Since posting the video I see everyone thinks the fretboard looks great even though I don't love it. Just goes to show how subjective this all is! For the record, I usually like solid black ebony or a very dark even rosewood. I'm not someone who looks for a flame on the fretboard. But if you do, that sounds like yet another reason to get one of these guitars!
Edit: Our God The Algorithm caught me commenting on fretboard darkening and directed me to a video on Montypreso wax right after i clicked home. Seems like your fingerboard is a prime candidate. Looks pretty easy, has a *dramatic* darkening effect. Aside from that, regular old Lizard Spit on that dry looking fingerboard would likely bring it down noticeably on its own, but it might just be the studio light making it look factory-dry as a bone to me.
Me neither but there's something about them. I will either build one, get a Squier or (gasp I know) a Harley Benton. They are usually better quality than Squiers at the same price (in house brand low overhead, sold from factory to customer without dealers like Fender or Squier)... Of course the Squier has the authentic shape.... But I am into weird guitars. I love Flying Vs they're my favourite and the Jazzmaster tickles that kind of itch. Weird at first but you grow to love it and then every other guitar seems silly and uncomfortable.
Sounds like the CV line is the new MIM in practice and spirit, love how they’ve also made models and variations otherwise too expensive or mod-knowledgeable available at relatively affordable prices (especially if you’re buying it for life like the MIMs, 20 years in and better then ever). Happy to hear these are so good and fun to watch them be enjoyed and respected. Big deal for an affordable model. Another great video, thank you!!
Also MIM are getting closer to US made, they used to have aweful ceramic pickups you would never ever find on a 700€+ guitar but now they are more closely spected to the proper ones. Epiphone too has been increasing quality a lot. I think it's a good direction to go. Especiall Fender... everyone makes good cheap Strats and Teles now, if they want to remain relevant they have to compete with those. Not to be a fanboy but my 158€ TE62DB in lake placid blue, is extremely wonderful. I don't think I will buy a MIM Tele like I planned to, it's good enough stock and modded it'll be amazing. I did polish the frets and did the ends. It was perfectly fine but now it's very good. I know fretwork so I do it to all my guitars. Makes the difference. Still if I find some cash somewhere I would love a CV Tele and a Player series. Maybe a used US made one... I didn't think I would like Teles but I fell in love. Now I play Flying Vs and Teles. People look at me funny but they're both great.
When I was 16 I fell in love with a squire Jaguar at a local music shop. It was there for months, for my birthday my dad said he'd buy it for me, but when we got to the shop it had sold already. Sounds like a sad story, but instead I got my first PRS SE instead. Overall a memorable experience. Thanks for all the great content Andre!
@@MrAustinMusic I see. Flying Vs are relatively light just above 3 kg so little more than 6lbs. Especially stuff like a Rhoads V, if your back is tired those are great. I've been starting to feel it too, my Les Paul style guitars are wonderful but I play them at home sitting comfortably. And my Tele is nice and light, they can be fairly chunky too. What Ibanez did you get? I have an old MIJ RG, my first guitar. It's awesome but definetly not light. SG's are great light guitars too, there's a few lovely Epiphones that are a bit more affordable than the LPs 400-500 bucks and "Inspired by Gibson" line, those are great. Been yearning for one myself.
@@221b-l3t Flying Vs, I would've never guessed as being light. Ergonomically positioned maybe, but that is good to know! I've owned two now (sold one, and missed it too much) Ibanez SEWFM models. They're an S series so super thin body. I will note though, like an SG there is a little bit of neck dive, unless I'm using a strap (which I always am). The Epiphone inspired by Gibson line has my intention. I haven't played a LP in years just out of fear that it'd be too heavy. The LP Lite that Gibson makes looks promising as it is only about as thick as a SG. I primarily play 1 guitar and that is my Strandberg which unfairly sits around 5lbs. haha (Also bought based on the recommendations from Andre here).
@@MrAustinMusic Ah that's cool to know, I never figured they are light, never tried an S series. And yeah Flying Vs are my favourite. I love all guitars, especially Tele and LP and SG and Strats and Superstrats but the Flying V... ahhh. And yes ergonomy sitting or standing is wonderful. Despite being (relatively) light the shape has most of the weight behind the bridge (the wings) so it just sits at a perfect 45° angle standing and sitting if played like a classical it's very comfortable and secure, without holding it. The number of times I almost dropped a LP because it slid off my lap while I grabbed a glass of water or something. Flying V someone could punch you and it wouldn't fall off and the wings make for excellent weapons as well. Though a Les Paul is alsoa fantastic weapon... If you have too much money get the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop 58 Korina V. I have an older version without the Burstbuckers Made in Korea. My Gibson has 60s neck and the Epi 50s. Otherwise I couldn't tell which is the expensive one. Fretwork is remarkable. Still I am lusting after the new 58, I like the 58 especially with all the controls in line and the smaller pickguard than the 67. If you like Ibanez shredder machines you would love a Jackson Randy Rhoads. Those are super light, compact, still can be played like a regular V sitting down and the neck is basically the same idea as an Ibanez wizard neck. The JS32 is 300 bucks, though the 400€ natural wood one is sweet and has a Floyd. I haven't played a JS32 but I hear the necks are wonderful. Hardware is ok and pups are ok. I would change those but that's a matter of taste. I like them all, I'll play my Tele, then grab a Les Paul and finish the session on a V. You can't go V and then Les Paul, too awkward. I still love them. Like to stare at the flametop while playing. People think I'm concentrating and focusing on my hands but no I'm just admiring my guitar.
Someone is going to say this isn't a budget guitar. I get it, everyone's budget is different. By that same logic, a $4,000 guitar isn't expensive... for Joe Bonamassa.
It is definitely budget compared to prices at the minute look at the new Epiphones I'm sure they are good but £1500 or so for an Epiphone If you can find them Vintage (JHS) guitars are great for the money and the Sire range is all pretty great 🤘For someone like myself who'll probably never buy a £4000 guitar they are perfect I can get various shapes pickup configurations for relatively little money instead of one £4000 guitar I have about 10 £400-£600 guitars 🤘🤘🤘
Thank you for a really clear minded and thoughtful video. Your point of diminishing returns is something every guitarist needs to contemplate with all the hype and noise concerning guitar ownership.
The Jazzmaster is gorgeous, especially in white with the tortoise pickguard. I agree with the math and the quality ratio. I bought the Squier CV Classic Vibe Jazzmaster a couple years ago. I loved it immediately. The stock fretwork was honestly pretty good, but I replaced the strings and paid someone to level the frets and sand the edge, and it was a night and day improvement. The Squier CV has some things that aren't even on the Fender Player series, like a real bone nut and the Mustang bridge. I believe the fretboard is Pau Ferro rather than rosewood, but you can keep it oiled to darken it. I suspect one of the cut corners because of the price point is the shielding, but if you play with the middle position (both pickups), it's dead quiet!
Wore the frets out of my squier contemporary active strat. The poor thing. Sold my other guitars because it is all I ever play. I love squier. No shame.
No need to they are fine guitars. Mine sucks but it was 80 bucks and served me well as a mod platform. I will take out the components and put them in an Affinity, that's a good base guitar worth moddign.
My main guitar is one of these. It is light, very loud and resonant and has a thin neck. The neck pickup is excellent, the bridge pickup has solid low end but a little bit too much high mid range. The vibrato system functions well and I actually prefer it to the one that was on my Fender Vintera Jazzmaster.
Change the bridge to a Bootstrap Lake Surfer. I didn't like the stock pickup, too hot and midrangy for a JM. The LS is a slighty hotter traditional JM pickup- bright but hot enough to push an amp.
You made that guitar sound great, and I love Jazzmasters but...well, maybe one day. It's definitely a good quality guitar considering the price. Over here in Australia they're more expensive (for obvious reasons) but still well under a grand.
Not playing it?? I still have peel on a 20 year old guitar. I just noticed recently it was on so tight on my LTD single cut, just the truss rod cover. I thought this is weird, is the paint bubbling up? Nope still has the peel. Now I left it on, it's vintage now. I don't want to mess with the tone-peel. Together with a giant scratch in the flametop it is likely the reson it's my best sounding "Les Paul". It's for sale. 750€ plus gigbag... I am so incredibly broke
@@mark6302 I see. Perhaps someday you can take the peel off my LP's truss rod cover, I think if someone deserves to do it, it's you! Best of luck and godspeed!
