Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

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matsasf
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Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Tue Nov 30, 2021 7:44 am

Hello everyone, first-time poster here, and a new member of the offset family!

So I have a Squier Classic Vibe Late 50s White Blonde coming my way in about a week and I am planning to upgrade basically everything.
This is what I have in mind so far:
  • ~Fender AM Vint. Tremolo Jaguar/Jazzm.~ decided to go with a Halon trem after all
  • ~Fender AM Vintage Trem Bar Jazzmaster~ decided to go with a Halon trem after all
  • Fender AM Vintage Tuners Staggered
  • Fender Pure Vintage Jazzmaster PU Set
  • Halon Bridge (1060 steel with ms 58 brass saddles 52.5 string spacing)
Also, I am considering asking my local tech to craft a new bone nut (the spec sheet says it's already bone, but I. find that hard to believe), and changing all the wiring and pots to better quality equivalents.

Am I doing this right? Any objections/suggestions are welcome!
Last edited by matsasf on Thu Dec 02, 2021 4:14 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by mcbrandt » Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:28 am

Make sure the tuners fit the neck. I have a vintage modified squier JM and when I swapped the neck out to a Mexi one the tuners that came on the squier had a smaller diameter and I had to replace them as well. Don't know if that's the case with Custom Vibe Squiers, though.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by fuzzking » Tue Nov 30, 2021 10:27 am

oh, I wouldn't plan on upgrading too many things beforehand (well I did swap parts, but that's only because I have an insane parts drawer). I have one from the same series (the burst one), and only thing that bothered me was the trem (no smooth release, arm a tad short). the guitar was perfectly fine out of the box and a little setup. fretboard was dry, though. I'd say play it for a while and only then upgrade stuff
Nobody exists on purpose.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Tue Nov 30, 2021 11:54 am

Thank you both for your replies!

mcbrandt:
I forgot all about compatibility issues with tuners. I've read a review from a guy that used the non-staggered version on a classic vibe just fine, so I hope it will be the same for me. (https://www.thomann.de/gr/fender_vintage_tuners_rh.htm)
Plus the product page says
Included adapter sleeves and screws
which I suppose refers to the bushings.
If they don't fit without drilling bigger holes I am ok with having that done.


fuzzking:
I am sure the guitar is perfectly fine as is, and certainly won't be a hindrance for my level. However I am jumping on an opportunity to purchase parts at a lower price, plus I got some Xmas bonus money and my GAS needs feeding. Yours ofc is the correct level headed approach.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by alexpigment » Tue Nov 30, 2021 5:24 pm

I understand the urge to do most of these upgrades, but I'd leave the tuners alone unless you have actual issues with them. There only is a slight visual difference when comparing the tuning buttons to an "American" equivalent, but I've personally found no difference in functionality. Given the incompatibility with hole sizes, it just feels like added annoyance/expensive for little to no gain. Then again, it's your guitar and your money, so you do you ;)

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by Fiddy » Tue Nov 30, 2021 6:27 pm

Don't forget to upgrade the body and the neck too.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Wed Dec 01, 2021 12:59 am

alexpigment
Thanks for your comment, I hear that and I probably will follow your advice after all, I thought there would be an improvement in functionality as well, but if there is none, I find it hard to justify as well.

tribi9
That will probably happen down the line. At some point, I will get a body and neck, or have them made, and return the guitar to its original specs to sell it off.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by gibs » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:29 pm

Everything on the classic vibe units is usable as is, the only thing worth dumping money into on a them is a full pocket neck shim. Putting a little work in to set it up properly goes a long way. Do not replace the tuners, I was planning on getting drop in locking versions, but after realizing the strengths of the split shaft design, they are completely useable as is, and only marginally slower to change string on than a locking type (definitely faster than non locking standard tuners). The stock tuners work, and hold the strings well, provided they’re properly wrapped on the peg (after inserting into the slot). The nut is pretty good, it might indeed be bone, get harder than graphite when I slotted it for larger gauge strings. Loctite the bridge height screws and saddle screws and the guitar is good to go. I’ll give the trem, as I do plan on replacing mine with either a AVRI or a panorama (when they show up for sale) pickups are also very useable and sound authentic, I’m sure there’s better, but I don’t know that it’s worth dumping money into unless your real picky. Electronics will probably need replaced sooner or later, I wouldn’t expect the toggle switch to last long (mine crapped out the first week). Only thing I plan on changing nownother than the trem is to customize the electronics for my play style (series/parallel switch, might run both pickups through the rhythm circuit).

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:06 am

Gibs
Thank you very much for sharing your experience, I am totally with you on the split shaft tuner train. The ones I want to get are also split shaft, just supposedly higher quality (although alexpigment challenged that). I had a CV strat as my first guitar which had the same ones and I really liked them, although to be fair I haven't had any experience with locking ones.
In regards to the nut, I am planning on putting on a hybrid set 10-52 so I suppose the nut will be needing some filling, at least for the lower strings.
The bridge and tremolo are already a done deal. I have ordered them from Halon and they should be ready by tomorrow, however, I'll get my hands on them around xmas.

