I like how you do the sound demos back to back so that i can clearly hear the difference of the guitars. I myself love fender jazzmaster and jaguar and have a few models of both! Personally, they gotta have the rhythm circuit. Thats what makes them a jazzmaster and jaguar.
I'm clearly a beginner in the Offset world. I'll have to try one with the rhythm circuit and see if it works for me. Glad you enjoyed the audio samples. I think it makes more sense to keep it clean for comparison. The last couple I just cranked the amp up to around 7 to get a little more gain.
I grew up disliking the look of offsets as well and pretty much ignored them until earlier this year when I bought a P-90 equipped "Grungemaster" cheap offset on a whim... Instant convert to both offsets and P-90's. I just bought a Coral Red one of these yesterday for my "collection" and my initial gut reaction is that I just bought a guitar I'm going to enjoy playing a lot of.
@@brianrollins7275 I've been playing it daily, still haven't changed the strings yet. Out of the box, I had to intonate the G and top E and raise the lower saddle a tad to eliminate string buzz. So far that's all I've had to do. Overall tuning stability has been pretty damn stable. Normal playing, bends etc - great. Light tremelo use. Great. heavy tremolo use - will knock it out a bit. I personally love the pick ups. Very bright and jangly 60's sound that can sound somewhere between a Strat and a Tele - but different. So far my gut reaction has been spot on and I have enjoyed playing this guitar. Good luck with your choice mate.
The trem switch isn't to disengage it. It's a memory for the string tension so you can stay in tune if a string breaks. I love Jazzmasters and your intro was a stake through the heart💔😂
Oh man I'm so sorry! I know there is a huge Jazzmaster and Jaguar community but since I'm new to the Jazzmaster it's might take me a while to understand the best application for this guitar. I'm holding on to it for now and hoping I'll come around.
@@airtimedesign you made a great review and I'm sure there are people looking for that sound. JM is very appealing and looks cool but if we just focus on sounds not everyone needs one.
“Without all that jazz, I like it much better!” Haha, clever… Excellent review. Thank you for putting this together. My tone is similar to what you used during the sound demos, so this was a great comparison for me. I’ll be purchasing both a Player Strat and Jazz. Appreciate your time.
I'm a big Jazzmaster fan and I liked your honest review. The sound of original Jazzmasters is definitely richer and thicker than Strat or Tele. The 60th anniversary model for example, respects this unique sound well. Similarly, the tremolo is very stable and holds tuning much better than that of Stratocasters. The floating bridge is not really an issue for intonation (I mainly play Blues and Rock, so I bend a lot and play a lot after the 12th fret). The reality is that achieving this result in mass-produced guitars is not reliable, as your video shows. We often end up with a sound that's too shrill because, as you very well said, the guitar's architecture is "Hi-Fi," so the slightest manufacturing weakness is amplified. I have trouble understanding Fender; the Strat and Telecaster have been adapted over the years (no Strat has a 3-position selector anymore, no Tele has the weak bridge from the early 50s...). Continuing to use 1meg pots doesn't make sense if you're not using Alnico 2 pickups with very wide windings, for example. After years of understanding this instrument and adapting it to modern playing, I can get the crystalline sounds of Strat and Tele but also approach Les Paul P90 tones with an unique tone and resonance. However, I can easily understand why the majority prefer to go for more plug 'n play guitars.
The thin, ice-picky quality of the Jazzmaster isn't due to the wider pickups so much as it is the tone pots, because while the Strat and Tele both use 250k pots the JM uses 1M pots which let in a lot of high treble. Swapping the stock pots for 250k pots would definitely go a long way towards taming the treble and bringing the sound closer to that of a Strat/Tele.
Yeah, I load mine down with an external resistor. If you listen to the first three Ventures records, the most beautiful guitar sound ever, there's nothing icepicky there.
Re the strat, you said "this design allows more string vibrations to transfer directly to the body". That's not how solid-body electric guitars work. If it were, sustain would be very poor. Every measurement of real guitars over the last 30 years (including many strats) has shown bridge admittance to be very small, and that almost all vibrations remain in the strings. That's the opposite of an acoustic guitar, where vibrations must leave the strings in order to be heard; vibrations must remain in the strings in order to be heard (via the pickups) for a solid-body electric guitar. It's unfortunately just a common misconception of science-challenged famous players, guitar journalists, and guitar manufacturers that transfer of string vibrations to the body is both significant in magnitude, and a good thing. It's neither. Re the rocking bridge on the jazzmaster, it has no more intonation issues than the strat bridge/trem. You get a mix of intervals with trem use on both, a consequence of variable string stiffness and things like saddle height. Just never lubricate the string-saddle contact points on a rocking bridge. Most of the issues people have had with the bridge are a resulit of not understanding Leo Fender's clever design (it's all in the original patent). You just need to ensure high string downforce on the saddles.
