This such a great direct, honest, reasonable review. I really appreciate your objectivity. I have found the shim completely necessary on my classic vibe jazzmaster in order to get the action to where I like it (med-low) and switched to 10 gague strings. Those two changes (allowing the bridge to raise while keeping low action) really brought out so much more clarity and more traditional "jazzmaster" style overtones. highly recommend those two very simple mods to any CV jazzmaster owner. I'm realy interested in seeing your experience in Part 2!
Have the exact model. One of favorite guitars to shred on. Love your opinion on the models history ⚡️🙌🏾 the only thing I notice is the bridge post slippage. I put electric tape around the post and they stay just fine unless I play very aggressive. Love the rhythm lead switch and the rollers functionality and aesthetically. I got my jazzmaster brand new. It came with all the correct tools.
Thanks for commenting, Edwin! You got a bridge height adjustment allen wrench?! Damn I got screwed. haha As for the bridge post slipping: now that I installed a 0.5 degree shim and had to raise the bridge significantly I've noticed it does slip over time. But I haven't adjusted it in a couple weeks and it's still fine. I will lock it in place with threadlocker soon, but haven't done that yet.
Super nice guitar. Thanks for doing a thorough review of all the issues and controls and whatnot. I don't know why they wouldn't just build it that way with the correct neck angle. But it's such a tiny difference maybe they know it's easier for the customer to add a shim if needed than it is to finish routing out a millimeter of neck pocket if they need the angle adjusted the other way???
Thanks for watching! Now that I've added the shim I can see why people like it, but I still don't think it's an absolute necessity. And I still think Leo would've designed it with an angle if that's how he really wanted it. According to the book The Birth of Loud he was a bit of a perfectionist.
If you use the heavy strings people played in 1959 you don't need a shim. But unless they play slide, virtually nobody today will use 12s (or higher), which is what Jazzmasters were designed for. I remember my first JM, a '65 that I got in 1972; I played rock and roll and I hated that the strings kept popping out of the saddle grooves. In those days there was no internet to look stuff like this up on.
This is a fair evaluation. I disagree about the tuners though; I find the stock split tuners to work well *when strung properly*, ie, short length stuck into the slot without a lot of wrap. To me, locking tuners just aren't necessary and I really use the vibrato arm. You will have far more trouble with tuning issues caused by the nut and especially the bridge itself, plus the variables introduced by all the different vibrato units different models come with. I don't think JMs are harder to set up than Strats, but everybody is used to Strats, that's all; there is a slight learning curve. Re the noisy pickups: you can put humbuckers under stock Jazzmaster covers. One of mine has a pair of Dimarzio EJs under the stock covers and unless you are literally six inches away from the pickup you can't tell. The EJs do a remarkably good job of getting close to the JM sound IMO, and of course there's no noise. Or you can get bespoke pups from guys like Lollar or whoever, but they are even more expensive.
I didn’t know the whammy bar has to be forced in either. You don’t need any tape Mate. I pushed down hard heard a click , and now love the guitar. I’m guessing lots of other players didn’t know that either . Cheers
on leo and the shim thing..i had a 1967 fender bronco...it had a shim when i got it and when it was made as did the mustang and......the jazzmaster...it was up to the person making them at the time nowadays squire cant be botthered but cusom shop ones do have them.
Nice! Thanks for sharing! Yeah, I know that people always used shims. I'm just saying Leo seemed like a perfectionist and it seems odd he would not have specifically stated "I created this guitar like this because I want you to install the shim you think is perfect for you" or something along those lines. I could definitely be wrong because I'm not a Leo Fender historian, obviously, but it would be great if somebody had some evidence about this situation. My default is, "however Leo built it is the way he wanted it to be."
Glad I stumbled across this vid. JM CV’s are on sale rn and it’ll be my first fender and offset so knowing what I need to do to get it in peak condition is great. Also, what do you think of putting a tele neck on this guitar? I’d take the neck to a luthier to get it fit to the body. I just like the aesthetic but do you think it’d affect tone?
Thanks for commenting! Happy this video helped you. Thoughts on the tele neck: I personally wouldn't do it since that money could be better spent on useful upgrades like pickups or locking tuners or the big upgrade a lot of people do (bridge / trem). But if asthetics are really important to you then have at it. Guitar is a personal experience and it's supposed to be fun, after all. :)
@@ArtOfShredYT oh okay thank you. The tele neck will be the last upgrade since I agree with you on the “function over fashion” point. Glad to get your insight 👍🏿
Thank you! I'm not sure which tone you're referring to, but for this video I used various sounds from the Spark 40's tone library. Most of the time I edit them to my liking, of course.
Curious if your trem bar pushes in deeper. My CV Jazzmaster’s trem arm requires a pretty forceful insertion to stay in on my guitar and the arm then stays where you want it
You know what? I'm wrong! I pushed it in with more force than I ever had before, played extensively on the trem for ~15 minutes, and it didn't come loose. Thanks again, Ken!
