NGD Joe Mascis Jazzmaster

CaptainSensible

Joined: Nov 08, 2006
Posts: 643
Leesburg, VA
United States

Posted on May 27 2017 12:13 AM

Opened mine up but didn't have very long to play it. Looked in very good shape with the exception that you can faintly see what appears to be a knot in the wood grain through the finish sticking out from under the pickguard. No biggie as the rest of the guitar seems in excellent condition (as it should since its new) and sounds great plugged in.

Definitely sounds hotter than the CP JM I used to have. Not a bad sound at all, just different. But I could potentially see a pickup change sometime in the future when my gear budget replenishes.

I actually like the pickguard better than I thought I would. Still, that too may be an area to change at some point.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy rocking out with this sweet little Squier.

—

Sean

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CaptainSensible

Joined: Nov 08, 2006
Posts: 643
Leesburg, VA
United States

Posted on May 27 2017 12:15 AM

montereyjack66 wrote:

CaptainSensible wrote:

Is there a pickguard that fits without having to drill extra holes, etc.? Not sure I'm a Silver Anodized Aluminum kind of guy.

I got one too about four months ago and am not a fan of gold. I took a chance and bought a$20 red imitation tortoise shell JM pick guard and it dropped right in. Hope that helps.

Did your replacement pickguard leave a gap above the neck pickup controls?

—

Sean

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montereyjack66

Joined: Jul 23, 2014
Posts: 637
LA -ish
United States

Posted on May 27 2017 11:08 AM

CaptainSensible wrote:

montereyjack66 wrote:

CaptainSensible wrote:

Is there a pickguard that fits without having to drill extra holes, etc.? Not sure I'm a Silver Anodized Aluminum kind of guy.

I got one too about four months ago and am not a fan of gold. I took a chance and bought a$20 red imitation tortoise shell JM pick guard and it dropped right in. Hope that helps.

Did your replacement pickguard leave a gap above the neck pickup controls?

Well, the short answer is NO. However, I'll add the caveat that I am probably less exacting in my standards about most things in life than others may be. I have had pickguards do that sort of thing to the point where I would say "not happenin'" but in this instance, I found everything quite acceptable.

—

mj
bent playing for benter results
Do not attempt to adjust your TV set.
https://www.facebook.com/Bass-VI-Explorers-Club-179437279151035/
https://www.facebook.com/Lost-Planet-Shamen-366987463657230/

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Gilette

Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
Montserrat

Posted on Jun 11 2017 10:28 AM

Ok, I've had a few weeks with the Jazzmaster now, and I haven't touched any of my other guitars. I really love this thing but the only thing that really irritates me is this stupid tune o matic bridge. It won't stup buzzing and rattling. I was tempted to put a dot of Locktite on the screws but I hate these kind of fixes. So out goes the bridge.

Mastery won't fit, staytrem had a replacement but is out of stock, so I decided on a roller bridge, but I keep reading stories the radius doesn't match the neck. Does anyone here have some experience on the subject? I'm not sure what to do at the moment.

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LeeVanCleef

Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
12 Map Pins

Posted on Jun 11 2017 12:18 PM

I had problems straight out of the box with the Tune-O-Matic bridge on a Bigsby-equipped guitar ― not only rattling but also the strings binding so badly the bridge was actually trying to rock a little with each dip of the Bigsby in spite of copious amounts of graphite powder applied to the saddles.

I replaced it with a roller bridge I had lying around and haven't looked back. The radius is off (my guitar's neck is 9.5", like the Mascis I believe?) but I hardly notice it when playing, and tremolo action is very smooth. I know some claim that roller bridges are tone killers, but I can't say I hear a difference with the TOM ― that is, apart from the lack of rattling. Then again, I don't have audiophile-grade ears.

My advice is get a cheap roller bridge off eBay. If the radius mismatch doesn't work for you, you can still get a Staytrem when they go back in stock.

EDIT: This is what my replacement roller bridge looks like.

You can get a Wilkinson branded one for about €20 or a noname copy for even cheaper. Radius is 12", be sure to check string spread and post spacing as well though. Mine dropped in perfectly, but my guitar isn't a Fender or Squier.

EDIT 2: I might be wrong, but I think the stock Adjust-O-Matic bridge on the Mascis JM has a 12" radius, so it's mismatched out of the box. If that didn't bother you before, then the Wilkinson-style roller bridge probably won't, either.

—

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Last edited: Jun 11, 2017 12:43:35

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Gilette

Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
Montserrat

Posted on Jun 11 2017 12:46 PM

Thanks Lee! I've just ordered one on ebay so hopefully my problems are over in a week or two.

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LeeVanCleef

Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
12 Map Pins

Posted on Jun 11 2017 01:02 PM

Gilette wrote:

Thanks Lee! I've just ordered one on ebay so hopefully my problems are over in a week or two.

My pleasure
One more thing, according to this the Wilkinson bridge should drop right in

—

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Top

Gilette

Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
Montserrat

Posted on Jun 23 2017 09:33 AM

So, I had to go the cheap way by ordering a 6 dollar roller bridge from Ebay. I assumed it would fit but of course it didn't. It turns out that there are 2 sizes for the post it fits on, and I needed the larger one. With the aid of the old drill press it now fits and I have to say it's way better than expected. Set up needs some tweaking but it feels great and sounds better without the buzzing and rattling.

Top

LeeVanCleef

Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
12 Map Pins

Posted on Jun 23 2017 02:59 PM

When I bought mine, it came with ts own correct diameter posts, which fit perfectly in the inserts left on the guitar.

Glad it worked out OK in the end!

