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Hey all.
I've been playing electric guitar for a little over 8 years. 6 of that 8 was on a cheapie Cort Strat knockoff. It eventually took a turn for the worst, and I got a Schecter Hellcat (basically, a Jazzmaster copy with no tremelo. It had a TOM brdige and string-through body. And to note, it wasn't the Hellcat VI).
I enjoyed the Cort well enough, and LOVED the Hellcat.
Last week all my gear was stolen, so I need a new guitar. Why not just track down and buy a new Hellcat, you ask? Well, because they don't make them anymore (currently, they just make the Hellcat VI), and even if I managed to find one...I'm a southpaw. :sad: That Hellcat wasn't one of a kind, but it may as well have been.
So I was thinking about buying a real Jazzmaster. Southpawguitars.com is importing some '66 reissue JM's from Japan for $1,300. I found an eBay seller with the same guitar for 1100, but Microsoft has a promotion where you can get 30% cash back on anything you buy from eBay, so it'd end up running about $750. Seemed like a good choice, until I went down to the local Guitar Center and actually tried to play one of their right-handed Jazzmasters. It's VERY tough to tell as a lefty, but it just didn't feel 'right' (the horrible buzz and vintage-feeling neck were my primary source of ire)...so here I am, wondering if I can build something even better than my Hellcat.
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I really like the aesthetic style of the Jazzmaster. I play alternative/goth/trip-hop kind of stuff (low key, lots of mid-range playing, minimal solos, etc). I've never been a big fan of tremelo arms, but I'm very intrigued by the idea of having access to the 3rd Bridge. Does the JM trem setup kill the tuning on the guitar? I'm thinking it might be better to stick with a TOM if I won't use the trem/3rd bridge that often...but what do you guys think?
Also, another important question...should I even spend 1100+ on a Warmoth, if I can get a made in Japan JM for 750? I assume I'd get a better quality instrument from Warmoth, right? Actually, I have two humbuckers sitting around I could use instead of the vintage soapbar pickups...a DiMarzio PAF and Super Distortion (2?). I guess that would pull the price down to 900ish for the Warmoth....but would those pickups kill the Jazzmaster vibe?
And if I had Warmoth paint the body and finish the neck, would I only have to put it together and wire it up? I'm not too much of a handyman, and don't want to mess with any finishing products.
What would be your guys' wood recommendations? I was thinking about going with 'Candy Tangerine' with a racing stripe...something very unusual. :icon_biggrin: At any rate, that means the appearance of the wood wouldn't really matter...just its timbre.
So the bottom line? I'm sort of all over the place. I haven't played many different guitars, so I don't know what I necessarily like or want. For some reason, the MIM Strats and Epiphone LP's that make up the entirety of the left-handed section of most music stores don't really interest me...(I wonder why.)
What are your thoughts?
oh, and by the way, here is a picture of what my Hellcat looked like:
Hey all.
I've been playing electric guitar for a little over 8 years. 6 of that 8 was on a cheapie Cort Strat knockoff. It eventually took a turn for the worst, and I got a Schecter Hellcat (basically, a Jazzmaster copy with no tremelo. It had a TOM brdige and string-through body. And to note, it wasn't the Hellcat VI).
I enjoyed the Cort well enough, and LOVED the Hellcat.
Last week all my gear was stolen, so I need a new guitar. Why not just track down and buy a new Hellcat, you ask? Well, because they don't make them anymore (currently, they just make the Hellcat VI), and even if I managed to find one...I'm a southpaw. :sad: That Hellcat wasn't one of a kind, but it may as well have been.
So I was thinking about buying a real Jazzmaster. Southpawguitars.com is importing some '66 reissue JM's from Japan for $1,300. I found an eBay seller with the same guitar for 1100, but Microsoft has a promotion where you can get 30% cash back on anything you buy from eBay, so it'd end up running about $750. Seemed like a good choice, until I went down to the local Guitar Center and actually tried to play one of their right-handed Jazzmasters. It's VERY tough to tell as a lefty, but it just didn't feel 'right' (the horrible buzz and vintage-feeling neck were my primary source of ire)...so here I am, wondering if I can build something even better than my Hellcat.
END OF USELESS BACK STORY
I really like the aesthetic style of the Jazzmaster. I play alternative/goth/trip-hop kind of stuff (low key, lots of mid-range playing, minimal solos, etc). I've never been a big fan of tremelo arms, but I'm very intrigued by the idea of having access to the 3rd Bridge. Does the JM trem setup kill the tuning on the guitar? I'm thinking it might be better to stick with a TOM if I won't use the trem/3rd bridge that often...but what do you guys think?
Also, another important question...should I even spend 1100+ on a Warmoth, if I can get a made in Japan JM for 750? I assume I'd get a better quality instrument from Warmoth, right? Actually, I have two humbuckers sitting around I could use instead of the vintage soapbar pickups...a DiMarzio PAF and Super Distortion (2?). I guess that would pull the price down to 900ish for the Warmoth....but would those pickups kill the Jazzmaster vibe?
And if I had Warmoth paint the body and finish the neck, would I only have to put it together and wire it up? I'm not too much of a handyman, and don't want to mess with any finishing products.
What would be your guys' wood recommendations? I was thinking about going with 'Candy Tangerine' with a racing stripe...something very unusual. :icon_biggrin: At any rate, that means the appearance of the wood wouldn't really matter...just its timbre.
So the bottom line? I'm sort of all over the place. I haven't played many different guitars, so I don't know what I necessarily like or want. For some reason, the MIM Strats and Epiphone LP's that make up the entirety of the left-handed section of most music stores don't really interest me...(I wonder why.)
What are your thoughts?
oh, and by the way, here is a picture of what my Hellcat looked like: