New Jazzmaster build Images

Constantine

Well my jazzmaster build is progressing. It is an alder body with birdseye maple neck and rosewood fingerboard meant to be a reproduction of the 58 to 62 era. This is a ground up build with air dried master grade woods. I will post more pictures as the thing progresses.

Here are a couple of images of the guitar in it's primed state along with the reference photo I am using from a book about the American Guitar. It will be Fiesta red with a red tortise pick guard and hand wound pups:

One thing I don't get is the wiring, how does the bridge neck switch on the presets effect how the 3 way switch operates the pick-up selection logic? Does it just set wich pickup the preset is setting?

Cheers,

Constantine

CROSS

Bloody good work!

did you cut the body out yourself, or is it all-parts?

The wiring confuses the hell out of me too.

Johno

Jazzmaster schematic for you.

robertoriginal

essential the rythm circut bypasses everything and only effects the neck pup.

its like wireing a gibby with only only vol and tone, and moveing the other two somewhere else.

Richie

That looks awesome! Bet it'll be sweet when it's finished. 😎

Wouldn't you rather leave it white though? I like the look of it as is... just my opinion though. 😛

Constantine

I cut the body out from air dried alder (2 piece). everything is built from hand selected rough lumber. It is part of a collection I am doing that includes so far 2 stratocasters (reproduction 1962's) and a Telecaster. The idea was to build a selection of the great guitars that Leo and company came up with between about 58 and 65.....one of each. A Strat, Tele, Broadcaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, and maybe a couple of basses (not sure which ones yet, need to research this). All the guitars have hand wound pickups that to the best of my abilities and research are recreated in the vintage style of the early pre-CBS style (hand wound).

I was considering Olympic White as well and I have a guy here locally who tints McFaddens lacquer for me since the main un-named supplier of Fender paints is so unreliable lately. I have all the basic colors now tinted up including a faded Fiesta red that was hand matched to a real 58 Fender.

I have stashed away all the parts for a Jag and am planning the Mustang out now. Aug was nice enough to trade one of the finest templates I have ever seen of a jazzmaster body with me for a set of jazzmaster pups so I could make an accurate body.

Constantine

Just for grins here is a link to one of the strats from the collection that ended up selling, unfortunately the audio feed isn't the best but this is a reverse headstock 62 style in vintage cream:

Constantine

iCEByTes

Dont forgett Good Trussroad 😀

its gonna be darn sexy jazzie 😀

Constantine

Yep, it will have a traditional truss rod and a rosewood fret board, I just have not cut the slot in the neck for the rod. The fret board is slotted and ready though.

Seems like most of the work is in making a good neck that has nice playability so I am anxious to get the rod in, fretboard glued on and begin sculpting the neck itself.

Constantine

Aug

Constantine said: Aug was nice enough to trade one of the finest templates I have ever seen of a jazzmaster body with me for a set of jazzmaster pups so I could make an accurate body.
Constantine

It was my absolute pleasure. Perhaps we can do business on a Mustang as well. hint, hint!

CROSS

Your headstock is not the standard Jazzmaster design. It looks more like the mustang design, and the earlier Jazzmaster block inlay design.

Richie

I just realised, where's the locking button on the tremolo? 😕

Constantine

Aug,

I am always interested in doing some collaboration work! I need to know how to route the jag as well as get a template for the Mustang eventually.

Richie,

I dunno, this is the trem All Parts sold me, Did I get the wrong one or do they sell one that is not quite authentic?

Constantine

Richie

http://www.guitarvillage.co.uk/product-detail_huge.asp?id=3642

Notice how on the real deal there's a button on the tailpiece, at the point nearest the bridge, that locks the trem. The tailpiece on yours doesn't have it. 😕

Having just looked into it myself, I don't think you can get an aftermarket version of the floating tremolo that actually includes the locking mechanism. Think you may have to get a proper Fender part if that's an important authentic feature to you.

SumnerSE

Richie said: That looks awesome! Bet it'll be sweet when it's finished. 😎
Wouldn't you rather leave it white though? I like the look of it as is... just my opinion though. 😛

Yeah, I'm digging the white too.

Constantine

Ok, I see the locking button. I guess I would have to find a source for a genuine Fender trem eventually.

I am still considering the Olympic white. It does seem to read well in white with the tortise pick guard.

I know the jag body outline is the same as the Jazzmaster, is the pickup routing about the only difference? Are the other cavities other than the bridge location about the same (due to the 24" scale)? I want to plan out a jag template soon so I can cut, route and shape a jag soon. I have most of the parts gathered up for one.

Thanks,

Constantine

Aug

Constantine said: Ok, I see the locking button. I guess I would have to find a source for a genuine Fender trem eventually.
I am still considering the Olympic white. It does seem to read well in white with the tortise pick guard.
I know the jag body outline is the same as the Jazzmaster, is the pickup routing about the only difference? Are the other cavities other than the bridge location about the same (due to the 24" scale)? I want to plan out a jag template soon so I can cut, route and shape a jag soon. I have most of the parts gathered up for one.
Thanks,
Constantine

I could be mistaken, but other than the bridge position, you could literally use a Jazzmaster body to build a Jaguar, so long as the lower switchplate fits in that route.

Lemme see if I can dig up some photos of the Jazzy's routes.

Constantine

Aug,

I have the pickups made and the control plates in stock and I am waiting for the pickguard to come. So, I was thinking I could just lay it out using the Jazzmaster template and some minor modifications.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of any major gotchas with that plan.

Thanks,

Aug

oh, absolutely! In fact, make the body and route for the neck pocket and trem and then use the pickguard to dictate all the other routes. Make sure you have the switchplates handy, as well...

Constantine

Cross,

I used some Fender Jag (I assumed the jag was the same design) outline drawings for the headstock design but that was the only reference I had and their outline drawings are probably not perfectly to scale.

Everytime I go into Guitar Center to see one in person they are sold out (both the jag and jazzmaster reissues). Besides, I don't think they would like it if I tried to trace stuff off their guitars.

I might enlarge the picture from my book to see if I can get a read on how far off it is.

Thanks for pointing it out, I think you are correct it is off.