Jazzmaster?

[Rick]

Today I sold my teledeluxe, making room for my new build. (Given how often I play out, I can only justify having seven guitars, so before a new one comes in one has go out. So that's done! Yeah! Plus it provides seed money for this project.)

Thinking it may be a Jazzmaster either in birdseye or flame, with clear on both neck and body. Body would be alder with black line. Or maybe in Butterscotch Blonde for both the neck and body, body would probably be alder with a swamp ash lam top and black binding, and a maple neck in Butterscotch Blonde (I had a tele with a neck totally painted in butterscotch blond in the past and miss it ...

So far I got this:

Dimarzio: (got them on sale from the factory last year on Black Friday)
Chopper bridge
Cruiser middle
Fast track 1 neck
500K Custom Taper Pot with high pass filter for volume
250k Custom Taper Pot for tone
SwitchCraft Output Jack

Sweetwater
Bigsby 5 (Got it on sale)

Callaham
Hardtail Bridge with Enhanced Brass Saddles for Bigsby Flat Mount (It fits Warmoth's narrow spaced strat flat mount route with the 2 1/8 string spread)
Main String Shaft for Bigsby (has holes so easy mounting)
Front Roller Upgrade (has grooves for strings)
360 Arm bracket (so I can swing the arm all the way aroung)
GHS Strings designed by Mr. Callaham 10's two pair

Next I have to figure out the form factor of the neck ... do I go with a Warmoth Tiltback or Strat in the superwide (regular profile), or do I try the Meadowhawk in the 1 3/4 size with the Wolfgang profile. As I have both (neck sizes), I gotta try them and see which one feels best, probably amount to six of one and half a dozen of the other, though superwide is nice and roomy and finger nails can be little longer, and I can be a little less accurate, as I got fat fingers. So I guess it goes reckon width, profile then headstock. Gimme a week.

 

[Spud]

Today I sold my teledeluxe, making room for my new build. (Given how often I play out, I can only justify having seven guitars, so before a new one comes in one has go out. So that's done! Yeah! Plus it provides seed money for this project.)

Thinking it may be a Jazzmaster either in birdseye or flame, with clear on both neck and body. Body would be alder with black line. Or maybe in Butterscotch Blonde for both the neck and body, body would probably be alder with a swamp ash lam top and black binding, and a maple neck in Butterscotch Blonde (I had a tele with a neck totally painted in butterscotch blond in the past and miss it ...

So far I got this:

Dimarzio: (got them on sale from the factory last year on Black Friday)
Chopper bridge
Cruiser middle
Fast track 1 neck
500K Custom Taper Pot with high pass filter for volume
250k Custom Taper Pot for tone
SwitchCraft Output Jack

Sweetwater
Bigsby 5 (Got it on sale)

Callaham
Hardtail Bridge with Enhanced Brass Saddles for Bigsby Flat Mount (It fits Warmoth's narrow spaced strat flat mount route with the 2 1/8 string spread)
Main String Shaft for Bigsby (has holes so easy mounting)
Front Roller Upgrade (has grooves for strings)
360 Arm bracket (so I can swing the arm all the way aroung)
GHS Strings designed by Mr. Callaham 10's two pair

Next I have to figure out the form factor of the neck ... do I go with a Warmoth Tiltback or Strat in the superwide (regular profile), or do I try the Meadowhawk in the 1 3/4 size with the Wolfgang profile. As I have both (neck sizes), I gotta try them and see which one feels best, probably amount to six of one and half a dozen of the other, though superwide is nice and roomy and finger nails can be little longer, and I can be a little less accurate, as I got fat fingers. So I guess it goes reckon width, profile then headstock. Gimme a week.

Rick, great news! I have decided to give you the "all clear" to go ahead and up your 7 limit to 8. This way you can build two guitars. Congratulations!!!

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Project looks like a cool concept. I'd like to ask why you choose a bigsby and not a conventional trem like a Gotoh 510?

 

[Rick]

Chose the bigsby because it looks cool. Plus I don't need a lot of vibrato, a minimum amount will work for me.

