(Repost from OSG - Since I'm limited on Time)
It's the moment many have been waiting for, the Jazzmaster project has now begun.....
When I was young, I always wanted four offset guitars, The Jag-Stang, Jaguar, Mustang, and Jazzmaster. So far 3/4ths of those guitars I own, with some incredible capabilities, now it's time for me to build #4, the Jazzmaster. I figured it's about time, before certain parts go out of production for awhile due to trends, or whatever (the black pickup covers are already out of the picture after hunting for them). My general way of building guitars is a bit different, I usually start with a defined vision, and it evolves into something completely different by the end. Anyway, enough of my sappy yabbing, on with the thread.....
As I posted months ago, I was originally going to do a clone of Ric Ocasek's pink Jazzmaster with a few hidden improvements, as I am a huge Cars fan, and Ric's Jazzmaster was the first Jazzmaster I ever saw. But as I've gotten started on this project, I've run into a few things that have changed the design quite a bit....
- I found Jazzmaster bodies on E-bay for a little over $200 in Ash
- A Canadian luthier has been making hot-wound Jazzmaster pickups for under $100
- I'm planning to use a CBS style Strat neck with 22 frets, those are all easily availible for under $100
- It Will have a Combo Jazzmaster logo on the headstock, Think 1970
The body came in today, and sure enough, that opaque finish is out of the picture, the grain is VERY nice.
I'll be modeling some new finish ideas. I'm looking at the current version as having a black/white/black pickguard with white witch hats, white pickup covers. My idea is close to something of if Fender kept building the Jazzmaster post 1978/1979 and started using custom parts. That may change though as I'm doing this WHILE putting together a fund for a house in the future, and making sure I have plenty of other cash around.
I also plan to put a Jazzmaster logo on the headstock, but it will be a composite of the 70's CBS style, and the Pre-CBS style logo. Like this...
I'll post as more things come to pass. I bought a pair of the hot-wound Jazzmaster pickups (around 8.6K Ohm Alnico 2 pickups) off PickupWizard on E-bay, those are well within spec, hot enough for my hard rock style, but still very much Jazzmaster pickups.
