Celebrating 10yrs with the Squier VM Jazzmaster

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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musicmatty
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Celebrating 10yrs with the Squier VM Jazzmaster

Post by musicmatty » Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:05 pm

Early 2011, I walked into my local music store looking to try out the new Fender Mustang IV digital amp. Needing a guitar for this, I reached for one hanging on the wall just behind the amp which happened to be this jazzmaster. Within less than a minute of playing, my attention quickly shifted to the guitar I was holding. This guitar felt so good in my hands… Everything from the alder body to it’s plump C’ shape neck which happens to be flamed maple. It quickly reminded me of a telecaster x 2. It was jangly, articulate and yet, a bit more burbly and fuller than a telecaster. Needless to say, 30 minutes later I walked out of the store with both amplifier and guitar in hand for less then $800. Just a few months of gigging paid for this whole rig in short order :derp:

This guitar and I bonded almost instantly with it’s hardtail Dan electro style bridge and Seymour Duncan designed pickups. I also love that there are two separate volume and tone pots that are stacked for each pickup along with just a three way toggle switch that makes it straightforward like a telecaster. The tone pots are on an adjustable 10 click setting which is really cool for my taste and functionality. Taste in anything is subjective of course to each player. However, these pickups are amazing to my ears. The neck is 6.4K and the Bridge is 12k. I liked these pick up so much, I ended up replacing the Duncan antiquity II in my custom jazzmaster for another pair of these Duncan designed. 10 years later, this guitar is still rolling along with its original parts and working great.

This guitar is long gone from the Squier lineup. It should’ve been called the Squire simplified jazzmaster. Clearly this guitar is not for a purist. But for the rest of us, it was a dream with a solid maple neck and fretboard and simple control layout with authentic Jazzmaster pups and not the P90 lookalike. I attached a couple short video clips below celebrating this guitar with both pickups together and just the neck by itself. A helleva guitar for $250. Out the door 10yrs ago. It’s also worth noting in this revisit of 10 years later, that the custom JazzMaster is more than four times the price of the Squier. However, it truly is no better in any way shape or form to be honest here. ;)

Image

Image


Neck pup only

https://youtu.be/-rXxlW7IPP0

https://youtu.be/4FSQ38ZdNbc

Both pups together

https://youtu.be/uKTxt9SFmAM

https://youtu.be/ta0ifj8Rt94

Bridge pup only

https://youtu.be/uKTNZ1CyOhk

https://youtu.be/scHfTIWf7nk
Last edited by musicmatty on Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:48 am, edited 4 times in total.

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soul1
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Re: Celebrating 10yrs with the Squier VM Jazzmaster

Post by soul1 » Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:23 pm

This was when Squier/Fender really kicked it up a notch with quality affordable offsets. I remember the excitement at the time on this forum, and others when these were announced. Back then the options for offsets were much more expensive (Vintage, MIA, MIJ, MIM) and these Squiers really opened the floodgates.

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manwithtitties
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Re: Celebrating 10yrs with the Squier VM Jazzmaster

Post by manwithtitties » Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:55 am

Damn my VM jazzmaster will be 10 years old next year. I preordered mine immediately when they announced the vintage correct ones. Great guitars.

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