Your experience with the electronics probably sealed the deal for me, I will be changing them ASAP. I only have to decide whether I will do it myself or have the tech do it.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by alexpigment » Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:19 am

matsasf wrote:
Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:06 am
The ones I want to get are also split shaft, just supposedly higher quality (although alexpigment challenged that). I had a CV strat as my first guitar which had the same ones and I really liked them, although to be fair I haven't had any experience with locking ones.
To be clear, I'm not saying that the "American" tuners (I don't think they're made in America) aren't higher quality parts. I'm just saying I didn't notice any significant difference in functionality that would make me want to have to modify the guitar to replace them. Hopefully that clears things up. Also, I do want to mention that the early CV guitars that were Made in China use different tuners than the current Indonesian ones. The Chinese ones are closer in spec and appearance to the ones on MIA/MIM guitars, and are slightly higher quality overall. The general feeling I have is that Chinese CVs are much easier to mod with American spec parts, and the Indo ones are kinda off spec in a lot of ways, but still great guitars.

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:03 pm

Thank you again for the more in-depth analysis alexpigment. I wasn't aware of the Chinese vs Indonesia made differences. My strat CV was made in china, but the JM seems to be made in Indonesia. I tried one in a local store and I didn't notice anything off, rather I was quite impressed by the build quality (especially compared to an Epiphone Casino which I was also considering). I find it hard to imagine the hardware sourced for a specific series, (CV in this case) is different depending on the factory, so I am expecting/hoping there won't be any compatibility issues. Oh well :P we shall see, and I will be posting how it goes!

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by gibs » Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:16 pm

matsasf wrote:
Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:03 pm
Thank you again for the more in-depth analysis alexpigment. I wasn't aware of the Chinese vs Indonesia made differences. My strat CV was made in china, but the JM seems to be made in Indonesia. I tried one in a local store and I didn't notice anything off, rather I was quite impressed by the build quality (especially compared to an Epiphone Casino which I was also considering). I find it hard to imagine the hardware sourced for a specific series, (CV in this case) is different depending on the factory, so I am expecting/hoping there won't be any compatibility issues. Oh well :P we shall see, and I will be posting how it goes!
The only thing I’ve heard is the mounting hole for the rhythm circuit bracket is slightly off on one screw on the CV vs American parts. Maybe the thimble size is different. Can’t think of too many other things being different other possibly requiring some work on the tremolo cavity, (which seems to always be necessary on any import).

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by alexpigment » Thu Dec 02, 2021 4:39 pm

gibs wrote:
Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:16 pm
The only thing I’ve heard is the mounting hole for the rhythm circuit bracket is slightly off on one screw on the CV vs American parts. Maybe the thimble size is different. Can’t think of too many other things being different other possibly requiring some work on the tremolo cavity, (which seems to always be necessary on any import).
Those may be all the main differences for the Jazzmaster (aside from the tuner incompatibility). I was really referring to the Indonesian CVs as a series when I said they're off spec in a lot of ways. This became very apparent to me with a recent CV 60s Strat; I simply wanted to swap the bright white plastics with a mint pickguard and fender aged white covers/knobs. I had a drill an extra hole for the pickguard (one screw was in a completely different place), the pickups didn't fit under standard pickup covers, the screws were all the wrong size/shape, trem cavity was routed in a weird way that a replacement bridge didn't fully cover up, etc. None of these things made the guitar any less great - it just made it more of a pain to replace parts compared to the original CV series (note: I also consider the J Mascis JM and Squier Deluxe JM a part of the original CVs, since they were made in the same factory).

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by JSett » Thu Dec 02, 2021 10:55 pm

tribi9 wrote:
Tue Nov 30, 2021 6:27 pm
Don't forget to upgrade the body and the neck too.
:D :D :D
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: Jazzmaster Upgrades Help! (SQ CV FSR late 50s WBL)

Post by matsasf » Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:45 am

alexpigment wrote:
Thu Dec 02, 2021 4:39 pm
gibs wrote:
Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:16 pm
The only thing I’ve heard is the mounting hole for the rhythm circuit bracket is slightly off on one screw on the CV vs American parts. Maybe the thimble size is different. Can’t think of too many other things being different other possibly requiring some work on the tremolo cavity, (which seems to always be necessary on any import).
Those may be all the main differences for the Jazzmaster (aside from the tuner incompatibility). I was really referring to the Indonesian CVs as a series when I said they're off spec in a lot of ways. This became very apparent to me with a recent CV 60s Strat; I simply wanted to swap the bright white plastics with a mint pickguard and fender aged white covers/knobs. I had a drill an extra hole for the pickguard (one screw was in a completely different place), the pickups didn't fit under standard pickup covers, the screws were all the wrong size/shape, trem cavity was routed in a weird way that a replacement bridge didn't fully cover up, etc. None of these things made the guitar any less great - it just made it more of a pain to replace parts compared to the original CV series (note: I also consider the J Mascis JM and Squier Deluxe JM a part of the original CVs, since they were made in the same factory).
So if I am understanding correctly they moved the production of all CVs to Indonesia, interesting. Luckily I won't be changing the pickguard, however, you got me a bit scared with the strange routing and replacement bridge, but on the other hand, the strat bridge is a different beast. I've only seen one video where the guy was trying to put a replacement bridge on a J.mascis https://youtu.be/3mt4mRnMEtE?t=135 and some minor routing might have been needed.
Also, there is this guy who has upgraded the bridge on a late 50s CV JM with the same one I am gonna use https://www.facebook.com/story.php?stor ... 6646508524
Finally, in regard to the mounting hole for the rhythm circuit bracket, I am hoping that will be taken care of by my tech, and I hope this can be resolved by modifying the bracket rather than the guitar.

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