Fender Jazzmaster

I have a Limited Edition Jazzmaster RI. (in Transparent Blond with gold hardware) . I had to look long and hard to find one in a store, which made me think that this maybe wasnt a very good guitar, but the opposite is true.

I havent found a guitar with a better, smoother clean sound that also has so many tonal options. I love the rythem channel, it sounds awesome thru my Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10. I'm not so hot on the neck pick-up its alittle weak and tinny sounding. Im just starting to build my own custom Jazzmaster, and plan on putting a humbucker in the bridge position but will keep the stock JM neck Pu.

I do like the heavy radius on the jazzmasters necks, and the off set body looks and feels great. I dont normally like gold hardware very much but on this particular guitar it looks great!

I havent had any problems as of yet with mine. Regular string changes and setups and smooth sailing.

Never had to contact, Lucky me

My favorite guitar. The only one I could never part with. I plan on building / buying more with very slight variations to an almost perfect design.

1960 Fender Jazzmaster, Olympic White (refinished) - stock configuration w/ slab rosewood fretboard, clay dots, original hardware and tortoise shell pickguard, original neck pickup, seymour duncan hot jazz bridge pickup, separate rhythm circuit controls.

Tonal range from warm woody strummy to thick bright staccato snarl. As others have noted, the Jazzmaster has minimal sustain, which, together with the "wide wound" single coils, produces its unique tonal qualitites. I run mine through vintage Fender amps, depending on the gig/situation. It works well with both Tweed and Blackface type amps. Overall, the tone sounds a little more tight and focused than other Fender guitars.

Action on my Jazzmaster is pretty good, not super low (not good for Malmsteen leads). It has a very pronounced neck radius, which requires a higher action above the 12th fret to avoid choking out on bends. The neck is very straight. I run .11s on it and I like the feel; it feels like a vintage Fender should. As far as factory settings, fit, and finish, etc., mine is 42 years old and has been refinned several times - so, I havent't a clue.

Jazzmasters can be a little finicky, but nothing major. I play mine out all the time. It feels very solid and reliable 95 percent of the time and when it doesn't it's usually easy to get it back into shape.

n/a

I have been playing for around 20 years, semi-pro for the last 10. In addition to my Jazzmaster, I have a Telecaster, Stratocaster, SG Standard, Taylor acoustic and several vintage Fender amps of varying sizes and flavors. Overall, I'd say the Jazzmaster is a great second guitar to own. If I had only 1 guitar it would be Strat or a Tele, but if you're looking for a guitar that sounds and plays a little bit different (and looks really cool) the Jazzmaster is a great choice. If something happened to mine I'd take my time and find another good one.

I'VE JUST STUMBLED IN HERE OUT SURFIN' AND THOUGHT I'D PUT IN MY TWO CENTS WORTH.....I GOT TURNED ON WITH JAZZMASTERS IN LATE 1963 WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS RELEASED THE SURFIN' WITH ALBUM, AND I'VE HAD AT LEAST ONE LYING AROUND EVER SINCE. SO DUDES, I BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT AND THIS IS WHAT I THINK..... THE FENDER JAZZMASTER IS QUITE FRANKLY THE MOST MISUNDERTOOD GUITAR IN ROCK HISTORY. BUT THIS RAMBLING IS FOCUSED ON THE NEW '62 AMERICAN REISSUE. MINE IS OUT OF THE FIRST RUN AND IS QUITE FRANKLY THE BEST JAZZMASTER I'VE HAD YET. SO GOOD IN FACT THAT I SOLD ALL MY "VINTAGE" STUFF AND SETTLED ON THIS ONE. AS FAR AS JM'S GO, IT IS A 10. THE LOOK, FIT AND FINISH IS FLAWLESS AND ONCE I GOT THE NECK TORQUED UP AND THE NUT CUT DOWN, IT PLAYS LIKE BUTTER. ACTION AND NECK FEEL IS A 9.5. FLAT WOUNDS 12 THROUGH 52 ARE A MUST AND THE PICK UPS SOUND FAB. 8.0. THEY CAN BE QUITE NOISY AROUND CRAPPY DIMMERS BUT IN THE MIDDLE POS. THEY HUM BUCK AND DO QUITE WELL. THROW AWAY YOUR SILLY PEDALS. PUT A 490PF CAP ACROSS THE VOL POT, PLUG THAT PUPPY INTO A GOOD TANK AND A 2-15 PIGGY BACK AMP, AND STAND BACK YOU'LL BE STUNNED TO LEARN THAT "FUZZ" IS A FOUR LETTER WORD.

