Walnut Jazzmaster/Jazzcaster/Other

[Cagey]

Incidentally, the money you save by using that unit would be well spent by choosing a Mastery bridge for that guitar. Far superior to the standard Jazzmaster/Jaguar part, albeit a tad pricey.

 

[JazzX]

Im definitly getting a mastery bridge so you dont have to worry about that, but im not completely sold on buying expensive tuners.  :toothy11:

 

[reluctant-builder]

I gotta say, I've got Klusons on my Jazzmaster and use I the trem quite a lot. No issues with it losing tuning while I've played it, besides the occasional G-string nudge, which has been necessary on every guitar I've ever played.

I used a roller tree, with the bottom ground down to a reasonable height (stock, those things are too damned tall to give you the proper break angle beyond the nut), put graphite in the nut slots and have a Mastery bridge.

Aside from some minor grounding issue caused by my novice wiring skills, the guitar is a dream. It plays beautifully, light trem use doesn't throw it out of tune. I'm pretty sure I paid $50 for a Fender trem, but Cagey's right that you can put that $25 toward the quite expensive -- but well-worth-it -- Mastery. What a beautiful bit of machinery, that thing is.

Edit: Oh, I use .011 - .050s on mine ... and I've pondered going up to .012 - .052s with a wound G. I like heavier gauge strings, in general, but I find that they really suit the Jazzmaster, in particular.

 

[JazzX]

Well, I imagine it's going to be pretty hefty.
But I can recommend Ken Calvet's Roadhouse Jazzmaster pickups.  Better than the off the shelf stuff I've heard and at a better price.  Great guy, too.

But I love walnut, so I'm stayin' tuned....

Sady He's not taking orders at this time, so im going to have to wait on those.

 

[reluctant-builder]

The picture looks correct, it doesn't have that stupid lock ...

Contrary to the often-wise, albeit oft-curmudgeonly, Cagey's input, the lock is actually a life-saving tool. It is, for the most part, useless ... except if you break a string or lose tuning by some other means. If the trem is set up properly, sliding the lock into place will restore the guitar's standard tuning.

Edit: Don't take my word for it ... diagrams and stuff, here: http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/cms/2007/05/12/setup-the-tremolo-system/

 

[JazzX]

Hmm now im conflicted, save the money with the cheap one, or get the more expensive one that requires me to modify to routing. Hmmm, well considering i dont have the money to buy anything yet it doesn't really matter.  :laughing7:

 

[JazzX]

I just realized that none of my other pics showed the beautiful figure on the walnut, so here are better pics.

(sorry about the quality of the phone pics, for some reason my computer likes to make them REALLY large)

 

[JazzX]

I gotta say, I've got Klusons on my Jazzmaster and I the trem quite a lot. No issues with it losing tuning while I've played it, besides the occasional G-string nudge, which has been necessary on every guitar I've ever played.

I used a roller tree, with the bottom ground down to a reasonable height (stock, those things are too damned tall to give you the proper break angle beyond the nut), put graphite in the nut slots and have a Mastery bridge.

Aside from some minor grounding issue caused by my novice wiring skills, the guitar is a dream. It plays beautifully, light trem use doesn't throw it out of tune. I'm pretty sure I paid $50 for a Fender trem, but Cagey's right that you can put that $25 toward the quite expensive -- but well-worth-it -- Mastery. What a beautiful bit of machinery, that thing is.

Edit: Oh, I use .011 - .050s on mine ... and I've pondered going up to .012 - .052s with a wound G. I like heavier gauge strings, in general, but I find that they really suit the Jazzmaster, in particular.

I use .010-0.46 for my guitar, and what are some good cheap tuners, that would fit in the warmoth's vintage style tuner holes?

 

[reluctant-builder]

I use .010-0.46 for my guitar, and what are some good cheap tuners, that would fit in the warmoth's vintage style tuner holes?

These are pretty cheap: http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-Vintage-Tuners-Set-of-6-Left-Side-Chrome-P966C728.aspx

These are 10 bucks less: http://www.guitarfetish.com/6-On-A-Plate-Vintage-Tuners-for-Fender-headstocks_p_64.html

I have the former, can't attest to the latter. It all depends on gear ratio and how well-machined are the parts ... but it wouldn't surprised me if they're sourced from exactly the same place and one is branded Gotoh and marked up by Warmoth.

Edit: It occurs to me that I said I have Klusons ... I don't. I have the Gotoh versions of those tuners, sold by Warmoth.

 

[JazzX]

Would these work? http://www.guitarfetish.com/Gotoh-Style-Tuners-Tortoiseshell-Grained-tuner-Button-Sweet_p_397.html  or these ?  http://www.guitarfetish.com/Gotoh-Style-Chrome-Locking-Tuners-Six-In-Line-True-Mechanical-Lock_p_392.html

 

[smudger]

Besides occasional G-string nudge, which has been necessary on every guitar I've ever played.

I use .011 - .050s on mine ...

Do you use a wound G or a plain? If plain try a wound G, don't fully understand why (maybe someone else can explain (or shoot me down in flames)) but a wound G stays in tune better than a plain. It's to do with thats the way everyone played them, until the likes of Clapton started using lighter gauge bango strings (9s etc) that a plain g became the Norm, anyway give it a go, or not its up to you.

 

[tylereot]

Ok, so who makes 11-50's with a wound G? 

 

[Cagey]

I don't know because I don't use them but if you can't find them, most string distributors who carry a reasonable stock will sell single strings. Buy one or two, and see if you like them or they solve your problem. Then, you may find you have to buy custom sets from somebody like Naked Strings or Just Strings or the sets you normally use from a local distributor along with a pile of single G replacements. Use the leftover G strings to make garrotes to impress your friends and destroy your enemies.

 

[JazzX]

Ernie Ball sells singles, i dont know about the wound G string, but you can check.  :dontknow:

 

[swarfrat]

D'Addario XL115w is 0.011, 0.014, 0.021w, 0.028, 0.038, 0.049

I wish they sold an XL117w. I have a set of EJ21's on my strat, tuned down a half step in P4 (so the top two are still B and E), and I find the bottom three feel floppy in relation to the top three, it's a bit disconcerting.

 

[tylereot]

Well, I'm so used to D'addario 12-52's with a wound G, and have a bunch of sets of those for the Gibson, I should probably try 'em with the MoonMaster too.

 

[reluctant-builder]

Well, I'm so used to D'addario 12-52's with a wound G, and have a bunch of sets of those for the Gibson, I should probably try 'em with the MoonMaster too.

You've got great taste, my man. I love those strings, too. :icon_biggrin:

 

[swarfrat]

That's what I'm playing now as well (EJ21) on my 25.5" strat, and 13 - 56 (EJ22) on my 24.75 Warmoth. The primary reason I wanted to to 11 - 56 wound G is that I ended up tuning down a half step because I tune in P4, and a 12 at F is starting to get scary, so I'm tuned Eb Ab C# F# B E.

 

[Pelagaard]

I've got those on my Dot Studio which I keep in C standard, can't imagine using anything else.  An unwound G just doesn't feel right to me.

 

[JazzX]

Back on topic, Reluctant-builder how offen do you use the lock, and what kind of modifications did you have to do to get the fender jazzmaster vibrato to fit?