As to neck width I'm settling on 1 3/4. Next head stock shape, so far I'm thinking vortex. Mmmh, a jazzmaster with a vortex neck?

 

[Rick]

Settled on the headstock shape which will be a Vortex Tiltback. Also settled the switching which will be Scheme A 1v/1t, and then tied off like in Scheme A 1v/2t. Next will picking the neck profile and radius. Getting closer! ('m already mulling over the color, but gotta take it one step at a time, otherwise I'll forget something ...

 

[Hodgo]

A JM without a JM trem?? Heresy.

 

[supertruper1988]

A JM without a JM trem?? Heresy.

False.

https://imgur.com/2piLeBm

 

[Hodgo]

False.

https://imgur.com/2piLeBm

Sir that is extra heretical

 

[Hodgo]

I’m not saying don’t do it I’m just saying put a cloth over your head to hide your sins from Saint Leo

 

[Rick]

Yep, vortex headstock. Neck profile will be wolfgang. Now to think about radius. I'm thinking 9.5 to 14 compound. Got play my gits, I've got an assortment 10, 10-16 and 16. I remember 7.5 not being so great for me, but my 10 is really sweet.

 

[Rick]

Radius will be 9.5 to 14 compound. Tuners will be the usual hipshot with UMP plate, but I need to decide on tuning buttons. Also, I was thinking about a name for the guitar and I was pondering Stratocaster and how to combine it with PRS Silver sky, and then it dawned on me that the PRS Silver sky name is a dreamy reference to the stratocaster. Very clever Mr. Smith.

 

[Rick]

Ordered Hipshot open back grip lock tuner with ump plate 3x3 10mm post (find them on sale now on ebay)
Victorian Tuning Buttons in chrome
Next is to figure out the neck plate ... I'm thinking of calling this a Skymaster ... acknowledge the strat, the fender styling, PRS ... now I gotta figure what will be the model name ... I suppose the model will be based on the guitar that inspires the color scheme ... gonna look at pictures of mahogany guitars with bigsby's ...

 

[Rick]

Ordered the neck plate ... this is going to be a Sky Master, "Custom Exclusive" model. I picked the model name based on an SG with a bigsby, in mahogany in trans red. Sky Master is a play on stratocaster like what Mr. Smith did, and then a play on Silver Sky.

 

[Rick]

Now I gotta start thinking about the pickguard ... four choices in mind ... gloss black, tortoise, gold pearl and ruby pearl. I got the swatches. Black would be nice, but I already got a guitar with black gloss ... the gold pearl and ruby pearl are stunning, but the tortoise might go better with the black pickup covers. If you haven't requested the swatches, do, because it really helps. Need to stew for a day or two.

Also thinking to match the neck to the body ... mahogany neck, transparent red satin on the back, black gloss on the headstock face. Probably ebony for the fretboard and meadowhawk pearloid inlays.

 

[Rick]

Volume and tone knobs will be black bass knobs.

 

[Spud]

Volume and tone knobs will be black bass knobs.

Nope one will be black and the other will be smoked nickle.

 

[Spud]

Now I gotta start thinking about the pickguard ... four choices in mind ... gloss black, tortoise, gold pearl and ruby pearl. I got the swatches. Black would be nice, but I already got a guitar with black gloss ... the gold pearl and ruby pearl are stunning, but the tortoise might go better with the black pickup covers. If you haven't requested the swatches, do, because it really helps. Need to stew for a day or two.

Also thinking to match the neck to the body ... mahogany neck, transparent red satin on the back, black gloss on the headstock face. Probably ebony for the fretboard and meadowhawk pearloid inlays.

Wrong again. The pickguard will be matte black.

 

[Rick]

Freeway Switch ordered. I think I've ordered all the non-Warmoth sourced parts. Black matte pickguard? Maybe. I've jettisoned the gold and ruby pearl ideas. The idea is to match the pickguard to either the headstock or the fretboard. So I guess if tortoise it might be dark indian rosewood. Need to look at the warmoth website for ideas. Instead of victoriean tuning buttons going with deco, which is a better fit for a 3x3. Also received the neck plate. After order of warmoth parts is confirmed, will make part's list and source of parts.

