NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
- grayn
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NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
After a period of not playing surf guitar, I had a strong urge to return to reverb heaven. So, for me it had to be a Strat or
Jazzmaster. So I went out today to try a few. I decided to try some from Fender's Vintera range. So I picked up a 60s
Strat, in ice blue and a 60s JM, in artic white. All sounds very chilly. Anyway, both were nicely made guitars, with some
60s features. Nice pickups and smooth trems made for some cool sounds, through the shop's Deluxe Reverb combo.
Of course, I had to try out some other guitars and so preceeded to twang furiously on a Fender Noventa JM, a Player Plus
Strat, a Squier 40th Anniv Strat and a Vintage John Verity Sig Strat. The Noventa was very cool but I didn't think the P90 pickups
quite had the sound I was looking for. The Player Plus was quite a stunner, that played well but again, the pickups didn't
hit the spot for me. The 40th Anniv was very pretty and well made but felt and sounded a bit cheap. The cheapest guitar I
tried was the Vintage J.V. Sig and it nearly stole the show. It was less than half the price of the Vinteras but was a really
well made guitar, with a gorgeous blue colour, with matching headstock, Wilkinson, very smooth trem, locking tuners and
awesome pickups. I seriously considered getting it but realised that it's sound was probably best suited to blues, rather than
surf.
So it was down to the 2 60s Vinteras, I'd started with. There wasn't a lot to choose between them, for nice playability and good
tones. But I went for the Jazzmaster, as to my ears, it just sounds so surfy and of course, looks so cool. The artic white has a
slightly creamy hue to it, that is set off very nicely, by the tortoiseshell pick guard. I'm always a bit nervous of the trems you get
with JMs and Jags but this one has no clunks, clicks or rattles thus far and is very smooth and keeping very much in tune. So
it's home and getting a lot of play.
Jazzmaster. So I went out today to try a few. I decided to try some from Fender's Vintera range. So I picked up a 60s
Strat, in ice blue and a 60s JM, in artic white. All sounds very chilly. Anyway, both were nicely made guitars, with some
60s features. Nice pickups and smooth trems made for some cool sounds, through the shop's Deluxe Reverb combo.
Of course, I had to try out some other guitars and so preceeded to twang furiously on a Fender Noventa JM, a Player Plus
Strat, a Squier 40th Anniv Strat and a Vintage John Verity Sig Strat. The Noventa was very cool but I didn't think the P90 pickups
quite had the sound I was looking for. The Player Plus was quite a stunner, that played well but again, the pickups didn't
hit the spot for me. The 40th Anniv was very pretty and well made but felt and sounded a bit cheap. The cheapest guitar I
tried was the Vintage J.V. Sig and it nearly stole the show. It was less than half the price of the Vinteras but was a really
well made guitar, with a gorgeous blue colour, with matching headstock, Wilkinson, very smooth trem, locking tuners and
awesome pickups. I seriously considered getting it but realised that it's sound was probably best suited to blues, rather than
surf.
So it was down to the 2 60s Vinteras, I'd started with. There wasn't a lot to choose between them, for nice playability and good
tones. But I went for the Jazzmaster, as to my ears, it just sounds so surfy and of course, looks so cool. The artic white has a
slightly creamy hue to it, that is set off very nicely, by the tortoiseshell pick guard. I'm always a bit nervous of the trems you get
with JMs and Jags but this one has no clunks, clicks or rattles thus far and is very smooth and keeping very much in tune. So
it's home and getting a lot of play.
- IrishBread69
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
That's super nice. Looks like you got a nice dark PF board too which is a result.
May it bring you years of pleasure.
May it bring you years of pleasure.
- Veitchy
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
Great guitar. The Vintera offsets are where it's at in terms of quality/bucks for me at the moment. All the vinteras I've played have had super nice neck shapes too. If I saw a good deal on a vintera JM Neck I'd actually be interested in picking one up.
