Building a JAZZMASTER!

[SamtheOwl]

Hey guys,

I just sold my telecaster so that I can build a jazzmaster!

I've got a couple of questions.

1. Warmoth or All Parts?

2. Are there any pickups better than Lollars?

3. Is there a part list somewhere?

4. Best ways to LIGHT relic?

5. What is the coolest color combo for a jazzmaster? I was thinking Wine Red or Candy Apple Red with a tortoise pickguard.

If you've built a guitar POST IT BELOW! Especially if it's a Jazzmaster!


Thanks!

[v_i_d]

Hey there,

good luck on your project, i'll follow closely as i'm also considering building one!
but for me the best color combo for a jazzmaster would be black with tortoise pickguard or white with tortoise pickguard!
just my 2c.
enjoy!
v.

[hemingway]

I just put this telemaster together. The pickups are Tonerider, which sound fantastic - just as good as my proper tele.

Best of luck! I'm no expert, nowhere near as experienced as many posters on here, but I'd say buy the best parts you can afford. If it works out costing about the same as a new MIM, then I'd say you're on the right track.

[Strat62]

Here's mine. I carved the bodies myself. The HH is spruce; the HSH is poplar. Both use the upper vol and tone rollers for coil split. They're not really true jazzmasters, but they sure are fun to play and very useful.

[Manitou]

I posted this on the offset guitar forum, but no one was too impressed. But, hey, I like it, and that's why I got into building guitars anyway.
I started with some pine wood that I got from work.


I glued them together and had them planed down to 1 3/4" at the local lumber yard. Cost me $2.00.


I cut the pockets out on my vertical mill and used a bandsaw to cut the outside to shape and files, rasps and a router with a roundover bit.


I primed it with a primer meant for plastic (sacrilege, I know) and then painted it with some Krylon Fusion paint (again with the sacrilege)






I think it turned out well enough for me.

[musicmatty]

Not sure how a guitar with no Jazzmaster pickups, is called a Jazzmaster with body style only A Telecaster with 3 Strat pickups is a Tele

The most significant part of any guitar for it's namesake, are the pickups which define it more so than the body style Just my opinon of course

[Strat62]

Originally Posted by musicmatty

Not sure how a guitar with no Jazzmaster pickups, is called a Jazzmaster with body style only A Telecaster with 3 Strat pickups is a Tele

The most significant part of any guitar for it's namesake, are the pickups which define it more so than the body style Just my opinon of course

Hey, Fender does it; why can't I? Actually, I call it a Jazzblaster. BTW, Nice job, Manitou!

[hemingway]

[QUOTE=Manitou;4156416]I posted this on the offset guitar forum, but no one was too impressed.

Really? What does it take to impress them?

[Manitou]

Well they are really a good bunch of guys (and girls) but just like all forums, there are some folks that will tell you that only Nitrocellulose Lacquer is good enough and if you don't use a 7 1/2" radius neck, it will play poorly, etc.
All in all they are a good bunch over there and I sure learned alot by reading all of their postings.

[hemingway]

Originally Posted by Manitou

Well they are really a good bunch of guys (and girls) but just like all forums, there are some folks that will tell you that only Nitrocellulose Lacquer is good enough and if you don't use a 7 1/2" radius neck, it will play poorly, etc.
All in all they are a good bunch over there and I sure learned alot by reading all of their postings.

That looks like a really good finish with that paint. Did you have to do anything special with it?

