Double header build: BMM JM Build and CP Renovation! (All done!)
- wproffitt
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Double header build: BMM JM Build and CP Renovation! (All done!)
Hello All!
I’ve been thinking of converting my CP JM to the guitar of my dreams with a new finish and a new neck for some time. By the time I priced it out and talked to my wife about it, we agreed that the only sensible thing to do was build a new guitar from the ground up AND jazz up the CP so that I would have two Jazzmasters with very different personalities.
More to come on the CP in a future post but here’s what I’ve been up to with the new build:
I got a 10-57 V neck from Musikraft. I ordered it with roasted maple and a dark rosewood fretboard. It is pictured below with:
1) Gotoh tuners that I aged using Irish breakfast tea,
2) a Guitar Mill body in lightweight (3.8 lbs, I think) alder
3) the pickguard from my old CP JM
4) a new wiring harness with the appropriate pots and caps for the pickups that I’m installing (see below)
5) an AVRI trem
6) a Compton brass bridge
I have yet to install:
1) the Staytrem arm and collet I bought.
2) the Micawber Jazzmaster pickup set that Tim from Sunday Handwound Pickups is winding for this guitar.
Also, it goes off to Chris Bavaria this week for a BMM finish.
I’ve been thinking of converting my CP JM to the guitar of my dreams with a new finish and a new neck for some time. By the time I priced it out and talked to my wife about it, we agreed that the only sensible thing to do was build a new guitar from the ground up AND jazz up the CP so that I would have two Jazzmasters with very different personalities.
More to come on the CP in a future post but here’s what I’ve been up to with the new build:
I got a 10-57 V neck from Musikraft. I ordered it with roasted maple and a dark rosewood fretboard. It is pictured below with:
1) Gotoh tuners that I aged using Irish breakfast tea,
2) a Guitar Mill body in lightweight (3.8 lbs, I think) alder
3) the pickguard from my old CP JM
4) a new wiring harness with the appropriate pots and caps for the pickups that I’m installing (see below)
5) an AVRI trem
6) a Compton brass bridge
I have yet to install:
1) the Staytrem arm and collet I bought.
2) the Micawber Jazzmaster pickup set that Tim from Sunday Handwound Pickups is winding for this guitar.
Also, it goes off to Chris Bavaria this week for a BMM finish.
Last edited by wproffitt on Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:15 pm, edited 5 times in total.
- wproffitt
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- Embenny
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Hells yes.
Black pup covers on a gold guard is one of the best looks for a JM. You nailed it!!
The BMM one is going to be amazing too.
Black pup covers on a gold guard is one of the best looks for a JM. You nailed it!!
The BMM one is going to be amazing too.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- wproffitt
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Thanks, mbene085!
I didn't know how much I would like the gold on black with black pickup covers until I saw it on the guitar! Also, the knurled nickel knobs make a lot more sense for volume swells and such! I may end up putting these on my other JM, too.
I didn't know how much I would like the gold on black with black pickup covers until I saw it on the guitar! Also, the knurled nickel knobs make a lot more sense for volume swells and such! I may end up putting these on my other JM, too.
- Amon 7.L
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
This. CP. is. drop. dead. gorgeous.
I can't wait to see the BMM finished, it's gonna be phenomenal for sure.
Great projects!!
- alkalineHemlock
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
That gold and black color scheme is amazing... Can’t wait to see it’s BMM brother finished too!
- wproffitt
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Thanks for the kind words about the CP. Who knew that a new pickguard, some pickup covers, and some new knobs (total cost: $80) would have such a dramatic effect on the appearance of this guitar?
The other stuff (pickups and bridge) weren't quite so cheap, but have made this guitar the delight it is to play. The neck is still a bit skinny for my tastes, but for recording or horsing around, it sure is comfy fun!
The new build in BMM has a larger neck with a soft V profile and should be more suited to longer rehearsals or any time I'm playing in a focused way for longer than 30 minutes. We'll see soon enough!
The other stuff (pickups and bridge) weren't quite so cheap, but have made this guitar the delight it is to play. The neck is still a bit skinny for my tastes, but for recording or horsing around, it sure is comfy fun!
The new build in BMM has a larger neck with a soft V profile and should be more suited to longer rehearsals or any time I'm playing in a focused way for longer than 30 minutes. We'll see soon enough!
- wproffitt
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Look what came today! Timothy Esau at Sunday Handwound Pickups came through with this Micawber set, with an AlNiCo 2 PAF at the neck wound to 7.7K and Broadcaster AlNiCo 3 bridge pickup wound to 9.5K. I’m really getting the itch to hear how this is going to turn out now! Too bad the body and neck are off getting painted!
- antisymmetric
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Good projects (I especially like the Micawber). Great to see Comptons being used- how are they installed? Are they rocking as per the original JM bridges?
Watching the corners turn corners
- wproffitt
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Antisymetric,
Glad you like the Micawber setup. I think it will probably sound good through my tweed Tremolux, but that's just a guess! As for the Comptons, I ordered one for my Yamaha SA30 years ago and liked the sound so much that I ordered another for my CP JM. I just had him drill out the post holes to 1/4 inch and it drops right on, provided that you back out the posts a bit first. It does "rock" a bit when you use the trem. I attribute this to the slop between the posts and the TOM style thimbles. At first, I was worried about intonation or return-to-pitch issues, but I've had none of those. Also, it has the added advantages of not rattling or moving and feeling great underneath my palm when I do muting. When I decided to build the new JM, I didn't hesitate for a second about what kind of bridge to use. I just ordered the body without thimble holes and had an experienced luthier put them in the guitar for me. When I was test fitting the hardware before paint, I strung the guitar up to see how tuning and intonation would be. Sure enough, everything's great. We'll see how the brass works out with the pickup combination I have chosen. It seemed like the logical thing to do...
Glad you like the Micawber setup. I think it will probably sound good through my tweed Tremolux, but that's just a guess! As for the Comptons, I ordered one for my Yamaha SA30 years ago and liked the sound so much that I ordered another for my CP JM. I just had him drill out the post holes to 1/4 inch and it drops right on, provided that you back out the posts a bit first. It does "rock" a bit when you use the trem. I attribute this to the slop between the posts and the TOM style thimbles. At first, I was worried about intonation or return-to-pitch issues, but I've had none of those. Also, it has the added advantages of not rattling or moving and feeling great underneath my palm when I do muting. When I decided to build the new JM, I didn't hesitate for a second about what kind of bridge to use. I just ordered the body without thimble holes and had an experienced luthier put them in the guitar for me. When I was test fitting the hardware before paint, I strung the guitar up to see how tuning and intonation would be. Sure enough, everything's great. We'll see how the brass works out with the pickup combination I have chosen. It seemed like the logical thing to do...
- parry
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
I'm intrigued by that Compton bridge as well. Thanks for sharing your experience with yours. I've been considering one for my Epiphone Dot rebuild. Which got me to wondering if they'd work with a JM...
Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity.
- wproffitt
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation!
Maybe I've just been lucky that the bridge thimbles on my CP were placed where they were. I certainly considered this a bit of a gamble when I ordered it for that guitar. I guess the bottom line is that if the the original TOM thimbles were put in the right place for THAT bridge, you're probably going to be okay.
- wproffitt
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- wproffitt
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- marqueemoon
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Re: Double header build: Burgundy Mist Metallic JM Build and CP Renovation! (Now with paint!)
Wow. That looks incredible.