New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
beninma
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:31 am

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by beninma » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:15 am

OK, I could kind of see that in pictures online but without having the guitars in the room it was hard to tell if that's what people were referring to.

In the pictures online of the TVL It's kind of hard to tell, the one between the nut and the first fret is the one that's most obvious.

Heh.. I hate binding anyway personally.

User avatar
Musjagjazz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:57 am

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by Musjagjazz » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:47 am

Since this is a signature guitar, can't really say the blocks are "wrong" as the rhythm switch, bridge and pots are "wrong" as well.

There are those 3 changes that were made that are different from a usual Jazzmaster to make it a signature guitar.

Isn't the headstock not vintage correct as well?

User avatar
JamesSGBrown
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 714
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:36 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by JamesSGBrown » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:28 am

Musjagjazz wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:47 am
Since this is a signature guitar, can't really say the blocks are "wrong" as the rhythm switch, bridge and pots are "wrong" as well.

There are those 3 changes that were made that are different from a usual Jazzmaster to make it a signature guitar.

Isn't the headstock not vintage correct as well?
True, but it's clearly meant to be a reissue of the vintage blocks so why not get them accurate? They're more like LPC blocks.

Anyway, it's a nice piece, but I prefer the Metallic KO of the Marr Jag to this Copper Age personally.

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by Maggieo » Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:35 am

Musjagjazz wrote:
Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:47 am
Since this is a signature guitar, can't really say the blocks are "wrong" as the rhythm switch, bridge and pots are "wrong" as well.

There are those 3 changes that were made that are different from a usual Jazzmaster to make it a signature guitar.

Isn't the headstock not vintage correct as well?
I love the big rhythm switch, but, it'd be nice to have a MOP/Ebony/binding fingerboard option.
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

User avatar
46346
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2826
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 1:39 am
Location: echo ECHO park PARK
Contact:

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by 46346 » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:44 am

Maple boards always remind me of bowling lanes, so, i'm always happy to stare one down.
Cat Museum, ACME, Malcolm Mooney, Dream Apes, The Cooling Time, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Quarks

User avatar
jonobolton
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:27 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by jonobolton » Tue Oct 13, 2020 12:46 pm

I would've liked it if it had a rosewood board. I really hate black blocks on a maple fingerboard. I didn't like the original TVL at first, its only grown on me in the past few months, so maybe this one will grow on me too, but with that fingerboard, I really doubt it.

User avatar
dezb1
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 626
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:20 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by dezb1 » Sat Oct 24, 2020 2:12 pm

BoringPostcards wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 8:00 pm
mbene085 wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:44 pm
RIORIO wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 3:26 pm
Matching headstock is wrong on this
Not as wrong as when Squier put a matching headstock on a Sherwood green strat...with a maple board.

Image

It's so weird, because I adore sherwood, and I love matching headstocks...but throw a maple board into the equation and it takes a sudden turn for the worse :k

This isn't as offensive, but I'd honestly sand that headstock down to bare maple if I had one. It just looks so much better.

Maple with black blocks and binding just speaks for itself. A painted headstock is just putting a hat on a hat at that point.
That Strat makes me think one thing: Socks with sandals.

Ah the Grandaddy Strat... I shouldn't like it but I do.

https://youtu.be/mOq7acPdfnQ

User avatar
losador
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:47 am

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by losador » Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:45 am

dezb1 wrote:
Sat Oct 24, 2020 2:12 pm
BoringPostcards wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 8:00 pm
mbene085 wrote:
Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:44 pm


Not as wrong as when Squier put a matching headstock on a Sherwood green strat...with a maple board.

Image

It's so weird, because I adore sherwood, and I love matching headstocks...but throw a maple board into the equation and it takes a sudden turn for the worse :k

This isn't as offensive, but I'd honestly sand that headstock down to bare maple if I had one. It just looks so much better.

Maple with black blocks and binding just speaks for itself. A painted headstock is just putting a hat on a hat at that point.
That Strat makes me think one thing: Socks with sandals.

Ah the Grandaddy Strat... I shouldn't like it but I do.

https://youtu.be/mOq7acPdfnQ
Just goes to show that music makes guitars cool.. not the other way around!

