Jazzmaster

[EVOL!]

I've been tracking a 2003 CIJ Jazzmaster on CraigsList (googled the serial no. to get the year). The price is right even if it is stock. I've wanted a CIJ Jaguar since I cannot afford a USA one, but the Jazzmaster is a close second. The longer scale does not intimidate me too much since one of my guitar heros Lee Ranaldo plays them and he cannot be much taller than me; ~67 inches.

 

Any fans of the Jazzmaster? Pros or Cons you'd like to share. Maybe for xmas I can do some upgrades: Mastery Bridge, SD Antiquity pickups, etc.

[Pin]

I've always fancied either a jazzmaster or jaguar (or both!) but what puts me off is the scale length. Not just to do with height (I'm 6ft) but feel. I much prefer the Gibson scale length.

[EVOL!]

I've always fancied either a jazzmaster or jaguar (or both!) but what puts me off is the scale length. Not just to do with height (I'm 6ft) but feel. I much prefer the Gibson scale length.

 

The Jag is closer to Gibson scale. The Jazzmaster is l-o-n-g.

[DanvillRob]

I had a Jaguar... great guitar.... always liked the Jazzmaster too.

 

I know little about the Japanese ones though.

[EVOL!]

 

I know little about the Japanese ones though.

 

 

From what I know -

 

The craftsmanship is top notch and would rival a USA made model.

Where they fall short are the electronics. Better than a Chinese made model, but not up to level you would see on an USA Fender.

[Versatile]

Love my Jazzmaster...

 

IMO any player/collector should have 1+

 

The P/U's are Fender's alternative to the P90...and very good too IMO

 

Originally the Jazzmaster was more upmarket than the Strat...and was conceived as competition to all those 'pesky Gibson archtops'

 

Favoured by the jazz fraternity

 

Joe Pass played one to great effect, but the J became tool of choice to the surf rockers and later new wavers like Elvis Costello

 

IMO a perfect bridge between the mainly H/B Gibson range and the 'tall thin' S/C Fender range of Strats/Teles etc

 

I've never given the scale length a moment's thought...

 

V

 

[EVOL!]

Love my Jazzmaster...

 

IMO any player/collector should have 1+

 

The P/U's are Fender's alternative to the P90...and very good too IMO

 

Originally the Jazzmaster was more upmarket than the Strat...and was conceived as competition to all those 'pesky Gibson archtops'

 

Favoured by the jazz fraternity

 

Joe Pass played one to great effect, but the J became tool of choice to the surf rockers and later new wavers like Elvis Costello

 

IMO a perfect bridge between the mainly H/B Gibson range and the 'tall thin' S/C Fender range of Strats/Teles etc

 

I've never given the scale length a moment's thought...

 

V

 

 

Thanks for the comments. Is yours a USA or Japanese model? Just trying to get an idea how many of what are out there.

[DanvillRob]

Love my Jazzmaster...

 

IMO any player/collector should have 1+

 

The P/U's are Fender's alternative to the P90...and very good too IMO

 

Originally the Jazzmaster was more upmarket than the Strat...and was conceived as competition to all those 'pesky Gibson archtops'

 

Favoured by the jazz fraternity

 

Joe Pass played one to great effect, but the J became tool of choice to the surf rockers and later new wavers like Elvis Costello

 

IMO a perfect bridge between the mainly H/B Gibson range and the 'tall thin' S/C Fender range of Strats/Teles etc

 

I've never given the scale length a moment's thought...

 

V

 

 

I recall the Jazzmaster falling between the Strat and the Jag.

 

My Jag and the Jazzmaster I used to play were both pre-CBS versions.

[RS1976]

Jazzmaster was the axe of choice for Bruno Battisti D'amario. you know him as the session player Morricone used from the following.

 

they are incredible guitars.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIgNCD3nzOg

[milod]

A buddy of mine played one in a country trio I worked for a cupla years. Through a Baldwin C1 professional amp - an early solid state amp but with kinda some organ-like bells and whistles - the guy could get some really nice sounds. He played with flatpick and two fingerpicks and between his pinky on the volume knob and a little bit of the whammy, he could sound as if he were playing a pedal steel.

 

I doubt that's what you're looking for, though. <grin>

 

I played it a time or two and didn't much care for the neck. But that's awfully subjective, too.

 

m

[EVOL!]

 

I doubt that's what you're looking for, though. <grin>

 

 

Are you making fun of my ham-handed strumming style? ;)

[milod]

Nope...

 

But I doubt you care to sound as if you were playing a pedal steel. <grin> Seriously, I liked his sound, but I just couldn't get it to feel or sound "right" for me. That Baldwin amp also, in his and my opinion, played a major role in getting him where he wanted to be in terms of sound.

 

I dunno. I think different guitars appeal to us differently. I keep thinking about two Epi AE guitars I have. The AJ220SCE and the Masterbuilt AJ500me technically have the same body, but the Masterbuilt plays a lot easier and feels more comfortable. There's no reason for the difference whatsoever - in theory. They're set up virtually identically and with the same strings. If anything, the cutaway should suit how I play much better but... it doesn't.

 

If you've played a Jazzmaster and like the feel, this one may be nice for you. I'd certainly hope so. It's just not a guitar for me if it's like the one I played.

 

m

[stein]

Something about the Jazzmaster/Jaguar body shape feels real, real good. And while the trem systems generally suck and also have issues, the FEEL of them as far as the way the hand sets on the bridge also feels real good.

 

The Japanese models are generally of a certain quality in the extreme: they contours and machining of the woodworking is both very "accurate" to the Fender CBS era, and also of a HIGH quality, meaning, they seem to know what shapes to use and copy. The downsides, are depending on what particular model, they might use different woods that might be less desireable, and they use different finishes like poly. Thing is though, when it comes to Fenders, While the origonals were mostly nitro, they used differents "types" of nitro and lots of fillers so a poly finished guitar isn't as different from a pre-CBS as say, an EPI is to a Gibson.