...only thing is, if you leave the protective plastic on the pickguard for long enough, the adhesive turns to Goo and you'll need a product like Goo-Gone to clean it up... when someone lists a guitar as "so new, the plastic is still on the pickguard" I cringe, knowing what a mess it makes trying to take it off...
Nice honest video. For the money, Squier makes a nice guitar (or bass). I have 3 of the Paranormal series (Offset Tele, Toronado and Supersonic). The only mods I made was tweaking the nut slots and putting larger strap buttons on them. And in 3 years they've fewer truss rod adjustments than some of my pricier guitars. I figured that I would have swapped the pickups but I see no need to as they sound good.
I bought that one back when it was $279 new. Swapped out the neck for a Warmoth one. The bridge is the only crappy part. It seems silly but I have considered buying a Mastery for it
I have said for a while, I have a $2000 G&L Espade that is amazing and a $450 Squier CV Jazzmaster that is amazing. The Espade is definitely a better guitar, but it isn't $1500 better. Squier CV and G&L tribute guitars are some of the best bang for the buck you can get.
When people tell me they have issues with guitars coming from China or Indonesia, I tell them... Oh, China... that country that gave is Shaolin Kung Fu... and they have been doing fine hand-crafted wood working in Indonesia for centuries, long before there was an Orville Gibson, Leo Fender or Paul Smith... I can't possibly afford a $4,000-$5,000 Gibson or PRS, but G&L Tribute, Squier, Epiphone, and stuff made in Mexico are made and priced just for consumers like me. - For one $5,000 guitar I can have 10 x $500 guitars and way more pickup and switching choices and tones. - Buy used/mint and let some other clod take the 30% depreciation hit as soon as they walk out of the store with a "new" guitar, it is now ...used. And worth 30% less...
I have one of these in sonic blue, and it plays GREAT. I shimmed the neck, the bridge needed a bit of attention, and cleaned up a couple of frets, but I got it on sale for $350 and it was worth every penny of that. I LOVE the tones and feel of it. I play it every bit as often as my guitars that were literally 10x the price.
I have the 12 string version of that Jazzmaster and it's amazing. Got it last week and recorded with it right away, just a beautiful sound and amazing quality. It finally got me the exact 12 sound I wanted, and have been unhappy with on every other electric 12. Sweetwater set it up before it shipped, and boy howdy, just amazing. So between this, my thinline tele, my Nashville Tele, and my PRS CE 24 SE, I don't really need anything else on electrics.
I recently switched to an anodized aluminum pickguard and shortened all the wiring to the minimum lengths needed. That did a lot to quiet down my CV Jazzmaster.
My bandmate swapped the pickups and bridge on his Squier Jazzmaster. It is a great instrument that sounds amazing and you aren’t afraid to take it places.
This is the most important message for people on a tight budget. I think the sweetspot is right around 700-900$. Like a PRS SE or the mid tier Yamahas. Those are amazing instruments. If you have the money and you're serious about guitar playing why not spend 2000$. That's absolutely fine and you will get a better instrument even if it's just in some details. But nevertheless it's a great time to be a guitar player and even better for beginners.
Another point is that by taking care of these cheaper instruments you also get to practice fixing and improving a guitar in a relatively safe space. 2 years ago I bought a cheap Squier Affinity Jazzmaster, just to try a different kind of guitar. Even though I own a Parker and other expensive guitars, I ended up playing the Squier and having much more fun with it creatively. Yes, the potentiometer started to crackle a few months in, yep the pickups switch broke in my hand. But I went and bought better ones, replaced them myself, put an evening of work into properly shielding it and now it's rock solid (keep in mind I have basic soldering skills and watch a lot of TH-cam 😅). I wouldn't have dared to do something similar to my ESP for example.
I like your approach to this, I had the same problems, cracking potentiometer, noise from bad shielding etc plus others like the bridge hopping out of position and tuning issues because of it etc. I fixed and modified stuff in the process . I have put new pots (500’s cause I couldn’t find 1k’s during Covid ) and at the same time I had to open the guitar I’ve changed the pick guard with a gold anodised aluminium one ( that helped with the shielding), and th pickups with fender ones. I still try to solve some buzzing from the bridge and I fixed somehow the whole bridge moving out of place while using the tremolo by digging the wood a bit so the post stays in place, also shimming the neck and putting 11’s and giving more angle by raising the bridge helped with buzzing and tuning. I liked the process but it is a frustrating experience also ,for an instrument that has cost me a decent amount to be a problematic one. It is also my only electric guitar this period. I can’t imagine having those issues and the whole Jazzmaster awkwardness of what strings to put, how to set it up, if it needs shimming etc as a beginner on your first instrument
This was the first electric i ever bought, love it. however, there is a common issue with the floating bridge where one side likes to sink into the body. This can be fixed with some thread lock stuff used on the screws but you have to make sure the setup is good before you essentially glue the screw into place.
I've got the earlier version- the Vintage Modified Jazzmaster that is very similar to the Classic Vibe. I've used mine as a mod platform. The bones of the guitar are very good- neck and body, so the hardware improvements have made it a great player. I've added a Mustang bridge(comes standard on the CV), a Boot Strap Lake Surfer bridge pickup( a more vintage JM pickup), a Switchcraft toggle switch, and changed the 1meg volume pot for a 500k. (smooths out the high end) The quality of lower priced guitars has taken a huge leap, and you can get a great guitar like these Squiers that rival way more expensive axes.
Great video. I really love the Jazzmaster shape. I have a Fender PowerCaster from a few years back which I love, but not a true Jazzmaster.. your video really makes me want to go get one now
I've been getting into Offsets myself. Its easy to go down a rabbit hole with these. I have a guitar I have about $300 into right now and I plan to replace the trem and bridge on it and it will more than double the price. I would recommend Puisheen's channel as it goes over all the differences of the parts and how to fix issues. For me I currently have a Xaviere JT 100 (I'm mainly a Tele guy and this is a Tele-fied Jazzmaster) and I replaced the tunners to locking ones (modern Imports), Graph Tech string trees, nice pearl style UFO knobs from GFS, a custom wave neck plate from Decoboom and Dunlop strap locks. Under the hood I kept the stock pickups (lots of people replace Squier pickups with the stock ones here), got Fender/CTS 1 Meg pots, a JD Moon metal switch tip switch, Orange Drop capacitor (.47) and a Switchcraft jack. I use 12s (Stringjoys) on the guitar. I plan on buying a Haylon bridge (three brass Tele style JM bridge) and a trem. The reason being is that at that point its EXACTLY what I want out of the guitar and does well for far less than the same Fender version. Also you don't see too many Haylon parts on guitars (Boutiques usually use Mastery which will be done on another guitar I plan to get). For me it was the least expensive ($240 plus shipping) option for a true Offset (I have an Ltd Viper but thats more of a Metal guitar) and I could up my luthier skills on it. In that case it has worked out the best and it looks great with Lake Placid Blue, white platic parts and lots of chrome. IF you want to upgrade yours, Fender part are ideal as they are more than Import but far less than the Boutique parts. Check your pots on the main volume and tone and see if they are 1 Megs as that really will make a difference to your sound. A Fender AVRI (American Vibtage Reissue) Tremelo would be a big upgrade. If the bridge becomes an issue loads of Offset players usually try Fender Mustang bridges. All of these are not incredibly expensive upgrades. Also I HAD to shield the back of the pickguard and the control cavity with copper foil (buy the CONDUCTIVE adhesive) and that really got rid of so much electrical hum. Puisheen has a great video on how to do that (probably a good place to start too and the least expensive mod) and you can see videos on 60 Cycle Hum and CS Guitars on how swapping out 500k pots for 1 Meg pots is a HUGE change to the overall sound. You do sound great on your Jazzmaster amigo!😉👍✨
I bought one of these from SweetWater, too. The fret work could be a bit better, but it was completely playable right out of the box. I play it as much as my Gibsons. It’s a great value for the money.