Curious as to your thoughts on the Indian Laurel fingerboard. It’s my first experience with one and I’m definitely NOT impressed. The board seemed rough even after a professional set up. I’ve even oiled and waxed it myself and still not crazy about it - more finger “drag” than on my rosewood or maple. Anything else that might help?
@@kai1527 Thanks! I won't be upgrading the pickups because I like them so there's not too much I can say there. Video is all filmed except sound samples and I injured my fretting hand thumb yesterday so not sure when I'll be able to film that. haha oops
I have the same guitar, put a shim in and i plays much better. I think the design for shims was so you could mass produce necks and bodys separately. Then they put in an shim afterwards. But today some people prefer it without, so they don´t bother putting one in. Some more expensive Fenders actually have an angled neck for this reason.
Question... I use a Telecaster with heavy gauge strings and high action to play slide guitar. I am thinking of picking up a CV Jazzmaster to replace my Tele as my slide guitar. Most would say a Tele is best suited for that. What do you think? Will it make a good slide tool? Thank You
@@ArtOfShredYTThank You, I will give it a go. I tried my friends out and did fret out a little. He did shim the neck though. But I sure did like the pickups.
I'm a fan and buy from them often but things can slip through the cracks there too. I had to return this Sire T7 th-cam.com/video/jqeF2sLMCLc/w-d-xo.html
This such a great direct, honest, reasonable review. I really appreciate your objectivity. I have found the shim completely necessary on my classic vibe jazzmaster in order to get the action to where I like it (med-low) and switched to 10 gague strings. Those two changes (allowing the bridge to raise while keeping low action) really brought out so much more clarity and more traditional "jazzmaster" style overtones. highly recommend those two very simple mods to any CV jazzmaster owner. I'm realy interested in seeing your experience in Part 2!
Thank you! I appreciate that 🤘🎸
Try the Ernie Ball´s power slinkys, perfekt for Jazzmasters and Jaguars.
I have the same, mate. Love it! This was the best and clearest video on this guitar. Thanks for being fun and thorough. Cheers!
Nice! Thanks for saying that. Much appreciated! 🤘🎸
I love the sound of the Squier Jazzmaster and the Squier Jaguar. I have both. Recently bought them from Sweetwater. NO ISSUES WITH EITHER!!!
Nice yeah you get the Sweetwater inspection for guitars over $299 so that should mitigate a lot of issues.
It does!!!@@ArtOfShredYT
Have the exact model. One of favorite guitars to shred on. Love your opinion on the models history ⚡️🙌🏾 the only thing I notice is the bridge post slippage. I put electric tape around the post and they stay just fine unless I play very aggressive. Love the rhythm lead switch and the rollers functionality and aesthetically.
I got my jazzmaster brand new. It came with all the correct tools.
Thanks for commenting, Edwin!
You got a bridge height adjustment allen wrench?! Damn I got screwed. haha
As for the bridge post slipping: now that I installed a 0.5 degree shim and had to raise the bridge significantly I've noticed it does slip over time. But I haven't adjusted it in a couple weeks and it's still fine. I will lock it in place with threadlocker soon, but haven't done that yet.
@@ArtOfShredYT haha right on! I’ll consider threadlocker next. Awesome video!
Super nice guitar. Thanks for doing a thorough review of all the issues and controls and whatnot. I don't know why they wouldn't just build it that way with the correct neck angle. But it's such a tiny difference maybe they know it's easier for the customer to add a shim if needed than it is to finish routing out a millimeter of neck pocket if they need the angle adjusted the other way???
Thanks for watching! Now that I've added the shim I can see why people like it, but I still don't think it's an absolute necessity. And I still think Leo would've designed it with an angle if that's how he really wanted it. According to the book The Birth of Loud he was a bit of a perfectionist.
Mine was perfect when I bought it. NO ISSUES AT ALL!!! But, I did buy it at Sweetwater.
If you use the heavy strings people played in 1959 you don't need a shim. But unless they play slide, virtually nobody today will use 12s (or higher), which is what Jazzmasters were designed for. I remember my first JM, a '65 that I got in 1972; I played rock and roll and I hated that the strings kept popping out of the saddle grooves. In those days there was no internet to look stuff like this up on.
The imperfections is a big reason you need to switch over to Sweetwater. I did a few years back and the difference in customer service is amazing.
I've used them before
Really interesting and honest video ! Thank you for sharing ! New subscriber.
Nice, thank you! 🤘
This is a fair evaluation. I disagree about the tuners though; I find the stock split tuners to work well *when strung properly*, ie, short length stuck into the slot without a lot of wrap. To me, locking tuners just aren't necessary and I really use the vibrato arm. You will have far more trouble with tuning issues caused by the nut and especially the bridge itself, plus the variables introduced by all the different vibrato units different models come with.