IT SUITES MY FANCY JUST FINE. I PLAY MOSTLY INSTRO ROCK AND 60'S R&B. THE JM WILL PULL OFF TONES MOST PEOPLE JUS DON'T BELIEVE.

I'VE HAD THIS ONE SINCE IT WAS FIRST RELEASED AND SO FAR, SO GOOD. IN GENERAL JAZZMASTERS REQUIRE A LITTLE TLC. THEY ARE A LOT LIKE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR HONEY, PAMPER AND STROKE HER, AND SHE'LL PURR..... THIS GUITAR HAS ONLY POOPED ON STAGE ONCE WHEN THE SWITCH BECAME LOOSE AND ROTATED THEN SHORTED OUT ON THE LEAD SETTING. LIKE I SAID TREAT IT GOOD AND YOU'LL BE REWARDED.

DEALING WITH THE GUYS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT FENDER STINKS. I HAD A NECK PROBLEM WITH A DIFFERENT GUITAR AND THEY BEAT AROUND THE BUSH FOR TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE NECK. THE GUY I TALKED TO WANTED ME TO BELIEVE THAT I HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT....NOW THAT'S HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE CUSTOMERS.

AS I'VE SAID.... THIS IS THE BEST ONE I'VE EVER OWNED....PERIOD. HOPE TO BUY A SECOND ONE REAL SOON. I ALSO HAVE A NEW AMERICAN RI JAG, AND IT'S COOL BUT IT'S NO JAZZMASTER

Japanese reissue candy apple red with matching headstock and SD pickups.

I play new-wave, brit pop and noise (my bloody valentine, ride, the cure, sonic youth...).
My favourite pick-up combination is the middle one (neck and bridge) because the bridge pu has more highs for me and the neck pu is ok.
I have a Mesa Studio Caliber and a lot of pedals, it sounds great with the Ibanez TS-9 and with my russian Big Muff (listen to Loveless of My Bloody Valentine).

I haven't problems with the bridge.

Now is my only guitar, I like it very much.
I would to buy another one but vintage with block inlays in the neck.

1985 american made 62' reissue. candy apple red. volume, tone, 5-way selector, 3-way, etc. nothing out of the ordinary for a jazzmaster...

i was led to the jazzmaster after hearing dinosaur jr, my bloody valentine, and sonic youth. All those groups made the most of the JM's percussive, yet superbly harmonic sounds. the JM cranks out tone from all angles. even when playing it unplugged it can light up the room. the more you beat it the more it responds. my playing style developed out of drumming so i really appreciate a guitar that loves a beating. this guitar is great under pressure...

i bought the guitar used on ebay, so i have no idea what fender originally did with it...when i got it it had 9's on it for strings (which are way small for this ax. i know fender equipped this guitar with a shite bridge before they sent it off into the world...

this guitar is a gamble in a live setting, when playing out i would have a spare just in case. this guitar will either give you tons of trouble(with tuning nightmares), or nore at all...it just depends how it "feels" at the time...and how well set up of course. the finish does fade and scratch up over time, but this guitar definately ages with character (i'm not worried about it being flawless either..)when i got it it had a huge ding by the jack, the previous owner looked like he dropped it hard...

the website is a glittery confusing commercial... but having never called them for anything i can't say...

i've played keyboards for 12 years, drums for 10, and guitar for 6 years. i own 2 drum kits & cymbals. 2 keyboards. 2 ukeleles, a sitar, tabla drums, generic acoustic, norma hollowbody electric and lots of other crap.
i play a 1985 US jazzmaster with 12 g strings through a fender deluxe amp (40 watts of tube fury), big muff PI (russian version), boss pitch-shifter delay, boss dynamic filter, crybaby wah, digitech spacestation (for synth, volume, fuzz, octaver, tuner and fade in synth). If my JM was stolen i would take out a loan to buy another one (bloody expensive things!).
As far as the debate between MIJ & US made, i've owned both. my first JM i bought new in 1998 for $695. it was a 1995 MIJ with the classic brownish sunburst. the US ones are of superior sound and quality, but i would still buy a Japanese one any day. the MIJ is still a fine example of what a JM is all about, even though it is a less conventrated dose of that glory...
as everyone knows, the bridges suck...have someone good fix set it up right. mine is getting set up right now and the guy i left it to says he knows a trick for fixing the JM bridge, but unfortunately he didn't tell me what it is, so i can't tell you...what's that you say? how could i leave my prescious guitar to someone and not even know what it is he's going to do to it? well, i've tried everything to keep the bridge from slipping, and i couldn't do it..he can do whatever he wants...
there is something wonderfulabout the JM. it's not for everyone. this guitar has a cult following though. the few of it's fans are devoted fans who wouldn't play anything else, despite the obvious faults. i would buy ten of these things if i could find or afford them...