Nice guitar man!! One of my favourite guitars I own is my Squier CV 50’s Tele. It punches so far above its price point, and until I can afford a Vintage II 52’ Telecaster, it’s giving me everything I want from a Tele. The fret work is great, the neck feels amazing, and the pickups just sing. And what’s more, it’s made of pine, which is incredibly vintage accurate for a Tele of that time
Yes, finally see you with a jazzmaster. Given your penchant for the pricier things, I'd love to see you try a higher end fender JM or maybe something like a Seuf or Black Bobbin.
I haad a J Masics Jazzmaster for a while. It definitely hooked me on the JM train. I bought a used Classic Series 60s Lacquer and Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster afterwards, didn't like the 7.25 radius and now I'm kinda missing that little old Squier. It definitely wasn't perfect, but for the $260 I paid, it was great. Unfortunately I've drank the flat radius, carved heel Kool aide, so I'm looking into a Balaguer Espada Ambient or a custom one to reign as the one true JM for me.
I always hated jazzmaster style bodies. Then one day i picked one up wondering why they sell. I was just amazed by how comfortable and natural it feels it sits perfectly on your lap. Then i understand why there so loved
I got mine, fresh out of the box from China, the place online I bought mine doesn't open them at this price range... small crack in the finish in the neck pocket, the upper bout volume control never worked right out of the box, and the guitar was simply the noisiest guitar I have ever owned in 40+ years of picking (they are "only" $400 for a reason, lots of corners to cut). -- Gutted mine, dry-walled the inside and under the PG with copper tape. Bought a 920D wiring harness and a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Jazzmaster pickups. NOW it is a great guitar... out of the Chinese factory it was a hunk of wood with some cheap electronics attached.
Im really glad they released this as a lefty, though they've stopped making it now😢. I think because yours is a demo model, it benefitted from a decent setup. Fretwork was good on mine too. Sadly, high e tuner was damaged so I replaced with Wilkinsons. I gave mine in for a setup (needed a neck shim) and it's been great. The Jazzmaster has issues but I really enjoy playing it.
i love mine but wish the fret leveling was better, been chasing dead frets/fret buzz for a while. but it did make me realize the jazzmaster body is by far my favorite shape. incredibly comfy and perfect balance on a strap. plus these pickups really do sound great. The neck pick up is absolutely great too, basically decided im gonna build a custom one with a jazzmaster neck pup and either p-90 or humbucker bridge for the style sounds I normally prefer. Cannot express enough tho that the neck pickup on mine made me fall in love with clean tones again
Great review, I wish more people would actually try budget guitars more rather than just assuming they’ll be bad. We’ve come a long way from the quality of early 2000’s budget guitars with plenty of company’s like Harley Benton and Jet bring “higher specs” to the budget price point. Fully appreciate it’s a mental hurdle to go from buying Strandbergs/Aristides to a Squier but if it plays right and it’s cheaper then surely that’s a bonus. At the end of the day to me, it comes down to the feel of the guitar and how that makes you feel as a player. If I’m having as much fun playing and writing music with my squier, that’s the real value of the instrument.
Totally agree with this! My main gigging guitar for a couple years was a Squier, recently it’s a Harley Benton. The USA PRS Custom 24 and high-end USA Telecaster stays its home. I have just as much fun…
I bought a used Schecter Japan AR-06 when I moved to Japan and it made me fall in love with Jazzmasters so i've been eye'ing up the squier ones, maybe to do a baritone neck replacement on it. Plus I'm a big fan of P90's so it's good to know that I would likely be satisfied with a Squier JM I now own a Schecter Japan AR-07 which is an interesting guitar and it would be cool if Andre could check one out someday.
I've bought a couple Classic Vibes - a Bass VI and a Starcaster. My experiences have been almost identical to your observations here, including the fretwork and pickups. Although they played fine out of the box, I did mod them with better tuners, nut, new pots and new bridge saddles for the VI and a new beefy bridge for the Starcaster. OK, so the thing is with modding these and setting them up is that they go from good to excellent. Owning both, I think the best value is the G&L Tribute line, because the hardware and pickups are simply better than the CVs. I'd love to see a review of the Doheny.
This one is on my wishlist. I also like the fact it's just a three way switch. I could fix this. I could never wire a jazz master. Glad to know the vibrato is usable.
I got a classic vibe Jazzmaster squier back in 2012 and it played wonderful but had issues like the switch was put on upside down took me years to figure out I was using the bridge pickup. It also came with a different bridge that would always knock off if hit hard. I switched out the pickups for some Duncan’s awhile back and it made a small difference but adding a treble bleed made a huge difference on the high end. Personally I keep one type of guitar and roll with it. The jazzmaster has been my favorite since 2006.
Honestly I loved the look and I bought one… but I did not try it enough in the store. When I arrived home, well I realized how the frets were like knife literally. Was just a bad bad one . And well I went back to the store a week after , and I trade it for a beautiful vintage brand Les Paul junior type . I realize that any fender is just not my cup of tea. But I do own 3 fender American basses . And they’re amazing . I guess I just not into bolt on guitars.❤❤❤great video btw
worth mentioning that alot of the offset guitars (this one is a prime example) are susceptible to the strings popping out of their bridge slots as well as the bridge sinking into the body if you play hard or abuse the tremolo, not that this is a bad guitar but its something to account for in a purchase decision like whether to replace the bridge, you andre obviously have an extremely light touch which allows u to completely reap the benefits of leo fenders design
Great video thanks, i needed a second bass due to just in case, ss i gig regular i bought a squire classic vibe 70s p bass, i set it up it plays very well, i understand what you are saying
Hey Doc! Ever heard of Forshage Guitars? He's based out of Texas and has a model called the Orion that I think is right up your alley! Looks like he took heavy inspiration from Klein, but still made it his own! I'm itching to try one out lol. Hope you have a great weekend! I picked up my first nylon string and I've got my first lesson tonight! wooo!
Although I own much more expensive guitars, my main player is a Squier clsssic vibe Jazzmaster. I primarily play a lot of indie adjacent music as well as jazz and it just works perfectly for those genres
I have a Vintage Modified Jazzmaster that I gave away (still regret that til this day) and it very well may have been the best guitar I’ve ever own. I currently have a Japanese made Tele that was 3 times as much and it is the only other guitar that has rivaled it. Also, Jazzmasters are underrated.
J. Mascis signature Squire is very popular among artists... including - Kevin Parker from Tame Impala . Everyone needs a cheap Jazzmaster in his life... it looks so good that it doesn't have to sound good... You can play with a heavy distortion and no one will notice it has a bad tone or is out of tune ... For similar reason I always prefer LTD Viper 1000 over Gibson SG .
I’ve always recommended classic vibes to my students. Andre, you should try out the schecter pt special out on the channel. I just got one and I feel like it doesn’t have a ton of buzz and it would be a tele that’s up your alley.
I see your price point thing but there is an art to collecting where if you purchase the correct guitar, it will go up in value as it ages. Where the purchase with most lower end guitars devalue once it leaves the store buy 75% in most cases
The new classic vibes jazzmaster and 40th anniversary are great. They have real jazzmaster style pickups (fender normally uses a strat pickup with a big cover or a p90 you have to go way up the reissue line to get jazzmaster pickups,) they have the mustang bridge so you wont have string pop out issues, and they have a built in neck shim so you wont have to deal with doing a shim for 1.5-3 degrees of neck angle for the bridge/vibrato to work right. I picked up a 40th with binding on clearance for under 300 and it is great. The only thing I don't like is the taper on the roller pots and the tuner tips being cheap plastic that feels nasty.
Dammit, I want a Jazzmaster now. Excellent tones! Regarding the price, I think the diminishing returns argument is true if you only consider quality. However, quality is not all that actually goes into the price. There's rarity, expected resale value (like in vintage instruments), brand name (you specifically need to pay more for the Fender logo), craftsmanship (meaning the actual hours of work and the know how of the people that made it) and so on. So is it worth it to pay more for something more expensive? Yes, if you value the things that made the price what it is. It's OK to care about the logo just as much as it is OK to not care about it. With all that being said Squier makes great guitars in that price range and they can be a lot of fun too. I desperately wanted a tele I think in 2017 and went on and got a Squier CV Custom 60's tele and modded it to oblivion and I still play it a lot.
