Why a Jazzmaster?

[Jazzm@ster]

Beautiful Jazzmaster tones.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMssr3XwAyM

unfortunatly the guitarist died last summer

[Ramblin]

unfortunatly the guitarist died last summer

I know.. just as they had started recording a new album..

[raviolio]

unfortunatly the guitarist died last summer

wow... that's a bummer.

some nice playing in that clip though.

thanks

[Ronzo II]

You know, I've been wondering the same thing for some time. Thanks for asking the question. It always seems like older "rock" types (as in classic rock and offshoots) go for the more traditional LP type guitars. But as soon as you look at some of this more "modern" alternative stuff (and I'm using the terminology very loosely here, before someone flames me), it seems like it's either Jazzmasters, Jaguars and the such, or telecasters (thinlines seem to be favored for some reason). I'm talking about bands like Sonic Youth, Dino Jr. or, on the other side of the pond, a lot of that Radiohead type stuff, or even the shoegazer type stuff (My Bloody Valentine, etc.) Is it simply a cosmetic factor? Or is there some actual tonal reason for this?

I'll take stuff that is/was cheap for $500, Alex.

I was watching Antiques Roadshow a couple of months ago, when a guy came on there with a late '60's Jazzmaster. He said that he could have bought a Strat, but he wanted to get "the superior instrument". The Antiques Roadshow guy shot him right down by saying that it was a shame he made that decision, because a Strat from that era was worth about eight times what the Jazzmaster was worth.

Aside from Jimi Hendrix re-popularizing the Strat, there isn't much reason other than superior tone and versatility for that. Fender was pushing the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster as their top of the line at that time. I know, because I was a young and impressionable guitarist at that time.

End result was that Jags and Jazzers were not viewed as desirable -- so they were in a lot of pawnshop windows. They were excellent instruments, but I'm pretty sure that if you ask Tom Verlaine, for example, why he bought a Jazzmaster rather than a Strat, he'd say something like, "because I could afford a used Jazzmaster, and couldn't afford a used Strat."

[Jazzm@ster]

I'll take stuff that is/was cheap for $500, Alex. I was watching Antiques Roadshow a couple of months ago, when a guy came on there with a late '60's Jazzmaster. He said that he could have bought a Strat, but he wanted to get "the superior instrument". The Antiques Roadshow guy shot him right down by saying that it was a shame he made that decision, because a Strat from that era was worth about eight times what the Jazzmaster was worth. Aside from Jimi Hendrix re-popularizing the Strat, there isn't much reason other than superior tone and versatility for that. Fender was pushing the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster as their top of the line at that time. I know, because I was a young and impressionable guitarist at that time. End result was that Jags and Jazzers were not viewed as desirable -- so they were in a lot of pawnshop windows. They were excellent instruments, but I'm pretty sure that if you ask Tom Verlaine, for example, why he bought a Jazzmaster rather than a Strat, he'd say something like, "because I could afford a used Jazzmaster, and couldn't afford a used Strat."

I don't think it's a tone or versality problem.
Leo Fender had always wanted the Jazzmaster to become the superior instrument of the fender line, between 1959 and 1965 a lot of famous guitarist (hendrix, clapton, joe pass, luther perkins) often played with but the wide pups was too microphonics with overdrive compare to humbuckers or strat single coils' more heavy gauge wasn't adapted to the new guitarist generation and because of its high price the JM began to be outmoded.

[Protokoll]

I'm really, really interested in getting a Custom Shop one-off Jazzmaster. How would I go about contacting Fender to make it? Also, great guitarists that use a Jazzmaster

J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.
Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine
Bryan Maryansky of Jets to Brazil
Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney
Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo
Thom Yorke of Radiohead
Spiral Stairs and Stephen Malkmus of Pavement

[Jazzm@ster]

I'm really, really interested in getting a Custom Shop one-off Jazzmaster. How would I go about contacting Fender to make it? Also, great guitarists that use a Jazzmaster J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine Bryan Maryansky of Jets to Brazil Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo Thom Yorke of Radiohead Spiral Stairs and Stephen Malkmus of Pavement

 

 

thurston moore, nels cline, mickey baker, adam franklin, tom verlaine, kevin shields, roy lanham, lee ronaldo, the ventures, richard lloyd, mike einziger...

 

[Protokoll]

thurston moore, nels cline, mickey baker, adam franklin, tom verlaine, kevin shields, roy lanham, lee ronaldo, the ventures, richard lloyd, mike einziger... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJy93w5YUrU http://youtube.com/watch?v=hXGYu0hrUwU

 

 

I have a newfound respect for Nels Cline. I've seen them live a few times, but, holy {censored}, he put a lot of soul into that song.

[jamesclark]

Believe it or not, the Jazzmaster was king for awhile until a certain somebody made the strat popular. I have a pic around here of me playing mine sometime in the 80s'. Another one that got away:mad:

[roygbiv]

can't add much about the jazzmaster that hasn't been said already. they're just fvckin' cool.

 

and nels cline is an absolutely fanstastic guitar player. Anyone who loves rock guitar should go see Wilco just to see Nels Cline. He's one of the best players in rock right now.

 

BTW, what guitar is Tweedy playing in that video?

[raviolio]

... and Nels Cline is an absolutely fanstastic guitar player. Anyone who loves rock guitar should go see Wilco just to see Nels Cline. He's one of the best players in rock right now.

+1

... saw them at the Greek in August and was thoroughly impressed. Nels does indeed deliver the goods. And Tweedy is no slouch either. Great show all around.