The guy who gave it to me told me this was made the first year jazzmasters were re-issued; don't know when that is. This guitar is awesome. Sunburst with the reddish pickguard. I've replaced the bridge, because it kept collapsing on me and I played too hard for it to keep the strings in place; the neck, because I wanted something wider, more strat-like (and dimarzio tuners); and the pickups, because I wanted something with more bite, so I got Dimarzio Evolution neck and bridge humbuckers. Whatever's left of the original guitar - body, "tailpiece" and electronics - is just fine. Before, I give it an 8; after, I give it a 10.

Like I said, I got rid of the soapbars. I remember really digging the clean sound I got out of them, but for what I'm playing, I needed something different and couldn't afford another guitar, so I had to change the sound. Dimarzio humbuckers do the trick. First show I played after the transformation, I played it straight through a Marshall half stack, and the first thing anyone would mention after the show was the sound of the guitar. I play mostly country/rock - leaning more on the rock, and also some europop/electronic stuff on the side that requires that U2 clean sound sometimes, and industrial crunch other times. I love what I can do with this guitar. Versatile. Right now I'm using a Sovtek Mig 60 tube head, and Fender London 185 solid state head. Again, the guitar rocks.

Well, after replacing the hardware, the guitar is very comfortable, easy to handle, and durable. Only thing I regret is replacing the neck, although I like my dimarzio tuners. Oh well. New neck is good, but I've probably worn it out, 'cause it's starting to feel kinda' dull. Up until now, I got no complaints.

Back in the mid to late 90's I was playing in an emo band (don't ask) that was pretty intense, which made the guitar virtually unplayable. After the makeover, it became my main guitar. I mean, don't they look great? At least they're rare looking, you know? I recently got my first hollowbody guitar, in which I had Gibson PAF humbuckers installed, and right now it's a toss up between the two about which is the b/u and which is the main. For the country/rock stuff I prefer the hollow body 'cause it's big and I like that if I'm fronting; for the europop side gig I trade between the two, but for the heavy stuff the Jazzmaster is the one. Plus this one is definitely the more durable of the two. I don't have to worry about dropping it too much.

nope.

I've been playing for about 14 years and semi-pro for about 8, and my Jazzmaster is one of the highlights of this time. It was given to me, and the deal goes that if I want to get rid of it, I have to return to previous owner, so I'm pretty much stuck with it, and happy about that. I own a few guitars and the good thing about it is that each guitar has its own sound; I don't have two of the same thing, or that sound the same. The Jazzmaster -"Vivian" is her name - is the one that gets played the most, my most reliable one. Again, don't they look awesome? I used to hate them until this friend of mine came up to me and said "I have something for you..." I developed a small crush, but with time, money and hardware, I fell in love, and I'm happy to report that I still am.

This has already been described to death. I only wish they would make these with Mother O' Pearl inlays again. A bound neck would also make me happy.

Its a 1995 MIJ Olympic White, with black pickguard that I bought online somewhere (the pickguard that is)

I do want to say that the vintage tuners on these are by far the easiest to restring that I have come across. Simply cut the string a few inches extra past the peg, stick it in the hole and wind it up.

Depends on the amp yr using, and if yr smart enough to get SeymoreDuncan replacement pickups. I think it sounds incredible.
MIJ stock pickups are garbage compared to the SD's.

So many awesome guitars get sold because of bad amps. I almost sold my JM due to what I percieved as its thin sterile sound, when it was in fact the piece of junk solid state CRATE half stack. I didnt realise this until I finally played through a vintage Bassman. Hey, we're all beginners at some point and not everyone has proper guidance.

I believe 3 things are necessary to make these guitars sound good. I discovered this by trial and error over many years.

1. Change the pickups to SD's. They offer 3 different outputs. I have the middle ones and they are great.

2. Use 11 guage or higher strings.

3. Get a GOOD tube amp. Im playing stereo through a 68 Silverface Bassman with 2 12's and a 1980's Marshall MKII half stack. The tone is unreal, makes my hairs stand up on end. Someone mentioned that these guitars are not good fr the hard rock/metal sound... that is simply not true. Sure, its not going to sound like a Les Paul, but if you have a Jazzmaster, you most likely *dont* want that sound anyways. Overdrive is where these guitar shine, i do believe. A side note, Distortion Pedals are NO SUBSTITUTE fr a good amp. If you want a quality distortion sound, dont rely on some 9volt Pedal.

