NGD Inoran Jazzmaster (for fat neck fans)

[Thomas]

I had a Jaguarillo up for trade and got offered this JM. I’m in market for a vintage spec JM so decided to go for it. I had seen this model occasionally on Reverb, it’s a signature guitar for someone called Inoran from the band Luna Sea. It comes with a buzz stop from the factory and US AV ‘65 pickups, witch hats and anodised guard. It also has the chunkiest neck I’ve ever experienced on an offset. Fat Baja Tele style. Everything else is standard, 7.25” radios etc.

I’ll most likely bin the buzz stop when I stick a Mustang bridge on it. I’m not super against them but it gets in the way of the tremolo arm.



OK, I opened it up removed the buzz stop, shimmed etc. Pics in spoilers. Rosewood board is VERY close grained, super dark and striped.
Switches are all Switchcraft.
Pots are CTS.
Pickups are the American Vintage AV 65 grey bobbin, cloth wire.
Shielding paint inside no tub.
Stamp on the neck stated it’s a U.

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[plopswagon]

Looks great, love the black pickups with the gold guard. And I do love a fat neck.

[Thomas]

Before I picked it up I was thinking of switching out the guard but it does look even nicer on person. Duracell looking colour scheme

It was the Baja Tele that finally got me into chunky necked guitars (after it was recommended multiple times on here back in the day). This seems super comfy. It’s interesting going back to vintage radius too. My other JM’s are 9.5 and 9.5-16 compound radius (I think) I’ll get to blast it through the Twin tomorrow, and get it set up to my liking. Too late to do it tonight.

[kim]

Looks nice (even better with silly buzz stop removed !). Congrats.

"Classic Jazzmaster tones come from the superb American Vintage 65 single coil Jazzmaster pickups"

are those 'pure vintage '65' s ?

the neck is a ’59 Large C Neck profile ?

[Thomas]

Yes indeed Kim. Essentially a pre modded effort (well apart from the bridge). I’m looking forward to having they Rhythm circuit back since my AmPros ditched it.

The neck is REALLY fat.

[Gavin]

Looks lovely.

[benecol]

The neck is REALLY fat.

DImensions and pics please x

[Thomas]

The neck is REALLY fat.

DImensions and pics please x

I don’t have callipers cos I’m not MANLAND. However a cursory measure of my 62 Jag reissue puts the neck depth around 2.3 cm this is nearer 3 and more of a U profile.

In the photo you can see there’s not muck of a hump where the back of the neck transitions to the back of the headstock. Very similar to me my 62 strat RI, tho this is chunkier.

Let me put it another way, it’s so chunky that if I were ever moving it on I’d message you first

[Bacchus]

Looks great!

Everyone in Japan has a signature model. Is it like a coming of age type ritual, similar to Confirmation or Bat Mitzvah?

[Doog]

Very nice, defo looks a bit more sleek with the black plastics (vs. the black-gold-white colour-scheme I had on mine for a while).

I’ll most likely bin the buzz stop when I stick a Mustang bridge on it. I’m not super against them but it gets in the way of the tremolo arm.

Interesting; I played a CIJ for years with a Buzzstop with no 'vibrat-oh-no's. Maybe tightening the screw a little to have the arm sit higher will help for now?

[lorez]

that looks really nice and makes me want to get a JM again

[kim]

Yeah i was noticing a lot of Japan listings on ebay for those Am Pro II's jazzmasters while stock in europe for them is more scarce, offsets are hot there.


As for the rythm circuit, 1meg pots in lead and 500k with neck PU in rythm as it should be, it's the other way 'round on am pro II's (rythm minipots 1 meg) with pickups in series or selectable and lead 500k with both pickups in parallel or selectable..

I can't say i hate this change but it's far from traditional, it's Fender trying to 'improve' what doesn't need improvement on their 'modern' take.

Interesting they call that neck deep C à là '59 . More taper than U i guess. No 'deep C 59' on there though.

(i totally stole this from OSG, sorry)

[Thomas]

Yeah Kim, the series selection in the AmPro II is definitely more useful I’d say, especially for dirt. I do like the traditional circuit for clean playing so miss it when it’s not there. The neck is the Inoran 59 so it’ll be a custom carve cos it’s a signature model.

Interesting; I played a CIJ for years with a Buzzstop with no 'vibrat-oh-no's. Maybe tightening the screw a little to have the arm sit higher will help for now?

Yeah Doog, the trem arm is not like a normal one with the big swooping curve. It has 3 distinct angles and doesn’t loop over toward the strings like a regular trem either. I also might bu pushing it in too far

I could bend it. I’ll probs just ditch the buzz stop anyhoo.

[Thomas]

OK, I opened it up removed the buzz stop, shimmed etc. Pics in spoilers. Rosewood board is VERY close grained, super dark and striped.
Switches are all Switchcraft.
Pots are CTS.
Pickups are the American Vintage AV 65 grey bobbin, cloth wire.
Shielding paint inside no tub.
Stamp on the neck stated it’s a U.

I’ll update the first post too.

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[benecol]

I don’t have callipers cos I’m not MANLAND. However a cursory measure of my 62 Jag reissue puts the neck depth around 2.3 MM this is nearer 3 and more of a U profile.

Surely not a 3cm deep neck - that's bonkers? Looks lovely. Hump behind the nut is funny - never seen one built up like that.

[Thomas]

That should have been 2.3cm

I’ll try to remeasure it later. I’m out for dinner and a gig. I was half asleep when I looked at it last night.

[sunshiner]

Looks gorgeous, congrats!

[Thom]

That’s an absolute beauty. Black with a gold guard is one of my favourite combinations.

[dots]

gorgeous and so glad you removed the buzz stop. any glory photos w/o?

[Thomas]

Here you go:

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In other Jazzmaster related news, I’m most likely going to have to bite the bullet and finally get a Mastery. The AmPro II is compound radius 9.5-16” so the only proper way to get THE ULTIMATE setup is a bridge that’s capable of being set at 16” (that way it’ll go from the curvier nut end to the flatter dusty end maintaining action height).

Unless I can find a height adjustable Mustang style one that doesn’t suck balls Mastery is the only option. I’m also craving one of the new trems to pop on the Japanese JM, they’re amazing.