(T?)NGD: AV65 CFM Jazzmaster

[rbrcbr]

So the T in the title is for temporary, as I'm unsure of whether I'm going to reasonably be able to keep this. Buuuuuut, I've been wanting a CFM AV65 since they came out, and never was able to afford it (you could argue that I cannot right now, but that's where credit cards would say you're wrong ) and then COVID made it impossible to find them all of a sudden.



This one popped up on Reverb 2 nights ago and immediately I panicked, as I remember passing up on the last one and regretting it deeply. So I made an impulse purchase and told myself I'd put it up against the Blonde '59 Thin Skin I'd "settled" on and keep whichever one was better.

This is where it gets hard. The '59 TS is set up super well right now with 11s, a Mastery, and it's got some Lollar Black Bobbins and 280k pots in it. And it weighs right around just under 8lbs - super light. I've been falling more in love with it lately and the blonde/gold guard combo has especially grown on me.













This AV65 plays really nicely, but the feel is completely different to the '59 right now. It's barely heavier than the blonde - maybe just over 8lbs. The neck is definitely chunkier (I'm a fan but at the same time it's hard to tell which I like better), the traditional bridge set up is much more buzzy and flimsy feeling, and to add to that it's set up with 10s right now and it just feels like spaghetti. The pickups are nice and chimey like I remember, but I'm really digging the warmer, dirtier sounding Black Bobbin sound lately and am slightly put off at the pickups. That's easily remedied if I decide to swap pickups and hardware around, I suppose. I could also give the factory flatwound 11s it came with a try, and see how that feels. But there's also the whole "different guitars for different sounds" thing, so it's easy to justify keeping it either way. I'm sure most of us could rationalize keeping a FSR thin skin if we happened to have one around hahaha. But back to my issue - I can only keep one...unless I sell off a bunch of pedals and other gear that is easier to source down the line.


before the Mastery/strat knobs/pickup swap


I sort of had the feeling this would happen, but convinced myself that I'd be disciplined and not fall prey to the gear lust and just amass more expensive gear. Pretty much nothing else in my stable is able to go on the chopping block - '62 Guild Starfire III, pelham blue refin'd Epi Casino, my J-45, 000-15, so that makes this really tough.

What say ye, denizens of our beloved offset guitar forum? What would you do?

[luau]

They're both really beautiful. I would delay as long as humanly possible, preferably forever.

More practically, get the same strings on each and then you can swap your Mastery back and forth easily enough and make a better decision.

[windmill]

I would be experimenting with how little food I really need.

[Zeus]

...unless I sell off a bunch of pedals and other gear that is easier to source down the line.

Sounds like you've solved the problem!

[marqueemoon]

I would be experimenting with how little food I really need.

This.

[parry]

The responses in this thread would make my wife livid. I however, find them all to be quite reasonable. Well done OSG!

[parry]

And also, lovely guitar(s). I do not envy your need to choose.

[sunburster]

It's a tough decision many of us have been in before: two (or more) great Jazzmasters in the house, but it's difficult to justify owning more than one. Play them both for awhile, and you'll find which one you prefer. If you really think you can use the other one for some good purpose, and/or you have the cash and just want to keep it because you enjoy the luxury of having multiple nice JMs, you might find that to be the better option for you.

I'm very happy with the one I kept, and I don't think about the ones I sold anymore. As a result, I haven't bought a JM in over five years, and I have no plans to do so any time soon.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

I think it was such a Thinskin model that made metallic finishes an option I liked. CFM is still a winner.
The 59 just looks like a expensive JMJM...
But keep what feels and sounds best!

[Larsongs]

Both are awesome Guitars.. You have good taste!

But, If I had to let one of those go it wouldn’t be that beautiful White 59 Thinskin JM…

[Nevets]

I was in a similar position when I bought my AV65 some years ago. The 60's classic had to go. I still have both.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Charcoal Frost is one of my all-time favorite colors, and it's even classier with a parchment guard to me. Although, CFM is one of the few colors that almost always looks good with tort to me (I almost never prefer tort with most colors).

[DavidG]

It'd be an easy decision for me, as I'm not a fan of that CFM! Sacrilege around here I know!

Got to go with the one which plays and sounds the best to you

[garyfanclub]

ooooffff I don't envy you, that CFM JM is gorgeous (add tort and it's my dream JM)

I'd go with a quick string change and see what you think after you've swapped to your usual gauge. Agree that 10's on a JM is going to feel sloppy and probably sound pretty plinky... "Feel" is always the deciding factor for me and a new guitar - does it play a certain way that I find inspiring? Maybe it's not *exactly* how my others play, but sometimes that's nice and it'll force me to take a different approach to what I'm writing... same for tone, I wouldn't want 2 guitars that sound exactly the same. Not trying to justify you keeping both or anything ...

Agree that the AV65 pickups can be a bit much on the high end. Like I said, I'm running flats and I still find myself avoiding the bridge PU entirely and riding the Vol/Tone controls.

[BoringPostcards]

Throw a tort on that and it is my dream guitar. Can't go wrong with blonde and gold guard either.... tough choice indeed.