I don't think JMs are harder to set up than Strats, but everybody is used to Strats, that's all; there is a slight learning curve. Re the noisy pickups: you can put humbuckers under stock Jazzmaster covers. One of mine has a pair of Dimarzio EJs under the stock covers and unless you are literally six inches away from the pickup you can't tell. The EJs do a remarkably good job of getting close to the JM sound IMO, and of course there's no noise. Or you can get bespoke pups from guys like Lollar or whoever, but they are even more expensive.
I didn’t know the whammy bar has to be forced in either. You don’t need any tape Mate. I pushed down hard heard a click , and now love the guitar. I’m guessing lots of other players didn’t know that either . Cheers
Yup, it really needs to be forced in there! Thanks for sharing another data point about this. Have a good one!
I've never pushed the bar hard. I just stick it in loosely.
on leo and the shim thing..i had a 1967 fender bronco...it had a shim when i got it and when it was made as did the mustang and......the jazzmaster...it was up to the person making them at the time nowadays squire cant be botthered but cusom shop ones do have them.
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, I know that people always used shims. I'm just saying Leo seemed like a perfectionist and it seems odd he would not have specifically stated "I created this guitar like this because I want you to install the shim you think is perfect for you" or something along those lines. I could definitely be wrong because I'm not a Leo Fender historian, obviously, but it would be great if somebody had some evidence about this situation. My default is, "however Leo built it is the way he wanted it to be."
Glad I stumbled across this vid. JM CV’s are on sale rn and it’ll be my first fender and offset so knowing what I need to do to get it in peak condition is great. Also, what do you think of putting a tele neck on this guitar? I’d take the neck to a luthier to get it fit to the body. I just like the aesthetic but do you think it’d affect tone?
Thanks for commenting! Happy this video helped you.
Thoughts on the tele neck: I personally wouldn't do it since that money could be better spent on useful upgrades like pickups or locking tuners or the big upgrade a lot of people do (bridge / trem). But if asthetics are really important to you then have at it. Guitar is a personal experience and it's supposed to be fun, after all. :)
@@ArtOfShredYT oh okay thank you. The tele neck will be the last upgrade since I agree with you on the “function over fashion” point. Glad to get your insight 👍🏿
the demo tone was awesome! what was it ?
Thank you! I'm not sure which tone you're referring to, but for this video I used various sounds from the Spark 40's tone library. Most of the time I edit them to my liking, of course.
Curious if your trem bar pushes in deeper. My CV Jazzmaster’s trem arm requires a pretty forceful insertion to stay in on my guitar and the arm then stays where you want it
Thanks for commenting, Ken! Yeah pushing it in hard keeps it from being too loose but if I use it at all it loosens fairly quickly.
You know what? I'm wrong! I pushed it in with more force than I ever had before, played extensively on the trem for ~15 minutes, and it didn't come loose. Thanks again, Ken!
So, is it hard to pull the bar out after forcing it in?
Not really but I've only done it maybe once
Curious as to your thoughts on the Indian Laurel fingerboard. It’s my first experience with one and I’m definitely NOT impressed. The board seemed rough even after a professional set up. I’ve even oiled and waxed it myself and still not crazy about it - more finger “drag” than on my rosewood or maple. Anything else that might help?
Hmm. I polished the frets and hit the fretboard with some lemon oil and playing it is buttery smooth now.
@@ArtOfShredYT Can’t wait for your upgrade video. Can you talk about upgrading the pickups?
@@kai1527 Thanks! I won't be upgrading the pickups because I like them so there's not too much I can say there. Video is all filmed except sound samples and I injured my fretting hand thumb yesterday so not sure when I'll be able to film that. haha oops
I have the same guitar, put a shim in and i plays much better. I think the design for shims was so you could mass produce necks and bodys separately. Then they put in an shim afterwards. But today some people prefer it without, so they don´t bother putting one in. Some more expensive Fenders actually have an angled neck for this reason.
Question... I use a Telecaster with heavy gauge strings and high action to play slide guitar. I am thinking of picking up a CV Jazzmaster to replace my Tele as my slide guitar. Most would say a Tele is best suited for that. What do you think? Will it make a good slide tool? Thank You
That is a great question. I think the only issue you might possibly run into is getting the action high enough if you're going to shim the neck.
@@ArtOfShredYTThank You, I will give it a go. I tried my friends out and did fret out a little. He did shim the neck though. But I sure did like the pickups.
Nice, raw gain tone!
Yeah, for sure! Thank you for watching!
Jumbo frets ?
Narrow tall frets
Buy your brand new guitars from Sweetwater folks. They are the best!!!
I'm a fan and buy from them often but things can slip through the cracks there too. I had to return this Sire T7 th-cam.com/video/jqeF2sLMCLc/w-d-xo.html
@ArtOfShrYea. And they take care of you too!!!
Ha! He’s a Karen, I don’t expect $1000+ inspections when you’re spending $400 on really nice guitars
okay