Sound wise... Jazzmaster need a set of heavier strings like 11-50 at least to reveal it distinctive sound. Leo Fender design it with 13-56 flats. With jazz players in mind. I do use flats on mine. Fender Player II pots aren't 1 Meg like on a vintage models... they are 500K. However, pickups on these are already voiced brighter and hotter for modern overdriven sounds. For sweet, warm and clean sounds : Pure Vintage 65 pickups (and their boutique copies). Finally, for the loss of a rhythm circuit... I had an American Original Jazzmaster, and like many others, never used it. It is pretty redundant. Fender, back in the days, designed it to offer a fast switching preset for a darker jazzy sound... which you can also simply dial in with the regular circuit. Always a pleasure to watch you videos. Cheers :)
They look cool to me but the sound is always just not what I’m looking for. And I like the rhythm controls on the classic models. IMO, that’s one of the things that make them interesting. Give me a Tele or Strat any day. I am happy to see rosewood as I’m a wood snob so when I’m paying higher prices than ever for guitars at any level, leave the other stuff for entry level and coasters. Great video 👍🏻
The sound comparison is interesting. I play it back without the video and find myself hearing some interesting sounds that I really like from the Jazzmaster. It really starts to come alive with a little gain or overdrive. It doesn't need much but when it's pushed a bit it makes a big difference.
I’ve wanted a Jazzmaster.since I first got a Fender catalog back in 1964. Never owned one, but I’ve played a few, and you’re right; the offset body is really comfortable to play. But this one you’re reviewing sounds really thin! They were originally designed to use heavy-gauge flatwound strings, and that might keep them from sounding so thin-although I don’t like flatwounds on anything else. I’m a Tele player mostly, although I do have a Strat too. I don’t think I’d use a Deluxe Reverb with that Jazzmaster-no midrange control, and that guitar needs some help in that department. I think I’ll look for what Fender calls an Offset Telecaster-a Jazzmaster shape with Tele bridge and pickups. I think they’re still offering that, maybe as a Squier.
I guess I didn't do a very good job selling the Player II Jazzmaster! But after all my critical comments this Player II Jazzmaster still has something cool about it that keeps me coming back. I don't think I'll ever be an exclusive JM player but I've learn a lot about them from doing this review and I have grown to appreciate the difference in the offsets.
I learned a lot putting this review together. The comparison with the Strat pickups was a surprise to me. It's funny, I still have the Player II Jazzmaster and I thought I might return it but I'm having a hard time letting it go.
@@airtimedesign I've been burning through the affordable market cranking out reviews. I may have to pull the plug on a firefly version if I can get one
I know, I stumbled across a picture of him playing one. That really surprised me. But I also heard he played Noel Redding's Telecaster on "Wind Cries Mary".
I would really love to try some different pickups. I think I'd like to try the Lollar first. Lollar also makes a P90 Jazzmaster pickup set and that interest me also.
There's something wrong with your guitar. I just went over to Ask Zak's Jazzmaster video and his sounds beautiful. Yours does not sound beautiful. And Bob Bogle's Jazzmaster in the Ventures was the most beautiful guitar sound ever.
I am recording the most basic straight out of the guitar sound with no effects, no pedals, no processing. Also a pretty basic mic Shure SM57. There is no doubt that this guitar can sound beautiful but this is as honest as I know how to be with the basic sound.
I like how you do the sound demos back to back so that i can clearly hear the difference of the guitars. I myself love fender jazzmaster and jaguar and have a few models of both! Personally, they gotta have the rhythm circuit. Thats what makes them a jazzmaster and jaguar.
I'm clearly a beginner in the Offset world. I'll have to try one with the rhythm circuit and see if it works for me. Glad you enjoyed the audio samples. I think it makes more sense to keep it clean for comparison. The last couple I just cranked the amp up to around 7 to get a little more gain.
I grew up disliking the look of offsets as well and pretty much ignored them until earlier this year when I bought a P-90 equipped "Grungemaster" cheap offset on a whim... Instant convert to both offsets and P-90's.
I just bought a Coral Red one of these yesterday for my "collection" and my initial gut reaction is that I just bought a guitar I'm going to enjoy playing a lot of.
