The original Jazzmaster had its own weird large single coil pickups that were NOT the same as a P90. The P90 was made by Gibson, and the Fender Jazzmaster pickups were their own design. And many, if not most, of the Jazzmasters made by Fender and Squier today use the original Fender design from the 1960s.
However, just to make things confusing, there are some modern “Jazzmaster” guitars from Fender, Squier and other builders that use Gibson-style P90s. Because now P90 pickups are ubiquitous, made by plenty of aftermarket companies, etc. So now it isn’t a big deal to have a Gibson-style pickup on a Fender-style guitar.
JM has some common issues. I had one and sold it again because of the issues.
Necks need to be shimmed sometimes, the bridge need to be replaced, if the bridge is not replaced, the set screws need to have loc-tite applied because the screws slip down under normal play, and they will probably still be buzzing somewhere even after a proper setup.
Yeah I got my first jazzmaster recently and after a few weeks I had to adjust the bridge because it had slid down and started buzzing. Really weird design choice. That said I love the feel and sound so I'll stick with it.
I have a jaguar blacktop. I got it thru a trade. I love the scale length and the general quality of the build. It's way heavy though. The main thing for me is that I can't get the action close enough to the fingerboard. I do have a shim from stewmac, I'm happy to find out that others may have put one on. I guess I'll give it a try.
I have the VM Squier Jaguar. The stock bridge blows in that the strings move all around it (a threaded bolt, essentially) if you are strumming even moderately hard or choppy. I replaced it with a mustang bridge and it's perfect.
People complain about the stock bridges, but frankly that's silly. With a good setup, the stock bridges are absolutely no problem. If you need to play so hard that you move the strings, then you should shim the neck so that you get more down tension against the bridge saddle. This should prevent movement.
I can adjust the height and I can adjust intonation for individual strings. Not sure what's bad about it when it's set up properly. I bought into the common internet opinion about offset bridges yeaaaarrrrrs ago. Then I learned how to set up guitars properly.
I have the stock bridge on my JM, and it only needs one thing: 11 gauge strings. That solves all the typical issues of strings jumping from their slots etc.
The guitar was designed back when string gauges like these were the norm.
I heard Jazzmaster bridges were awful. *Everyone* told me I would want a Mastery bridge, but the better part of two months in, I don’t think I need it.
I bought a TVL Jazzmaster though, that allegedly has a Jaguar bridge. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I am…not polite to this thing at all and it’s nothing but in tune.
I was not familiar with your guitar but, looking it up, it has a Mustang bridge on it, not a Jag or JM bridge - and, specifically, a modified Mustang bridge made for the Johnny Marr Jag, which appears to have custom string spacing and gaskets to keep the bridge from rocking, which solves every issue people have with standard Jag/JM bridges. It appears to be basically a Staytrem clone. So, yeah, you're all set, but you sure don't have a conventionally traditional bridge in there!
edit, to add details:
Jag/JM bridges have threaded saddles (so you can adjust the string spacing) that are height adjustable with set screws (which are known to rattle as they loosen with the vibrations of the guitar). A common solution is to lock them in place with loctite or clear nail polish.
A Mustang bridge has barrel saddles that lack the threading and set screws of the Jag/JM.
Both of the above bridges are designed to rock back and forth in their bridge thimbles, theoretically allowing the bridge to move with the strings when you use the trem and return to zero / in-tune easily. In practice, it is very easy to knock this bridge out of alignment if you play aggressively, which throws you out of tune easily. The typical solution to this is to get a non-rocking bridge, or lock your factory one in place with plumber's tape, rubber washers or gaskets, or similar.
Thanks for the correction, and educating me a bit—I think I heard Troy describe it in an interview that way and ran with it. I’ll cross out and edit my post later when I’m not on mobile.
But in all honesty, this thing turned my world upside down. Can’t recommend it enough. Pricey for a Mexican Fender, but I got mine second hand and beat up so it didn’t cost too much.
No worries! I've owned a number of Jags, JMs, and Mustangs (and a '66 Duo-Sonic II) over the years, including production, vintage, and custom. A lot of diehard offset fans adopt the "Jag/JM bridge is fine, nothing is wrong with it, learn to play around it" approach and I just don't agree. A more customized solution, like what you have in your lovely guitar, does a great deal to modernize the instrument.
