ShortScale.org

My mate has what looks like a Jagmaster, realllllly beat up that he bought off a guy a few years ago. At least the body is a Jagmaster. I say this because it has a strat bridge and two humbuckers.

HOWEVER.

The neck has a fender Jazzmaster MIJ decal on it. I'm looking into buying it I think. But before I do I need your helps respectively. Firstly, where on the neck do I measure to and from to tell if the neck is actually a Jazzmaster neck i.e. 25.5 or just a Jagmaster 24" neck that has been redone (Its definitely been around for a few years, no guitar can sustain that much natural looking paint strippage in 7 years; I don't think its a new series Jagmaster, I think its a Vista series). Its unplayable at the moment because the bridge springs are all out of whack and it will need a lot of work, so I won't be able to just play it and see if I can make it intone. I'm gonna offer the guy like £70 for it.

Secondly, if it is a Vista series and the neck is actually a 25.5 then how hard is it in the UK to get a 24" neck? And what sort of prices am I looking at?


More interested in some tips on how to identify what bits are what on this Frankstein of a guitar. Am I setting my self up for a fall or am I coming away with a complete bargain or maybe 2 bargains?

You measure from the nut of the neck to the saddles on the bridge to measure scale. It probably is a Jazzmaster neck. The only Jagmasters that were 24" scale were the original Vistas. Putting a Jazzmaster neck on a Vista Jagmaster body would not work. You could put a Jazzmaster neck on any non Vista Jagmaster. I have a 2002 CAR Jagmaster with a 25.5" neck. The only reason current Jagmasters are 24" scale is because they use conversion necks to get from 25.5" to 24" scale.

I once did the opposite of what you are proposing. I put a Vista neck on a non Vista Jagmaster and it would not intonate because I had a 24" scale neck on a 25.5" scaled body.

need pics.

Apparently, the new Jagmasters are shortscale again.

The new design includes a return to the 24� Jaguar® scale for easy playability

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0320700500

the new ones have been for ever, but they are a conversion 24" not a true 24" the body is still designed for 25.5" scale. (we've been over that in about 1000 threads)

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ontopic, depending upon price could be a good deal, need pics/demos could be the orig neck refinished with a jazzmaster decal

colabonham wrote:Apparently, the new Jagmasters are shortscale again.

The new design includes a return to the 24� Jaguar® scale for easy playability

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0320700500

There were a couple of years where the Jagmasters were using 25.5" necks. They left the bodies the same scale, but went with conversion necks to return it back to 24" scale. (What Serfx said) It's confusing for sure.

taylornutt wrote:

colabonham wrote:Apparently, the new Jagmasters are shortscale again.

The new design includes a return to the 24� Jaguar® scale for easy playability

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/s ... 0320700500

There were a couple of years where the Jagmasters were using 25.5" necks. They left the bodies the same scale, but went with conversion necks to return it back to 24" scale. (What Serfx said) It's confusing for sure.

but easy to tell, the conversion necks have 21 frets, and the vista necks have 22

yuuup, and the new ones have 21. not a shortscale neck.

£70 sounds like a good deal, especially if the neck is legit.

So apart from the scale, if this did end up to be a Vista series Jagmaster body and Jazzmaster neck (Hypothetically). Is there way a that I can identify?

Will a date stamp on the neck or body help me in anyway? How could I tell the body apart from one of the newer series of Jagmasters? Does that matter? Is there a difference?


EDIT: difference between the Vista bodies and new bodies. Thanks for your advice guys but I know that 25.5 neck won't work on a body that's meant to be SS.

the vista bodies have normal jazzmaster knob placement.

the other versions have jaguar knob placement.

what color is the pickguard? if it's nice tort, with jazzie knob positions, it's vista. if it's shit tort with jaguar positions, it ain't.

hope you get a rocking good deal.

assuming it is a vista body, easiest neck replacement would be allparts jaguar neck.

it's by far most likely just a jagmaster neck with a jazzmaster decal. that's not uncommon for people to do that to jagmasters. I would just buy it, weighing your offer based on that assumption (£70 sounds good). then once you get it, show us some pictures and we'll tell you if it's a real jazzmaster neck.

Easiest way to tell them apart (asside from neck details) is knob placement, like HR said.
You can also check the toggle. It will be slightly low if it's a Vista. Dead centre, if anything else.

Rhysyrhys wrote:So apart from the scale, if this did end up to be a Vista series Jagmaster body and Jazzmaster neck (Hypothetically). Is there way a that I can identify?

Will a date stamp on the neck or body help me in anyway? How could I tell the body apart from one of the newer series of Jagmasters? Does that matter? Is there a difference?


EDIT: difference between the Vista bodies and new bodies. Thanks for your advice guys but I know that 25.5 neck won't work on a body that's meant to be SS.

The Vista tremolo is placed closer to the neck than the later models, it was moved back to accept a conversion neck (or 25.5) on other models.
As for the neck, im sure the later Jagmaster necks have the truss adjustment at the headstock end (unlike Jazzmaster) and the machine heads are the larger schaller copies.

If its a Vista body: 24" scale necks are a cunt to find in the UK, i've been down that road 3 times and you have to scour ebay almost daily. Warmoth make one along with a few other places in the US or you might find a 70's Musicmaster neck on US Ebay for a decent price.

If its a later Jagmaster then any Strat neck will fit (done this as well).

Okay...

Vistas:


- Ping style slot headed tuning machines
- Jazzmaster headstock
- No truss rod access/ bullet rod access
- Strictly 24" scale neck, 22 frets
- 9.5" radius
- Jazzmaster toggle placement
- Jazzmaster knob placement

Here's a vista with the bullet truss rod:


=================================================================

NOT a Vista:


- Schaller-esque tuning machines
- 70's big headstock
- Truss rod acces hole at neck
- 24.5"/24" conversion neck, 21 frets
- Neck radius felt flatter than Vista to me.
- More centered toggle placement
- Knobs placed further back

Fran wrote:The Vista tremolo is placed closer to the neck than the later models, it was moved back to accept a conversion neck (or 25.5) on other models.

ha, yeah, that's easy to spot when you don't have the two to compare.

i tried to find some pics of measurements, but none-such-luck. jeannie pickguards twat had one on his jagmaster auctions, but i can't seem to find it...

were there any jazzmasters that came with headstock truss rod access? if not, that's a dead giveaway.

As far as i know no Jazzmaster has never had a headstock positioned truss adjustment.

Vista trem saddles have 'Fender' stamped on them as well, none of the other Jagmasters have.

Anyway, £70 seems like a decent deal even if it is all CIC with a Jazzy decal.

Vista or not . Rock that fucker. The Jagmasters are decent guitars and make good projects.

Besides , Vistas are kinda hyped . They're good but for what folks are asking for them you can get a good used Jaguar or Jazzmaster which is way better .

Rox wrote:Besides, Vistas are kinda hyped. They're good but for what folks are asking for them you can get a good used Jaguar or Jazzmaster which is way better.

meh, my guess is you haven't owned both simultaneously.

they're kinda hyped because they're the fucking ultimate twin humbucker fender, and live up to every square inch of the hype. if i had to get rid of my CIJ jag or my CIJ vista jagmaster, i'd be free of a whole lotta chrome.

I've never had a guitar that I liked better than my Vista Jagmaster.
No Joke. Letting it go was such a huge mistake.