I feel that with guitars, the ceiling for quality is around 1500usd, after that you're paying only for cosmetics. Which are extremely important for me, because in my opinion the best guitar is the guitar that you look at and it makes you want to play it. But yeah, after that price range any guitar that is well setup is probably gonna play amazing.
Depends on the company but I largely agree. For Gibson, it seems to be closer to 3,000 or so? But companies like Ibanez Schecter etc. 1500-2000 gets you a basically perfect guitar
there are a few videos out there that added shielding to this guitar and improved the noise a lot. It's also one of the few offsets that come in lefty too. I went with the Jag-Stang though, the neck is very slim. It's a unique guitar wonder what your take would be for it.
Supposing it is still in stock next year or in 2026, whenever I can afford it, my first JM-style guitar will be a G&L Tribute Series Doheny in shell pink; I would love a G&L CLF Research Doheny V12 in purpleburst, but I doubt it will still be available by the time I might be able to afford financing one (autumn of 2028).
I got a Squier 40th anniversary Stratocaster as my first electric guitar and it sounds good and is great for a beginner like me. I do however kinda wished I got a tele or a jazzmaster since I think those look cooler but hey I'm a Jimi Hendrix guy so I went with the Strat. I do think once I got the money I'm going to have to get a Sire L7, because they just look cool.
The only major issue I had with mine is strings slip off the bridge sometime. I think if you can find the J Mascis version it’s probably just slightly better, but I am not complaining. I got mine on sale for like $360
I own a Squier JM Jazzmaster and it's so killer. I modded the pickups and trem and it's as good as any top line JM out there. Heard the 40th anniversary model is also wicked.
I actually got really screwed on my Jazzmaster. A CME special edition CV that I waited over a year for-- how they let this out I don't know. Neck pocket poorly cut, bridge bitchy as hell, fretboard scraped up-- but the pickups... The pickups are out of this world amazing. Any other CV I've had or come across has been really nice, way above it's price, but the one I pre-ordered. Anyway, the JM is finally getting its due as an excellent sounding guitar, those pickups are cumulative genius applied.
Had to comment again: The small part you played in the tone talk is absolutely beautiful. So much feeling! Ah! Whatever song you play after that it would be great. But I immediately hear a cowboy surf music tune in my mind, with just bass drum and that bridge guitar sound. Inspiring! Quick question: As I never owned a Fender guitar, are these P90 style pickups? Never get the pickups on the Jazzmaster and also those small switches? What do they do?
Thank you! The song is my funny valentine. Jazz standards. Jazzmaster pickups are different from p90s but the same idea. Fatter than a strat single coil, but not as fat as a humbucker.
to me firefly are budget guitars u get stainless steel frets and flamed maple necks for 199 there pretty decent people rave over them there now were near a gibson or fender but good for the money
i really like this whole line so far. i have one of these, the jaguar, and the bass VI. all have been excellent. I followed some tutorials by mike adams (puisheen youtube channel) for setup and put some nicer strings on them and i have not been disappointed.
I have a 40th anniversary Squier JM it's fantastic! However I had to shim the neck and copper foil the pickup cavity and run thicker gauge strings. Did you end up modding it in anyway?
I personally would never get a jazzmaster with a plastic pickguard because of the placement of the output jack, as jazzmasters with plastic pickguards tend to brake around that area after a few years due to the stress that is put on the pickguard when you plug the guitar in.
Trogly would have freaked out if he saw such an "accidentally" (because not in specifications) flamed fretboard on some Gibson Custom Shops for like 7-8 grands 😀
@@andrefludd Actually I've never seen flamed indian laurel (that is the freatboard is made of according to specifications), it should be pretty rare and many manufacturers demand an extra charge for flamed wood. On Reverb sellers often want about 150-200$ more for a Squier having a flamed maple neck.
I got the same model in the same color and it's one of my favorite guitars. Funny thing is that I also have a Jaguar Classic Vibe and it's worse in terms of feel and much heavier.
I bought this exact model when it was introduced in 2019, and unfortunately i found mine severely disappointing, mainly due to the quality of the electronics and hardware. But it sounds great, I agree. I eventually upgraded to a Vintera one and it's a much more enjoyable instrument.
Wouldn't that fretboard be made of laurel? I'd recommend getting that protective film off the pickguard ASAP because the adhesive on the film might transfer to the pickguard and you will have a hell of a time getting it off. I say that because I own an Ampeg Jet-20 and I left the film on the chrome control plate for years and that is exactly what happened.
I've been playing Harley Benton for a few years now. I have a SC 550 II with active emg pickups and a T style Pro Series both were under 400 dollars and both blow Squier away. I have a Squier Classic Vibe and it's not good.
30K followers?!? That's awesome. Pretty much over $3000 you're paying for exclusivity, not necessarily quality. I would generally recommend that someone looking at the Player series should look into the Classic Vibe as well. You'd be shocked at how good the Squier quality jumps up when you go above the Affinity/Bullet/Sonic series.
breh i never hear people talking about where the guitars are made and by whom. what kind of conditions are the builders working under? getting quality instruments for the low prices we have nowadays defies all logic. that's why buying a fender vs a squier (and even cheaper brands) feels worth it to me, i feel i dont need to worry about that shit.
Andre, why you gotta release this video on the same day I receive my most expensive guitar to date? 😂 (Given, it was only a Sterling by Music Man at 1k, but still) Also if you ever do want to change this guitar up, one fantastic thing about Squier Classic Vibes is that the neck pocket is pretty much the same as Fenders. So if you start fiending for a Fender or a different neck, you can just buy a drop-in replacement from them. Of course it'd cost about as much as the Squier itself, but that's still less than a new guitar. 😂
What’s wild to me is that while low cost guitars have become effectively professional instruments, the big companies have been jacking prices into the stratosphere - e.g. recent Epiphone models.
Since posting the video I see everyone thinks the fretboard looks great even though I don't love it. Just goes to show how subjective this all is! For the record, I usually like solid black ebony or a very dark even rosewood. I'm not someone who looks for a flame on the fretboard. But if you do, that sounds like yet another reason to get one of these guitars!
Fender nailed it. Except the trem.
I totally agree...that's the worst rosewood fretboard I've seen since I gave my stratacoustic to my older brother
me either bro solid black ebony or rose wood i hate laurel or pao ferro never tried richlite
bro that guitar does sound fucking amazing im getting king gizzard vobe sound from it
Edit: Our God The Algorithm caught me commenting on fretboard darkening and directed me to a video on Montypreso wax right after i clicked home. Seems like your fingerboard is a prime candidate. Looks pretty easy, has a *dramatic* darkening effect. Aside from that, regular old Lizard Spit on that dry looking fingerboard would likely bring it down noticeably on its own, but it might just be the studio light making it look factory-dry as a bone to me.
I never found myself "needing" a Jazzmaster but man are they cool. Some day
Do it. The Squier CV Jazzmasters are amazing
Me neither but there's something about them. I will either build one, get a Squier or (gasp I know) a Harley Benton. They are usually better quality than Squiers at the same price (in house brand low overhead, sold from factory to customer without dealers like Fender or Squier)...
Of course the Squier has the authentic shape....
But I am into weird guitars. I love Flying Vs they're my favourite and the Jazzmaster tickles that kind of itch. Weird at first but you grow to love it and then every other guitar seems silly and uncomfortable.
It’s worth it. My squier jazzmaster almost had me sell my Les Paul. Almost.
2:54 come on Dr. Fludd, the fretboard is gorgeous… it’s actually flamed 😍
Sounds like the CV line is the new MIM in practice and spirit, love how they’ve also made models and variations otherwise too expensive or mod-knowledgeable available at relatively affordable prices (especially if you’re buying it for life like the MIMs, 20 years in and better then ever). Happy to hear these are so good and fun to watch them be enjoyed and respected. Big deal for an affordable model. Another great video, thank you!!
Also MIM are getting closer to US made, they used to have aweful ceramic pickups you would never ever find on a 700€+ guitar but now they are more closely spected to the proper ones.
Epiphone too has been increasing quality a lot. I think it's a good direction to go.
