Swamp Ash Jazzmaster

[Octavian B]

This will eventually be part of a swamp ash Jazzmaster finished in Mary Kaye white with vintage spec electronics and pickups (SD Antiquity IIs). I've made separate orders from Warmoth for the parts, and I just received the neck a couple of days ago - It's a padouk neck with a Brazilian rosewood board and vintage stainless steel frets. The pictures definitely don't do it justice, Warmoth, as always I suspect, did a pristine job indeed! I will post more pictures as the rest of the parts arrive.

 

[nathan a]

That is some really nice looking padouk there. My next build I want a padouk / ebony neck. How does the padouk feel? Is the grain structure wide, like rosewood or wenge, or tighter?

Huge props on the jazzmaster. I've always been a big fan.

 

[Octavian B]

Nathan,

It's very smooth, think of the best satin finish - then smoother! Of course, I haven't played it yet - I may be able to describe it in a more helpful way once the guitar is finished. The grain is wide like rosewood and wenge (it's just a bit wider then the grain on the rosewood fretboard, I do not have a piece of wenge to compare it to).

 

[willyk]

Sounds like a sweet looking jazzmaster is on the way. Are you going traditional for the bridge too?

 

[Octavian B]

I'm going quasi-traditional for the bridge. I was first going to go for the Warmoth modified mustang bridge, as the original jazzmaster saddles are indeed terrible, without or with the buzz-stop bridge attachment. But, I ended up deciding to do something slightly different. I picked up a USA jazzmaster/jaguar bridge channel (the bridge minus the saddles) and a set of graph tech saddles which should prevent the buzzing. Hopefully that shall work out well.

 

[willyk]

Sounds like a plan!.....good luck with it, look forward to the results (with pics of course) :icon_thumright:

 

[Octavian B]

Ok, so I opened the box and my jaw dropped, the pictures by no means do it justice, but here they are. I do have a quick question, maybe someone will know. There's a couple of strips of foam that go between each Jazzmaster pickup and the body, now where could I purchase some of this foam? (I tried picking up the jaguar mute foam in hopes that fender just used the same stuff.. it seems right, though a tad bit shorter. I'm not sure, I'd have to order more regardless as there's only enough for one pickup, and if there is a place that sells the actual stuff I'd rather go for that).

 

[Octavian B]

And one more of the back.

 

[ibob74]

Try this, there is no picture, you could email Allparts and ask, but I think it might be what your looking for.
http://www.allparts.com/store/pickup-covers-rings-parts-pickup-parts-pu-6944-023,Product.asp

 

[bpmorton777]

ive heard of people using the foam from the pickup packaging for this.

Brian

 

[Ted]

ive heard of people using the foam from the pickup packaging for this.

Brian

+ 1 yes this works. As your local friendly guitar shop if they have any lying around.

I use this foam for my DIY fx pedals to stop the bits rattling around.

Sorry forgot to metion you have a sweet Jazzmaster concept there. Love the padouk neck, looks awesome.

 

[ByteFrenzy]

Padouk is really neat for a neck, the unfinished wood itself has got an oily feel making it really fast. The grain structure is pretty wide but the overall feel is so smooth that it really doesn't matter. As for the foam underneath the pickups, if you go with the Seymour Duncans you mentioned, the foam from the packaging in which they come should do just fine.

 

[Octavian B]

Thanks guys! That's quite a good idea about the pickup packaging foam. Sadly I don't have any as they're Antiquity pickups, they're packed in a little bag and paper - charming, but not very helpful for my current quandary! I'll drop by a guitar shop and pick some up, or as I have to order something else from Angela's I may go for ibob's suggestion and order some of the bass pickup foam as they carry it as well. I'll let you know how it turns out, with pictures of course. Thanks again. -Octavian

 

[Octavian B]

So I couldn't help but give myself a quick preview of the finished guitar, thought I'd share the pictures! I'm quite excited to have her finished up and ready - the only annoying thing is that the Jazzmaster pickup covers didn't come with mounting screws, nor did the antiquity pickups, thus I have to wait on another order for them to finish drilling. Quick question, the bridge cups don't quite fit in yet, should I just do the same rolled up sandpaper trick that's used for the tuner bushings? (I suspect it's only because of the extra paint that's in there that they're not fitting yet). I figured out the under the pickup foam problem, I was recommended to pick up some rubber-foam weatherstrip, it seems to be the right stuff. Thanks again for all your help - this is by far the best forum I've ever been on!

-Octavian

 

[willyk]

That looks really classy....great choices!
The sandpaper should be all that is required.  :headbang:

 

[Octavian B]

Thanks willyk - I can't wait to get to the string up stage - but taking my time with it regardless of course. By the way, I'm quite curious what your TeeJay sounds like, I was stuck between a Tele and Jazzmaster for a while, and that's quite an indubitably awesome compromise you have there!

-Octavian

 

[willyk]

It's pretty hard to pin down without you hearing it and that technology is beyond me at the moment. On the bridge pickup it has that pin sharp tele 'whatever' and the neck pickup is warm as...... . So it's pretty versatile. I don't think it has much to do with the shape though. :icon_jokercolor: I use it a lot for open chord stuff with both pickups on, it's very sweet like that.
not very informative ..sorry!

 

[Octavian B]

So, this has been finished for a little while, but as I have returned home from my folks place I don't have a decent camera handy - I've kept trying to take pictures with my camera but it comes out way too bright and white (the pickguard and body come off the same colour) - I'll see if I can borrow a proper camera and take some shots of the finished guitar - I do have a picture of it almost done still at my folk's place that I posted bellow, it's missing a pickguard screw and pickup screws and the string tree, and err.. strings. On the bright side this jazzmaster plays like a dream, it's exactly what I was looking for. I'd definitely recommend a padouk neck to anyone here, even after only one week of playing it's smooth as silk and very fast.

 

[Ted]

Hot!  :headbang:

 

[rockdude326]

Awesome color scheme going on there...and look at the grain on that fingerboard!  :toothy12:  Nice job man.