- MayTheFuzzBeWithYou
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
White & Tortoise = + Matching Headstock =
Great choice here! Some years ago I thought a white matching headstock wouldn't be worth it... but hell yeah, it is! Congrats and enjoy!
Great choice here! Some years ago I thought a white matching headstock wouldn't be worth it... but hell yeah, it is! Congrats and enjoy!
- smjenkins
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
That looks great. Congrats! I would oil up that fretboard to darken it. I bet it would end up really close to the hue of the tort guard and look wonderful together.
- grayn
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
I hear what you say but what the pics don't really show, is the lovely grain on the fretboard, which is not dry at all.
Having said that, I am sure that some lemon oil will find it's way onto the fretboard, at some time.
- JPCordingley
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
What a stunner! I know a lot of people aren't keen on pau ferro and want to darken it to look like rosewood but I actually like the look of it in its own right - I played a Duo Sonic in a shop a few years back and the fretboard had this orangey streak in it that just popped. Love the matching headstock (all guitars should have one unless they have a maple board - in which case they definitely shouldn't). Enjoy your new guitar and ride those waves!
- HotlineBirdman
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
Looks gorgeous!
- zenarcade
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
Finally a white vintera. I like it. White goes much better with the lighter pau ferro fretboard and tort than the ice blue one imo.
- mrventures
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
How is the quality of the electronics (pots, wiring, switches, jack, etc.) on the Vintera JMs? I'm considering one as a modding platform, but may not be worthwhile if the internals are shoddy.
I also enjoy the color on this one. That matched headstock adds a special something for sure!
I also enjoy the color on this one. That matched headstock adds a special something for sure!
- Downsman
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
I have the IBM Vintera JM, and the electronics are fine. I've changed the pots to 500k push pull ones after putting in a WRHB, to coil split it, and using the other one to put the pickups in series, but kept the existing wiring and other bits where I could. I also replaced the solid looking .01 cap with a cheap .0068 one as I wanted to extend the useable range a bit. Probably a downgrade quality wise, but I trusted all the people saying a cap either works or it doesn't so no need to splash out on expensive ones.mrventures wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 7:49 amHow is the quality of the electronics (pots, wiring, switches, jack, etc.) on the Vintera JMs? I'm considering one as a modding platform, but may not be worthwhile if the internals are shoddy.
I also enjoy the color on this one. That matched headstock adds a special something for sure!
Didn't see any reason to change anything else. I have three Vinteras now, an OTM Jaguar, the JM and a Road Worn 60s Strat, so you could say I'm a fan of the series
- mrventures
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
Thanks for chiming in. Glad to know you think so highly of them! How was the wiring neatness? I’ve seen inside some AmPro IIs (via videos) that were nearly a rat’s nest on the inside…do the Vinteras suffer the same fate?Downsman wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:15 am
I have the IBM Vintera JM, and the electronics are fine. I've changed the pots to 500k push pull ones after putting in a WRHB, to coil split it, and using the other one to put the pickups in series, but kept the existing wiring and other bits where I could.
- Downsman
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
Think it was reasonably tidy. It's a rat's nest now, but that's my doingmrventures wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 10:25 am
Thanks for chiming in. Glad to know you think so highly of them! How was the wiring neatness? I’ve seen inside some AmPro IIs (via videos) that were nearly a rat’s nest on the inside…do the Vinteras suffer the same fate?
- mrventures
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- HotlineBirdman
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Re: NGD: Fender Vntera 60s Jazzmaster
I absolutely agree with this re: headstocks.JPCordingley wrote: ↑Tue May 03, 2022 10:42 pmWhat a stunner! I know a lot of people aren't keen on pau ferro and want to darken it to look like rosewood but I actually like the look of it in its own right - I played a Duo Sonic in a shop a few years back and the fretboard had this orangey streak in it that just popped. Love the matching headstock (all guitars should have one unless they have a maple board - in which case they definitely shouldn't). Enjoy your new guitar and ride those waves!