NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, ultimately very nice

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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Digital Larry
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NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, ultimately very nice

Post by Digital Larry » Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:36 pm

Got a "demo" unit from Sweetwater. It was marked down 10% to just over $400 for some small scratches that I bet I would never have noticed. BUT...

The neck pickup sounds "distorted" and low volume and sort of cuts in and out. It does this whether the lead or rhythm circuits are engaged and the volume and tone controls otherwise work, so I'm thinking it must be something with the pickup itself. I have never encountered this on an electric guitar.

I'm reasonably sure Sweetwater will make it right, but (sigh) there goes my big enthusiasm for the day. Other than that, it is set up well, plays well, looks great, vibrato arm stays in place unlike my Squier Strat, satin neck finish is nice. So I played on the bridge pickup which is usually not my idea of a great time. With the tone about 3 it seemed nice. Seems like there's not much action between 3 and 10 on the tone, so maybe ultimately a different taper pot would be better there.

Stay tuned until next week when Sweetwater offers me something worth ten times as much in order to keep me as a customer (hehehe).
Last edited by Digital Larry on Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:21 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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bacca51
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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by bacca51 » Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:06 pm

Sorry to hear that. Just a thought, I’ve always been able to get 15% - 20% off new gear from Musician Friend just by calling and talking to a sale rep. I’m sure you could get a full refund from sweetwater and try and do the same. Either was you just could ask them for a brand Squier Jazzmaster for your troubles.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by 6AM » Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:54 am

bacca51 wrote:
Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:06 pm
Sorry to hear that. Just a thought, I’ve always been able to get 15% - 20% off new gear from Musician Friend just by calling and talking to a sale rep. I’m sure you could get a full refund from sweetwater and try and do the same. Either was you just could ask them for a brand Squier Jazzmaster for your troubles.
I'm going to guess he chose to buy from Sweetwater because they inspect and setup guitars before shipping them to their customers, whereas Musicians Friend just sends you what they have.

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Digital Larry
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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by Digital Larry » Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:18 am

6AM wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:54 am
I'm going to guess he chose to buy from Sweetwater because they inspect and setup guitars before shipping them to their customers, whereas Musicians Friend just sends you what they have.
Yeah (cough) I guess the 55 point inspection doesn't cover checking the pickups individually. Anyway it's in their court, stuff happens, but I'm slightly less impressed. I'm fairly sure I could fix it myself but that's not what I need to be doing.

I'm also really baffled by the distorted sound, it did not sound like an intermittent connection. I tapped and shook the guitar a little and it made no difference. It sounds kinda like running through a crappy distortion pedal with a dying battery. Some of you may be looking for this sound and didn't know how to get it. I will gladly sell this to you for 2x retail as it's ready to go! 8)

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by Larsongs » Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:12 am

I'd either ask for more than a 20% discount because it's Used & fix it or return for a Brand New one at 20% off. If they don't want to do it, just return it & buy somewhere else.

I've bought a lot of Gear from Sweetwater & would be surprised if they don't accommodate you.

Lars

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by bacca51 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:17 am

6AM wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:54 am
bacca51 wrote:
Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:06 pm
Sorry to hear that. Just a thought, I’ve always been able to get 15% - 20% off new gear from Musician Friend just by calling and talking to a sale rep. I’m sure you could get a full refund from sweetwater and try and do the same. Either was you just could ask them for a brand Squier Jazzmaster for your troubles.
I'm going to guess he chose to buy from Sweetwater because they inspect and setup guitars before shipping them to their customers, whereas Musicians Friend just sends you what they have.
Sure, thats great if you like your guitars set up with 9's and want to pay more for an inspection that doesn't catch obvious problems ^^^^

For me, its boils down to what I can get the cheapest. If Sweetwater is as mailable as Musician Friend with the discounts then maybe they are better.

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Digital Larry
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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by Digital Larry » Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:18 am

Some interesting diagnostic info:

With lead circuit bridge selected, all controls at max, DC resistance on the guitar jack is 8.2K.
With lead circuit neck selected, all controls at max, DC resistance on the guitar jack is about 660 K.
With rhythm circuit selected, all controls at max, DC resistance on the guitar jack is about 600 K.

