Question for those of you with Jazzmasters

[beatthediese]

First of all, hello! This is my first post here.

I've reach one of those points in my life that I normally hit about every 5 years where I want to get rid of my guitars and get new stuff. I really love Jazzmasters and for the last 4 years I've being plan on a MIJ Reissue that I put a Seymour Duncan JB (Bridge) and a Seymour Duncan Jazz (neck) in. It sounds great but I've grown a bit tired of the sound and I've never been too found of the color.

I have right at about $1250 to spend so I guess my question is, would it be more ideal for me to just buy another reissue and get it routed for humbuckers/refinished the way I'd like it or would you recommend going the warmoth route?

In my head, I'd really like a Daphne Blue w/Red Sparkle pickguard. I would like to start by putting 2 humbuckers in it again (what kind, I'm not sure of just yet). If I were to get the body from warmoth routed for 2 humbuckers, would it be possible to put P-90s in at some point without hassle? That may be a dumb question but I've never built a guitar and the only work I've ever really don't on one is a bad set up or changing a pickguard out. I also never use a tremelo, so I might consider making it a hardtail. I've looked at plenty of the ones you all have made on here and they are beautiful!

Is it time for me to go with warmoth?

 

[-CB-]

I have right at about $1250 to spend

Brother, you are in the right place to spend $1250~  WELCOME!~~!~

I'm almost certain, that if you get the standard Jazzmaster pickup route, you can "hang" humbuckers from a pickguard cut for those.  Using pickup rings... you'll have to use the same pickguard, but modify slightly, and also use long screws for the rings - since there will be "air" directly under the pickguard, not wood.

Later, you could do one or both in P90 by getting a new pickguard cut for the new combination.  Yes, the P90 will "just" drop into the Jazzmaster pickup route in the body, so the only factor is the new pickguard.

By choosing Warmoth parts.... you're able to control every aspect of the guitar.  Neck contour, fretboard wood, fret type and size, body wood, the exact finish and layout of controls.... its totally up to what you want.

 

[jalane]

Well, judging by your plans for a JM with humbuckers, hardtail, and the daphne/red sparkle combo, i would say you like the idea of customization. Warmoth was made for guys (and gals) like you. 

Personally, i think the tremolo system and JM pickups are essential parts of the "JM sound", but that's the beauty of Warmoth: Who gives a f@ck what i think.  Build it the way you want it.

You could do a REAL nice guitar for that amount of money.

 

[-CB-]

My own thoughts - from having played me ES-333's (hard-tail) and having converted both to trapeze or Bigsby... is that the length of string behind the bridge is part of the envelope of tone.  You get a much softer attack, different feel and bending response, different high end, a little more mellow.  I've often thought that a Telecaster is as quacky as it is, from the pickup, but also from that short reach behind the bridge barrels and solid string mounting in the body.

Where's this going....

If you want, I'm sure Warmoth could mount a stop bar back a bit further so you had more string space between the bridge and tail.  Expect to pay a little more for that custom work, but its not really too hard to do.  A  call to them would confirm.

 

[smjenkins]

I have right at about $1250 to spend

Brother, you are in the right place to spend $1250~  WELCOME!~~!~

lol.  That is *so* true.  You definitely can put together an incredibly nice JM for that money with a W neck and body.  Plus you get exactly what you want. 

Aside from the string length point CB made (which is a good one), other advantages of going with the standard Jazzmaster trem + bridge are:

- Traditional look.  Matters to some, definitely a big deal to me.
- Less wait time.  You can pick one of the in stock unfinished bodies and it will halve the time it takes for the body to get to you.  Every second from when you click "buy" to when the parts arrive is a test of your patience.    Just look at how many threads there are around waiting for stuff.

 

[rapfohl09]

First of all, hello! This is my first post here.

I've reach one of those points in my life that I normally hit about every 5 years where I want to get rid of my guitars and get new stuff. I really love Jazzmasters and for the last 4 years I've being plan on a MIJ Reissue that I put a Seymour Duncan JB (Bridge) and a Seymour Duncan Jazz (neck) in. It sounds great but I've grown a bit tired of the sound and I've never been too found of the color.

I have right at about $1250 to spend so I guess my question is, would it be more ideal for me to just buy another reissue and get it routed for humbuckers/refinished the way I'd like it or would you recommend going the warmoth route?

