Help me choose a Jazzmaster

Which Jazzmaster?

  • JM #1 - Burst classic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • JM #2 - Oly White, nitro

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • JM #3 - Oxblood! small radius

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • JM #4 - Mystic Seafoam maple fretboard

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • JM #5 - Badass silverburst, ebony fretboard

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Total voters
    15
Danhedonia

Danhedonia

Noted duckfat enthusiast
After whingeing forever about no US Standard Jazzmasters, Fender released the Kraken the past two years and I am feeling GAS.

But now choices abound!

Options:
JM #1. Fender American Professional Jazzmaster Rosewood Fingerboard Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst.
The classic version of the guitar. I know it's 'boring' but I have happy memories of guitars just like this being used by, well, the people for whom they are now famous. $1,549. Mustang saddles, passive pups.

JM#2. Fender American Original '60s Jazzmaster Rosewood Fingerboard Electric Guitar Olympic White.
$1,999. Nitro finish; can't tell if those are the same old exasperating bridge saddles, but they appear to be.

JM#3. Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Electric Guitar, Oxblood. Like the block inlays and color. $1,324. 7.25" radius (others all 9.5"); mustang saddles. Smaller radius doesn't bug me too much.

JM#4. Fender American Professional Jazzmaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar Mystic Seafoam. This color is so beautiful it makes me want to cry. $1,499. Michael Frank designed pickups, Mustang saddles, maple fretboard! If that were a rosewood f/b, this wold be the clear winner. That said, I am not at all against the idea of a maple f/b, just never seen that on a JM.

JM#5. Same as above, but with special-run silverburst finish and has ebony fretboard.

JM1.png JM2.png JM3.png JM4.png JM5.png

What should it be?
 
I think I like the silverburst the best, then the sunburst. The green/maple is in third. I wouldn't really consider the other two for sucky saddles on number 2 and a vintage radius on number three.
 
Of those, I’d get the Troy. If I were getting a JM, I’d snag the $210 alpine white body in the Warmoth showcase and build it. For that cash, the Warmoth showcase body and neck, you could build it out with Novak pickups and a Mastery.
 
Sucky saddles also concerned me .... like I'm already factoring in a Mastery as part of the price.

The Troy is indeed smoking, and I love the blocks/binding, but 7.25 .... eek.
 
Best to worst
#2 for my fav color scheme but I’d have to change the saddles. If your figuring in a Mastery for sure this one.
#1 has it all and I don’t mind a ‘boring” burst. Just like the Oily better.
#3 I’d have to play the radius to decide. Block inlays are acceptable.
#4 Just ain’t right maple/Seafoam is for Teles and Strats.
#5 Silverburst is just a cut above Antigua as far as I’m concerned.
 
Check out the thin skin Jazzmasters that Wildwood has. Also, look at Nash JM-63’s. For the same money they build a far superior instrument. You can even custom order it, colors, neck, pickups. And they come with a bridge and buzzstop that are solid as a rock but still do the Jazzmaster thing.

I had a leeuwen. It was pretty but underwhelming. Definitely needed Bridge and pickup upgrades, which is the problem with many Jazzmasters. Mine had an issue with the saddles too. The high E popped off pretty easily and the string alignment was screwy. Lotta dough for a Mex Fender that requires upgrades.
 
If it's Mexican I'm not interested, so thanks. Nothing other than US Fender this go-round.

I'd love to know if there were a store where they had many/most of these, so I could play a few and see what follows me home.
 
Silverburst FTW. TVL is nicely appointed, and I probably would have bought it if they didn't make the thin skin in Ocean Turquoise two years ago.
 
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