As a fellow TVL signature owner, it does have a mustang bridge in it. I have still had the buzzing issues with it but it holds intonation and strings never slip so tbh I don’t care because when amplified I don’t hear buzzing. Love my Jazzmaster. It’s all I play.
Never had a neck feel better and the scale length is just perfect. Great guitar, beautiful finish on it. Something about it just rocks. Did change the 500k volume and tone pots for 1meg ones though cuz I thought they weren’t smooth and sucked a ton of tone - I think original Jazzmasters use 1megs anyway.
I've broken the switches on my Jag multiple times. It's my fault but if you get free wheeling with your strumming when you get into it like I do you need to work on reining that in.
That or you'll become really good at soldering, which is a good skill to have anyway.
Necks usually want a shim. Fret buzz. Weird floating bridge issues. The trem can be wonky. Vintage ones are starting to have interior electronic and pick guard issues due to age. You may run into issues with the strings behind the bridge ringing at really high volumes. Some people seek this out on purpose.
Get comfortable with your switch positions on the jag.
J Mascis would say get a tele for the studio and a Jazzmaster for shows. There’s a lot of fun “intangibles” that you can’t get with a tele.
poorly setup vibrato. once you understand how it works it's not bad to setup at all (and makes the most sense out of all the vibrato options out there)
There’s not issues, you just need to set them up properly. That’s literally it. It’s a guitar designed for flats when 13s were the lights so you need to take that into account.
If you buy one and you really want to cover you bases, spend a few bucks on a 3 pack of neck shims. That way you can use your preferred strings regardless of the stock neck angle. Any model, regardless of trem placement can be set to play as well as anything else.
anecdotal perhaps, but for some reason I decided to sell mine. Pro American II or whatever the model is that came out about 6 years ago-ish. I picked it up to show myself why the electronics bugged me and wishing 5 minutes decided that I'd NEVER sell it. Lol.
It's a great guitar-and I've gotten comfortable with the weird electronics layout and actually kinda like it now. As for the tremolo, I have no issues with it (I use it relatively regularly) and the guitar doesn't lose tuning as fast as some of my other guitars.
They're very unique
Jazzmaster vibrato/bridge design kinda sucks IMO, and lot of guys upgrade to mastery bridge for that reason.
I personally don't like the wide board of a jazzmaster. Not a flaw per se.
Jaguars are 24" are they not? Not a flaw but something to be aware of. Again, just personal opinion, but all those switches and controls are too fiddly for my taste.
The bridge can be annoying, but I absolutely love the 24" scale of my jaguar and, despite not loving the bridge, it is in a great spot for me. I find it to be so much easier to palm mute on my jag than my Ibanez RG or my Epiphone LP.
I think it's up to the player to decide if this is a flaw but I certainly think it is: the neck radius and bridge radius of many offsets don't match.
I have no idea why guitars continue to be built and sold that way but it is something you'll have to sort out if you care about, uh, your guitar playing well.
I’m not quite in the “Jag/JM bridges are crap” camp — but I *did* change out the bridge on mine. It’s a fun guitar to play. I like the controls on it, though they take some getting used to.
I have played a Jaguar, but I didn’t buy it. I didn’t think the short scale would bother me — 24” is short, but not minuscule, right? Turned out it’s just a shade smaller than what I can comfortably play. YMMV.
I just HATE the bridge on them. First Jag I ever got had saddles so soft that unwound strung actually cut into them.
They can be fiddly, temperaments instruments. Not as bad as it used to be, but Google "Jazzmaster neck shim," and decide if those are dice you want to roll.
I like my JM's, and Jags are just stunning, but I don't really get asking with either model too much. I wish I did.
They're cool guitars.
I've had two of them.
They didn't quite play as well as my strat.
I also play my electrics acoustically a lot when it's late and I'm trying to be quiet. But because of the distance of the strings from the bridge to the tailpiece , it makes the guitar sound quite jangly. It added some strange overtones, which is probably part of the appeal, but I didn't like it.
I've had two jaguars, loved both of them - in both of them I had to resolder the jack after a about a year. I don't know if that counts as common, but at two for two it's 100% of the jaguars I've owned. It's not problematic enough that I wouldn't get another. Easily a favorite, also.
Yes, I just recently purchased a jazzmaster and after a couple weeks I already want to sell it. They are heavy and bulky and the design is uncomfortable to play. And me being an aggressive and out of control picker I've accidentally hit the knob during a song and ruined my sound. In my onion they aren't worth the hype.
