ShortScale.org

technically a partscaster? Maybe? I didn’t post a thread in the projects section because there wasn’t much assembly required.

I bought the neck at Love of Fuzz a while ago on the cheap. It’s a Contemporary JM neck with a 12” radius and thin satin finish.

Then after I sold 4 guitars and a bass I figured it was time to finally do something with the neck as a reward to myself (I was originally going to keep the Cyclone, I even took the ad down, but someone messaged me about it after I did and it still sold). I think out of all the guitars I sold I may have missed the pink and yellow strat the most, and I have always wanted a Jazzmaster and somehow never owned one.

Seeing what was out there, I came close to splurging on a loaded TVL body or even a whole American Original, but I found a seller on eBay parting out these loaded 40th anniversary Squier JM bodies in matte finish and gold anodized pickguards and I had a vision. The gold pickguards and maple necks that came on these 40th anniversary’s are so I feel like I gave this guitar a better life. The matte finish and hammered matte hardware really work with the theme IMO

I originally thought I could just swap the saddles with the Prison Stang, but that turned out to be a bust since this JM was 9.5” radius and the Mustang 7.25. I ended up ordering a Johnny Marr bridge for the Mustang and using the adjustable graphtech saddles for this one, to accommodate the 12” neck. I think the saddles also help tie in the graphite metallic headstock into the color palette. I ordered some new Gotoh tuners with oval pegs which fit the neck perfectly. The only way I could get the pickguard in this color was for a MIJ, so I had to round out the bridge holes a bit but it isn’t too noticeable.

I’m so happy with this, I haven’t been able to stop playing it all day, and best of all it weighs in at just under 8lbs just like my old pink strat. And unlike the strat, this one isn’t a strat!

This is the one you had on the chat, right? I can’t believe the difference changing the pickguard makes. I’m liking it, definitely different.

Looks awesome. RJ Ronquillo's Novo looks somewhat similar to this body/pickguard colour combination.

It moves

Love the black headstock.

Gives me Miami Vice Vibes.

That is completely unbelievably good looking, top tier all the way

You always have the best colour schemes.

Miami Niiiiiiice.

Love the colour scheme.

The first time I looked in this thread I thought this was great looking, but that the headstock spoiled it. Now, each time I click into it I like the headstock a little more.

I think if there was some way of tying the headstock colour to the body you'd be onto a winner. Grey knobs and covers? Maybe a grey hammered spray can for the tailpiece and bridge?

The bridge has graphite saddles, and the bridge and vibrato are matte/hammered metal, but I feel kind of the same way about it…I’m probably more likely to refin the headstock off white to match the plastics once it warms up, or sand it natural, or it might continue to grow on me. Would definitely keep it a Squier if I do refin the headstock though

So this went a really long time unplayed before I realized the stock shielding paint is crap and the graphite saddles meant it had no ground to the bridge. Drilled a hole to the tailpiece and grounded to the vibrato plate, and also decided it was time for a pickguard change.

Edit: fixed autocorrect

I loved it with a pink pickguard and I love it with this tort. Both looks are fresh and sharp to me.

thanks - I actually bought both pickguards at the same time....I wasn't sold on this one at first when it arrived, but it's grown on me (the pink knobs help it I think). Nice to have a good standby to switch back to if I ever feel like it.

I switched to it at practice tonight and I feel like I understand the Jazzmaster hype now...I almost hated how good it was, considering they're basically Strats now in terms of popularity. I guess if I'm going to have a Jazzmaster this is a pretty good one to have .

I forgot to mention, this was all brought about by my buying a set of Vintera pickups from Fender a month or so ago....they were on sale for $50 brand new and for some reason I thought they would help solve the noise problems I was having. I'm not sure how good the factory pickups were in comparison, since as it turned out that I never actually got to hear them grounded, but the Vinteras sound great. I'm just gonna go with they were well worth the $50.

I always liked the Vintera I JM pickups. That's a great score.

Yeah new pickguard is fantastic!

those the same knobs? if so, couldn't even tell they were that color when on the pickguard in the OG photo.

Nope- the pink knobs originally came on that pink strat I had a while back, I thought they were too much with the pink guard, but like the contrast now. Although I did just realize they’re both tone knobs lol…I do have the volume around somewhere, I’ll need to find it.

The knobs are actually the only thing he changed. Everything else is just an optical illusion.

^

Nick wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:37 am Nope- the pink knobs originally came on that pink strat I had a while back, I thought they were too much with the pink guard, but like the contrast now. Although I did just realize they’re both tone knobs lol…I do have the volume around somewhere, I’ll need to find it.

leave it. you'll get DOUBLE the tones!

or maybe the second one is a multiplier???