—

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Top

CaptainSensible Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 643 Leesburg, VA	Posted on May 27 2017 12:13 AM Opened mine up but didn't have very long to play it. Looked in very good shape with the exception that you can faintly see what appears to be a knot in the wood grain through the finish sticking out from under the pickguard. No biggie as the rest of the guitar seems in excellent condition (as it should since its new) and sounds great plugged in. Definitely sounds hotter than the CP JM I used to have. Not a bad sound at all, just different. But I could potentially see a pickup change sometime in the future when my gear budget replenishes. I actually like the pickguard better than I thought I would. Still, that too may be an area to change at some point. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy rocking out with this sweet little Squier. — Sean Top
CaptainSensible Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 643 Leesburg, VA	Posted on May 27 2017 12:15 AM montereyjack66 wrote: CaptainSensible wrote: Is there a pickguard that fits without having to drill extra holes, etc.? Not sure I'm a Silver Anodized Aluminum kind of guy. I got one too about four months ago and am not a fan of gold. I took a chance and bought a$20 red imitation tortoise shell JM pick guard and it dropped right in. Hope that helps. Did your replacement pickguard leave a gap above the neck pickup controls? — Sean Top
montereyjack66 Joined: Jul 23, 2014 Posts: 637 LA -ish	Posted on May 27 2017 11:08 AM CaptainSensible wrote: montereyjack66 wrote: CaptainSensible wrote: Is there a pickguard that fits without having to drill extra holes, etc.? Not sure I'm a Silver Anodized Aluminum kind of guy. I got one too about four months ago and am not a fan of gold. I took a chance and bought a$20 red imitation tortoise shell JM pick guard and it dropped right in. Hope that helps. Did your replacement pickguard leave a gap above the neck pickup controls? Well, the short answer is NO. However, I'll add the caveat that I am probably less exacting in my standards about most things in life than others may be. I have had pickguards do that sort of thing to the point where I would say "not happenin'" but in this instance, I found everything quite acceptable. — mj bent playing for benter results Do not attempt to adjust your TV set. https://www.facebook.com/Bass-VI-Explorers-Club-179437279151035/ https://www.facebook.com/Lost-Planet-Shamen-366987463657230/ Top
Gilette Joined: May 04, 2014 Posts: 734	Posted on Jun 11 2017 10:28 AM Ok, I've had a few weeks with the Jazzmaster now, and I haven't touched any of my other guitars. I really love this thing but the only thing that really irritates me is this stupid tune o matic bridge. It won't stup buzzing and rattling. I was tempted to put a dot of Locktite on the screws but I hate these kind of fixes. So out goes the bridge. Mastery won't fit, staytrem had a replacement but is out of stock, so I decided on a roller bridge, but I keep reading stories the radius doesn't match the neck. Does anyone here have some experience on the subject? I'm not sure what to do at the moment. Top
LeeVanCleef Joined: Oct 05, 2011 Posts: 744 France	Posted on Jun 11 2017 12:18 PM I had problems straight out of the box with the Tune-O-Matic bridge on a Bigsby-equipped guitar ― not only rattling but also the strings binding so badly the bridge was actually trying to rock a little with each dip of the Bigsby in spite of copious amounts of graphite powder applied to the saddles. I replaced it with a roller bridge I had lying around and haven't looked back. The radius is off (my guitar's neck is 9.5", like the Mascis I believe?) but I hardly notice it when playing, and tremolo action is very smooth. I know some claim that roller bridges are tone killers, but I can't say I hear a difference with the TOM ― that is, apart from the lack of rattling. Then again, I don't have audiophile-grade ears. My advice is get a cheap roller bridge off eBay. If the radius mismatch doesn't work for you, you can still get a Staytrem when they go back in stock. EDIT: This is what my replacement roller bridge looks like. You can get a Wilkinson branded one for about €20 or a noname copy for even cheaper. Radius is 12", be sure to check string spread and post spacing as well though. Mine dropped in perfectly, but my guitar isn't a Fender or Squier. EDIT 2: I might be wrong, but I think the stock Adjust-O-Matic bridge on the Mascis JM has a 12" radius, so it's mismatched out of the box. If that didn't bother you before, then the Wilkinson-style roller bridge probably won't, either. — Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers. Last edited: Jun 11, 2017 12:43:35 Top
Gilette Joined: May 04, 2014 Posts: 734	Posted on Jun 11 2017 12:46 PM Thanks Lee! I've just ordered one on ebay so hopefully my problems are over in a week or two. Top
LeeVanCleef Joined: Oct 05, 2011 Posts: 744 France	Posted on Jun 11 2017 01:02 PM Gilette wrote: Thanks Lee! I've just ordered one on ebay so hopefully my problems are over in a week or two. My pleasure One more thing, according to this the Wilkinson bridge should drop right in — Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers. Top
Gilette Joined: May 04, 2014 Posts: 734	Posted on Jun 23 2017 09:33 AM So, I had to go the cheap way by ordering a 6 dollar roller bridge from Ebay. I assumed it would fit but of course it didn't. It turns out that there are 2 sizes for the post it fits on, and I needed the larger one. With the aid of the old drill press it now fits and I have to say it's way better than expected. Set up needs some tweaking but it feels great and sounds better without the buzzing and rattling. Top
LeeVanCleef Joined: Oct 05, 2011 Posts: 744 France	Posted on Jun 23 2017 02:59 PM When I bought mine, it came with ts own correct diameter posts, which fit perfectly in the inserts left on the guitar. Glad it worked out OK in the end! — Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers. Top

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NGD Joe Mascis Jazzmaster