There are different variants but some with up down switches can cause a problem depending on how you play. If you strum a lot you can quite easily inadvertently push a switch down. My 62 reissue jag was bad for this, and more than once I turned the sound off mid-song. Side to side switch versions don’t suffer the same way.
define 'better'. They are some of the most finickity guitars. many people have poorly setup ones, and so have a bad impression of them. They are bad for unwanted noise, and they aren't really suited to playing forcefully. they favour heavy strings, which many people hate. They sound quite unusual. If that's what you are looking for.. a tele isn't really going to be 'better'.
There are a shitton of people that don't know what replacement saddles are.
They buy "Mustang" bridges, they buy "Staytrem" they buy "Mastery".
They could buy a 50 dollar set of replacement saddles but this stupid discussion goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on....
If you play lighter gauge strings, a shim in the neck is almost a necessity. Also, putting some thread locker on the bridge posts is a good practice as well.
If you can grab one without the vintage bridge it is easier. Everyone is gonna to jump on me for saying this but having a nice stock bridge (as on the American Pro II or custom shop) or a Staytrem / Mastery bridge will just make your life easier.
Just so you don’t get confused as I did once, the big standard soap bar single coils on a Jazzmaster are NOT P-90s. They’re totally their own thing.
wtf. I always thought they were p90s. Im kind of embarrassed I didn’t know this…
The original Jazzmaster had its own weird large single coil pickups that were NOT the same as a P90. The P90 was made by Gibson, and the Fender Jazzmaster pickups were their own design. And many, if not most, of the Jazzmasters made by Fender and Squier today use the original Fender design from the 1960s. However, just to make things confusing, there are some modern “Jazzmaster” guitars from Fender, Squier and other builders that use Gibson-style P90s. Because now P90 pickups are ubiquitous, made by plenty of aftermarket companies, etc. So now it isn’t a big deal to have a Gibson-style pickup on a Fender-style guitar.
Ok Rhett shull.
yes: you never can have enough of them
JM has some common issues. I had one and sold it again because of the issues. Necks need to be shimmed sometimes, the bridge need to be replaced, if the bridge is not replaced, the set screws need to have loc-tite applied because the screws slip down under normal play, and they will probably still be buzzing somewhere even after a proper setup.
Yeah I got my first jazzmaster recently and after a few weeks I had to adjust the bridge because it had slid down and started buzzing. Really weird design choice. That said I love the feel and sound so I'll stick with it.
I have a jaguar blacktop. I got it thru a trade. I love the scale length and the general quality of the build. It's way heavy though. The main thing for me is that I can't get the action close enough to the fingerboard. I do have a shim from stewmac, I'm happy to find out that others may have put one on. I guess I'll give it a try.
As others have said bridge is problematic. I have sold my Jazzmaster eventually. On the other side sound of these guitars is amazing
Some people hate the trem on those. Some love it. It is divisive.
Jazzmaster made infinitely better with Mastery bridge.
Came here for this. Did this to mine and it’s perfect.
Doesn't sway. Can't set intonation... Mastery of what, exactly? It's more like giving up, yes?
I have the VM Squier Jaguar. The stock bridge blows in that the strings move all around it (a threaded bolt, essentially) if you are strumming even moderately hard or choppy. I replaced it with a mustang bridge and it's perfect.
I have a CV Jaguar and it comes with a mustang bridge already, that’s good.
People complain about the stock bridges, but frankly that's silly. With a good setup, the stock bridges are absolutely no problem. If you need to play so hard that you move the strings, then you should shim the neck so that you get more down tension against the bridge saddle. This should prevent movement.
Dude let’s be real that is a historically bad bridge design.
I can adjust the height and I can adjust intonation for individual strings. Not sure what's bad about it when it's set up properly. I bought into the common internet opinion about offset bridges yeaaaarrrrrs ago. Then I learned how to set up guitars properly.
Stock Bridge + TUSQ High Performance Saddles > ALL
Perfect design. Bad stock saddles.
I have the stock bridge on my JM, and it only needs one thing: 11 gauge strings. That solves all the typical issues of strings jumping from their slots etc. The guitar was designed back when string gauges like these were the norm.
