I want your Jazzmaster input "input".

[bass917]

Just looking for peoples thoughts on Jazzmaster input jack location. Im really on the fence (not literally....; looking at you BroccoliRob!) with this one, pickguard or side mount? Maybe pros and cons of both? Pickguard mount looks like it would be in the way with a straight lead, and ive always thought of it as a "cheap" option, but have no particular reason why i do.
This is about the last option on my build before i put my order in and i just cant make up my mind. Guitar wont be a traditional Jazzmaster either, more of a contemporary humbucking weapon of mass destruction.

 

[stratamania]

If it is going to be a contemporary humbucker model and not traditional put it on the side. And as a radical step have it rear routed and have no pickguard. And then Bob is your Uncle Brassica...

As for weapons of mass destruction, they are overrated.

 

[bass917]

I did toy with the idea of a rear rout and as i want a minimalist approach using only a bridge humbucker and single volume control i liked the look of it. But the thing that turned me off is that the rear cavity is so big and mostly just wasted space with only the one control (albeit weight relief). Im also a bit of a chicken, so thoughts were that i could top rout for 2 humbuckers and use single humbucker /pickguard and that would give me options if later i changed my mind.

Perhaps just a weapon of practice amp destruction then.

 

[bass917]

Sorry didnt realize this was gallery only section, mods feel free to delete or move.

 

[Kostas]

...pickguard or side mount? Maybe pros and cons of both? Pickguard mount looks like it would be in the way with a straight lead, and ive always thought of it as a "cheap" option...

Pickguard: Traditional looking, it's where we have been used seeing it.
Side: Most comfortable, out of your way. If it looks good for you choose this.

Straight connector...why? All my cables have angled connectors on one side, they look & feel tidy on every guitar except traditional strats but no cable looks tidy on a strat...IMO.

I did toy with the idea of a rear rout and as i want a minimalist approach using only a bridge humbucker and single volume control i liked the look of it. But the thing that turned me off is that the rear cavity is so big and mostly just wasted space with only the one control (albeit weight relief). Im also a bit of a chicken, so thoughts were that i could top rout for 2 humbuckers and use single humbucker /pickguard and that would give me options if later i changed my mind...

It's a custom guitar, you can do anything you want but why limit yourself with one pickup? I have an one pickup guitar, it's fun playing it but it limits you. The Jazzmaster body looks equally good to me, top or rear routed provided you won't use the traditional tremolo. If you are using the jazz trem I want the pickguard to complete the look. Also, a top routed guitar like the Jazz gives you the option to change pickups. Today you have HB's tomorrow you order another pickguard for single coils or Filtetrons etc

 

[bass917]

A single pickup guitar has just been on my list for so long and ive always just dug them. Limited yes, but not crippled.

Plus it was good enough for EVH.

 

[rgand]

For another option, I chose to put the jack on my JM on a Strat jackplate flipped over. It takes either a straight or angled cable end easily.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I’ve always wanted to do a single humbucker build and wire it with a Tele 4-way switch like the coils were separate pickups: screw / both parallel / slug / both series.

As to the topic, I kinda like the Jazzmaster pickguard mounted jack. It can get in the way of the trem arm, but so can a Strat jack. I’ve never had it get in the way of my playing. But I also don’t windmill. I do like that it keeps the cable jack out of the way when sitting on the floor twiddling knobs.

 

[Rick]

On my recent jazz master humbucker build I put the input on the side.  Why? Because that's where I like it.  Also, it makes it different then the normal jazzy so it's a double win.

 

[molul]

I've been thinking about Jazzmaster input location lately. I considered a side hole and a strat-like hole, but I "simulated" it with a friend's Jazzmaster (I mean, I took the guitar and tried to reach the location of both options) and neither seemed comfortable to me. I understood why it was where it is.

I'm putting the input on its default location and I'll use an angled Jack cable so it doesn't pop out that much.

