60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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simonhpieman
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by simonhpieman » Thu Aug 30, 2018 7:04 pm

Cooperman wrote:
Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:47 am
The pickups are AV'65 's ( although the product info says they are "classic 60's Jazzmaster pickups, two different people at Fender confirmed to me they are AV'65's ). I noticed the setup was better with lower action, so maybe the strings being just a tad closer to the magnets makes a difference. Perhaps this is a better chunk of wood. I really don't know or really care, what's important is that this damn thing sounds GREAT.
Just to add to this point, I got a partsmaster recently with AV65s in it. Tremendous sound when I received it, thick and punchy and really great with my RAT.

After my tech did a setup the action was raised a bit and he obviously didn't put the pickups up as close as they were before. Doesn't sound nearly as good.

It seems there's a huge difference in tone to be had from moving the pups up or down. I'll be getting mine back closer to the strings shortly.

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tdizzle
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by tdizzle » Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:58 pm

Cooperman wrote:
Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:47 am
I thought I would update my Jazzmaster purchase experience. I picked up my second Jazzmaster from GC yesterday. The first thing I did at the store was plug it in the see if it had the same over the top noise/grounding issue. I gave a huge sigh of relief when it was virtually noise free. Also, the fretboard had a much darker shade of Pau Ferro than the previous one, which appeared washed out by comparison. When I got home and had a chance to spend some serious time with it, I noticed the pickups were much more dynamic and harmonically richer and more complex. It sounds AMAZING. I'll be the first to tell you it is a mystery to me how this could be the case. The pickups are AV'65 's ( although the product info says they are "classic 60's Jazzmaster pickups, two different people at Fender confirmed to me they are AV'65's ). I noticed the setup was better with lower action, so maybe the strings being just a tad closer to the magnets makes a difference. Perhaps this is a better chunk of wood. I really don't know or really care, what's important is that this damn thing sounds GREAT. So, my story ends well. I found a keeper and I am in love with my first Jazzmaster. I have a Staytrem bridge on the way and I hope to pass this jewel, along with the rest of my guitars, on to my daughter when my number is called in the, hopefully, very distant future !
I currently have two 60th Anniversary models, one black and one red, as well as a Road Worn JM. If you have one that doesn't hum, then THAT one is the exception. ALL of mine have the same problem. As soon as I take my hands off of metal, it's hum central, and it is LOUD. I don't think these guitars are well shielded, if at all. I have had to adjust my technique to always have a hand on the trem, or palm on the bridge to stop the hum and reduce the static popping. Pickups sound fantastic, however. You are also lucky to have found a god tech, because guitar repairmen are the most condescending people on the planet. They tell you it's just Fenders, but the other Fenders on the wall don't do it. They tell you it's the pickups, but clearly, if it stops when you put your hands on metal, it is not the pickups. They probably just don't want to do the work for free.

I'm selling the red one, but want to keep the black one because it weighs 7lbs (also has the much nicer looking fret board). Anyone successfully shielded a guitar?

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timtam
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by timtam » Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:05 pm

tdizzle wrote:
Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:58 pm
...
I don't think these guitars are well shielded, if at all....
While the wiring spec for the 60th Anniversary 58 shows brass shielded cavities and a shielded pickguard ..
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Orig ... 3-7-18.pdf
.. it sounds like the the 60th Anniversary Classic (based on the 66) is different ...
Cooperman wrote:
Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:04 am
I thought I'd offer an update on my black 60ty Anniversary Jazzmaster Classic. ......
There was zero shielding inside the cavity. The tech ( Rob at Soundpure Guitars in Durham, NC ) grounded everything in every which way he could. The result, this is the nicest guitar I have ever owned. Dead quiet ( some very faint 60 cycle hum ) and sounds and plays like butter. I know everyone says these pickups are just noisy by nature, but these are dead quiet after proper shielding.
...
tdizzle wrote:
Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:58 pm
...
They tell you it's the pickups, but clearly, if it stops when you put your hands on metal, it is not the pickups.
That's not quite an obvious conclusion. The body is a big electrolyte antenna for EMI. You ground it when you touch the (grounded) strings. Pickups are amongst the most likely means by which the body's (and other) EMI is picked up by the guitar, when you are not touching the (grounded) strings. However, if you test that by walking a long way from the guitar and the noise remains much the same then obviously body EMI is not the major source of the noise in that given case / environment. But it is still the pickups and any unshielded wiring that is picking up that other EMI from the guitar's environment.
tdizzle wrote:
Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:58 pm
... Anyone successfully shielded a guitar?
Yes .. the OP it seems (see above).

You can buy the brass shields or do it yourself with double-sided conductive copper tape ..
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... s#p1518302
Or make the brass shields from brass sheets ...
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.a ... 3456,43407
Make sure the brass shields are grounded like in the 58 wiring spec above.
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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flysky578
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by flysky578 » Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:15 am

Does they all have the immense hum problems?I read on 3, two here and one in a other Forum but the rest seems happy with the guitar.Maybe others who have one too could say some about that?

Quite sad that a 1.165€ Guitar have shielding problems..

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tdizzle
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by tdizzle » Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:48 pm

flysky578 wrote:
Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:15 am
Does they all have the immense hum problems?I read on 3, two here and one in a other Forum but the rest seems happy with the guitar.Maybe others who have one too could say some about that?

Quite sad that a 1.165€ Guitar have shielding problems..
It seems that MIM Fenders currently have this problem. I recently bought a new 50s Classic Stratocaster and it was no different (that's 4 out of the last 4 MIM pieces I have purchased). They just aren't being shielded properly. This might be expected on a $200 piece, but $800-$1200 is a nice bit of money and spending that much should not require spending more, or having modifications to make it playable. Having said that, I haven't picked up a Squier lately, but the last models I owned (a J. Mascis and two VM JMs) did not have this problem.
Last edited by tdizzle on Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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sunburster
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by sunburster » Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:00 pm

I've seen several MIM guitars with shielding paint inside that is not evenly applied, with gaps, etc. Just sloppy work. You can go in there and shield everything with copper tape or use more shielding paint. Some times you'll need to add a ground wire, etc.

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Kadenray
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by Kadenray » Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:46 am

had the hum option with my TVL Jazzy. Had my Luther run a better ground and shield it. Problem solved.

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Igorilla
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by Igorilla » Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:52 am

Kadenray wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:46 am
had the hum option with my TVL Jazzy. Had my Luther run a better ground and shield it. Problem solved.
Hm, this is strange. My TvL as well as 60s Lacquer Jag are dead quiet. Maybe I just got two good ones.
I have had 60s Lacquer JM for a short period of time and this particular guitar was hum-free, too, as far as I can remember.

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Kadenray
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Re: 60th Anniversary Classic sent back

Post by Kadenray » Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:35 am

Igorilla wrote:
Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:52 am
Kadenray wrote:
Fri Sep 21, 2018 8:46 am
had the hum option with my TVL Jazzy. Had my Luther run a better ground and shield it. Problem solved.
Hm, this is strange. My TvL as well as 60s Lacquer Jag are dead quiet. Maybe I just got two good ones.
I have had 60s Lacquer JM for a short period of time and this particular guitar was hum-free, too, as far as I can remember.
I think it was pretty quiet to begin with, I just have dirty power (old house) so it was more noticeable.

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