Hello all. I joined this forum today because it seems to be a very good source of inspiration. I'd like to discover more bands and tunes. Lately I find myself playing the few surf tunes I know on my Les Paul Custom. It's a fine instrument but it doesn't pull off the surf sound.

Having always played a Les paul and not liking Strats, I thought I'd give a Squier Jazzmaster a try instead of (or perhaps before) spending serious money on a Fender Jazzmaster. So I bought a brand spanking new Squier Jazzmaster 40th Anniversary, online at Thomann. It was on sale for 350 euro (shipped) whereas they're normally between 550 and 600 euro. Buying guitars online can of course be a crap shoot. I expected an 'okay' beginners instrument that would need a lot of set-up work and that would seduce me to go down the modding rabbit hole.

I'm really pleased with this guitar. It's more than 'okay'. The neck is very comfortable to play. Low action with these narrow high (vintage style?) frets. Neck does not feel sticky at all. Certainly a bigger neck than my Les Paul which has an eighties thin, fast neck. The blue metallic poly finish is simply flawless. No dings and scratches. The gold anodised aluminum pickguard looks beautiful. Fit and finish is above expectation. No file marks in the binding or on the frets. The vibrato system feels nice. The tuning machines seem fine. No need to shim the neck, due to a slightly angled neck pocket. I may put a dab of LockTite on the bridge saddle screws and height adjustment screws to prevent rattles.

The neck pickup sounds beautiful, a lush and clear ringing tone. Middle position, also two-thumbs up. REALLY surprised a budget guitar has such a good tone. The bridge pickup was harsh by comparison but all it needed was to be lowered two turns. Haven't weighed it but it feels a lot lighter than my 10 lbs. Les Paul.

But it certainly did not come out of the box perfectly. It had 9s on it and they were binding at the nut. So tuning stability was crap. I took it straight to a luthier to get the nut recut for 11s before I did anything else. Getting the nut cut properly always pays off. To be sure I did add graphite powder to the nut slots and bridge saddles. Tuning stability was fine afterwards.

The frets, though nicely crowned, sounded like dragging strings across sanding paper. I spent 1,5 hours polishing the frets, rounding off the fretboard binding and cleaning up a bit of polishing compound from the fretboard. The fretboard was comically dry. Never saw anything like it. Gave it two coats. It will probably need 3d at next string change. Looks nice - dark and with streaks. Pearloid block inlays to boot. It's not the best inlay works I've seen as two of them have a small gap. At this price point - no complaints.

The worst part are the pot knobs... they look and feel like shit. The switches feel like shit too and the jack socket does not inspire confidence. So I do expect to replace all this but other than that I'm leaving this guitar well enough alone. Do Squier Jazzmasters come with 500K or 1 meg pots? The volume pot needs to be rewired so the highs don't disappear when you roll of the volume (Les Paul people refer to this as 'fifties wiring', very simple 2 minute job with a soldering iron).

Never had a Fender/Squier product before and am very pleased. Love the sound and look of this Jazzmaster. I wouldn't recommend a novice to get one, or at least not without stressing the necessity to get it set-up properly. I like doing this myself so I'm fine there.

Thanks for reading. I'm off to practice MoAM tunes.

Cheers!

Last edited: Mar 12, 2023 01:35:06

Thank you Partick for your welcome. It's blue and intended for surf, so I'm calling it my Surf Smurf.

I'm currently a couch surfer (working full time and a family man). But I played in a band for many years and would like to return to doing that.

Welcome! We need more European surfers)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

New Single is out!

https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single

Waikiki Makaki

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Squier left me out in the cold with this 40th anniversary Jazzmaster. I want your golden anniv. jm neck on this 40th anniv. jm squier body. It would be on it's way if so offered.

"Here's to the man who drinks dark ale and goes to bed quite mellow. He lives as he ought to live and dies a jolly good fellow"

I recently bought a Squier CV Jaguar, and I was surprised by how well-made it is. I had tuning issues, which I resolved by installing a Fender vintage style tremolo, but overall, it’s an excellent guitar. Squier seems to have found an excellent compromise of value and quality.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

synchro wrote:

I recently bought a Squier CV Jaguar, and I was surprised by how well-made it is. I had tuning issues, which I resolved by installing a Fender vintage style tremolo, but overall, it’s an excellent guitar. Squier seems to have found an excellent compromise of value and quality.

Synchro, can you elaborate on the tuning stability issue? I've noticed that with mild trem arm usage ('shimmer'), my guitar doesn't always return to pitch. Bass strings are more affected than treble strings. Not sure if it's the bridge or the trem that's at fault. The nut has been re-cut for 11s but there's 10s on it currently. Nut has been lubed (graphite powder). Bridge saddles have been lubed too... perhaps a mistake? I know the bridge is supposed the move to and fro, I can imagine lubed up saddles will lessen this.

Last edited: Mar 15, 2023 16:42:18

Thank you.

-

Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:03:39

Samurai wrote:

Tqi wrote:

Samurai wrote:

The only problem now is that tremolo arm getting loose after two months of heavy studio usage.

https://www.staytrem.com/store/staytrem-tremolo-for-jaguar-jazzmaster

10mm, worth every eurocent. Custom arms may be available on request!

I am thinking of getting it, but it’s a pretty costly upgrade for 400 euro guitar)

I’ve already added 50% to the purchase price of mine, in mods. That’s ok, I love this little guitar.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Tqi wrote:

Samurai wrote:

I am thinking of getting it, but it’s a pretty costly upgrade for 400 euro guitar)

Cheaper than:

• Pickups
• Bridge
• Tremolo
• Tuners
• Electronics (assuming a complete replacement)
• Some scratchplates
• Custom fitted nut

Only things cheaper are budget scratchplates, string trees and the strap buttons.

Or you could be crazy like me, and order a $600 body for a $400 guitar.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.