I’m looking at the green one but am wondering how good the pickups are and how well it stays in tune. How’s yours been so far?
@@brianrollins7275 I've been playing it daily, still haven't changed the strings yet. Out of the box, I had to intonate the G and top E and raise the lower saddle a tad to eliminate string buzz. So far that's all I've had to do. Overall tuning stability has been pretty damn stable. Normal playing, bends etc - great. Light tremelo use. Great. heavy tremolo use - will knock it out a bit. I personally love the pick ups. Very bright and jangly 60's sound that can sound somewhere between a Strat and a Tele - but different. So far my gut reaction has been spot on and I have enjoyed playing this guitar. Good luck with your choice mate.
The trem switch isn't to disengage it. It's a memory for the string tension so you can stay in tune if a string breaks.
I love Jazzmasters and your intro was a stake through the heart💔😂
Oh man I'm so sorry! I know there is a huge Jazzmaster and Jaguar community but since I'm new to the Jazzmaster it's might take me a while to understand the best application for this guitar. I'm holding on to it for now and hoping I'll come around.
I thought I needed a jazzmaster, but after listening to both back to back... I already have the sound I love in my strat...
I guess I suck as a salesman! Sorry Fender, there goes any chance of Fender sending me anything in the near future.
@@airtimedesign you made a great review and I'm sure there are people looking for that sound. JM is very appealing and looks cool but if we just focus on sounds not everyone needs one.
“Without all that jazz, I like it much better!” Haha, clever…
Excellent review. Thank you for putting this together. My tone is similar to what you used during the sound demos, so this was a great comparison for me.
I’ll be purchasing both a Player Strat and Jazz. Appreciate your time.
You're welcome! Thank you for the comment.
I'm a big Jazzmaster fan and I liked your honest review.
The sound of original Jazzmasters is definitely richer and thicker than Strat or Tele. The 60th anniversary model for example, respects this unique sound well. Similarly, the tremolo is very stable and holds tuning much better than that of Stratocasters. The floating bridge is not really an issue for intonation (I mainly play Blues and Rock, so I bend a lot and play a lot after the 12th fret).
The reality is that achieving this result in mass-produced guitars is not reliable, as your video shows. We often end up with a sound that's too shrill because, as you very well said, the guitar's architecture is "Hi-Fi," so the slightest manufacturing weakness is amplified.
I have trouble understanding Fender; the Strat and Telecaster have been adapted over the years (no Strat has a 3-position selector anymore, no Tele has the weak bridge from the early 50s...). Continuing to use 1meg pots doesn't make sense if you're not using Alnico 2 pickups with very wide windings, for example.
After years of understanding this instrument and adapting it to modern playing, I can get the crystalline sounds of Strat and Tele but also approach Les Paul P90 tones with an unique tone and resonance.
However, I can easily understand why the majority prefer to go for more plug 'n play guitars.
The thin, ice-picky quality of the Jazzmaster isn't due to the wider pickups so much as it is the tone pots, because while the Strat and Tele both use 250k pots the JM uses 1M pots which let in a lot of high treble. Swapping the stock pots for 250k pots would definitely go a long way towards taming the treble and bringing the sound closer to that of a Strat/Tele.
Thanks for the info!
Yeah, I load mine down with an external resistor. If you listen to the first three Ventures records, the most beautiful guitar sound ever, there's nothing icepicky there.
A good EQ pedal solves those problems
Great review! Thank you!
You're welcome Bob!
Re the strat, you said "this design allows more string vibrations to transfer directly to the body". That's not how solid-body electric guitars work. If it were, sustain would be very poor. Every measurement of real guitars over the last 30 years (including many strats) has shown bridge admittance to be very small, and that almost all vibrations remain in the strings. That's the opposite of an acoustic guitar, where vibrations must leave the strings in order to be heard; vibrations must remain in the strings in order to be heard (via the pickups) for a solid-body electric guitar.
It's unfortunately just a common misconception of science-challenged famous players, guitar journalists, and guitar manufacturers that transfer of string vibrations to the body is both significant in magnitude, and a good thing. It's neither.
Re the rocking bridge on the jazzmaster, it has no more intonation issues than the strat bridge/trem. You get a mix of intervals with trem use on both, a consequence of variable string stiffness and things like saddle height. Just never lubricate the string-saddle contact points on a rocking bridge. Most of the issues people have had with the bridge are a resulit of not understanding Leo Fender's clever design (it's all in the original patent). You just need to ensure high string downforce on the saddles.