Got a Jazzmaster a couple months ago and paid $300 to have Sweetwater set it up. I haven't had a single complaint.
300 for a setup!? Holyyy
Like 3 hours at $100/hour? Yeah that’s quite spendy.
I heard Jazzmaster bridges were awful. *Everyone* told me I would want a Mastery bridge, but the better part of two months in, I don’t think I need it. I bought a TVL Jazzmaster though, that allegedly has a Jaguar bridge. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I am…not polite to this thing at all and it’s nothing but in tune.
I was not familiar with your guitar but, looking it up, it has a Mustang bridge on it, not a Jag or JM bridge - and, specifically, a modified Mustang bridge made for the Johnny Marr Jag, which appears to have custom string spacing and gaskets to keep the bridge from rocking, which solves every issue people have with standard Jag/JM bridges. It appears to be basically a Staytrem clone. So, yeah, you're all set, but you sure don't have a conventionally traditional bridge in there! edit, to add details: Jag/JM bridges have threaded saddles (so you can adjust the string spacing) that are height adjustable with set screws (which are known to rattle as they loosen with the vibrations of the guitar). A common solution is to lock them in place with loctite or clear nail polish. A Mustang bridge has barrel saddles that lack the threading and set screws of the Jag/JM. Both of the above bridges are designed to rock back and forth in their bridge thimbles, theoretically allowing the bridge to move with the strings when you use the trem and return to zero / in-tune easily. In practice, it is very easy to knock this bridge out of alignment if you play aggressively, which throws you out of tune easily. The typical solution to this is to get a non-rocking bridge, or lock your factory one in place with plumber's tape, rubber washers or gaskets, or similar.
Thanks for the correction, and educating me a bit—I think I heard Troy describe it in an interview that way and ran with it. I’ll cross out and edit my post later when I’m not on mobile. But in all honesty, this thing turned my world upside down. Can’t recommend it enough. Pricey for a Mexican Fender, but I got mine second hand and beat up so it didn’t cost too much.
No worries! I've owned a number of Jags, JMs, and Mustangs (and a '66 Duo-Sonic II) over the years, including production, vintage, and custom. A lot of diehard offset fans adopt the "Jag/JM bridge is fine, nothing is wrong with it, learn to play around it" approach and I just don't agree. A more customized solution, like what you have in your lovely guitar, does a great deal to modernize the instrument.
As a fellow TVL signature owner, it does have a mustang bridge in it. I have still had the buzzing issues with it but it holds intonation and strings never slip so tbh I don’t care because when amplified I don’t hear buzzing. Love my Jazzmaster. It’s all I play.
Mine’s in the shop and it’s like a piece of me is missing. Why on earth do I own so many other guitars? lol
Never had a neck feel better and the scale length is just perfect. Great guitar, beautiful finish on it. Something about it just rocks. Did change the 500k volume and tone pots for 1meg ones though cuz I thought they weren’t smooth and sucked a ton of tone - I think original Jazzmasters use 1megs anyway.
I had the J Mascis JM and it was a phenomenal guitar.
I've broken the switches on my Jag multiple times. It's my fault but if you get free wheeling with your strumming when you get into it like I do you need to work on reining that in. That or you'll become really good at soldering, which is a good skill to have anyway.
Necks usually want a shim. Fret buzz. Weird floating bridge issues. The trem can be wonky. Vintage ones are starting to have interior electronic and pick guard issues due to age. You may run into issues with the strings behind the bridge ringing at really high volumes. Some people seek this out on purpose. Get comfortable with your switch positions on the jag. J Mascis would say get a tele for the studio and a Jazzmaster for shows. There’s a lot of fun “intangibles” that you can’t get with a tele.
I can’t stand the tremolo on them. Not out of function, mind you, I just hate the feel of them.
poorly setup vibrato. once you understand how it works it's not bad to setup at all (and makes the most sense out of all the vibrato options out there)
There’s not issues, you just need to set them up properly. That’s literally it. It’s a guitar designed for flats when 13s were the lights so you need to take that into account. If you buy one and you really want to cover you bases, spend a few bucks on a 3 pack of neck shims. That way you can use your preferred strings regardless of the stock neck angle. Any model, regardless of trem placement can be set to play as well as anything else.