Especiall Fender... everyone makes good cheap Strats and Teles now, if they want to remain relevant they have to compete with those. Not to be a fanboy but my 158€ TE62DB in lake placid blue, is extremely wonderful. I don't think I will buy a MIM Tele like I planned to, it's good enough stock and modded it'll be amazing. I did polish the frets and did the ends. It was perfectly fine but now it's very good. I know fretwork so I do it to all my guitars. Makes the difference. Still if I find some cash somewhere I would love a CV Tele and a Player series. Maybe a used US made one... I didn't think I would like Teles but I fell in love. Now I play Flying Vs and Teles. People look at me funny but they're both great.
When I was 16 I fell in love with a squire Jaguar at a local music shop. It was there for months, for my birthday my dad said he'd buy it for me, but when we got to the shop it had sold already. Sounds like a sad story, but instead I got my first PRS SE instead. Overall a memorable experience.
Thanks for all the great content Andre!
Ah but all those years later you remember the Jazzmaster! Maybe your PRS is lonely and needs a friend?
@@221b-l3t Haha, the PRS is long gone. I just bought a new Ibanez though. I tend to only buy guitars under 6lbs now if I can.
@@MrAustinMusic I see. Flying Vs are relatively light just above 3 kg so little more than 6lbs. Especially stuff like a Rhoads V, if your back is tired those are great. I've been starting to feel it too, my Les Paul style guitars are wonderful but I play them at home sitting comfortably. And my Tele is nice and light, they can be fairly chunky too.
What Ibanez did you get? I have an old MIJ RG, my first guitar. It's awesome but definetly not light. SG's are great light guitars too, there's a few lovely Epiphones that are a bit more affordable than the LPs 400-500 bucks and "Inspired by Gibson" line, those are great. Been yearning for one myself.
@@221b-l3t Flying Vs, I would've never guessed as being light. Ergonomically positioned maybe, but that is good to know!
I've owned two now (sold one, and missed it too much) Ibanez SEWFM models. They're an S series so super thin body. I will note though, like an SG there is a little bit of neck dive, unless I'm using a strap (which I always am).
The Epiphone inspired by Gibson line has my intention. I haven't played a LP in years just out of fear that it'd be too heavy. The LP Lite that Gibson makes looks promising as it is only about as thick as a SG. I primarily play 1 guitar and that is my Strandberg which unfairly sits around 5lbs. haha (Also bought based on the recommendations from Andre here).
@@MrAustinMusic Ah that's cool to know, I never figured they are light, never tried an S series.
And yeah Flying Vs are my favourite. I love all guitars, especially Tele and LP and SG and Strats and Superstrats but the Flying V... ahhh. And yes ergonomy sitting or standing is wonderful. Despite being (relatively) light the shape has most of the weight behind the bridge (the wings) so it just sits at a perfect 45° angle standing and sitting if played like a classical it's very comfortable and secure, without holding it. The number of times I almost dropped a LP because it slid off my lap while I grabbed a glass of water or something. Flying V someone could punch you and it wouldn't fall off and the wings make for excellent weapons as well. Though a Les Paul is alsoa fantastic weapon...
If you have too much money get the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop 58 Korina V. I have an older version without the Burstbuckers Made in Korea. My Gibson has 60s neck and the Epi 50s. Otherwise I couldn't tell which is the expensive one. Fretwork is remarkable. Still I am lusting after the new 58, I like the 58 especially with all the controls in line and the smaller pickguard than the 67.
If you like Ibanez shredder machines you would love a Jackson Randy Rhoads. Those are super light, compact, still can be played like a regular V sitting down and the neck is basically the same idea as an Ibanez wizard neck. The JS32 is 300 bucks, though the 400€ natural wood one is sweet and has a Floyd. I haven't played a JS32 but I hear the necks are wonderful. Hardware is ok and pups are ok. I would change those but that's a matter of taste. I like them all, I'll play my Tele, then grab a Les Paul and finish the session on a V. You can't go V and then Les Paul, too awkward. I still love them. Like to stare at the flametop while playing. People think I'm concentrating and focusing on my hands but no I'm just admiring my guitar.
Someone is going to say this isn't a budget guitar. I get it, everyone's budget is different. By that same logic, a $4,000 guitar isn't expensive...
for Joe Bonamassa.
I consider $400 budget for all. Other than maybe a brand new beginner
It is definitely budget compared to prices at the minute look at the new Epiphones I'm sure they are good but £1500 or so for an Epiphone If you can find them Vintage (JHS) guitars are great for the money and the Sire range is all pretty great 🤘For someone like myself who'll probably never buy a £4000 guitar they are perfect I can get various shapes pickup configurations for relatively little money instead of one £4000 guitar I have about 10 £400-£600 guitars 🤘🤘🤘
Bonermaster 😍
i consider firefly budget guitars
Thank you for a really clear minded and thoughtful video. Your point of diminishing returns is something every guitarist needs to contemplate with all the hype and noise concerning guitar ownership.
The Jazzmaster is gorgeous, especially in white with the tortoise pickguard. I agree with the math and the quality ratio. I bought the Squier CV Classic Vibe Jazzmaster a couple years ago. I loved it immediately. The stock fretwork was honestly pretty good, but I replaced the strings and paid someone to level the frets and sand the edge, and it was a night and day improvement. The Squier CV has some things that aren't even on the Fender Player series, like a real bone nut and the Mustang bridge. I believe the fretboard is Pau Ferro rather than rosewood, but you can keep it oiled to darken it. I suspect one of the cut corners because of the price point is the shielding, but if you play with the middle position (both pickups), it's dead quiet!
The CV range is great and with just a bit of work can be really outstanding.
Wore the frets out of my squier contemporary active strat. The poor thing. Sold my other guitars because it is all I ever play. I love squier. No shame.
No need to they are fine guitars. Mine sucks but it was 80 bucks and served me well as a mod platform. I will take out the components and put them in an Affinity, that's a good base guitar worth moddign.
Andre has become my go to guy for guitar reviews hands down.
Thanks 😊
@blurry.magnets Perfectly said!
My main guitar is one of these. It is light, very loud and resonant and has a thin neck. The neck pickup is excellent, the bridge pickup has solid low end but a little bit too much high mid range. The vibrato system functions well and I actually prefer it to the one that was on my Fender Vintera Jazzmaster.
Change the bridge to a Bootstrap Lake Surfer. I didn't like the stock pickup, too hot and midrangy for a JM. The LS is a slighty hotter traditional JM pickup- bright but hot enough to push an amp.
In my world, that fretboard is CRAZY-nice.
the nicest fret board is a guitar i just got rid of a schecter c-7 frs silver mountain had the most beutiful ebony fretboard
@@cmichalski420 I have a Tele custom with pale moon ebony board. Its a secret thing of beauty. Theres a three second video on my thing.
You made that guitar sound great, and I love Jazzmasters but...well, maybe one day. It's definitely a good quality guitar considering the price. Over here in Australia they're more expensive (for obvious reasons) but still well under a grand.
Squier really do make fantastic guitars. Great video as always.
oh man peeling off the plastic is like my favorite part of a new instrument :0
Not playing it?? I still have peel on a 20 year old guitar. I just noticed recently it was on so tight on my LTD single cut, just the truss rod cover. I thought this is weird, is the paint bubbling up? Nope still has the peel. Now I left it on, it's vintage now. I don't want to mess with the tone-peel. Together with a giant scratch in the flametop it is likely the reson it's my best sounding "Les Paul". It's for sale. 750€ plus gigbag... I am so incredibly broke
@@221b-l3t nah i just peel the plastic off and send them back to sweetwater they are pretty cool about it
@@mark6302 I see. Perhaps someday you can take the peel off my LP's truss rod cover, I think if someone deserves to do it, it's you! Best of luck and godspeed!
...only thing is, if you leave the protective plastic on the pickguard for long enough, the adhesive turns to Goo and you'll need a product like Goo-Gone to clean it up... when someone lists a guitar as "so new, the plastic is still on the pickguard" I cringe, knowing what a mess it makes trying to take it off...
Nice honest video.