Hey VW, thank you for the information!
Sound wise... Jazzmaster need a set of heavier strings like 11-50 at least to reveal it distinctive sound. Leo Fender design it with 13-56 flats. With jazz players in mind. I do use flats on mine. Fender Player II pots aren't 1 Meg like on a vintage models... they are 500K. However, pickups on these are already voiced brighter and hotter for modern overdriven sounds. For sweet, warm and clean sounds : Pure Vintage 65 pickups (and their boutique copies). Finally, for the loss of a rhythm circuit... I had an American Original Jazzmaster, and like many others, never used it. It is pretty redundant. Fender, back in the days, designed it to offer a fast switching preset for a darker jazzy sound... which you can also simply dial in with the regular circuit. Always a pleasure to watch you videos. Cheers :)
Thank you!
They look cool to me but the sound is always just not what I’m looking for. And I like the rhythm controls on the classic models. IMO, that’s one of the things that make them interesting. Give me a Tele or Strat any day.
I am happy to see rosewood as I’m a wood snob so when I’m paying higher prices than ever for guitars at any level, leave the other stuff for entry level and coasters.
Great video 👍🏻
Thank you!
Great review, much work in the video. I did prefer the strat sound in almost all cases though.
The sound comparison is interesting. I play it back without the video and find myself hearing some interesting sounds that I really like from the Jazzmaster. It really starts to come alive with a little gain or overdrive. It doesn't need much but when it's pushed a bit it makes a big difference.
I’ve wanted a Jazzmaster.since I first got a Fender catalog back in 1964. Never owned one, but I’ve played a few, and you’re right; the offset body is really comfortable to play. But this one you’re reviewing sounds really thin! They were originally designed to use heavy-gauge flatwound strings, and that might keep them from sounding so thin-although I don’t like flatwounds on anything else. I’m a Tele player mostly, although I do have a Strat too. I don’t think I’d use a Deluxe Reverb with that Jazzmaster-no midrange control, and that guitar needs some help in that department. I think I’ll look for what Fender calls an Offset Telecaster-a Jazzmaster shape with Tele bridge and pickups. I think they’re still offering that, maybe as a Squier.
you're right the Jazzmaster needs help in the midrange.
I guess I didn't do a very good job selling the Player II Jazzmaster! But after all my critical comments this Player II Jazzmaster still has something cool about it that keeps me coming back. I don't think I'll ever be an exclusive JM player but I've learn a lot about them from doing this review and I have grown to appreciate the difference in the offsets.
Ive always felt compeled to own one, but closest I ever played is a Jagstang. Love that blue
I learned a lot putting this review together. The comparison with the Strat pickups was a surprise to me. It's funny, I still have the Player II Jazzmaster and I thought I might return it but I'm having a hard time letting it go.
@@airtimedesign I've been burning through the affordable market cranking out reviews. I may have to pull the plug on a firefly version if I can get one
Which strat model is it?
hendrix used a right handed jazzmaster
I know, I stumbled across a picture of him playing one. That really surprised me. But I also heard he played Noel Redding's Telecaster on "Wind Cries Mary".
OK, after listening to the sound samples, if you want the Jazzmaster to excel, install a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity II.
I would really love to try some different pickups. I think I'd like to try the Lollar first. Lollar also makes a P90 Jazzmaster pickup set and that interest me also.
Lowering the pickups made a big difference on mine
Una guitarra más apta, para mamadores stratocaster.
neck from jazzmaster it´s far better than strat
There's something wrong with your guitar. I just went over to Ask Zak's Jazzmaster video and his sounds beautiful. Yours does not sound beautiful. And Bob Bogle's Jazzmaster in the Ventures was the most beautiful guitar sound ever.
I am recording the most basic straight out of the guitar sound with no effects, no pedals, no processing. Also a pretty basic mic Shure SM57. There is no doubt that this guitar can sound beautiful but this is as honest as I know how to be with the basic sound.
yup......as you mention numerous times ....you ar without a doubt not a jazzmaster expert
Thank you for the enthusiastic endorsement!
I guess it's horses for courses and what works for you but I much prefer my jazzmaster to any strat I've played.
@@paulmblythe43 Some guitarist like Danelectros and Silvertone guitars. There's no good or bad, right or wrong in choosing a sound.
I didn't find anything problematic with the video, but then again I don't get offended by everything and I know how to spell
The player II series sucks because there are no switches :(
Whatever boomer🙄
I think I might be a late boomer!
Nothing like a nice sneer to brighten up one's day