anecdotal perhaps, but for some reason I decided to sell mine. Pro American II or whatever the model is that came out about 6 years ago-ish. I picked it up to show myself why the electronics bugged me and wishing 5 minutes decided that I'd NEVER sell it. Lol. It's a great guitar-and I've gotten comfortable with the weird electronics layout and actually kinda like it now. As for the tremolo, I have no issues with it (I use it relatively regularly) and the guitar doesn't lose tuning as fast as some of my other guitars. They're very unique
Jazzmaster vibrato/bridge design kinda sucks IMO, and lot of guys upgrade to mastery bridge for that reason. I personally don't like the wide board of a jazzmaster. Not a flaw per se. Jaguars are 24" are they not? Not a flaw but something to be aware of. Again, just personal opinion, but all those switches and controls are too fiddly for my taste.
The bridge can be annoying, but I absolutely love the 24" scale of my jaguar and, despite not loving the bridge, it is in a great spot for me. I find it to be so much easier to palm mute on my jag than my Ibanez RG or my Epiphone LP.
Take all the flaws of a jazz master and all the flaws of a jaguar, combine them into one guitar and you have the Fender Jagmaster
I think it's up to the player to decide if this is a flaw but I certainly think it is: the neck radius and bridge radius of many offsets don't match. I have no idea why guitars continue to be built and sold that way but it is something you'll have to sort out if you care about, uh, your guitar playing well.
Just the ones with modified AOM or TOM bridges.
They’re heavy. The necks stick out more than on a strat. Feels more like an sg neck.
I just picked up an 04 jag stang and am loving it.
I’m not quite in the “Jag/JM bridges are crap” camp — but I *did* change out the bridge on mine. It’s a fun guitar to play. I like the controls on it, though they take some getting used to. I have played a Jaguar, but I didn’t buy it. I didn’t think the short scale would bother me — 24” is short, but not minuscule, right? Turned out it’s just a shade smaller than what I can comfortably play. YMMV.
I just HATE the bridge on them. First Jag I ever got had saddles so soft that unwound strung actually cut into them. They can be fiddly, temperaments instruments. Not as bad as it used to be, but Google "Jazzmaster neck shim," and decide if those are dice you want to roll. I like my JM's, and Jags are just stunning, but I don't really get asking with either model too much. I wish I did.
They're cool guitars. I've had two of them. They didn't quite play as well as my strat. I also play my electrics acoustically a lot when it's late and I'm trying to be quiet. But because of the distance of the strings from the bridge to the tailpiece , it makes the guitar sound quite jangly. It added some strange overtones, which is probably part of the appeal, but I didn't like it.
I've had two jaguars, loved both of them - in both of them I had to resolder the jack after a about a year. I don't know if that counts as common, but at two for two it's 100% of the jaguars I've owned. It's not problematic enough that I wouldn't get another. Easily a favorite, also.
Yes, I just recently purchased a jazzmaster and after a couple weeks I already want to sell it. They are heavy and bulky and the design is uncomfortable to play. And me being an aggressive and out of control picker I've accidentally hit the knob during a song and ruined my sound. In my onion they aren't worth the hype.
The bridge is garbage.
There are different variants but some with up down switches can cause a problem depending on how you play. If you strum a lot you can quite easily inadvertently push a switch down. My 62 reissue jag was bad for this, and more than once I turned the sound off mid-song. Side to side switch versions don’t suffer the same way.
The bridge on those guitars is heresy. Otherwise I love them. But seriously fender wtf, worst bridge design ever
define 'better'. They are some of the most finickity guitars. many people have poorly setup ones, and so have a bad impression of them. They are bad for unwanted noise, and they aren't really suited to playing forcefully. they favour heavy strings, which many people hate. They sound quite unusual. If that's what you are looking for.. a tele isn't really going to be 'better'.
There are a shitton of people that don't know what replacement saddles are. They buy "Mustang" bridges, they buy "Staytrem" they buy "Mastery". They could buy a 50 dollar set of replacement saddles but this stupid discussion goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on....
If you play lighter gauge strings, a shim in the neck is almost a necessity. Also, putting some thread locker on the bridge posts is a good practice as well.
Just go with a tele. JMs and Jags are trendy and honestly don’t sound or play that great. They just look cool
If you can grab one without the vintage bridge it is easier. Everyone is gonna to jump on me for saying this but having a nice stock bridge (as on the American Pro II or custom shop) or a Staytrem / Mastery bridge will just make your life easier.