For the money, Squier makes a nice guitar (or bass). I have 3 of the Paranormal series (Offset Tele, Toronado and Supersonic). The only mods I made was tweaking the nut slots and putting larger strap buttons on them. And in 3 years they've fewer truss rod adjustments than some of my pricier guitars. I figured that I would have swapped the pickups but I see no need to as they sound good.
I bought that one back when it was $279 new. Swapped out the neck for a Warmoth one. The bridge is the only crappy part. It seems silly but I have considered buying a Mastery for it
I have said for a while, I have a $2000 G&L Espade that is amazing and a $450 Squier CV Jazzmaster that is amazing. The Espade is definitely a better guitar, but it isn't $1500 better. Squier CV and G&L tribute guitars are some of the best bang for the buck you can get.
When people tell me they have issues with guitars coming from China or Indonesia, I tell them... Oh, China... that country that gave is Shaolin Kung Fu... and they have been doing fine hand-crafted wood working in Indonesia for centuries, long before there was an Orville Gibson, Leo Fender or Paul Smith... I can't possibly afford a $4,000-$5,000 Gibson or PRS, but G&L Tribute, Squier, Epiphone, and stuff made in Mexico are made and priced just for consumers like me. - For one $5,000 guitar I can have 10 x $500 guitars and way more pickup and switching choices and tones. - Buy used/mint and let some other clod take the 30% depreciation hit as soon as they walk out of the store with a "new" guitar, it is now ...used. And worth 30% less...
Appreciate this review! I've been eyeing the J Mascis version for a while now. I guess I'll be going shopping soon :D
I have one of these in sonic blue, and it plays GREAT. I shimmed the neck, the bridge needed a bit of attention, and cleaned up a couple of frets, but I got it on sale for $350 and it was worth every penny of that. I LOVE the tones and feel of it. I play it every bit as often as my guitars that were literally 10x the price.
I have the 12 string version of that Jazzmaster and it's amazing. Got it last week and recorded with it right away, just a beautiful sound and amazing quality. It finally got me the exact 12 sound I wanted, and have been unhappy with on every other electric 12. Sweetwater set it up before it shipped, and boy howdy, just amazing. So between this, my thinline tele, my Nashville Tele, and my PRS CE 24 SE, I don't really need anything else on electrics.
I recently switched to an anodized aluminum pickguard and shortened all the wiring to the minimum lengths needed. That did a lot to quiet down my CV Jazzmaster.
Thanks for being honest with yourself and us. Appreciate it😂 I recently got a Squier JM and it’s stellar.
My bandmate swapped the pickups and bridge on his Squier Jazzmaster. It is a great instrument that sounds amazing and you aren’t afraid to take it places.
This is the most important message for people on a tight budget. I think the sweetspot is right around 700-900$. Like a PRS SE or the mid tier Yamahas. Those are amazing instruments. If you have the money and you're serious about guitar playing why not spend 2000$. That's absolutely fine and you will get a better instrument even if it's just in some details. But nevertheless it's a great time to be a guitar player and even better for beginners.
i have one of these as well, i shimmed the neck and put a new trem in. awesome value guitar. i love the neck.
Another point is that by taking care of these cheaper instruments you also get to practice fixing and improving a guitar in a relatively safe space. 2 years ago I bought a cheap Squier Affinity Jazzmaster, just to try a different kind of guitar. Even though I own a Parker and other expensive guitars, I ended up playing the Squier and having much more fun with it creatively. Yes, the potentiometer started to crackle a few months in, yep the pickups switch broke in my hand. But I went and bought better ones, replaced them myself, put an evening of work into properly shielding it and now it's rock solid (keep in mind I have basic soldering skills and watch a lot of TH-cam 😅). I wouldn't have dared to do something similar to my ESP for example.
I like your approach to this, I had the same problems, cracking potentiometer, noise from bad shielding etc plus others like the bridge hopping out of position and tuning issues because of it etc. I fixed and modified stuff in the process
. I have put new pots (500’s cause I couldn’t find 1k’s during Covid ) and at the same time I had to open the guitar I’ve changed the pick guard with a gold anodised aluminium one ( that helped with the shielding), and th pickups with fender ones. I still try to solve some buzzing from the bridge and I fixed somehow the whole bridge moving out of place while using the tremolo by digging the wood a bit so the post stays in place, also shimming the neck and putting 11’s and giving more angle by raising the bridge helped with buzzing and tuning.
I liked the process but it is a frustrating experience also ,for an instrument that has cost me a decent amount to be a problematic one. It is also my only electric guitar this period. I can’t imagine having those issues and the whole Jazzmaster awkwardness of what strings to put, how to set it up, if it needs shimming etc as a beginner on your first instrument
This was the first electric i ever bought, love it. however, there is a common issue with the floating bridge where one side likes to sink into the body. This can be fixed with some thread lock stuff used on the screws but you have to make sure the setup is good before you essentially glue the screw into place.
I've got the earlier version- the Vintage Modified Jazzmaster that is very similar to the Classic Vibe. I've used mine as a mod platform. The bones of the guitar are very good- neck and body, so the hardware improvements have made it a great player. I've added a Mustang bridge(comes standard on the CV), a Boot Strap Lake Surfer bridge pickup( a more vintage JM pickup), a Switchcraft toggle switch, and changed the 1meg volume pot for a 500k. (smooths out the high end) The quality of lower priced guitars has taken a huge leap, and you can get a great guitar like these Squiers that rival way more expensive axes.
Great video. I really love the Jazzmaster shape. I have a Fender PowerCaster from a few years back which I love, but not a true Jazzmaster.. your video really makes me want to go get one now
I've been getting into Offsets myself. Its easy to go down a rabbit hole with these. I have a guitar I have about $300 into right now and I plan to replace the trem and bridge on it and it will more than double the price.
I would recommend Puisheen's channel as it goes over all the differences of the parts and how to fix issues.
For me I currently have a Xaviere JT 100 (I'm mainly a Tele guy and this is a Tele-fied Jazzmaster) and I replaced the tunners to locking ones (modern Imports), Graph Tech string trees, nice pearl style UFO knobs from GFS, a custom wave neck plate from Decoboom and Dunlop strap locks. Under the hood I kept the stock pickups (lots of people replace Squier pickups with the stock ones here), got Fender/CTS 1 Meg pots, a JD Moon metal switch tip switch, Orange Drop capacitor (.47) and a Switchcraft jack. I use 12s (Stringjoys) on the guitar. I plan on buying a Haylon bridge (three brass Tele style JM bridge) and a trem. The reason being is that at that point its EXACTLY what I want out of the guitar and does well for far less than the same Fender version. Also you don't see too many Haylon parts on guitars (Boutiques usually use Mastery which will be done on another guitar I plan to get).
For me it was the least expensive ($240 plus shipping) option for a true Offset (I have an Ltd Viper but thats more of a Metal guitar) and I could up my luthier skills on it. In that case it has worked out the best and it looks great with Lake Placid Blue, white platic parts and lots of chrome.
IF you want to upgrade yours, Fender part are ideal as they are more than Import but far less than the Boutique parts. Check your pots on the main volume and tone and see if they are 1 Megs as that really will make a difference to your sound. A Fender AVRI (American Vibtage Reissue) Tremelo would be a big upgrade. If the bridge becomes an issue loads of Offset players usually try Fender Mustang bridges. All of these are not incredibly expensive upgrades.
Also I HAD to shield the back of the pickguard and the control cavity with copper foil (buy the CONDUCTIVE adhesive) and that really got rid of so much electrical hum. Puisheen has a great video on how to do that (probably a good place to start too and the least expensive mod) and you can see videos on 60 Cycle Hum and CS Guitars on how swapping out 500k pots for 1 Meg pots is a HUGE change to the overall sound.
You do sound great on your Jazzmaster amigo!😉👍✨
I bought one of these from SweetWater, too. The fret work could be a bit better, but it was completely playable right out of the box. I play it as much as my Gibsons. It’s a great value for the money.
Nice guitar man!! One of my favourite guitars I own is my Squier CV 50’s Tele. It punches so far above its price point, and until I can afford a Vintage II 52’ Telecaster, it’s giving me everything I want from a Tele. The fret work is great, the neck feels amazing, and the pickups just sing. And what’s more, it’s made of pine, which is incredibly vintage accurate for a Tele of that time
Yes, finally see you with a jazzmaster. Given your penchant for the pricier things, I'd love to see you try a higher end fender JM or maybe something like a Seuf or Black Bobbin.
