Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

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Todbringer
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Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Todbringer » Sat Jun 15, 2019 12:26 pm

Hi, I am a shoegaze, dream pop, djent and black metal addict.
I'm thinking about buying a Squier J. Mascis jazzmaster. If I change the bridge pickup with a high output seymour duncan pickup and use a buzz stoper at bridge, can I get a clear and djent-ish distortion tone ? or should I get a fixed bridge jazzmaster ?
I know it sounds a little bit stupid but I want a super-versatile guitar :)

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jvin248
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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by jvin248 » Sat Jun 15, 2019 1:31 pm

.

The JMJM pickups are essentially a P90 design -- ceramic/alnico bars with steel slugs. Compared to original JMs with alnico pole pieces.

Get a fixed wrap bridge.

Look up youtube video "tonefiend PTB" and you'll find a circuit he uses to really improve distorted tones, I've used it and it works well. It's a mash up of a G&L S-500 bass cutoff circuit and Reverend bass contour.

The other option is look up the Arlo Cocked Wah mod in the guitar or use a wah pedal half cocked open.

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Danley
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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Danley » Sat Jun 15, 2019 3:14 pm

You can throw most humbuckers beneath a Jazzmaster cover with minimal effort. Does anyone actually think a buzz-stop is useful in 2019 ? IMO if you think you need one at all (esp. on a Mascis,) you might as well just go fixed-bridge. But the vibrato isn’t unusually obtrusive to those musical styles.
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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by marqueemoon » Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:42 pm

You do know this is a thing, right?

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/squier-el ... l?rl=en_GB

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alexpigment
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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by alexpigment » Sat Jun 15, 2019 10:53 pm

Well, if you want the quality of a JMJM and want a stopbar tailpiece, you should look at a Squier Deluxe Jazzmaster ST:

https://reverb.com/p/squier-deluxe-jazz ... -fretboard

Since they were discontinued last year and stores are trying to get rid of their stock, you can find them for very cheap.

The neck is identical to the JMJM, and so is most of the rest of the guitar. And yes, you can easily put humbuckers under JM pickup covers. I briefly had a set of Lace Alumitones under mine (I have two of the tremolo version of this guitar). They have a very high gain friendly tone and are completely silent, although the dynamics were missing for me. Honestly, for the style of music you're going for, they might be the perfect pickups. And they are low profile enough to fit under the covers even if your action and pickups are really low. Just a suggestion.

Lastly, if you are thinking about a Buzz Stop on a J Mascis model, it's completely unnecessary. The bridge position was moved forward on these and the neck pocket is angled to simulate a shim.

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Sun Jun 16, 2019 2:08 am

As already mentioned: You don‘t need the Buzz stop - especially not with the modern trem spacing!
JMJM comes with hotter pickups already,
All the HH configurations might be an alternative for you (for easy swaps if need be): The cool looking active EMG one or the Player or Blacktop series... but you might really enjoy the Trem and the sounds behind the bridge for shoegazing! Some even add another pickup between bridge and trem.
And if you go hardtail and miss the vibrato sometimes... try a Duesenberg Les Trem! A friend just added one on his SG to converge it to the JMJM I picked up for him some time ago...

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Todbringer » Sun Jun 16, 2019 2:27 am

Thank you !
What do you think about this hardtail conversion plate?
I can assemble it in minutes. And If I miss the vibrato I can easily change it.

Image

A high output pickup (like seymour duncan pegasus) and standart JM vibrato can't be useful ?
Last edited by Todbringer on Sun Jun 16, 2019 3:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by timtam » Sun Jun 16, 2019 3:15 am

Todbringer wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 12:26 pm
... a buzz stoper at bridge ...
Image ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxhG2OnRfLY
"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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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by alexpigment » Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:37 pm

Todbringer wrote:
Sun Jun 16, 2019 2:27 am
Thank you !
What do you think about this hardtail conversion plate?
I can assemble it in minutes. And If I miss the vibrato I can easily change it.
Image
Although I've never tried one, It should work fine. Assuming it's cheap and you want to try it out, go for it. It might even transfer a lot more string vibration through the guitar itself, although the benefits of that on an electric are always up for debate :)

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by threewordname » Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:14 pm

Last time I listened to Dinosaur Jr, I could have sworn he used a "high gain tone". Maybe I'm mistaken...

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:20 pm

You're not mistaken, it's just markedly different to what the OP asked for.
Todbringer wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 12:26 pm
can I get a clear and djent-ish distortion tone ?
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Embenny » Sun Jun 16, 2019 6:07 pm

To me, Djent is all about staccato mutes at super high gain. Even with a hardtail conversion plate, a JM is prone to sympathetic vibrations behind the bridge. Djent is the only style I'd never try to play on a regular JM. That squier one with the active pickups and stop tailpiece is pretty much designed to be exactly what the OP is looking for.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Danley » Sun Jun 16, 2019 6:41 pm

At the very least I think a humbucker is a necessity at that high gain, without needing compromise around the noise.
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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by hwestman » Mon Jun 17, 2019 1:49 am

As said above... if you want Djent you'll probably be pretty unhappy with both the vibrato and the original bridge construction.

One option would be to get a Classic Player and get a Faction tailpiece plate. That way you have a tuneomatic style bridge, bigger frets and a flatter neck radius.

And if you want a bucker there are quite a few makers supplying humbuckers in the JM format
Creamery, Novak and Rio Grande are some I know of but I'm sure there's lots more.

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Re: Jazzmaster modifications for high gain tone

Post by Todbringer » Mon Jun 17, 2019 3:20 am

Thanks to everyone !
I'm going to get a J. Mascis JM (it has hotter pickups and a tune o matic bridge), a seymour duncan pickup for bridge, and a hardtail conversion plate.
I think it's the best option.

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