I have also noticed that my Jazzmaster will sound different on a daily basis. One day its perfect - exactly what I want, and other days its less that perfect. I think maybe its due to the fluctuating weather in my area, as well as the nature of old tube amps.

I tend to roll down the Treble on my amps when using the Bridge pickup, for as its a little bit too bright.

My experience is that these guitars take some getting used to. I had the usual fret buzz that everyone complains about - so I raised the bridge and no more buzz. It seems to me that low action is an impossible dream with MIJ Jazzmasters. I have learned to play with moderate to High action, and its not a problem... in fact its made me a better player.

I had problems with the bridge screws lowering by themselves - so I took some clear nail polish and glued it in place, no longer a problem. If I want to readjust it later, it easily comes undone.

I had some problems with tuning - so I asked a professional and learned how to properly string it up, and how to properly intonate it... no longer a problem.

Everyone complains about the bridge. Over the years, the strings have worn a nice little notch into the grooves that were already there. I play pretty hard, and dont have a problem with string slipping anymore. I did though. If I bought a new JM, Id file the groove a little bit more to hasten this effect. I actually have grown top love the bridge.

The finish is nice enough. mine is chipped and stuff, but thats my fault. I believe guitars are meant to be played and NOT collected. Shame on all you collector scum out there hording super nice equipment, driving prices up beyond a real players grasp.

Once again, I wish the folks at Fender would wise up and realise that Block inlays and a bound neck add to the beauty of these guitars. I've seen some real cheap guitars with these features, so it cant be a question of saving money... wait a minute, what am I saying... Corporate greed = Make it cheaper cheaper cheaper. As if Japan owned Fender gives a hoot about stuff like making guitars into werks of art.

Its been my main guitar fr over 7 years (Ive been playing fr 11 years now). I never had a backup when playing out. Never had a problem besides breaking strings.
I have put my JM through hell and its still kicking. Routine tightening is necessary.

Never dealt with them. Ron at R-n-R takes care of every guitar that leaves his store.

Be warned that it is extremly easy to fall completely in love with these guitars. If mine was lost or stolen, Id do whatever it took to get another one - though Id save fr one with pearl inlays.

I have only messed around with the new American models in stores, but see no real difference between the MIJ and MIA models. If yr like me and cant afford a vintage or a American model, the MIJ will do fine.
Dont let "Best" ruin "good enough". Not everyone can be a picky anal purist.

Recently I aquired a 70's Epiphone Scroll which became my #1 guitar.
I didnt touch the JM fr a long time. Only recently I went back to the Fender, and remembered why I love it. Great sound, looks and style - doubled with a vibe that pushes creativity. Seems like every band that has pushed the envelope has used one of these somewhere down the line.

The same old features that the re-issue has. Not my bass but some guy who keeps on coming into Kelowna Guitarworks and bragging about his awesome Fender Jazzmaster. Not a bad guitar but I wish he would just shut-up!! basic features. Good Sound.

As I said above good sound. I have played and heard better. This Jeremy guy keeps on phoning G&L begging them to put out a re-issue of their own of the Jazz Master. Give it a rest buddy. It's an alright guitar but that's it!

Action O.K., But those damn strings keep on coming off if you play the guitar to hard. Gezz. Every time I am in Kelowna GuitarWorks checking out amps or guitars, this guy keeps on coming in to get his guitar fixed by the local luther there. Then he goes on and on about how this is the greatest guitar. His is the one with the Canadian Flag on it. I'm sure those guys at G&L know him by name as he phones there every week to asks them why they can't put off a re-issue Jazzmaster. Jeremy!! Isn't your Jazzmaster good enough???

I guess it is durable. Reliable. Not with those strings doing a pop-o-wheeley EVerytime you play HARD>>>>>>>>>>>

The finish is good. I think he paid too much for it. Meaning your guitar Jeremy Buddy!! And this is a re-issue so it should last awhile.

Yuckkyuyyyyyy yuckkkyyyyy. No customer support. Fender sells you a guitar and then kick you in the butt and say, we never want to see you again. God old Fender. Good gear but customer service is first to none. The Fender dealer is good, but the Fender factory is like a pawnshop cica 1980's.

Jeremy. Stop telling everyone that you have a Jazzmaster but leaving out the re-issue part. It is a re-issue not an original. The original Jazzmaster was made much better. The re0issue is O.K. but the quality isn't the same. Fender can put all the hype they want to on this but it isn't going to change a thang...

My Jazzmaster is a bit of a Frankenstein - most hardware, body and neck are 68, pickups and controls are from a 65, and the pickguard is a reissue! When I bought it, some of the original Klusons were damaged so I replaced them with reissues as well (I kept the old ones for the vintage freak in me!). I also had the nut replaced (high E slot allowed string to slip out) and entire guitar setup. I have a buzz-stop for it, but took that off as it prevents all the cool behind-the-bridge stuff you can do with the traditional setup. Fantastic neck - all the finish has long worn-away and it has that great, almost slippery feel. Guitar has been refretted at some point with jumbo-ish (?not sure exactly) fret-wire, and the surf green color might be a refin - it's so pristine that it's hard not to think so. It's possible that the color is a result of fadin/yellowing of lacquer over a light blue finish - there are a few spots around the headstock where the color is clearly blue and sea-foam-y green. I love this guitar, but it's a little temperamental, which is why I give it an 8.

I love the sound of this guitar - way more throaty and raw than my G&L tele's, this guitar sometimes makes me stare at my amp in disbelief. I play mutated pop, improvised other, and generally rock. I use a Fender Hot Rod DeVille (2x12), a Silverface Bassman through a Marshall 4x10 cabinet, or a Sovtek Mig50 through a single 12" Peavey cab (with the nice tweed finish, so it's not all Peavey ugly). Effects wise, I use a Marshall Compressor->TurboRat->Ibanez Tube Screamer reissue->ZVex Fuzz Factory->Big Briar MoogerFooger Ring Modulatore->Boss Pitch Shift/Delay->Boss Loop Station. Clean sounds with a bit of compression are really rich, especially when selecting both pickups; very nice sustain, chimey, present, etc. With one ore more distortion pedals going, the guitar begins to sound like it's coming apart (which I love); very full, dare I say it? - dangerous sound. The guitar is quite noisy on either of the single pickup sounds, but much of the hum goes away when both are in use. Others have complained about the string path and how it doesn't give good sustain, but I love the tremelo setup on this guitar, and am willing to sacrifice Gibson-style sustain for what's gained there.

This guitar is inherently pretty rickety - I don't believe these were rock-solid when they rolled off the line in the 60's and the last 35 years haven't helped much. That, too, adds to the charm of this guitar for me. It's not a perfect setup, and it needs more regular adjusting than any of my other guitars, but I really expected nothing less. I mess with my guitars all the time, trying out different configurations, so this isn't a big deal for me.

This guitar does withstand live playing. The hardware, etc. is all good. I'm not going to throw it on the floor in a temper tantrum, but I'm not like that anyway. I always have several guitars with me at shows, so the backup point is moot. I do depend on it regularly.

NA

I've been playing for 17 years. I have two G&L tele's, a DeArmond 335 copy, crappy Aria Pro II strat copy, DeArmond 7 string, lots of toys and other junk. I would love to have more Jazzmasters - I've always loved the look of this guitar - so I'd definitely look for another if mine went away.

This is a USA-made 2001 reissue '62 Jazzmaster. It has a custom color finish with a rosewood fingerboard,one-piece maple neck,standard floating tremolo,two vintage pickups..includes brown tolex hardshell case.

I play rock,blues,jazz,and other styles..both rhythm and lead. I use vintage tube amps like a Fender blackface Twin and a Super Reverb.
The pickups on this Jazzmaster are WAY too noisy. The only setting that is even reasonable is playing both pickups(wired to hum cancel here). The bridge pickup has an annoying treble,but the neck pickup sounds much better..if only it didn't hum. Once you turn up your amp for some punch,or stage volume..you have noise problems from generally thin sounding pickups. Fender should upgrade these pickups.

Guitar had an average set-up..shims in the neck,and not a real tight fit in the socket either. The rosewood fingerboard is very nice,and the neck was very straight..no problems here,although I could not quite get used to bending strings on those thin frets.
The floating bridge is very average..doesn't offer stability for tuning and intonation,and the angle of the strings to the tailpiece is not sharp enough.
Custom paint was nice,neck is finished very smooth.

It has a durable finish,beautiful rosewood,nice shiny chrome hardware.
It doesn't stay in tune that well, and the tremolo bar doesn't help. I made sure to lube the string trees and the nut, but still wasn't happy with it. I would not play out with it considering tuning headaches and the noisy pickups.

Fender has been slow on orders and customer service requests every time I have dealt with them in the past.

This guitar looks very cool, and the offset body shape is easy to hold when you play. It has a lot of tradition attached to it from the surfer music days...but not enough reliability for me to keep it. I already sold it and I do not miss it. I'm going to continue to purchase Gibsons with humbucks. I might try a hardtail Strat and add Kinman silent pickups to it. Check out Kinman's site.
Fender needs to redesign the Jazzmaster tremolo system,bridge,and pickups before I would buy another one.