Surfysonic's Dream Custom Jazzmaster Build...

[Veitchy]

Thanks, Mike! Yeah, they really work for my modern/vintage vibe with this one. You know, I've gone through a few hum-cancelling Jazzmaster pickups claiming to have that single coil vibe/tone. They're all decent (Fralin, Novak, and Brandonwound) but the JBE Two-Tones for Jazzmaster pickups do it best. They really, really nail that single coil vibe in split-coil mode. I can clearly hear the difference when playing surf tunes when compared to the other hum-cancelling pickups. Of the others, Novak comes very close. Fralin and Brandonwound are terrific in their own way and sound similar to my ears.

I have JBE Gattons in my Tele and mostly love them. I've always been curious about the JM Pickups. One question: in the regular/pot down/however you wire it mode, are they voiced like a humbucker/PAF sort of sound, or is it a JM voicing with more output?

[Surfysonic]

I have JBE Gattons in my Tele and mostly love them. I've always been curious about the JM Pickups. One question: in the regular/pot down/however you wire it mode, are they voiced like a humbucker/PAF sort of sound, or is it a JM voicing with more output?

Mike (mbene085) may have a better memory of it since he used to own this set. While in humbucker mode, it still retains the JM voicing with more output (or fuller) than the clearer single coil tone to my ears.

[Surfysonic]

Finally found a decent anodized gold pickguard on Reverb (seller: Fenderparts & Pickguards). This is what I envisioned the build to look like. I did like the Decoboom black pickguard so I'll definitely repurpose it at some point.

[Surfysonic]

I got a bit bored and found myself not playing this guitar in its current state. The pickups are fantastic but I kind of wanted to make use of my Fralin Hum-Cancelling Jazzmaster pickups because, unlike the JBE pickups currently installed, it doesn't require the S-1 switch (to go from humbucker to single coil) and I can use the more traditional cream or white Jazzmaster pickup covers and knobs. The JBE pickup covers cannot be swapped out.

So I did a thing. The MJT body was essentially the same cost of a new Squier guitar (depending on the model, of course) and I've gained a wee bit more knowledge in properly refinishing a guitar (not perfect still, but hey, I'm better than before, ). I had a couple more cans of Gracey's Dark Sherwood Green at my disposal, I decided to refinish the guitar to one of my dream finishes for a JM or Jag. It's not a Fender Sherwood Green Metallic perfect finish, but I like this Dark Sherwood Green a lot.

Also, I wised up and bought some aerosol spray nozzles that easily adjust the fan-shaped spray pattern to be vertical or horizontal. These nozzles resolved my droplets issue when using stock nozzles on other refinish efforts, resulting in a much more even finish. Keep in mind that this is a lightly relic'd body. I was concerned with regards to the clear coat from MJT how it would react to the new finish and then new clear but all seems to be fine so far. Looking closely at the body, I can still see some of the grain swirl, which I quite like. Unfortunately, I'm not able to capture that while it's curing in the office. I'll try for a photo when the guitar is put back together in a couple of weeks.









For once, I'm not going to do a matching headstock as the neck is too lovely to mess with. I always mess up the sides of the headstock (paint drips, bleeds, etc.) and my tape lines leave a lot to be desired.

Here's some pickguard options with either white pickup covers & white knobs or aged white/cream pickup covers & aged white/cream knobs. Some of these aftermarket pickguards (Decoboom, Greasy Groove, etc.) aren't great fits for either set of pickup covers but I'll do a little hand sanding on sides of the pickup covers (or if necessary, some of the pickguards).

Ideally, I'd like to go with aged white/cream pickup covers and knobs but I'm putting up the plain white covers and knobs to see what works best.

Greasy Groove - aged white/cream...





Greasy Groove - white...





Squier J Mascis JM Orangey Anodized Gold - aged white/cream...





Squier J Mascis JM Orangey Anodized Gold - white...





Aftermarket Fender Jazzmaster 60's (lighter) Gold Anodized Pickguard - aged white/cream...





Aftermarket Fender Jazzmaster 60's (lighter) Gold Anodized Pickguard - white...





Decoboom Black - aged white/cream... This is a contender as the pickguard is black/cream/black.





Decoboom Black - white...





Mint - aged white/cream...





Mint - white...





Parchment - aged white/cream...





Parchment - white... I think this is also a contender.





Thoughts and constructive feedback and suggestions are always welcome!

[Embenny]

That looks sharp as heck. I like the lighter gold guard, the mint and the parchment guards the most. Tough to pick a favourite between them. Parchment with aged white plastics is probably #1 for me, but not by a wide margin.

[Surfysonic]

Thanks, Mike! Initially, I thought I'd go for the mint but the parchment with aged white/cream or white are really great choices. Probably my #1 so far is the parchment with aged white/cream, too. That way I can leave the white-covered Kinman pickups as well as having the stock anodized gold pickguard on my Squier 40th Anni.

[nashmaster]

That parchment guard is the way to go. Can't wait to see the finished product!

[Surfysonic]

Thanks, nashmaster! As much as I want to put it back together sooner than later, I'm trying my best to be patient to give the body more time to cure before the final wetsanding process. I'll probably put it all back together in early August.

[marqueemoon]

The mint/cream combo is my favorite, but the black also looks really good.

[DeathJag]

Pah-chm'nt

[Surfysonic]

Done & done...



The pickup covers I planned on using don't work with the Fralin Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster pickups, so I had to go with another set - they're a bit lighter than normal cream colored ones. The only JM wiring harness available from Gunstreet at the time was with the white rhythmn switch - I'm fine with it - maybe I'll try to put some tea on it to darken it up a tad.

I love how I can still see the grain on the body. As usual, I made a couple of goofs, here and there. Don't look at the back - yes, I put a hole in it as I used the wrong screw for a grounding wire.

Also, I was a bit too heavy handed in some areas during the wetsand - some of the green came off and you can see a bit of the original blonde wash finish...which is fine?