Verne Bunsen
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That's a pretty, pretty thing you've got there!
Jazzmaster build
- Thread starter Glimmer
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BigSteve22
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Beautiful Guitar! Shame about the case, did they maybe ship you a Strat/Tele case?
Cagey
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The only thing I've ever liked about Fender cases is that they were rectangular as opposed to the shape-conforming cases some manufacturers offer. Problem with them is usually that the guitar is swimming in the damned thing rather than being too small. I like the rectangular case SKB offers with the form-fitting interior. Keeps the guitar from sloshing around and banging off its prison walls while still being a stackable box. Plus, they're surprising light for as strong as they are.
BigSteve22
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Cagey-I usually try to buy the manufactures case intended for any particular guitar, which is why I bought a Fender Deluxe case, made by G&G, for my Strat. The Strat is a 24.75 conversion scale and fits with about an inch to spare at the headstock while fitting nicely at the lower bout. But I have seen several Fender "Pro" cases that were pretty sloppy fits.
+1 on the SKB cases. Very well built, and nice snug fit. Also worth a look are the Road Runner molded cases. Not quite as expensive as the SKBs, but still a well made case. I think the case for my Ovation acoustic was made by Road Runner. Looks just like them.
+1 on the SKB cases. Very well built, and nice snug fit. Also worth a look are the Road Runner molded cases. Not quite as expensive as the SKBs, but still a well made case. I think the case for my Ovation acoustic was made by Road Runner. Looks just like them.
Glimmer
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Thank you guys for the compliments. 
Dropped the guitar off at the tech's this morning and he also repeated how nice it looked, and how impressed he has always been with Warmoth product. Seemed itching to get going on it, which was also a nice feeling.
Nope, it was their current Jazzmaster/Jaguar offering:
Thing is, the guitar fits into it at an angle:
As you can see, they added a little padding to the shorter sides of the case to better protect the "butt end" and headstock which is great – you can see it's pretty thin in the vintage case – but that shortens the overall interior length. So, while the body of my guitar fit perfectly in the space allotted to it, the neck neither aligned with the slot in the support nor fit in the space allotted to it. As Cagey says, the body fits snugly in the SKB case, and there's plenty of room for the headstock and the neck is better supported. I'm not wild about the plastic exterior – admittedly, I prefer the look and feel of the plywood/tolex models – but have read that the cases are solid and give good protection.
@BigSteve22: were one available for the JM (and did it actually fit the guitar), I would have loved a tweed case such as the one Fender makes for the Strat and Tele. Just love the look and feel.
Dropped the guitar off at the tech's this morning and he also repeated how nice it looked, and how impressed he has always been with Warmoth product. Seemed itching to get going on it, which was also a nice feeling.BigSteve22 said:
Nope, it was their current Jazzmaster/Jaguar offering:
Thing is, the guitar fits into it at an angle:
As you can see, they added a little padding to the shorter sides of the case to better protect the "butt end" and headstock which is great – you can see it's pretty thin in the vintage case – but that shortens the overall interior length. So, while the body of my guitar fit perfectly in the space allotted to it, the neck neither aligned with the slot in the support nor fit in the space allotted to it. As Cagey says, the body fits snugly in the SKB case, and there's plenty of room for the headstock and the neck is better supported. I'm not wild about the plastic exterior – admittedly, I prefer the look and feel of the plywood/tolex models – but have read that the cases are solid and give good protection.
@BigSteve22: were one available for the JM (and did it actually fit the guitar), I would have loved a tweed case such as the one Fender makes for the Strat and Tele. Just love the look and feel.
BigSteve22
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Thanks for the pictures, Glimmer. The SKB case that you ended up with is exactly what I was looking at for my future JM build. I thought about the Fender DeLuxe, (like I said I usually go for Manufactures case), but I really like the way the body fits in the SKB. Kinda makes me wish G&G made a form fitting case for Fenders, but alas, no such luck.
Glimmer
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BigSteve22 said:
Watch out, because I believe the case I ordered was the DeLuxe (at least pics of it look identical to what I got) and a Warmoth JM won't fit in it. It had a metal Fender tag just under the handle and a "Made by G&G" (or something like that) tag on the inner compartment lid. You can see both in the pic above. In the end it was no big deal because I was able to return it, but I did pay $25 to do so.
