you mean me. And putting a Mustang bridge on a Jazzmaster is a common upgrade that many JMs do. Because its better than a standard bridge. And if he ordered a Dano (which I have one), he's not getting a standard JM bridge on that.

And a Thuston Moore signature is going to have more resale value because of its limited numbers. (Do a search to verify.)
You cannot directly drop in a mustang bridge on a Thurston Moore JM. The bridge posts of a TOM bridge stick out of the body. You would need to replace the thimbles or possibly even plug the holes, drill new ones for regular JM thimbles. There is a drop in staytrem replacement (for a solid £75.00) but Staytrem does not specify where their replacement fits or doesn't fit the TM JM.

and yes, I know that the Thurston has solid resale value, but so do AVRI's that are kept in good condition. I'm not saying the TM JM isn't a great guitar, I'm just saying its clearly not what the dude is looking for.

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jeff m.
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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by jeff m. » Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:04 pm

Sneakyjesus,
I know you specified 'US-made', but if what you're looking for is basically an 'interim' guitar to tide you over 'til your Dano is ready, why not consider an older CIJ/MIJ ?

Part of the reason I mention these is that they can often be found with significant 'upgrades' already done, i.e; Antiquity pickups( or any other upgrade over the originals), a Staytrem bridge, an AVRI Trem, better quality nut, pots and/or switches etc.

A seller usually can't expect to snag a significantly higher price for these upgrades, so they are essentially passed on 'free' to the buyer 8) .

With patience, you could find one for well under 4 figures..easy enough to 'flip' without losing too much $$ when the Dano is done, or alternatively, a pretty cool 'spare' guitar.

Anyways, just a thought..I know it's still a ways off, but will look forward to a NGD with pics when you get the Danocaster..every one of them i've seen looks killer !

Best,
Jeff.

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bacca51
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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by bacca51 » Thu Feb 08, 2018 5:21 pm

^ this is a great point. I snagged my CIJ JM with an AVRI trem, Antiquites, and a mustang bridge all for a really reasonable price. The guitar plays like butter and never goes out of tune.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:50 am

jeff m. wrote:
Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:04 pm
Sneakyjesus,
I know you specified 'US-made', but if what you're looking for is basically an 'interim' guitar to tide you over 'til your Dano is ready, why not consider an older CIJ/MIJ ?

Part of the reason I mention these is that they can often be found with significant 'upgrades' already done, i.e; Antiquity pickups( or any other upgrade over the originals), a Staytrem bridge, an AVRI Trem, better quality nut, pots and/or switches etc.

A seller usually can't expect to snag a significantly higher price for these upgrades, so they are essentially passed on 'free' to the buyer 8) .

With patience, you could find one for well under 4 figures..easy enough to 'flip' without losing too much $$ when the Dano is done, or alternatively, a pretty cool 'spare' guitar.

Anyways, just a thought..I know it's still a ways off, but will look forward to a NGD with pics when you get the Danocaster..every one of them i've seen looks killer !

Best,
Jeff.
This could be a great idea. It's also easier to find the more rare finishes on these guitars, and that could satisfy my "vibe" needs. I'm considering a 60's Lacquer MIM to tide me over. I've found one for a good price that comes with a mastery bridge already installed. It seems like they have pretty much the same specs as an AVRI, give or take. Nitro finish, AV65 pickups, vintage frets. The trem seems to be a point of contention, but I could always replace it and still be spending far less than I would for an AVRI. What's the general consensus on these guitars?

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by bacca51 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:35 am

thesneakyjesus wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:50 am
This could be a great idea. It's also easier to find the more rare finishes on these guitars, and that could satisfy my "vibe" needs. I'm considering a 60's Lacquer MIM to tide me over. I've found one for a good price that comes with a mastery bridge already installed. It seems like they have pretty much the same specs as an AVRI, give or take. Nitro finish, AV65 pickups, vintage frets. The trem seems to be a point of contention, but I could always replace it and still be spending far less than I would for an AVRI. What's the general consensus on these guitars?
The general consensus is that they are the Mexican equivalent to the AVRI 62'. Basically negligible difference in quality. Solid guitars at a solid price point. No doubt it will be a solid interim Jazzmaster.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:23 pm