Dude. That fretboard is flamed wood! ❤️❤️❤️
The squire just looks fun. Great video.
I owned one of these for about 6 months before buying an Ultra JM. I loved it enough to inspire a $2k upgrade lol
You’ll see a couple new jazzmasters pretty soon specifically because of this squier. Gateway drugs.
@@andrefludd I look forward to it. And yes, absolutely gateway drugs lol
I agree. I played a CV JM at a shop, it was fantastic.
I haad a J Masics Jazzmaster for a while. It definitely hooked me on the JM train. I bought a used Classic Series 60s Lacquer and Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster afterwards, didn't like the 7.25 radius and now I'm kinda missing that little old Squier. It definitely wasn't perfect, but for the $260 I paid, it was great. Unfortunately I've drank the flat radius, carved heel Kool aide, so I'm looking into a Balaguer Espada Ambient or a custom one to reign as the one true JM for me.
I always hated jazzmaster style bodies. Then one day i picked one up wondering why they sell. I was just amazed by how comfortable and natural it feels it sits perfectly on your lap. Then i understand why there so loved
When I was growing up (in the 1970s), this guitar would have blown my socks off! It truly is an incredible time to enjoy guitars.
I got mine, fresh out of the box from China, the place online I bought mine doesn't open them at this price range... small crack in the finish in the neck pocket, the upper bout volume control never worked right out of the box, and the guitar was simply the noisiest guitar I have ever owned in 40+ years of picking (they are "only" $400 for a reason, lots of corners to cut). -- Gutted mine, dry-walled the inside and under the PG with copper tape. Bought a 920D wiring harness and a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Jazzmaster pickups. NOW it is a great guitar... out of the Chinese factory it was a hunk of wood with some cheap electronics attached.
Im really glad they released this as a lefty, though they've stopped making it now😢.
I think because yours is a demo model, it benefitted from a decent setup.
Fretwork was good on mine too. Sadly, high e tuner was damaged so I replaced with Wilkinsons.
I gave mine in for a setup (needed a neck shim) and it's been great. The Jazzmaster has issues but I really enjoy playing it.
i love mine but wish the fret leveling was better, been chasing dead frets/fret buzz for a while. but it did make me realize the jazzmaster body is by far my favorite shape. incredibly comfy and perfect balance on a strap. plus these pickups really do sound great. The neck pick up is absolutely great too, basically decided im gonna build a custom one with a jazzmaster neck pup and either p-90 or humbucker bridge for the style sounds I normally prefer. Cannot express enough tho that the neck pickup on mine made me fall in love with clean tones again
Absolutely spot on video. My guitars all still have the plastic on as well. 😅
Was planning on selling mine but you hyped me up lol might Lee it after I plug it in see how it sounds
Great review, I wish more people would actually try budget guitars more rather than just assuming they’ll be bad. We’ve come a long way from the quality of early 2000’s budget guitars with plenty of company’s like Harley Benton and Jet bring “higher specs” to the budget price point. Fully appreciate it’s a mental hurdle to go from buying Strandbergs/Aristides to a Squier but if it plays right and it’s cheaper then surely that’s a bonus. At the end of the day to me, it comes down to the feel of the guitar and how that makes you feel as a player. If I’m having as much fun playing and writing music with my squier, that’s the real value of the instrument.
Totally agree with this! My main gigging guitar for a couple years was a Squier, recently it’s a Harley Benton. The USA PRS Custom 24 and high-end USA Telecaster stays its home. I have just as much fun…
I bought a used Schecter Japan AR-06 when I moved to Japan and it made me fall in love with Jazzmasters so i've been eye'ing up the squier ones, maybe to do a baritone neck replacement on it. Plus I'm a big fan of P90's so it's good to know that I would likely be satisfied with a Squier JM
I now own a Schecter Japan AR-07 which is an interesting guitar and it would be cool if Andre could check one out someday.
I've bought a couple Classic Vibes - a Bass VI and a Starcaster. My experiences have been almost identical to your observations here, including the fretwork and pickups. Although they played fine out of the box, I did mod them with better tuners, nut, new pots and new bridge saddles for the VI and a new beefy bridge for the Starcaster. OK, so the thing is with modding these and setting them up is that they go from good to excellent. Owning both, I think the best value is the G&L Tribute line, because the hardware and pickups are simply better than the CVs. I'd love to see a review of the Doheny.
My Squier VM JM has been my #1 for 8 years, tried more expensive stuff, but it's still my favorite
This one is on my wishlist. I also like the fact it's just a three way switch. I could fix this. I could never wire a jazz master. Glad to know the vibrato is usable.
I got a classic vibe Jazzmaster squier back in 2012 and it played wonderful but had issues like the switch was put on upside down took me years to figure out I was using the bridge pickup. It also came with a different bridge that would always knock off if hit hard. I switched out the pickups for some Duncan’s awhile back and it made a small difference but adding a treble bleed made a huge difference on the high end. Personally I keep one type of guitar and roll with it. The jazzmaster has been my favorite since 2006.
Honestly I loved the look and I bought one… but I did not try it enough in the store. When I arrived home, well I realized how the frets were like knife literally. Was just a bad bad one . And well I went back to the store a week after , and I trade it for a beautiful vintage brand Les Paul junior type . I realize that any fender is just not my cup of tea. But I do own 3 fender American basses . And they’re amazing . I guess I just not into bolt on guitars.❤❤❤great video btw
worth mentioning that alot of the offset guitars (this one is a prime example) are susceptible to the strings popping out of their bridge slots as well as the bridge sinking into the body if you play hard or abuse the tremolo, not that this is a bad guitar but its something to account for in a purchase decision like whether to replace the bridge, you andre obviously have an extremely light touch which allows u to completely reap the benefits of leo fenders design
Great video thanks, i needed a second bass due to just in case, ss i gig regular i bought a squire classic vibe 70s p bass, i set it up it plays very well, i understand what you are saying
Hey Doc! Ever heard of Forshage Guitars? He's based out of Texas and has a model called the Orion that I think is right up your alley! Looks like he took heavy inspiration from Klein, but still made it his own! I'm itching to try one out lol.
Hope you have a great weekend! I picked up my first nylon string and I've got my first lesson tonight! wooo!
Yes! Big fan of his work. Almost bought a custom build at one point. Still might one day!
Although I own much more expensive guitars, my main player is a Squier clsssic vibe Jazzmaster. I primarily play a lot of indie adjacent music as well as jazz and it just works perfectly for those genres
I payed one at GC and I really enjoyed playing it! I sounded really good. Even better than some Mexican strats I have played.
I have a Vintage Modified Jazzmaster that I gave away (still regret that til this day) and it very well may have been the best guitar I’ve ever own. I currently have a Japanese made Tele that was 3 times as much and it is the only other guitar that has rivaled it. Also, Jazzmasters are underrated.
"This guitar is definitely not even close to the quality of these two guitars over here." This was a great way to keep GAS under control.
J. Mascis signature Squire is very popular among artists... including - Kevin Parker from Tame Impala . Everyone needs a cheap Jazzmaster in his life... it looks so good that it doesn't have to sound good... You can play with a heavy distortion and no one will notice it has a bad tone or is out of tune ... For similar reason I always prefer LTD Viper 1000 over Gibson SG .
Found your channel through Phil McKnight... cool Jazz Master... for $380!?!? That's KILLAH!!!😎🤘🎸🐦
I’ve always recommended classic vibes to my students. Andre, you should try out the schecter pt special out on the channel. I just got one and I feel like it doesn’t have a ton of buzz and it would be a tele that’s up your alley.
I see your price point thing but there is an art to collecting where if you purchase the correct guitar, it will go up in value as it ages. Where the purchase with most lower end guitars devalue once it leaves the store buy 75% in most cases
The new classic vibes jazzmaster and 40th anniversary are great. They have real jazzmaster style pickups (fender normally uses a strat pickup with a big cover or a p90 you have to go way up the reissue line to get jazzmaster pickups,) they have the mustang bridge so you wont have string pop out issues, and they have a built in neck shim so you wont have to deal with doing a shim for 1.5-3 degrees of neck angle for the bridge/vibrato to work right.
