My first Jazzmaster

[JTC111]

This one is finally all together and she's a pretty fine piece of work...
Warmoth chambered Swamp Ash body
Warmoth canary/Ebony neck w/ 1.75 nut
Schaller mini-locking tuners
Fender trem
Warmoth modified Mustang bridge
Klein 1965 Epic Series Jazzmaster Pickups

 

[Verne Bunsen]

That's a fine looking Jazzmaster, congratulations!

 

[Glimmer]

Ditto what Verne said + love the trad burst. Don't know the Klein pickups – why did you opt for them?

 

[JTC111]

Don't know the Klein pickups – why did you opt for them?

I listened to clips of just about every JM pickup out there and I was making myself a bit nuts with all the choices.  I wanted something authentic sounding but the choices were all over the place as far as tone goes, and myself being unfamiliar with Jazzmasters (except what I've heard from Elvis Costello mostly), I had no idea which pups sounded close to a 60s JM.

As for the Kleins, I couldn't find a sound clip anywhere.  But I've used his pups on a couple of strats and a tele, and to say they're impressive is an understatement.  I decided to roll the dice with his '65 JM set for that reason.  I was nervous about flying blind but I'm happy I did.  These pups are stellar.  The first thing I did was dial in a nice clean tone and started playing Allison ...sounded just Elvis.  I'm loving this guitar.

 

[BigSteve22]

Love the look of the classics. Very nice!

 

[Glimmer]

I listened to clips of just about every JM pickup out there and I was making myself a bit nuts with all the choices.

I did the same. It was mind-numbing. :laughing7:

I wanted something authentic sounding but the choices were all over the place as far as tone goes, and myself being unfamiliar with Jazzmasters (except what I've heard from Elvis Costello mostly), I had no idea which pups sounded close to a 60s JM...

I know what you mean. In the end, as I wasn't attempting to make a replica of any-year JM, I just opted for the ones I liked best (Novaks) though there were several others I'm sure would have been fine and one (the Creamery's) that I couldn't find recordings of but would have loved to have heard. Next guitar, maybe.

 

[JTC111]

I did the same. It was mind-numbing. :laughing7:

It really was.  I've gone through the same process in picking out pups for strats and teles.  And while there's certainly quite a bit of variation, there's an underlying sound in almost every set that still makes it sound like a strat or a tele.  I didn't get that same sense with the JM pups.  But I'm not sure if that's because the pups were so varied or because of my general lack of familiarity with JMs.