.

[rufus21]

hey, that's my Nels Cline clip that I shot this past June.

Not entirely certain, but I think Tweedy's guitar might be an Eastwood.

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/index.htm

[GAS Man]

Why is the Jazzmaster the instrument of choice by bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr?What can you do with a Jazzmaster that you can't do with a Stratocaster?

 

 

Just more TWANG. With overdrive the twang factor translates to something else that I can't come up with the words for to adequately characterize. Maybe the A/B comparison s/b between a tele and a JM since the pup spacing is similar.

[Help!I'maRock!]

nels is one of the few guitarists i've ever seen that can get every last bit out of a jazzmaster. i've never seen him with Wilco, only in a free jazz setting in a small club. if you think his guitar playing is impressive, you should see how he manipulates an original Electro-Harmonix 16 second delay.

personally, i don't like jazzmasters or jaguars. they're just not for me.

[HEPNOTIC]

is the jazzmaster better than the jaguar?

[Help!I'maRock!]

is the jazzmaster better than the jaguar?

 

 

different pups, different scale length. "better" is in the hands and ears of the player.

[personatech]

Nice Tom Verlaine / Television Jazzmaster solo here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw80nob1MvQ

Chris Stamey of the dB's has long played a Jazzmaster. There are a few clips on YouTube as well, but none seem to zoom in on his solos (check out the dB's cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows"!!).

[Grantus]

Kinda cool alternative to a Jazzmaster I found by Jay Turser, has P-90s though but some might like that, i thought it was pretty nice looking, just think the covers should be white.

I kind of like mine, but it does feel like a cheap guitar (of course, it is).

 

Terribly set up when it arrived.

[Jazzm@ster]

 

is the jazzmaster better than the jaguar?

 

 

The jaguar have less sustain, is more agressive and treblefully.

 

In france, the new rock generation use a lot of Jazzmasters :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxetLQQWbBk&mode=related&search=

 

 

 

http://www.myspace.com/dionyweb

[waffl3stomp]

I love my '64 Jazzmaster, been my #1 for over 10 years now. It sounds amazing and I cannot knock the thing out of tune, even with tons of whammy use.

[Ronzo II]

different pups, different scale length. "better" is in the hands and ears of the player.

 

 

Well stated.

[Ronzo II]

I don't think it's a tone or versality problem. Leo Fender had always wanted the Jazzmaster to become the superior instrument of the fender line, between 1959 and 1965 a lot of famous guitarist (hendrix, clapton, joe pass, luther perkins) often played with but the wide pups was too microphonics with overdrive compare to humbuckers or strat single coils' more heavy gauge wasn't adapted to the new guitarist generation and because of its high price the JM began to be outmoded.

 

 

Good points as well.

[raviolio]

In France, the new rock generation use a lot of Jazzmasters :

"We are from France."

[Sic666]

I've had a stratocaster during 4 years but since I've acquired a jazzmaster I just can't play anymore with my strat! 1. It's an instrument with a lot of personnality : the pups, the electronics, the tremolo, the body...everything is unique on this guitar. 2. The sound specter is wider than a strat: mellower and powerfuller pups, with two diffrents circuits, the first one with 1meg vol pot and 50k tone pot gives a very jazzy sound, I've made a demo here: http://media.putfile.com/Round-Midnight-89 The second one with two 1meg pots (250k for strat) results on a very dynamics tone, the clean sound is pure and ample, the distorsion is more agressive, thicker and hotter than a strat, less precise : Clean http://media.putfile.com/Hallelujah-1meg500k Rat deucetone crunch, fuzz, overdrive, disto: http://media.putfile.com/Rat-deucetone-demo And for the wrong accepted ideas (only a surf guitar?) a test of various distortions with my engl savage SE : http://media.putfile.com/Savage-120-Se--Jazzmaster The first and third sample are played with a Jazzmaster CIJ upgraded with US electronics and Antiquity I SD pups. The second and fourth samples are played with a jazzmaster with US electronics and custom rythm circuit (2 500k pots) and Curtis novak pup JM-V/Jm90.

 

 

Thanks for the clips. I always wanted one but i could never find a clip of a jazzmaster being played with heavy distortion since well guitar shops over here will never have one in store so i could test it.

[Fulham Fallout]

HOLY {censored} - those clips are amazing! Great stuff. Very interesting to hear those Novak pickups too.

I have a stock CIJ and the range of sounds I can get is huge. I can get close to a lot of the tones in your clips, but you're a better player than me

My current favourites are :

1) Funk - both pickups, clean with moderate reverb. Lovely percussive thwack, but still somehow rich for little picked fills between chords.

2) Crunch - bridge p/u into a BD-2 with and without a Bad Monkey to push it. Totally different crunch to a Tele, more complex, jagged and full of overtones. Really bites when you dig into single notes.

3) Vintage garage - bridge or both pickups, clean or with a touch of compression for chords, kick in the BM for solos full of unison bends and double-stops. Oh - and it sounds lovely with gentle tremolo too.

Also sounds great with a Big Muff - add lots of delay and trem bar action for post-rock wall of noise.

I haven't found a decent sound with a fuzz face yet, but I'm still trying! Anyone use one of these with a Jazzmaster?

One piece of advice I would give for prospective or new Jazzmaster players is - be patient. They're quite different to Strats and Teles and you need to be careful with EQ-ing and effects settings. Small changes can make a massive difference, so you just need to keep trying things out until you get the tones you want. But it's certainly worth it - these guitars are magnificent!