Brainstorming Direction to take a MJT Candy Plum JM Body Project

[iodine74]

Hey guys,

Wanted to pick everyone's brains and generate some ideas for what to do with a Candy Plum MJT Jazzmaster Body I recently got. I already have a Crown Royal Purple one from them as you can see, and I'm wrestling with keeping both or swapping out the plum for the purple or what. Finding it hard to justify having so many JM variations. Originally was thinking purple with the novak JMWR, blue would have my novak JM-90 and JM-v which are currently in the red CIJ. CIJ goes back to stock...or stays with novaks and I get some more appropriately vintaged voiced (maybe SD Antiquities) to go in the blue. Either way... those 3 kinda cover different ground. And the Squier VM JM Special is obviously it's own beast by the fact that it doesn't have the trem.



If I keep both purpley things.. what should I do with the second? I've got that B&B neck there - got from ebay for $120 - headstock is a little too big (debating sanding the finish on that down and trimming down the headstock to get a more worn look).

A few things I was thinking (not necessarily all of them). Trying be semi budget friendly
* Black guard
* Get a conversion neck to Gibson scale -- regardless of what pickup direction I go
* Get a baritone conversion neck
* 12 string it w/a Strat 12 style headstock.
* Lollartrons (since getting a HB cut pickguard should be fairly easy
* Traditional TV Jones style - which means cu$tom guard to be made, plus likely body routing
* Do a kind of Long Scale Jaguar Hybrid thing with Jaguar pickups. Maybe regular JM guard (no chrome plates - though custom), or maybe a full custom guard with the jaguar control plate under the knobs to add to the Jag vibe. In this scenario I'd use the B&B neck I think.
* Do a weirder double dual single coil thing kinda like a Dipinto Galaxie... or maybe Lipstick Humbuckers with coil taps like the old Danelectro Hodads.. both cases would call for custom guards.

Just throw some other ideas out there, I'd love to hear them.

I might end up just selling one of the bodies, or maybe do part of a build, or a more traditional build and then sell it off. The purple gets a lot of reaction and I think there'd be some demand for it Maybe it could help fund a Jaguar buy.

[iodine74]

Thinking of these options for the guard (either for the purple and move the purples ToneGuard to the plum... or just for the plum) if it gets traditional JM sized pickups -- which I'd do in the 12 string or baritone scenario.






Or get a sheet of blank material of those and cut my own for one of the other pickup options (jag pickups, double dual singles, lipsticks, tv jones)

[marqueemoon]

WD offers top-mountable full size lipsticks.

http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstrong_l ... ckups.html

They also cut custom guards.

This confirms a standard jazzmaster PU is slightly wider than the above top mount lipstick:



Here's a handy comparison shot from teh interwebz. Sure looks like it would work. Worst case you might have to do some very slight mods to the routes which would be hidden under the guard.

That's what I would do. Then put a roasted maple neck on it, and JM trem/bridge and call it a day.

[sirspens]

Having trouble justifying keeping so many Jazzmaster variants? Are you crazy?

Also, I love the neck.

That said, I just put together a 12 string Jazzmaster with Strat 12 neck and I absolutely cannot put it down. I vote for that direction. If you do, I would recommend possibly some underwound pickups, and maybe even Alnico 2 in the bridge position. Also,the Strat 12s came in 25.5" and 24.75" scale, so make sure you go check the neck scale.

[Embenny]

Oh man, that's a embarrassment of riches! TWO purple JMs? Making me weak in the knees...

Your purple JM with the aluminum pickguard has been one of those guitars I've drooled over ever since I found it on a google image search of something like "silver aluminum jazzmaster pickguard". That's just a gorgeous axe.

I do think I like this shade of "candy plum" even more - I hope we get to see a photo of whatever completed arrangement of parts you put on it!!

[Singlebladepickup]

The candy plum is such a nice color. Combine your ideas and make it a jazz/jag hybrid with the plates and such, and make it 12-string. Or just the 12 would be awesome. Congrats

[iodine74]

Two other pickup variations I've thought of were
* Dearmond style - Looks like TV Jones does some in a P90 body
* G&L MFDs. Either a pair of the jumbo singles or maybe humbuckers

I can't find any pictures of a Dipinto Galaxie with the dual single style pups like you see on their Mach model. But I know they had one.

I think I mainly just feel like I need something visually different with the guard and pickups if I don't do a neck variation. So that could include the pickups themselves or bringing some jaguar style plates into play.

BTW.. if you're curious about other shots of the Royal Purple.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gtweise

[iodine74]

As far as bringing in the Jaguar plating, I kinda dig this... though I'd put the switch on the upper horn like on my VM JM Special.



And I do think the MFD Singles have a chance of looking cool as well... yes I realize this is a jag. I actually think on a JM they'd look better than a pair of Jag pickups (The jag pickups might look too small for that pickguard if I didn't do any of the jm style plates).

[Embenny]

And I do think the MFD Singles have a chance of looking cool as well... yes I realize this is a jag. I actually think on a JM they'd look better than a pair of Jag pickups (The jag pickups might look too small for that pickguard if I didn't do any of the jm style plates).

Don't forget this is an option for putting Jag pickups in your JM. They're made by a forum member - but the search function is letting me down. In any case, I found the Reverb ad so you could reach him through there. IIRC, he was offering to sell the covers on their own so you could load any Jag pickup you want into the cover (complete with claw) and drop it straight into a JM (or the PS bass VI). Looks badass too!

MFDs are also amazing pickups so you can't go wrong with them either.

[Pepe Silvia]

I have seen this guitar while trying to track down my AVRI Jag with MFD pickups, is this person on here?

[iodine74]

I have seen this guitar while trying to track down my AVRI Jag with MFD pickups, is this person on here?

Not sure.. found the shot via Google.

@mbene085, i hadn't seen those before. Interesting potential option for me to test the sound without having to get a custom guard made. Ideally I'd want it to look different though an would use traditional jag covers and a custom guard.

[Rgand]

As far as bringing in the Jaguar plating, I kinda dig this... though I'd put the switch on the upper horn like on my VM JM Special.

T%his is really a fine look. Thanks for posting the photo.

[JVG]

Getting back to the original question, I'd suggest you don't fuck with any of your existing guitars (in terms of a body swap) unless you're unhappy with their present state.

Since you've already got the JM thing well covered, I the baritone or 12 string ideas are good. You'll appreciate having something very different!

Good luck with it
Cheers!
J.

[iodine74]

Getting back to the original question, I'd suggest you don't fuck with any of your existing guitars (in terms of a body swap) unless you're unhappy with their present state.

Since you've already got the JM thing well covered, I the baritone or 12 string ideas are good. You'll appreciate having something very different!

Good luck with it
Cheers!
J.

Yeah so as the afternoon went on and I diverted myself from getting actual work done to watch videos about MFD pickups, I ran across one JustNick did and he talks about how the MFD pups actually have a wider frequency response... kinda got me thinking that those with a baritone neck might be cool.

I think for a 12, I really want something semi-hollow. I actually have a 12 right now (https://www.ebay.com/itm/322707508368) but yeah.. kinda feel like it's not exactly what I want (hence why I'm selling).

[iodine74]

About to wire up the blue one with the Sigler kit that came in yesterday, so I decided to mock it's black pickguard onto the plumb...

I'm kinda liking.... alot.

If anything it's shown me that this is the color purple that I really wanted.

Untitled by gtweise, on Flickr