BigSteve22
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Yeah, sounds like you had the DeLuxe case for sure. That SKB is looking better and better.
The only variable might be, is if I decide on another short scale build. As it stands now, I'm thinking of a 25.5", modern construction with 21 frets, just like a standard JM. (Can't get a 24.75" with 21 frets. I asked.) As always, all plans are subject to change, at any time, for just about any reason.
The only variable might be, is if I decide on another short scale build. As it stands now, I'm thinking of a 25.5", modern construction with 21 frets, just like a standard JM. (Can't get a 24.75" with 21 frets. I asked.) As always, all plans are subject to change, at any time, for just about any reason.
Glimmer
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Time to give the final update on this build, which is now complete:
As I mentioned above, I dropped the guitar off at my tech's just before the holidays. He needed to install and ground the vibrato (it had shipped to me missing a nut, which Mastery sent directly to him), cut a nut for it and set it up, all of which he did in time for my return just after the new year. I picked the guitar up last Monday and have been playing it a couple of hours a day since. Barring any unforeseen issues I think I can finally say: it's done. Here are a few more pics:
I must say that it feels solid, plays beautifully and sounds great: thick, warm, darkish, with just a touch of the JM sparkle when both pickups are on. It doesn’t have the thin, shrill sound that JMs are often criticized for, though it is mighty bright with the volume on 9–10. It’s pretty much what I was hoping to achieve sound- and tone-wise when I set out on this build, and I am very pleasantly surprised about that. FTR I currently have it strung with GHS Boomer 12s, but will switch to Thomastik Infeld Bebop 12s when the time comes. Am curious to see how they'll shape the tone.
Thought I would note that the tech determined that no additional fretwork was necessary, though said he would have recommended it if I was a shredder. :glasses10: Also, given the low break angle over the bridge the neck needed to be shimmed (as evidenced by the bit of white you see at the edge of the neck pocket in the 4th pic), which I've read is not unusual with JMs. Finally, he didn't feel a string tree was necessary, given the height of the tuners. There is a bit of "ring" on the B and E strings and some ringing at the bridge, which is audible unplugged. With the guitar amplified I don't hear it, unless it's part of the characteristic JM sound, as some folks argue.
Just a couple of final thoughts: though this was my first build, everything went smoother than I thought it would. Now, I recognize that I was only assembling, but that nevertheless required some sanding and polishing, drilling into the body and headstock :gasp: , fitting, etc. For someone with absolutely no experience, I am somewhat amazed that I didn’t f@¢k anything up! I attribute that to over-researching and over-worrying about most tasks, and to the recommendations and help I received from folks on this forum, to whom I am grateful. Literally couldn't have even begun to do it without you. Were I to do this again (you never know ), I would honestly consider – fool-heartedly perhaps! – attempting to finish and wire the guitar myself. That would be adding a whole new level of stress and opportunities for disaster, but I think it would also be more satisfying, not to mention challenging.
Finally, I am really impressed with the quality of Warmoth parts. The fit and finish of the body, the feel of the neck, the fact that everything went together pretty much seamlessly, lined up perfectly, etc., I truly appreciate. With respect to their JM my one criticism would be: the pickguard could / perhaps should be slightly reshaped on the bridge side: if you use a Mastery, the southernmost edge of the bridge bumps into the guard. Since Warmoth have redesigned the guard for their bodies, why not adjust that edge a bit to avoid this issue? And I'm still curious about their reasons for routing the pup cavities differently. :icon_scratch:
Over and out.
As I mentioned above, I dropped the guitar off at my tech's just before the holidays. He needed to install and ground the vibrato (it had shipped to me missing a nut, which Mastery sent directly to him), cut a nut for it and set it up, all of which he did in time for my return just after the new year. I picked the guitar up last Monday and have been playing it a couple of hours a day since. Barring any unforeseen issues I think I can finally say: it's done.