 

The "MADE IN JAPAN" Fenders have crappy pups, but very good pots and wiring. "CRAFTED IN JAPAN" Fender models could have either crappy pups or American pups.

 

Jazzmasters do not have e good reputation for sounding good. While I have never owned one, I have tried a LOT of them because I like them so much, and I tend to agree with the bad reputation. To me, they sound flat and dead. Sound comes out, but there isn't much fidelity or touch sensitivity or any "dynamics" to them. And strangly, even the pre-CBS ones don't sound any better than the Japanese ones to me. Jazzmaster pups are not anything like P-90s except in general appearance on the surface. Certainly, don't sound like them to me.

[catnine]

I had a 71 mustang with the blue paint and racing stripe it has the same scale length as the Jag. The Jazzmaster is the same scale length as a strat. So you have 24" scale or 25.5" scale. This puts the gibson in the middle. I think both the Jag and Jazz are both nice guitars. I felt the mustang was fun to play because of the scale length , for me things got a bit cramped past the 9th fret. I just have big boney hands and my finger tips don't taper so I have a difficult time playing any guitar with a nut narrower than 1 3/4".

 

I hope you get the one you want.

[rct]

The soap bars Leo came up with, or George, whomever it was, weren't that great, I don't recall ever a pair or even a single I had to have. If I am not mis-remembering, they were not actually knock-offs of P90s, they are differently engineered as only Leo could do! The guitars themselves I don't think were the upgrade Leo hoped they would be, I was never impressed with any I tried. Where I came from they were kinda intro level guitars, beginners things. People love them though, that's all that matters. I do currently and have almost always in my life since 1973 or so owned at least one tele and one strat, lots of years several of each, but I've never bought any of the others.

 

rct

[catnine]

In the mid 60's a small music store in IL I used to go to had two guitar teachers and one loved the Jazzmaster . It sounded great to me. Back then all the amps were tube powered. The PU's may not be P90's yet how different can they be.

[Dub-T-123]

Got any pics? What color is it?

 

I say you should get it, man! The scale length is noticably longer than a Gibson, but it's not weird feeling at all (for me at least). I like the longer scale better than the shorter scale of the Jag.

 

With both pickups on and a jangly amp with a fuzz and delay to play with here or there you're in tonal heaven. I know for sure that's a sound that would fit your style beautifully, and you have to love the vibrato system.

[EVOL!]

You guys are a bad influence on me! j/k

 

Here is the post - http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/msg/3306241469.html

 

The guitar is

 

 

I emailed the seller and we are working out a meeting. He's down in Roscoe Village and I'm up in Ravenswood so it'd be a ten minute drive. Funny thing is if I buy this guitar, all three of my main electrics will be red since my two SGs are sunrise orange and heritage cherry.

[EVOL!]

 

With both pickups on and a jangly amp with a fuzz and delay to play with here or there you're in tonal heaven. I know for sure that's a sound that would fit your style beautifully, and you have to love the vibrato system.

 

 

Thanks, brother. I was thinking this guitar would sound ace through a fuzz box and maybe I could milk some jangly tones.

[Dub-T-123]

Hey do you see that Sonic the Hedgehog in the background? It's a sign from God!

 

I like the red it's pretty unique you don't really see Jazzmasters in that color very often

[Versatile]

Mine is that colour...!!...Red Sparkle or whatever...

 

When I got mine it was more for fun than the definitive USA model

 

Therefore MIJ and to a very high standard too IMO

 

With a touch of delay and chorus I can get a very meaty Hendrix tone

 

And recently saw a Chicago bluesman doing great stuff on a J...(and a red one to boot :blink:)

 

As I mentioned before...like the Firebird, good as part of a collection rather than a sole guitar...

 

V

 

[EVOL!]

Mine is that colour...!!...Red Sparkle or whatever...

 

When I got mine it was more for fun than the definitive USA model

 

Therefore MIJ and to a very high standard too IMO

 

With a touch of delay and chorus I can get a very meaty Hendrix tone

 

And recently saw a Chicago bluesman doing great stuff on a J...(and a red one to boot :blink:)

 

As I mentioned before...like the Firebird, good as part of a collection rather than a sole guitar...

 

V

 

 

The color is candy apple red. Even a red that rich is a little much for me, but if the guitar is sweet I can live with it. I think the only colors I won't do are neons or pastels.

[EVOL!]

 

Hey do you see that Sonic the Hedgehog in the background? It's a sign from God!

 

 

Even without god (atheist right here), it's still a sign. I always thought that song's main riff needed to be played on a Jag or Jazzmaster for proper jangle.

[MojoRedFoot]

I've been tracking a 2003 CIJ Jazzmaster on CraigsList (googled the serial no. to get the year). The price is right even if it is stock. I've wanted a CIJ Jaguar since I cannot afford a USA one, but the Jazzmaster is a close second. The longer scale does not intimidate me too much since one of my guitar heros Lee Ranaldo plays them and he cannot be much taller than me; ~67 inches.

 

Any fans of the Jazzmaster? Pros or Cons you'd like to share. Maybe for xmas I can do some upgrades: Mastery Bridge, SD Antiquity pickups, etc.

What do CIJ Jags go for these days? I still have mine from 1996.

[EVOL!]

What do CIJ Jags go for these days? I still have mine from 1996.

 

Not sure on Jags, but I did some searching on Flea-bay for Jazzmasters and it really depends on what model. Bare bones like this one go for around $650. If they are burst or have the matching headstock, they are closer to $750.