User avatar
JamesSGBrown
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 714
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:36 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by JamesSGBrown » Sat May 22, 2021 9:49 pm

Surprised I've not seen too much noise about these on here.

Image


Despite getting a '62 CIJ just last month also, this thing is totally justifiable. The slimmer neck, along with the maple board, blocks and binding, totally give it 70's feel (it feels very similar to a 70's Shergold I have access to).
It stands up to the Marr in quality in every way. They rectified the bridge issue with the top e- I see no reason to swap this out for a Staytrem (and I have 3 of those, so I don't usually need convincing!).

Fit & finish are 10/10. I think the MIM Fenders, despite becoming more expensive, are better than ever. Also played a Player Series Tele the other day that felt as good as a USA Standard without a doubt.

User avatar
Unicorn Warrior
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3491
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Sun May 23, 2021 7:00 am

My oxblood TVL was great. These are good instruments. One of Fenders best production models IMO

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by Embenny » Sun May 23, 2021 12:20 pm

Mine was a great guitar, definitely the best stock MIM I ever bought, but the prices on these have gotten absurd. They're now $2000 CAD here locally. That's bananas. It's a CNC body and neck finished in poly and assembled using Mexican labour at Mexican wages. In case they want to use binding and blocks as some kind of justification, the set-neck standard Gibson SG, with binding and trapezoid inlays, is $1849 CAD with a gloss nitro finish built with American labour at American wages. Mine was $1500 CAD when I bought it like...4 years ago I think? That was pricey already, but between the US pickups, great bridge, G&G hardshell case, I felt it was justifiable. But now it's a full 33% more expensive just 4 years later. Not sure if the proce hike has been the same in the US - here in Canada they often raise proces when our exchange rate dips, then seem to "forget" to lower them when it rises. The CAD is about as strong as it was 4 years ago.

I just don't see how the TVL is a $2000 guitar, and I say that as someone who owned and really enjoyed one. I could see it justifying maybe a $300 over the Player series for the cosmetic and hardware upgrades, but $2000 CAD is a range where you're currently able to get a wide variety of current US-made Gibsons and Paul Reed Smith (S2) guitars. I've had two of the former and one of the latter come my way through trades in the last year, and none of the 10 or so MIM Fenders I've owned can compete with them in my opinion.

Kinda like how I love my MIJ Fenders, but can't believe people are paying $2k CAD for some of them used. Or $3k in the case of the purple Mascis. They're good guitars, but not "$2k-$3k" good!
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
JamesSGBrown
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 714
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:36 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by JamesSGBrown » Mon May 24, 2021 11:51 pm

I got mine for a reasonable price- £1k on the nose. Expensive for an MIM sure, but a) it feels as good as any USA I've tried, if not better than some, and b) no doubt Fender will discontinue them at some point and as I can't see them doing a 70's JM AO any time soon, this is the closest thing we'll get. They'll appreciate in value I think.
Gave it a big workout at rehearsal yesterday, absolutely hit it out the park. Sounds amazing, tuning stability is great, the bridge and trem work great even without staytrem upgrades. Couldn't be happier :-* Think it will be my #1 for the time being. I'm loving the broader spectrum of the JM sound- It's fitting in well where I was using a p90 LP but was missing the trem. And that middle position is lush for jangly stuff.
Sadly though, the only way up from here is an AV65 or vintage :? better get saving.

User avatar
JamesSGBrown
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 714
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:36 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by JamesSGBrown » Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:10 am

QUESTION:

Would a USA scratchplate fit one of these?

I love this thing, and thinking I might just go full 70's with it- replace the decal with a proper late 60's/70's blocky bastard, and put a black plate on it. I'm not a big fan of the big old rhythm switch anyhow so might just replace it with a traditional one.

User avatar
mekhem
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:54 pm

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by mekhem » Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:14 am

Possibly? It may fit the screw pattern but will have to be modified to use the switch.

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: New Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster in Copper Age

Post by Maggieo » Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:18 pm

46346 wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:44 am
Maple boards always remind me of bowling lanes, so, i'm always happy to stare one down.
And, like bowling lanes, they need to be oiled. :ph34r: :whistle:
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

Post Reply