 

[Rick]

Ordered the parts from Warmoth. I'll be putting the FOIL on the back of the pickguard and in the cavity section for the switch, using the volume pot as the ground, and see if it does anything. Got advice from the Mrs. on the pickguard and the fretboard so .... we're a go! I couldn't get W to do a swimming pool route so I'll dremel the humbucker routes to fit the strat pups. By my count it took 13 months to get to the starting line, accumulating parts etc. ... hope I can get this done by June!

So here's the parts list ....

Parts from Warmoth:

Jazzmaster® Replacement Guitar Body
Construction Solid
Core Wood Mahogany
Lam Top Wood No Lam Top
Right / Left Handed Right-Handed
Control Cavity Top Rout
Neck Pickup Rout Humbucker
Middle Pickup Rout Humbucker
Bridge Pickup Rout Humbucker
Jack Rout 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole
Bridge Rout Type Hardtail---Narrow Strat® Flat Mount
Mounting Holes Standard 4-Bolt
Neck Pocket Shape Strat®
Body Contours Forearm Contour, Tummy Cut
Battery Box None
Paint Category Transparent Red Gloss

Vortex Guitar Neck (Modern Tilt Back)
Shaft Wood Mahogany
Fretboard Wood Ebony
Nut Width 1-3/4" (44mm) - Wide
Right / Left Handed Right-Handed Reverse
Neck Back Profile Wolfgang
Fretboard Radius 9.5" - 14" Compound
Number of Frets 22
Scallops None
Binding None
Fret Size & Material SS6150 - Wide & Tall (Stainless)
Tuner Hole Size Schaller/Modern Fender/Sperzel (25/64")
Inlay Shape Meadowhawk
Inlay Material White Pearloid
Side Dots White Side Dots
String Nut Standard Nut - GraphTech White TUSQ XL
Mounting Holes Standard 4-Bolt
Neck Heel Shape Strat® Shape
Finish
**BLACK GLOSS PEGFACE, GLOSS TRANS RED ON NECK BACK**

Jazzmaster® Pickguard
Color / Material .09 Black Gloss
Right / Left Orientation Right-Handed
Neck Pickup Strat® Single Coil
Middle Pickup Strat® Single Coil
Bridge Pickup Strat® Single Coil (Angled)
Bridge Cut Non-Jazzmaster® Tremolo or Hardtail Bridge
Controls Volume 1, Tone 1
Upper Switch Upper Blade Switch
Lower Switch None

Misc
Flat-top knob black x2
Football Side-Jack Plate Chrome
Guitar String Ferrule Chrome x6
Pickguard Screws SS x2
Warmoth Classic Black T-shirt txxl
Copper foil x2

Non Warmoth Sourced Parts

Dimarzio Factory in Staten Island, NY
Chopper bridge
Cruiser middle
Fast track 1 neck
500K Custom Taper Pot with high pass filter for volume
250k Custom Taper Pot for tone
SwitchCraft Output Jack

Sweetwater
Bigsby 5 (Got it on sale)
Dunlop Straplock Buttons Nickel (had the strap parts left over, from other projects)

Callaham
Hardtail Bridge with Enhanced Brass Saddles for Bigsby Flat Mount (It fits Warmoth's narrow spaced strat flat mount route with the 2 1/8 string spread)
Main String Shaft for Bigsby (has holes so easy mounting)
Front Roller Upgrade (has grooves for strings)
360 Arm bracket (so I can swing the arm all the way around)
GHS Strings designed by Mr. Callaham 10's two pair

Stew-Mac ebay
Freeway 5b5-01 with a black and a white switch tip

Guitar Audio ebay
Hipshot open back grip lock tuner with ump plate
3x3 10mm post chrome

Sport Hitech ebay
Imperial / Deco tuning buttons chrome x6

Calfabric ebay
Custom Engraved Neck Plate

Truss Rod Cover
? Use Warmoth’s, Philadelphia Luthier custom or Hellparts?
Case
After building use store credit at local music shop and try out a bunch
Strap
After building get one, probably a Levy's