 

[Cagey]

Wise move.

But, the location you're probably thinking of is already being used by the OUTPUT jack. NOW whaddaya gonna do? :laughing7:

I know, I'm being pedantic. And to be fair, there's never been a steadfast rule/law/convention about whether 1/4" phone connectors are inputs or outputs just by whether you're looking at the male/female, plug/jack side of things. They both do that duty. Whether they're ins or outs depends on signal flow, which is often only indicated by panel markings, which you never get on guitars. But, guitars are almost always a source of signal, so it's a pretty safe bet that if you see a 1/4" connector jack, it's an output, even though you plug INTO it.

 

[molul]

Wise move.

But, the location you're probably thinking of is already being used by the OUTPUT jack. NOW whaddaya gonna do? :laughing7:

I know, I'm being pedantic. And to be fair, there's never been a steadfast rule/law/convention about whether 1/4" phone connectors are inputs or outputs just by whether you're looking at the male/female, plug/jack side of things. They both do that duty. Whether they're ins or outs depends on signal flow, which is often only indicated by panel markings, which you never get on guitars. But, guitars are almost always a source of signal, so it's a pretty safe bet that if you see a 1/4" connector jack, it's an output, even though you plug INTO it.

LOL you just blew my mind for a moment. I was like "fudge, there was another connection and I hadn't realised so far?" XDDD

 

[Cagey]

Hehe! Yeah, like I said, I was just being pedantic. I get that way with bridges/tailpieces, too. Guitars don't have trems, they have vibrato bridges/tailpieces. Tremolo is a regular wavering change in volume. Vibrato is a regular wavering change in pitch.

 

[BroccoliRob]

yo i say mount a jack to the pickguard AND to the side, and wire them to a mini toggle so you can switch to whichever jack you feel like pluggin' into that day. BONUS now you have a kill switch effect if you can flick and flop it real quickly

 

[Logrinn]

yo i say mount a jack to the pickguard AND to the side, and wire them to a mini toggle so you can switch to whichever jack you feel like pluggin' into that day. BONUS now you have a kill switch effect if you can flick and flop it real quickly

That’s a brilliant idea! :icon_thumright:

 

[bass917]

yo i say mount a jack to the pickguard AND to the side, and wire them to a mini toggle so you can switch to whichever jack you feel like pluggin' into that day. BONUS now you have a kill switch effect if you can flick and flop it real quickly

Reminds me of the guitarist for Local H. Being just him and a drummer, he had a bass pickup and a regular pick up in his guitar. Both independent of each other with separate jacks and running to seperate amps.
So copacetic.

 

[frown]

I say side. But I like the cleaner look on the top...

 

[BigSteve22]

Just my 2 cents, but my JM  has a pickguard mounted jack, and if I built another, the jack would be in the same place. It's a rather large body to start off, and the offset puts the lower bout even lower. Because I usually play seated, a side mounted jack would be scraping what ever I was sitting on. Although I must say, the side mounted jack on my Mooncaster works just fine with an angled plug.

 

[bass917]

Wise move.

But, the location you're probably thinking of is already being used by the OUTPUT jack. NOW whaddaya gonna do? :laughing7:

I know, I'm being pedantic. And to be fair, there's never been a steadfast rule/law/convention about whether 1/4" phone connectors are inputs or outputs just by whether you're looking at the male/female, plug/jack side of things. They both do that duty. Whether they're ins or outs depends on signal flow, which is often only indicated by panel markings, which you never get on guitars. But, guitars are almost always a source of signal, so it's a pretty safe bet that if you see a 1/4" connector jack, it's an output, even though you plug INTO it.

I think of it as an output aswell and only used "input" because thats what Warmoth call it.

 

[Cagey]

Indeed they do. Site's kinda like a hospital - always under construction. Apparently, that's going to have to be bullet item 9,482 on the bug report and somebody's gonna have to do some editing  :laughing7: