Jazzmaster build

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olrocknroller
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Jazzmaster build

Postby olrocknroller » Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:28 pm

Hi folks. I am looking at building a Jazzmaster-like guitar with my favorite design thru-body neck. My question is, I have seen that many newer iterations of this guitar have the tremolo plate moved about one inch closer to the bridge, which I assume would help to cure the buzzing and poor resonance problems that have plagued this guitar.

I am contemplating moving the tremolo rout about one inch closer to the bridge, and employing a Schaller roller bridge. This bridge has a 14" radius built in, so I plan to build the neck with a compound radius from 10" at the nut to 14" at the heel. The only thing that may change the move of the temolo would be interference between the line of the strings and the back edge of the bridge itself.

Other than the physical changes, I would like to use traditional pups and wiring to bring out the jangle that is typical of these guitars...

I will use a brass nut to enhance open-string tones, and may even build it as a "locker" to eliminate tuning problems from friction at the nut... etc, etc...

Any thoughts on the wisdom of any of these ideas? I would appreciate any advice I can get before I put cutters to wood!
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby Veenture » Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:54 am

The poor resonance of the Jazzmaster is part of its iconic sound, but that's just me. The jazzmaster string saddles could be an issue though, they're notorious for not holding strings in place, especially when playing heavy percussive chords. Good luck olrocknroller, we look forward to see it taking shape ;)

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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby oipunkguy » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:16 pm

have you ever heard about the buzz stop?

http://www.guitar-parts.com/catalog/buzz-stop-0

also the mustang bridge is the same thing as the jazzmaster/jaguar except it has one slot on the saddle so the string should stay in place.
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby olrocknroller » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:35 am

Veenture wrote:The poor resonance of the Jazzmaster is part of its iconic sound, but that's just me. The jazzmaster string saddles could be an issue though, they're notorious for not holding strings in place, especially when playing heavy percussive chords. Good luck olrocknroller, we look forward to see it taking shape ;)


Hmm, had never thought of it that way! I had a 1963 Jaguar, on which I placed the Schaller bridge, and the buzzing was almost eliminated, plus intonation improved...I liked the changes, but I certainly can see your point of view...I may be creating an entirely different beast that just happens to resemble a Jazzmaster.

By the way, the Schaller is a drop-in, requiring absolutely no mods to the guitar. When I sold it to a collector, I simply re-installed the original bridge.
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby olrocknroller » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:46 am

oipunkguy wrote:have you ever heard about the buzz stop?

http://www.guitar-parts.com/catalog/buzz-stop-0

also the mustang bridge is the same thing as the jazzmaster/jaguar except it has one slot on the saddle so the string should stay in place.


Yes I have, but I resisted, opting for the bridge change, which I think worked at least as well without requiring changes to the body of the guitar. The Mustang bridge was something I thought of as well, but I liked the smaller radius saddles in the Schaller, which I thought would give a cleaner seating point for the strings.

The Schaller bridge is a surprising unit, but it has one drawback, a 14" radius :( which means the E strings had to be higher than I liked... I didn't like the feel of the 9.5" radius neck either, and this was the main reason why I sold the Jaguar.
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby ludobag » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:47 am

on my build i push the trem to the vintage place to the modern place trem ;)
in fact no need of buzzstop cause the pressure on the saddle is better ,you just lost a little of the ring of the string behind the saddle ;)
and also depend how the guitar is set up with the vintage place ,on my cij jag with a mute installed i haven't to shim the neck too
i read so much of jazzmaster and jaguar probleme before make one that i was afraid but if you know how to set up a guitar no need of this
i have the schaller bridge a now is mount on my lp home made a good improvement of the no name roller saddle i have before :shock:
it is not only the look ,you hear it in the sound ,much clearer ,more over less gap the more vibration ect ....
the saddle is a part like tuners where you don't have to make economy or you will regeret it
;)
on this one the trem is one inch nearer from the bridge and you will see the crappy bridge :evil: when i have some time and money i will buy something better
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby olrocknroller » Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:07 pm

Hey Ludobag. That is a fantastic build! I can't believe how pretty the neck looks with all the laminations. You have pretty much built exactly what I had in mind; I hope mine turns out that nice!
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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby ludobag » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:12 am

thanks olrocknroller
it is my 2nd or third build in fact and now i will made it a different way
the body is hollow but routed and the top is flat inside ,if i redo one i will carve the inner of the top (but at this time there is already a big challenge to make it ,first lamined neck ,second neck glue and more harder than lp style ,first hollow ,2nd carve top ect ..... i was going to unknow when i have beguin :o )
i didn't have play much on cause a long time i have need to redo a bad solder and i was lazy :oops:
2 things bother me on ,the jack insert did not stay in place i have always to refix it :evil:
and the neck is really thin (20 mm at nut )and in fact i prefer more thick neck and the profil is really special realy thin v boat,
it was an experimentation
but i love the way it sound ,not solid body really hollow ;)

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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby mostlyrite » Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:07 pm

Ludo knows his beans, guys and gals!

If you want to use a Jag or JM bridge assembly, simply file the slots your strings fit into, slightly deeper. They won't jump anymore. Use a fret file or small triangular file.

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Re: Jazzmaster build

Postby jfine » Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:35 am

Sounds like a cool build, olrocknroller! I wouldn't use a brass nut, though--the strings will hang up in it way too easily and cause tuning problems. There was a big fad for brass parts back in the '70's, and I put a brass nut on my '74 Strat--it never stayed in tune after that. Brass is softer than the strings--they'll wear it out very quickly. Something like a Graph-Tech nut would be my preference--they come in black or white.
ludo--your guitar is gorgeous!


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