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I want an offset. Gimme your holy grail specs?

Hodgo

Hodgo

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I have literally never played a Jag, Mustang, or Jazzmaster. While I could go play one, I kind of want to just build a “holy grail” example from parts - buy once cry once.

I’ve done my own research and listened to clips and am pretty settled on something in the 58-64 JM style, with maybe a few tweaks (roasted neck, 10.5” radius, mastery bridge).

I’d like to hear from you fine folks on what your personal grail offsets guitar would be - which model, what specs, whose pickups etc?
 
No JagStang? I had one about 25 years ago and it was really comfortable... I'd build another with two humbuckers instead of the single
 
HumanisHappy said:
How different are those jazzmaster specific pickups versus a regular humbucker?
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JM pickups are low, flat, wide single coils. I’m not likely to go with humbuckers.

rockandroller said:
No JagStang? I had one about 25 years ago and it was really comfortable... I'd build another with two humbuckers instead of the single
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Man… I don’t like the JagStang body but I love this modified version a poster over on OffSetGuitars came up with

IMG_2355.png
 
Hodgo said:
I have literally never played a Jag, Mustang, or Jazzmaster. While I could go play one, I kind of want to just build a “holy grail” example from parts - buy once cry once.

I’ve done my own research and listened to clips and am pretty settled on something in the 58-64 JM style, with maybe a few tweaks (roasted neck, 10.5” radius, mastery bridge).

I’d like to hear from you fine folks on what your personal grail offsets guitar would be - which model, what specs, whose pickups etc?
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Get Novak JM pups. That and the Mastery bridge gets you the true JM tone and non of the bridge issues.
 
My only opinion on that whole direction in guitars is, do not get the neck shaped and/or fingerboard radiused to match the original Jaguar spec from the 60s if you've never played one before! It is a very polarizing shape.

I used a mid-60s Jaguar as my main (actually, my only) guitar in the early 1980s and it was uncanny how weird it was to play.
 
Jazzmasters and Jaguars are much larger than strats and teles. You don’t really notice until it’s hanging from a strap. They hang differently and that could be an ok thing if you know it ahead of time and are ok with it.

Another note is that the warmoth Jazzmaster has the bridge pickup futher from the bridge than on fender and other vintage correct bodies. Some offset aficionados care about this a lot. Other builders like Musikraft, Rosser, MJT, BloomDoom all do more correct pickup placements.
 
That’s going to be a wide target, “Holy Grail” specs vary quite a bit! Jazzmaster is my favorite of the mentioned models. I have two, both with vintage spec Jazzmaster pickups: a set of Revels in one and Rumplestiltskins in the other. Some folks despise the “dark” (upper) circuit to the point that they will tape the switch off or remove it entirely, but I love it! Typically the dark circuit is neck-pickup-only, but I have one of mine wired so the pickup selector is still active. I love the sounds from it! My other JM takes a cue from the Ultra series: the upper circuit puts the pickups in series with dedicated vol/tone and an S1 switch puts the pickups out of phase. I actually captured audio samples of both of them when I built them, I’ll try to link them here.

https://on.soundcloud.com/jcDBQXqycaBtKSKmPB

https://on.soundcloud.com/pXSjvb1LQc6lozAPnI
 
TBurst Std said:
Get Novak JM pups. That and the Mastery bridge gets you the true JM tone and non of the bridge issues.
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That’s how I’m leaning - JM-Historics 58s or 62s
Bob Hoover Ross said:
My only opinion on that whole direction in guitars is, do not get the neck shaped and/or fingerboard radiused to match the original Jaguar spec from the 60s if you've never played one before! It is a very polarizing shape.

I used a mid-60s Jaguar as my main (actually, my only) guitar in the early 1980s and it was uncanny how weird it was to play.
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Yeah… know my personal preference here pretty well at this point. 59 Roundback or 66 Oval C Strat, 9.5” or higher radius, preferably raw and oiled over lacquer. Won’t stick to Leo’s vintage recipe for this build.
supertruper1988 said:
Jazzmasters and Jaguars are much larger than strats and teles. You don’t really notice until it’s hanging from a strap. They hang differently and that could be an ok thing if you know it ahead of time and are ok with it.

Another note is that the warmoth Jazzmaster has the bridge pickup futher from the bridge than on fender and other vintage correct bodies. Some offset aficionados care about this a lot. Other builders like Musikraft, Rosser, MJT, BloomDoom all do more correct pickup placements.
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Cant be as bad as a Firebird! I think Warmoth may be out if I decide to shell out for a Spitfire tortoise guard.
Verne Bunsen said:
That’s going to be a wide target, “Holy Grail” specs vary quite a bit!
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Sounds great! And yeah - I wanted to really know for people who bought them, did they have a hero who played one, is there a specific recording that they heard and needed one - and how that shapes their personal grail
 
Warmoth is not really a vintage style parts maker, they do some stuff that’s vintage inspired but mostly the focus is on improving designs and ultimately, compatibility. The Jazzmaster body and Pickguard are quite a bit different from a real Fender. (I think the Warmoth bridge location actually makes for a guitar that’s easier to setup and keep in tune, if I recall correctly)

If I wanted a vintage style a Jazzmaster I’d buy a Warmoth Vintage neck, have it sent to MJT and have them finish it and one of their own Jazzmaster bodies. I agree on the Mastery and Novak, and maybe a GunStreet harness. I’d also get one of those vintage accurate cellulose tort or mint pickguards.

But then again, what do I know. I’m building a flake Warmoth Jazzmaster with matching flake modern neck and either EMG or Duncan Silencer pickups.
 
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Ive ordered a gold anodized pickguard, so choice one is locked in. Finishes are killing me, here’s what I’m considering:

Sherwood Green:
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Sonic Blue:

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Yellowed Variants of Sonic Blue / Daphne Blue / Surf Green:

IMG_2376.jpegIMG_2380.pngIMG_2381.jpeg

Burgundy Mist:

IMG_2382.jpeg

Champagne Flake:


IMG_2375.png
 
I always considered the Jazzmaster the least attractive of Fenders offset models, but I think that's mainly because of the name. 😅

Mustang, Jaguar... those are cool names, but Jazzmaster?
 
Those are all awesome, my first choice is champagne flake. For vintage style I really like Sherwood Green and Burgundy Mist. Are you doing matching headstock? (Do it.. do it…)
 
If you don’t have a flake/sparkle guitar: this is the one to do it on.

Do blend some of your choices together, how about the Ws Turquoise Flake? Not how sure that will work with your Pickguard.

A Red Flake would.
 
Tretgeraet said:
I always considered the Jazzmaster the least attractive of Fenders offset models, but I think that's mainly because of the name. 😅

Mustang, Jaguar... those are cool names, but Jazzmaster?
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I never even wanted one then you had to go and build your Mustang.

PFDarkside said:
Those are all awesome, my first choice is champagne flake. For vintage style I really like Sherwood Green and Burgundy Mist. Are you doing matching headstock? (Do it.. do it…)
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Yeah, big Gretsch vibes from the champagne. Matching headstock… maybe. Then we have to talk binding and blocks and that’s a little too much visual drama

TBurst Std said:
If you don’t have a flake/sparkle guitar: this is the one to do it on.

Do blend some of your choices together, how about the Ws Turquoise Flake? Not how sure that will work with your Pickguard.

A Red Flake would.
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I have two other sparkles - a Chartreuse sparkle Tele and a ruby sparkle thinline.

W might make the neck but their body won’t line up with the pg I ordered. Turquoise flake would be killer though. Green flake - like Bonhams Ludwigs - would be pretty eye catching too.
 
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