Would you trade a Dot for a Squier Jazzmaster?

I own both but would keep a semi hollow around for variety and humbucker options.

 

Depends on how attached I was to the Dot.
I've played some good ones and many that I cared not for.

 

I guess it depends on how bad you want that Squier Jazzmaster. Different beasts, Dots and Jazzmasters. Is there something particular about your Dot you don't like?

Are you planning on trading with an individual or are you planning on trading it in at a store? If it's the latter, I would suggest selling your Dot on CL or at least place it on consignment. You'll never get what your Dot is worth by trading in at a store.

Were I going from an Epiphone Dot to a Squier Jazzmaster, I would consider the Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster over the Vintage Modified Jazzmaster. Better overall fit/finish (also costs a $100 more). It has a tune-o-matic bridge and is more akin to the Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster, except for the non-locking trem plate. The Vintage Modified Jazzmaster also has a non-locking trem plate, but is closer to vintage specs, and the pickups are not as hot.

For what it's worth, I bought both the J Mascis and VM Jazzmasters. Didn't gel with the VM so I sold it. Love the J Mascis Jazzmaster, though.

 

How about a bigsby on the dot along with either a split coil bucker or some gfs mean 90's for surf? If you go j mascis jazzmaster remember the pickups are p-90's in a jazzmaster casing, not so much like vintage pickups. I would save some coin and buy the squier outright. They aren't much to begin with and you can probably flip it for what you paid if you don't bond with it. A good DOT is hard to find.

 

Just got a Squier Jazzmaster recently....still tweaking it.I have an Epi Dot also, modded with new guts and Classics '57s.
As an owner of more than just these 2, I cannot make any real substantial calls on the OP.It would depend on the style and desired tone overall.The Jazzmaster is more versatile IMHO, but between the two I would have to choose the Epi.I got lucky and grabbed my Jazzmaster for $225...if you are patient,you may do as well or better.
Good luck, my friend!

 

Epi Dots on the used market sell for about how much VM Jazzmasters sell new, so I think it's fair financially. I liked my VM Jazzmaster better than any Epiphone I've ever played, but I prefer Fenders, so...

 

I had a bigsby on an epi casino awhile ago and it was awesome

 

Tough call. I love semi-hollows (mine's a Yamaha 2100 w/2 Mean 90s on it) but my new VM Jazzmaster has leapfrogged all my guitars as my new #1. But... it needed some work to get there. I reeeally disliked the overwound bridge pickup it comes with and swapped that out immediately for something more vintage-wound. (Of course, YMMV.) And the bridge on these (well, all standard-spec JMs) needs to be setup properly or it buzzes and rattles. All that said, mine's all sorted out now and I'm crazy about it. I love the trem and it even stays in tune for me, something I never thought I'd find with a 'wiggle stick'.

They're cheap. I think you need both.

 

not necessarily true about the fit and finish, but that can vary with any guitar. the JMJM's have been more consistent, but the VM's are just as good (except for the first run, which did have some finish issues.) the Tune-o-matic bridge is more of a personal preference and i don't really think it fixes anything compared with a properly setup vintage style Jazzmaster bridge. it also defeats the entire purpose of why the Jazzmaster had a rocking bridge to begin with (tuning stability.) fixed TOM's on Jazzmasters will quickly develop tuning problems if the saddle grooves aren't nicely polished (the wound strings will have a bad tendency to catch on them.)

the Mascis also doesn't have true Jazzmaster pickups: they're P-90's under a JM cover. they sound okay, but different than real JM pickups, so it's not an entirely fair comparison. as for the VMJM's being not as hot, that's not really the case either: the neck is about 8.4k (i believe the Masic pups are around 9k) but the VMJM bridge is REALLY hot...right around 14k!

 

i just swapped out my bridge pup for a Duncan SJM-1 (Vintage for Jazzmaster) and it makes such a huge difference! i couldn't stand that stock overwound pup: i could never tweak the amp EQ to work well with both the bridge and neck pickups (it would work well with one or the other, but not both.) that really unpleasant midrange honk is gone, and now it sounds like a classic Jazzmaster. the middle position sounds awesome too, whereas before it was always overtaken by that damn bridge pup's midrange.

i like the SJM-1, it sounds sort of like a combination of a 50's (black bobbin) JM pickup and a 60's (grey bobbin) one. not quite as dark as a 50's, but not quite as ice-picky as some of the 60's pups. lots of sparkle, but not in an annoying way. well worth the $55!

 

I wouldn't trade my Dot for the VM Jazzmaster. I love them both.

 

I'd make the trade.