Here are a few more pics:
I must say that it feels solid, plays beautifully and sounds great: thick, warm, darkish, with just a touch of the JM sparkle when both pickups are on. It doesn’t have the thin, shrill sound that JMs are often criticized for, though it is mighty bright with the volume on 9–10. It’s pretty much what I was hoping to achieve sound- and tone-wise when I set out on this build, and I am very pleasantly surprised about that. FTR I currently have it strung with GHS Boomer 12s, but will switch to Thomastik Infeld Bebop 12s when the time comes. Am curious to see how they'll shape the tone.
Thought I would note that the tech determined that no additional fretwork was necessary, though said he would have recommended it if I was a shredder. :glasses10: Also, given the low break angle over the bridge the neck needed to be shimmed (as evidenced by the bit of white you see at the edge of the neck pocket in the 4th pic), which I've read is not unusual with JMs. Finally, he didn't feel a string tree was necessary, given the height of the tuners. There is a bit of "ring" on the B and E strings and some ringing at the bridge, which is audible unplugged. With the guitar amplified I don't hear it, unless it's part of the characteristic JM sound, as some folks argue.
Just a couple of final thoughts: though this was my first build, everything went smoother than I thought it would. Now, I recognize that I was only assembling, but that nevertheless required some sanding and polishing, drilling into the body and headstock :gasp: , fitting, etc. For someone with absolutely no experience, I am somewhat amazed that I didn’t f@¢k anything up! I attribute that to over-researching and over-worrying about most tasks, and to the recommendations and help I received from folks on this forum, to whom I am grateful. Literally couldn't have even begun to do it without you. Were I to do this again (you never know
), I would honestly consider – fool-heartedly perhaps! – attempting to finish and wire the guitar myself. That would be adding a whole new level of stress and opportunities for disaster, but I think it would also be more satisfying, not to mention challenging.Finally, I am really impressed with the quality of Warmoth parts. The fit and finish of the body, the feel of the neck, the fact that everything went together pretty much seamlessly, lined up perfectly, etc., I truly appreciate. With respect to their JM my one criticism would be: the pickguard could / perhaps should be slightly reshaped on the bridge side: if you use a Mastery, the southernmost edge of the bridge bumps into the guard. Since Warmoth have redesigned the guard for their bodies, why not adjust that edge a bit to avoid this issue? And I'm still curious about their reasons for routing the pup cavities differently. :icon_scratch:
Over and out.
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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That's gotta be about the most elegant Jazzmaster that I've ever seen! :glasses9:
stratamania
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Agreed certainly up there with Frowns :glasses9:
BigSteve22
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BRAVO! Magnificent looking Jazzmaster! I can only hope that my build comes out even close to that. I see a GOM in your future.
Please post regarding your experience with the Mastery set up. I'm sort of, maybe, considering using the bridge.
Please post regarding your experience with the Mastery set up. I'm sort of, maybe, considering using the bridge.
BigSteve22 said:
Not to hijack, but the Mastery is my favorite bridge I've ever used. It's super comfortable and stable and does really seem to add some clarity and sustain. I haven't had any intonation issues, either, which some people worry about. I had a Staytrem on a Squier Bass VI I used to have that I liked a lot, but I like being able to adjust the bridge heights so that always irked me a little bit. Both are great, though.
rgand
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Wow! Well, this is truly a fine build. As stated several times before, it may just be the most elegant JM. It's certainly the most beautiful one I've ever seen.
He's hooked. :icon_thumright:Glimmer said:Time to give the final update on this build, which is now complete:
Were I to do this again (you never know
Cagey
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BigSteve22 said:
In my experience, the Mastery bridge is a wonderful piece of hardware, albeit a bit pricey. But, it's a machined stainless part rather than cast pot metal, so no surprise there. They're easy to set up, and sound great. A dramatic improvement over Leo's design, although you're still stuck with that cheeseball vibrato mechanism. Mastery does maintain some very close production tolerances though, so some attention needs to be paid to the "thimble" installation. Even a few thousandths off and the thing may not drop in. Kinda keeps it from being a practical aftermarket part if you happen to own a Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster (or copy), as they're generally so sloppy that you lose much of the advantage of buying into the Mastery solution.
