Jazzmaster/Surfcaster WIP

[supertruper1988]

3lb 3oz is amazingly light. It must be one of the lightest jazzmaster bodies. However there will be some extra weight due to the trem.

Yeah I have a 3 pound strat body with a Floyd and all told it was right under 7 pounds assembled so I think this will be about 7.25 because of the extra pickup and the neck is a bit heavier.

 

[supertruper1988]

More updates.

Installed the Floyd posts and strap buttons.

Routed the neck pocket

https://imgur.com/lUGpoWs

https://imgur.com/cgdOBOp

https://imgur.com/d9ExI2G

Buuuuut the screw holes in the neck aren’t Fender spec so I doweled them for re-drilling

https://imgur.com/Av81VL8

More updates when I have time to work on it again.

 

[Rick]

 

[supertruper1988]

Got the neck on!

https://imgur.com/7jGdYnD

Also got the jag switch plate installed using a 3D printed jig I made.

https://imgur.com/mJh1HVw

https://imgur.com/yg7d53y

https://imgur.com/oo4nOGB

https://imgur.com/77diQ8W

More updates when I get the pickups next week!

 

[Rick]

 

[supertruper1988]

https://imgur.com/vt3LwTT

Got my pickups in and I’m having a heck of a time finding what p90s will fit in these routes. I have one cover that fits but none of the other P90s or mini humbucker adapter rings I have fit. Anyone have any leads on covers they know fit?

I’m at the point I’ll be 3D printing rings for this build to work.

 

[Rick]

What PUPS are you using?

 

[supertruper1988]

What PUPS are you using?

I am using some Mini HBs from Red Rock Pickups. I have always planned to use P90 adapter rings like Gibson has done for ages. I bought rings from Allparts and Guitar Fetish, neither fit. I also have some P90s from various builders, none of them fit either. I have one cover that is a "vintage repro" that fits but its so tight I dont think I will be able to adjust the pickup height once its installed.

I ask about covers in general because I can easily cut some covers to make the adapter rings as long as I find some covers that fit.

For now though I will be 3D printing some P90 to MiniHB adapter rings that fit the routes. If they turn out ok enough I will probably keep them.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

I would check the pickup route info on the Warmoth body options page. I realise they do not specify any tolerances, but I wonder if they adequately accounted for the thickness of the poly finish. Otherwise it could some kind of setup problem with the CNC tool size.

 

[supertruper1988]

I would check the pickup route info on the Warmoth body options page. I realise they do not specify any tolerances, but I wonder if they adequately accounted for the thickness of the poly finish. Otherwise it could some kind of setup problem with the CNC tool size.

I hadnt thought of that. My body definitely has routes that are undersized.

I discovered this morning that the floyd route is also not routed large enough.

I have already routed the body in other ways so I am well passed the "return/replace" time.

Really frustrating that this is the most expensive body I have bough from warmoth and it has the most issues.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

I don’t know if this is a product fault, but it doesn’t seem right if it needs so much work to make things fit. I think most people would probably contact big W at this point. Unless you are unlucky enough to have several items of non-standard hardware..

 

[TBurst Std]

There’s a number of questions asked you have left unanswered.
1 it is common knowledge that Mini Humbuckers all have not only different sizes but also different radii.

 

[supertruper1988]

I don’t know if this is a product fault, but it doesn’t seem right if it needs so much work to make things fit. I think most people would probably contact big W at this point. Unless you are unlucky enough to have several items of non-standard hardware..

I sent them an email last night about it. I am thoroughly frustrated. I am not using anything un-usual for the pickups or bridge.

 

[supertruper1988]

There’s a number of questions asked you have left unanswered.
1 it is common knowledge that Mini Humbuckers all have not only different sizes but also different radii.

The size of the mini humbuckers doesnt matter in this case.

I am using rings that fit a mini hum into a P90 route. This is a common installation type because Gibson did this in the 70s to use up the stock of Mini hums they developed for Epiphone.

The size of the P90 routes is significantly smaller than what Warmoth has published on their site. Then adding to that the floyd route is undersized to the point I cannot lower it into the recess.

 

[supertruper1988]

Update and valuable lesson. Floyd Rose 1000 series (korean made) are almost identical to their German made counterparts. However the Warmoth route with finish is so tight that the less than 1mm difference in size means it doesnt fit the route.

Here are the pics of the Korean made 1000 series to demonstrate:

The whale tail on the treble side collides with the route (circled in red)

https://imgur.com/9PQXJTI

Here are some pics of the bass side and the front edge where it fits but I know from experience that the corners of the route would interfere with the motion of the trem

https://imgur.com/5cg6SGe

https://imgur.com/kV5mI8G

I emailed these pics off to Warmoth and Spike emailed back to make sure I was using a German made Floyd. I had a Gold German made Floyd laying around so while incredulous, I tossed it in the route and wouldncha know, it fit like a glove.

German OFR in gold:

https://imgur.com/0StWDLQ

I thought I might be out of luck because I would have to wait to shell out some more cash to get a German OFR in Chrome. I sat on it for a couple hours and then remembered that one of my other guitars might have a German OFR in chrome on it. I went looking and found one. I swapped around some parts and voila I have a bridge on my Warmoth build:

https://imgur.com/aAAk7PI

I also drilled the control holes and got them installed. I am using a master volume, master tone, and a bass contour similar to the G&L PTB or Reverend bass contour control.

Nothing is wired up but I will work on that in the next couple of evenings and get this thing dialed in.

 

[VanHeGen]

Great to see that the build is progressing again!
The whole Floyd-thing (various versions and differences) is an ”interesting” topic that I digged into in my build, too.

 

[supertruper1988]

Went back and wired it all up and shielded the cavity while I was in there.

https://imgur.com/IBs4JHS

I’m gonna post a new thread with the nice pics of the guitar.