Don't know if you ever tried any of these:
- '72 tele custom. AVri or an actual 70s one.
- Upgraded epi sheraton/riviera, or some other mid-priced decent 335 type. Tokai ES60 comes to mind as well, and those 80s ibanez ones seem to have a great reputation too.
I'm a big jazzmaster fan btw...What was it exactly you didn't like about the one you tried?
Anyway, picking an electric guitar without knowing which type you prefer isn't all that hard impo. There's a handful of criteria that could narrow it down, other than your budget...Neck profile, fret size, solid vs (semi)hollow body, hb vs sc, set neck vs bolt-on, aesthetic preferences,...