I picked up a 40th with binding on clearance for under 300 and it is great. The only thing I don't like is the taper on the roller pots and the tuner tips being cheap plastic that feels nasty.
Dammit, I want a Jazzmaster now. Excellent tones!
Regarding the price, I think the diminishing returns argument is true if you only consider quality. However, quality is not all that actually goes into the price. There's rarity, expected resale value (like in vintage instruments), brand name (you specifically need to pay more for the Fender logo), craftsmanship (meaning the actual hours of work and the know how of the people that made it) and so on. So is it worth it to pay more for something more expensive? Yes, if you value the things that made the price what it is. It's OK to care about the logo just as much as it is OK to not care about it.
With all that being said Squier makes great guitars in that price range and they can be a lot of fun too. I desperately wanted a tele I think in 2017 and went on and got a Squier CV Custom 60's tele and modded it to oblivion and I still play it a lot.
I've never been much of a fan of Fender guitars, but the Squier J Mascus jazzmaster is a sweet guitar.
I heard good things about the CV jazzmasters. But the J Mascis is shockingly good. The quality is up there with the $900 guitars.
I feel that with guitars, the ceiling for quality is around 1500usd, after that you're paying only for cosmetics. Which are extremely important for me, because in my opinion the best guitar is the guitar that you look at and it makes you want to play it. But yeah, after that price range any guitar that is well setup is probably gonna play amazing.
Depends on the company but I largely agree. For Gibson, it seems to be closer to 3,000 or so? But companies like Ibanez Schecter etc. 1500-2000 gets you a basically perfect guitar
@@andrefludd 100% agree with you
there are a few videos out there that added shielding to this guitar and improved the noise a lot. It's also one of the few offsets that come in lefty too. I went with the Jag-Stang though, the neck is very slim. It's a unique guitar wonder what your take would be for it.
Supposing it is still in stock next year or in 2026, whenever I can afford it, my first JM-style guitar will be a G&L Tribute Series Doheny in shell pink; I would love a G&L CLF Research Doheny V12 in purpleburst, but I doubt it will still be available by the time I might be able to afford financing one (autumn of 2028).
It's less to do with the Squier name, more to do with Jazzmasters being awesome.
I got a Squier 40th anniversary Stratocaster as my first electric guitar and it sounds good and is great for a beginner like me. I do however kinda wished I got a tele or a jazzmaster since I think those look cooler but hey I'm a Jimi Hendrix guy so I went with the Strat. I do think once I got the money I'm going to have to get a Sire L7, because they just look cool.
The only major issue I had with mine is strings slip off the bridge sometime. I think if you can find the J Mascis version it’s probably just slightly better, but I am not complaining. I got mine on sale for like $360
Wooden tooth picks work well on those stickers, easy on the finish.
I own a Squier JM Jazzmaster and it's so killer. I modded the pickups and trem and it's as good as any top line JM out there. Heard the 40th anniversary model is also wicked.
I actually got really screwed on my Jazzmaster. A CME special edition CV that I waited over a year for-- how they let this out I don't know. Neck pocket poorly cut, bridge bitchy as hell, fretboard scraped up-- but the pickups... The pickups are out of this world amazing. Any other CV I've had or come across has been really nice, way above it's price, but the one I pre-ordered. Anyway, the JM is finally getting its due as an excellent sounding guitar, those pickups are cumulative genius applied.
Had to comment again: The small part you played in the tone talk is absolutely beautiful. So much feeling! Ah! Whatever song you play after that it would be great. But I immediately hear a cowboy surf music tune in my mind, with just bass drum and that bridge guitar sound. Inspiring!
Quick question: As I never owned a Fender guitar, are these P90 style pickups? Never get the pickups on the Jazzmaster and also those small switches? What do they do?
Thank you! The song is my funny valentine. Jazz standards. Jazzmaster pickups are different from p90s but the same idea. Fatter than a strat single coil, but not as fat as a humbucker.
to me firefly are budget guitars u get stainless steel frets and flamed maple necks for 199 there pretty decent people rave over them there now were near a gibson or fender but good for the money
i really like this whole line so far. i have one of these, the jaguar, and the bass VI. all have been excellent. I followed some tutorials by mike adams (puisheen youtube channel) for setup and put some nicer strings on them and i have not been disappointed.
I have a 40th anniversary Squier JM it's fantastic! However I had to shim the neck and copper foil the pickup cavity and run thicker gauge strings.
Did you end up modding it in anyway?
I personally would never get a jazzmaster with a plastic pickguard because of the placement of the output jack, as jazzmasters with plastic pickguards tend to brake around that area after a few years due to the stress that is put on the pickguard when you plug the guitar in.
I think they sound great. But sounds like it needs a little shielding or maybe a beefier ground
Trogly would have freaked out if he saw such an "accidentally" (because not in specifications) flamed fretboard on some Gibson Custom Shops for like 7-8 grands 😀
😂 is that what this is? I thought it looked blah
@@andrefludd Actually I've never seen flamed indian laurel (that is the freatboard is made of according to specifications), it should be pretty rare and many manufacturers demand an extra charge for flamed wood. On Reverb sellers often want about 150-200$ more for a Squier having a flamed maple neck.
I got the same model in the same color and it's one of my favorite guitars. Funny thing is that I also have a Jaguar Classic Vibe and it's worse in terms of feel and much heavier.
I love mine. I’ll pick it up over my DGT SE ( a way better guitar). The JM is quirky and it fun to play into the quirks. The DGT is not quirky lol.
Thats the thing with squier, they produce the perfect workhorse guitars, nothing fancy but i gets the job done ...
I bought this exact model when it was introduced in 2019, and unfortunately i found mine severely disappointing, mainly due to the quality of the electronics and hardware. But it sounds great, I agree. I eventually upgraded to a Vintera one and it's a much more enjoyable instrument.
That rosewood fretboard looks spectacular wtfff
Indian laurel, not rosewood.
Wouldn't that fretboard be made of laurel? I'd recommend getting that protective film off the pickguard ASAP because the adhesive on the film might transfer to the pickguard and you will have a hell of a time getting it off. I say that because I own an Ampeg Jet-20 and I left the film on the chrome control plate for years and that is exactly what happened.
I believe the noiseless pups only come on the Ultra but I prefer the traditional style pups. JM pups seem noisier to me but it’s part of the fun.
Thanks for that info. I think I’m going to be upgrading mine soon.
I've been playing Harley Benton for a few years now. I have a SC 550 II with active emg pickups and a T style Pro Series both were under 400 dollars and both blow Squier away. I have a Squier Classic Vibe and it's not good.
30K followers?!? That's awesome. Pretty much over $3000 you're paying for exclusivity, not necessarily quality. I would generally recommend that someone looking at the Player series should look into the Classic Vibe as well. You'd be shocked at how good the Squier quality jumps up when you go above the Affinity/Bullet/Sonic series.
I’m getting one but I really
Wish they had humbuckers pickups on them! I’ll Probably modify mine.
breh i never hear people talking about where the guitars are made and by whom. what kind of conditions are the builders working under? getting quality instruments for the low prices we have nowadays defies all logic. that's why buying a fender vs a squier (and even cheaper brands) feels worth it to me, i feel i dont need to worry about that shit.
Andre, why you gotta release this video on the same day I receive my most expensive guitar to date? 😂 (Given, it was only a Sterling by Music Man at 1k, but still)
Also if you ever do want to change this guitar up, one fantastic thing about Squier Classic Vibes is that the neck pocket is pretty much the same as Fenders. So if you start fiending for a Fender or a different neck, you can just buy a drop-in replacement from them. Of course it'd cost about as much as the Squier itself, but that's still less than a new guitar. 😂
great video
Can you please speak about that D’Angelico semi hollow dc you have. I really want the mini dc excel but have a squire starcaster that I love as well.
I did a whole review, performance, and lesson featuring it already. check my recent videos if you get a chance
What’s wild to me is that while low cost guitars have become effectively professional instruments, the big companies have been jacking prices into the stratosphere - e.g. recent Epiphone models.
Yea gross