[Manitou]

The red Fusion paint said "No Primer Needed" but I was afraid that I'd see too much of the pine's wood grain, so I primed it anyway.
I used some sanding sealer (2 coats) and then the primer and then the red paint. I did put two entire cans of some no-name clear gloss lacquer over the red, but I misted the first few coats on pretty dry, and then once I got a base established I put it on a bit heavier. I had lots of orange peel, but it sanded out. 2 cans of clear helped since I don't think I sanded through to the color at all. At least there was no red in my wetsand water/soap mixture.
I plugged the screw holes with wax so that I wouldn't get wood swell around them, and that seemed to help as well.
I sanded it with 600 wet/ dry, and then 1000 grit, 1200 grit, and lastly 2000 grit before I started to polish. I stayed off of the edges and sides a bit to minimize the sand throughs.
My hardware was purchased from lots of different places including AllParts (pick guard), Guitar Fetish (pick-ups and tuners), I purchased a Jazzmaster wiring kit that was put together by AllParts, but I didn't get it from them, I got it from S & K Guitar shop on the web. It was $52 instead of the usual $70.
I got lots of things from Angela Instruments as well. They have everything you need. The white witch hat knobs are hard to come by and the ones I got are for an amplifier and the numbers are facing inward instead of outward. The correct ones are pretty much non existant.
Good luck

[blackbelt308]

I recently built a JM for a fellow TDPRI member: ice blue metallic (Wildwood alder body) with a birdseye maple neck (Musikraft). Both were terrific quality, and I've already gone back to MK for a Tele neck. For previous JM builds, I've used USACG bodies and necks, as well as Allparts necks. All have worked out very well.









For this and one other JM, I used Curtis Novak pickups. You should definitely check him out. He recommended his vintage JM wind for the neck pickup, and his JM-90 for the bridge. Stellar!

Ciao,
Rick

[Manitou]

Very nice guitar and especially nice color!
It looks to be a smaller radius than the neck I was able to get. Is it 7 1/2, or 9 1/2??
The fret marker dots are killer, and I see you did not put in the rhythm circuit.
Mastery Bridge??

[musicmatty]

Originally Posted by blackbelt308

I recently built a JM for a fellow TDPRI member: ice blue metallic (Wildwood alder body) with a birdseye maple neck (Musikraft). Both were terrific quality, and I've already gone back to MK for a Tele neck. For previous JM builds, I've used USACG bodies and necks, as well as Allparts necks. All have worked out very well.




For this and one other JM, I used Curtis Novak pickups. You should definitely check him out. He recommended his vintage JM wind for the neck pickup, and his JM-90 for the bridge. Stellar!

Ciao,
Rick

Wow...Stellar guitar...Love the simple control layout

[blackbelt308]

Very nice guitar and especially nice color!
It looks to be a smaller radius than the neck I was able to get. Is it 7 1/2, or 9 1/2??
The fret marker dots are killer, and I see you did not put in the rhythm circuit.
Mastery Bridge??

Thanks! 9.5" radius, abalone dots, and yes, we decided not to futz with the rhythm circuit. My first experience with a Mastery bridge, and I was impressed.

Ciao,
Rick

[tape]

Originally Posted by blackbelt308

Say, where'd you get your bridge? I've been thinking about doing a Jazzmaster build (or at leasts parts build) and I'm having the damnedest time finding where I could get a Real Jazzmaster Bridge (with the trem lock button and whatnot).

Glorious job with yours, BTW. Beautiful.

[blackbelt308]

Say, where'd you get your bridge?

http://www.masterybridge.com/

If you're referring to the tremolo:

http://www.darrenriley.com/main.html

Ciao,
Rick

[davmac]

Here's mine. A far from traditional Jazzmaster, other than the silhouette.

Build thread at http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...cabronita.html

[62 Jazzmaster]

Here's mine. Unfortunately, it was re-finished a few times before I bought it in '76. The various rattlecan paints they'd used were cracking and flaking off, so one day in the late '70s I stripped it and gave it a light stain and clear coat. I believe it was originally Dakota Red, but had DayGlo Lime and Black sprayed over top by the former owners.

[tape]

Originally Posted by blackbelt308

http://www.masterybridge.com/

If you're referring to the tremolo:

http://www.darrenriley.com/main.html

Yes, tremolo. I've been having trouble with words lately. :) Thanks for the info.