Indeed this guitar came with 0.042 to 0.009 installed, but that I could deal with.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by 6AM » Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:50 am

bacca51 wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:17 am
Sure, thats great if you like your guitars set up with 9's and want to pay more for an inspection that doesn't catch obvious problems ^^^^

For me, its boils down to what I can get the cheapest. If Sweetwater is as mailable as Musician Friend with the discounts then maybe they are better.
I agree with you, but a lot of people buy their guitars from Sweetwater specifically for that reason. I'd rather save money, and for that reason, I tend to buy used, whenever possible.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by Beyer160 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:18 am

6AM wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:50 am
bacca51 wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:17 am
Sure, thats great if you like your guitars set up with 9's and want to pay more for an inspection that doesn't catch obvious problems ^^^^

For me, its boils down to what I can get the cheapest. If Sweetwater is as mailable as Musician Friend with the discounts then maybe they are better.
I agree with you, but a lot of people buy their guitars from Sweetwater specifically for that reason. I'd rather save money, and for that reason, I tend to buy used, whenever possible.
Yep- I'll save the money and do the work myself, thanks. Generally speaking I don't leave 9s on my guitars, and I like to think I'd notice a pickup issue like the OP's- at full price, Sweetwater's questionable "inspection" really doesn't offer me anything.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by bacca51 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:24 pm

6AM wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:50 am
bacca51 wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:17 am
Sure, thats great if you like your guitars set up with 9's and want to pay more for an inspection that doesn't catch obvious problems ^^^^

For me, its boils down to what I can get the cheapest. If Sweetwater is as mailable as Musician Friend with the discounts then maybe they are better.
I agree with you, but a lot of people buy their guitars from Sweetwater specifically for that reason. I'd rather save money, and for that reason, I tend to buy used, whenever possible.
Definitely. I hardly ever buy anything new either, but when I do, its usually a cheaper squier that I plan on modding. So the set up and inspection is pointless because I'm gunna put in new pickups and do work on it anyway. Just my two cents.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by 6AM » Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:46 pm

I used to be a guitar snob. In the recent years, when Asian manufacturing got better and US prices increased exorbitantly I started buying Squiers. Even if I were to buy a US made Fender guitar, I'd probably still replace most of the hardware and the pickups anyway. CNC machines are the same everywhere.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown

Post by bacca51 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:46 pm

6AM wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:46 pm
I used to be a guitar snob. In the recent years, when Asian manufacturing got better and US prices increased exorbitantly I started buying Squiers. Even if I were to buy a US made Fender guitar, I'd probably still replace most of the hardware and the pickups anyway. CNC machines are the same everywhere.
Exactly. My Squier Affinity HH Jazzmaster is a rock solid guitar. I played a show with it and it didn't go out of tune. The pickups aren't great at high volume tho. I replaced the neck pickup with a Sunday hand wound PAF for pretty cheap. Its really a great guitar.

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Digital Larry
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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown, turnaround

Post by Digital Larry » Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:54 pm

I know you're all on the edge of your seats about this... I'm sending it back and they'll send me a new one. I really did play up the pain and suffering angle, not only for me and my family, but for all the people that are going to miss seeing me play it at the 19 or 20 gigs I have lined up this weekend. They capitulated and said they'd have the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders deliver it ASAP and bring a case of beer and hang out for awhile while they're at it why not?

I understand wanting to mod it and maybe I will some day but I wanted to start with one that just worked as it was. I have way too many other things going on.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown, turnaround

Post by bacca51 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:16 pm

Good on em. If the Squier Deluxe is truly just a rebranded J Mascis then i'm its going to be a great guitar right out of the new box.

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Re: NGD Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster, letdown, turnaround

Post by 6AM » Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:30 pm

They probably got sick of paying J Mascis for all of the guitars they were selling with his name on it because he designed a great version of the guitar. Hopefully they won't get sued by Marvel for making an Ironman guitar. ;D

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