In my head, I'd really like a Daphne Blue w/Red Sparkle pickguard. I would like to start by putting 2 humbuckers in it again (what kind, I'm not sure of just yet). If I were to get the body from warmoth routed for 2 humbuckers, would it be possible to put P-90s in at some point without hassle? That may be a dumb question but I've never built a guitar and the only work I've ever really don't on one is a bad set up or changing a pickguard out. I also never use a tremelo, so I might consider making it a hardtail. I've looked at plenty of the ones you all have made on here and they are beautiful!

Is it time for me to go with warmoth?

My friend, your going to have a hard time finding someone here who will tell you to go get another re-issue :laughing7:

I love jazzmasters, and will someday build one myself. Ill just reiterate what everyone else has said by, just go warmoth  :icon_thumright:

Nothing is better than sitting down the first time with a guitar you planned and put together your self, with every detail you wanted. Nothing, except maybe going back to your old factory guitars and realizing that you should have done it a longgggg time ago

 

[vtpcnk]

>If I were to get the body from warmoth routed for 2 humbuckers, would it be possible to put P-90s in at some point without hassle?

a p90 sizewise has greater depth than a standard jazzmaster pickup. so the route has to be deepened to fit a p90. warmoth did that for me - over a standard jm route.

not sure about a hb fitting in the route though.

 

[-CB-]

Yes they fit... P90's fit the JazzMaster route as well.

All you need is the JM route in the body and a pickguard to fit the pickups you desire

 

[beatthediese]

Thanks for all of the responses!

So let me make sure I get this right. I need to just get it routed like a traditional JM at which point, P-90s will fit as well as humbuckers, I would really just have to make sure I had the right pickguard?

I'm thinking at this point, I might actually just start out with P-90s in it. Any recommendations on a good set of those?

Once again, thanks for all of the positive input!

 

[Jusatele]

I might actually just start out with P-90s in it. Any recommendations on a good set of those?

what this place reallyneeds is a can of worms smiley

 

[beatthediese]

I'm going to run down options and ask questions about the stuff i have no clue about. I would like for this thing to come out looking as close to a real JM as possible as far as the bridge/controls etc...

Core Wood: Alder
Top Laminate: Do I need this? Is it common?
Control Rout: Top rout is most common for a JM correct?
Pick-up Rout: Should I just select P-90 for Neck/Bridge or Standard JM?
Input Jack: Strat Top Rout
Bridge Type: Tremelo w/ Standard JM Tremelo Routing?
Neck Pocket: Strat Shape
Mounting Holes: Standard 4 bolt
Contour: I know this is personal preference but what do you guys think?
Battery Box Rout: Do I even need one of these?
Back Finish: Does this mean the back of the guitar? Do I need to select this or not?


Thanks again! Sorry for all of the newbie questions.

Oh crap, one more! If I want the head stock Daphne Blue, how would I go about getting a custom decal put on it before it's finished? Is there a way to get it painted but without the finishing lacquer?

 

[tpcoderre]

Hey beatthediese,

Good call I think going Warmoth - I did, love the results.

You do need a larger routing for P-90s than the JM pups - and depending on the make you may need to deepen the Warmoth rout as well.  That said, I went with Kinman noiseless P-90s (love 'em) and they are about as thick/deep as you can get and they fit just right... which is good because I had no room for up/down adjustment.

Here are the specs for mine.

Alder Jazzmaster body routed for P-90 pickups and side jack
Alpine White Finish
Maple neck with Indian rosewood fingerboard - 6150 steel frets (modern Fender style) White Corian Earvana Comp. Nut, Clear Satin Nitro, 25-1/2 in. Scale (best feeling neck I've ever played!)
Gotoh Vintage Kluson Style tuners
Fender String tree and pickguard screws
Tortoise Pickguard
2 Kinman noiseless P-90 Pickups from Australia (amazing P-90 tone with no hum!)
Glendale Chimemaster half Tele style hardtail bridge with custom machined brass compensating saddles
Glendale brass string ferrules
Switchcraft jack and 3 position toggle
CTS 500K volume and 250K tone pots
Sprague Orange drop .047 capacitor
Schaller Straplocks
Custom Neck plate

Happy building!