Sounds pretty ideal for a cheap, quality temporary fix. I've put in an offer on it, fingers crossed it's accepted. Thanks a ton to everyone who chimed in. If I score the guitar, I'll post some pics for sure.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by sunburster » Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:10 pm

bacca51 wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:35 am

The general consensus is that they are the Mexican equivalent to the AVRI 62'. Basically negligible difference in quality.
The difference in quality is not "negligible", but I agree they are good guitars. I'd rather have an upgraded CIJ/MIJ though.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:32 pm

I'd imagine
sunburster wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:10 pm
bacca51 wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:35 am

The general consensus is that they are the Mexican equivalent to the AVRI 62'. Basically negligible difference in quality.
The difference in quality is not "negligible", but I agree they are good guitars. I'd rather have an upgraded CIJ/MIJ though.
I'd imagine you're correct on this. I'm just not seeing any screamin' deals on CIJ/MIJ Jazzmasters anywhere. The lowest priced AVRI's or AV65's are around $1400-$1500, and some MIJ's are actually more expensive than that. By and large though, it seems I'd only really be saving a hundred to two hundred bucks by going MIJ, and at that point I might as well go with the real thing.

I threw an offer of $800 on this MIM, and it comes with a Mastery bridge. If the dude takes it, sweet. If not, I might look at other 60's lacquers or just say screw it and go with an AVRI.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by bacca51 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:42 pm

sunburster wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:10 pm
bacca51 wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:35 am

The general consensus is that they are the Mexican equivalent to the AVRI 62'. Basically negligible difference in quality.
The difference in quality is not "negligible", but I agree they are good guitars. I'd rather have an upgraded CIJ/MIJ though.
I'm just going off of the opinions i've read regarding the two in comparison. I've never played an AVRI, but I have played a 60s MIM and I thought it was a great guitar. What are the real differences other than a better tremolo, maybe better fretwork? ....A thicker poly/nitro coat? Darker pickups? Seems like subtleties to me in terms of "quality"

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:09 am

bacca51 wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:42 pm
sunburster wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:10 pm
bacca51 wrote:
Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:35 am

The general consensus is that they are the Mexican equivalent to the AVRI 62'. Basically negligible difference in quality.
The difference in quality is not "negligible", but I agree they are good guitars. I'd rather have an upgraded CIJ/MIJ though.
I'm just going off of the opinions i've read regarding the two in comparison. I've never played an AVRI, but I have played a 60s MIM and I thought it was a great guitar. What are the real differences other than a better tremolo, maybe better fretwork? ....A thicker poly/nitro coat? Darker pickups? Seems like subtleties to me in terms of "quality"
I’d like to know the answer to this question as well. I saw a video demo on the 60’s lacquer by CME, and the guy was pretty vocal about how bright and harsh the pickups sounded. It’s definitely a turnoff for me, as I prefer dark and warm. Granted, tone knob and rhythm switch, but still. Sure, there’s always the option of swapping pickups out, but if I start doing that stuff to a $1k guitar, pretty soon I’m looking at the same cost as an AVRI. Anyway my offer was not accepted so I’m still in the market. Maybe that’s for the best.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:36 pm

Hey everyone, quick update. I've found a great deal on an AVRI through the classifieds on the Gear Page. It's got all the upgrades I could ask for, most of which are pretty close to what comes stock on a Dano. The price was fair to both me and the seller, and because it's been hell trying to find something like this, I didn't even try to haggle with him. Trigger has been pulled. Upgrades include:

Mastery bridge
Mastery Trem
Peter Leonard pickups
Upgraded pots/cloth wiring/caps
Spitfire "crazy 60's" pick guard

It's entirely possible that this guitar turns out to be all the Jazzmaster I need, in which case I may need to save the pennies and get Dano to build me a Jag or a Tele when the time comes.

Guitar is in transit, NGD is imminent. Here are the pics the guy sent me prior to me making the purchase. More to come once I actually get my hands on it.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by smjenkins » Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:05 pm

Nice find! That JM looks damn good. Like you, I'm lukewarm on black, but that tort pg and the white witch hats go a long way towards making it look sharp. Also, if you decide to keep this one you could get it refinished in sherwood.

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Re: Which American Jazzmaster?

Post by thesneakyjesus » Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:24 pm

smjenkins wrote:
Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:05 pm
Nice find! That JM looks damn good. Like you, I'm lukewarm on black, but that tort pg and the white witch hats go a long way towards making it look sharp. Also, if you decide to keep this one you could get it refinished in sherwood.
For sure. I’m definitely a much bigger fan of black than oly white or sunburst, so to me it’s definitely the lesser evil. If I did decide on a refin, who would I go to and around how much should I expect it to cost?

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