Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

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jodia54d
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Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by jodia54d » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:18 pm

Hi guys,

Completely new to building guitars, and would like some basic advice.
Being a lefty, I'm thinking it might be easier to build a JM rather than get 1 from Ishibashi (only place I can find lefty JMs).
After tinkering around with the dressing room, here's the guitar thats in my head.

Image

I spoke to a couple of luthiers in San Francisco, some recommended that I refrain from building (huh?), some insist on using their own woods, necks, etc.

Should I attempt to build 1 myself or get a luthier to assemble 1 for me?
I know nothing about finishing/painting wood, wiring, etc.

Advice?

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by northern_dirt » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:44 pm

dude that pic is backwards ;)
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by Stratelejazzuar » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:45 pm

if you can take that dressing room creation and show it to one or two luthiers in your area who say they can create it, go for it!

i don't know where you'd find a lefty trem unit for a jazzmaster, but i'm sure they're available  ???

if you could sacrifice the neck binding, i'd say go with an ishibashi purchase, then have the body refinished and then work your way up from there, according to how happy you are with the pickups, etc...

and it just occured to me that if you don't mind where the trem arm sticks out of the tailpiece, you could get an right-hand american trem unit, which would be readily available. the only 'issue' would be that the arm comes out of the opposite side of the plate (i.e. top) - sort of liek a SRV-style jazzmaster trem installation...  :D

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by Stereordinary » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:46 pm

I think it all boils down to two things:

1. Your budget.
Getting a prefessional luthier would obviously be more expensive than building it yourself.

2. How long you're willing to wait for it.
I understand that being a lefty means you're going to be waiting for parts to show up on eBay for a lot longer than a righty waiting for their project parts, but havinf a professional builder make you a guitar takes a lot of time.  Some of the big houses like Warmoth and USACG don't take too long, but building it yourself is probably still quicker.

On that note, search around on this forum a bit and you'll see that a few of us here are quite capable woodworkers.   ;)

Great idea by the way.
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by theworkoffire » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:58 pm

I think unless you are specifically interested in the whole process of building and finishing, and in your case, hunting down lefty parts, you'll find it pretty difficult to get what you want and it cetainly won't be cheap or quick or in any way easy.

My advice would be to buy one from Ishibashi, which many people here have done with relative ease and with very quick delivery. You can then upgrade and modify in your own time as and when.

Having said that, when faced with the buy or build option I personally will always go for build. I certainly think you've come to the right place here. You may find local luthiers are keen to put their own identity onto your guitar but the scratch-builders and modders on this forum are much more interested in being faithful to the originals (albeit with the occasional twist).

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by FireAarro » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:59 pm

jodia54d wrote: Being a lefty, I'm thinking it might be easier to build a JM rather than get 1 from Ishibashi (only place I can find lefty JMs).
Wrooooongo!
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by the older brother » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:14 pm

There are no lefty trem units - there use to be regular trem units on lefty JM/jags with the collet facing upwards (the arm is lefty though IIRC).

I should watch ebay for a while - I've seen a couple of leftys the past few months.
Or go with Ishi - they seem to deliver fast and accurate to US residents (to the rest of the world too, as it seems).

You can always refin it later on....

that was my two cents  ;)
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by zhivago » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:15 pm

I heard a while back that lefty Japanese Jazzmasters and Jags had a lefty version of the tremolo on them...

someone correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not 100% on this...


but yeah, the vintage guitars just had normal tremolos on them
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by jodia54d » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:23 pm

FireAarro wrote:
jodia54d wrote: Being a lefty, I'm thinking it might be easier to build a JM rather than get 1 from Ishibashi (only place I can find lefty JMs).
Wrooooongo!
Hmmm... I thought the price of getting 1 from Ishibashi would be about the same as building 1 ... but i'm guessing i'm wrong?
If both options are going to cost the same, why not have 1 built just the way i like... maybe I should think about Ishibashi again.

Great feedback tho, thanks everyone! Keep 'em coming.

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by jodia54d » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:36 pm

zhivago wrote: I heard a while back that lefty Japanese Jazzmasters and Jags had a lefty version of the tremolo on them...

someone correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not 100% on this...


but yeah, the vintage guitars just had normal tremolos on them
I think you're right.
Here's pic i found of a lefty jazzmaster, and it looks like there's isn't a lefty tremolo ... err, hole.
Image

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by FireAarro » Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:00 pm

jodia54d wrote:
FireAarro wrote:
jodia54d wrote: Being a lefty, I'm thinking it might be easier to build a JM rather than get 1 from Ishibashi (only place I can find lefty JMs).
Wrooooongo!
Hmmm... I thought the price of getting 1 from Ishibashi would be about the same as building 1 ... but i'm guessing i'm wrong?
If both options are going to cost the same, why not have 1 built just the way i like... maybe I should think about Ishibashi again.

Great feedback tho, thanks everyone! Keep 'em coming.
They might end up costing the same cause the lefty Fender models aren't cheap... I don't know how much a project will cost. Depends on the parts. But "easier" is definitely off the mark, it will be much easier to just order one in :P.

jodia, the JM you posted has a lefty trem, the hole is on the other side.
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by the older brother » Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:31 am

.... and I stand corrected  :-[

wich is good for you :)
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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by BlixaFan » Sun Nov 11, 2007 8:15 pm

my trem is left handed on my CIJ jag.
Image

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by jodia54d » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:47 pm

BlixaFan wrote: my trem is left handed on my CIJ jag.
Image
That's a beat.
Where did you find your lefty tremolo? Did it come standard?

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Re: Complete noob lefty JM Project - Basic help?

Post by ohm-men » Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:23 pm

It can be done, if you got some woodworking skills and have the right tools for the job. And a LOT of patience....
Also you have to be precise. Like for instance the neckpocket...if it's of...your work will be useless.
And a good place to do the work at is not a luxery. I mean there is no fun of making a guitar in your living room...It get's really messy...
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