Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
CorporateDisguise
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 777
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 9:56 am
Location: NY

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by CorporateDisguise » Wed Jan 16, 2019 6:00 am

While I've never even seen one in the flesh, as a teenager I saw photos of a 70's JM with a maple fretboard and black blocks and binding. I've been obsessed ever since.

User avatar
Rob
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 301
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:31 am
Location: Lexington, KY, US

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Rob » Mon Feb 04, 2019 11:10 pm

I think mine's a '78, though possibly a late '77. The usual sunburst on an ash body, black guard, black strat knobs, beefy B&B neck, big headstock w/ serial number under the logo. By far the heaviest Jazzmaster I've owned, but surprisingly lively pickups. Pickguard has shrunk to the point where it's difficult to get back on after being removed. Excellent condition for a guitar in its 40s.

User avatar
surfin_bird
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1335
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:06 am
Location: Amsterdam

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by surfin_bird » Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:07 pm

Okay same topic, but I have a new 1977/1978 jazzmaster I’m interested in, for a decent price.
I have a beautiful 59 partsmaster with a coronado neck, but i’m not entirely happy with the sound. So I’m wondering if a 70’s jm will finally satisfy my jazzmaster itch or if i’m just a more a shortscale/strat guy.

User avatar
Kinx
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 389
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:27 am
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Kinx » Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:23 pm

surfin_bird wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:07 pm
Okay same topic, but I have a new 1977/1978 jazzmaster I’m interested in, for a decent price.
I have a beautiful 59 partsmaster with a coronado neck, but i’m not entirely happy with the sound. So I’m wondering if a 70’s jm will finally satisfy my jazzmaster itch or if i’m just a more a shortscale/strat guy.
What do you dislike about the sound? I love my 78. They have punchier and stronger pickups than the vintage ones, I also believe that the ash body makes them a tiny bit more midrange focused. I can do a shootout video between my 72 and 78 next week :)

My 78 is pretty lightweight (around 3.3 kg), but I've heard about some back breaking boat anchor ones. The neck pocket also tends to be sloppy (typical on late cbs Fenders), but that is an easy fix.

btw I've always considered myself mostly a strat person, I found out the Jazzmaster cuts through the band much easier, especially in busy mixes - however sometimes it can be almost "too much" in certain situations.
Last edited by Kinx on Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out my band, The Atavists ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-HZtrljMg

User avatar
surfin_bird
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1335
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:06 am
Location: Amsterdam

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by surfin_bird » Tue Feb 27, 2024 2:35 pm

I have a 65 in the neck and an 58 in the bridge (original vintage ones) and i find the pickups sounding really flat and muddying up as soon as it gets dirty. On the other hand i have a 2012 squier which is really nice sounding, but the guitar is not as resonant as i like.

So the punchyness is maybe something that i’m looking for.

In other hand i’m starting to fear that the 25.5 scale length with the floating vibrato could maybe cause the strings to be stiffer than i’m used to with shortscales or strats.
Kinx wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:23 pm
What do you dislike about the sound? I love my 78. They have punchier and stronger pickups than the vintage ones, I also believe that the ash body makes them a tiny bit midrange focus. I can do a shootout video between my 72 and 78 next week :)

My 78 is pretty lightweight (around 3.3 kg), but I've heard about some back breaking boat anchor ones. The neck pocket also tends to be sloppy (typical on late cbs Fenders), but that is an easy fix.

btw I've always considered myself mostly a strat person, I found out the Jazzmaster cuts through the band much easier, especially in busy mixes - however sometimes it can be almost "too much" in certain situations.

User avatar
Kinx
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 389
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:27 am
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Kinx » Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:58 pm

surfin_bird wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2024 2:35 pm
I have a 65 in the neck and an 58 in the bridge (original vintage ones) and i find the pickups sounding really flat and muddying up as soon as it gets dirty. On the other hand i have a 2012 squier which is really nice sounding, but the guitar is not as resonant as i like.

So the punchyness is maybe something that i’m looking for.

In other hand i’m starting to fear that the 25.5 scale length with the floating vibrato could maybe cause the strings to be stiffer than i’m used to with shortscales or strats.
Regarding muddiness of the OG pickups, I would recommend checking the wiring and ensuring that you are using 1meg pots. This can significantly affect the treble response.

Stiffness of the strings can be definitely caused by floating vibrato. I suggest first locking the trem with a trem-lock and then trying a lighter string gauge than you are normally used to (IE: I use 10-52s on my 25.5" guitars, but I string my Mustang with 11-56 to compensate for the shorter scale)
Check out my band, The Atavists ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-HZtrljMg

User avatar
surfin_bird
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1335
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:06 am
Location: Amsterdam

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by surfin_bird » Wed Feb 28, 2024 2:55 pm

Kinx wrote:
Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:58 pm
Regarding muddiness of the OG pickups, I would recommend checking the wiring and ensuring that you are using 1meg pots. This can significantly affect the treble response.

Stiffness of the strings can be definitely caused by floating vibrato. I suggest first locking the trem with a trem-lock and then trying a lighter string gauge than you are normally used to (IE: I use 10-52s on my 25.5" guitars, but I string my Mustang with 11-56 to compensate for the shorter scale)
There are 1meg pots, but maybe there is something wrong wiring?

I've had the guitar set up and put together by my tech last year, I think he put 11's on it (flatwound). I think my jaguars have 11's and 12's on them.

I just heard the 1977 Jazzmaster is 9.25 pounds, so quite heavy.

I would be interested in a comparison video, not too many late jazzmasters to be found online

User avatar
simonhpieman
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 626
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:27 am

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by simonhpieman » Thu Feb 29, 2024 2:57 am

Just to weigh in, I have a blackguard that's either 1975 or 1976, I forget at the moment... (EDIT: just spent 20 minutes looking for my NGD post, it's a 76)

It feels a lot like the Lake Placid Blue 1973 I sold (I always do the Catholic making a cross on my head and shoulders thing whenever I say that, I'm such an idiot sometimes).

I'm not the best at remembering how things sound compared to each other but it's not too heavy, the neck is big but not enormous (my 1970 JM is bigger) and the neck joint is pretty snug, too.

While it's a blackguard, it's still early enough to have white witch hats so I guess that might mean it has the earlier pickups? Didn't realise the change was mid-late 70s, I'd always assumed there was a change from black to grey bobbins far earlier and that was the difference.
Last edited by simonhpieman on Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Guitarman555
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 265
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:36 pm

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Guitarman555 » Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:03 am

Actually, early 70´s jazzmasters sound really good.

User avatar
Ruttiger
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2012 2:56 pm

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Ruttiger » Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:13 pm

Not a late 70s, but I figure any info on 70s jazzmasters is helpful since they are so few and far between-I had a '73 for quite some time-the neck was a really cool shape, kind of a U shape and a little slim side to side, but really playable. The one I had had a very well worn factory natural finish, and an ash body, it was fairly light even though it looked like it should weigh a ton. The contours I always thought were a little underdone, like a lot of other 70s fenders, so it felt a little bigger/fatter, which was actually kind of cool, gave it kind of a big bell-bottom 70s feel to it. Big huge headstock like a 70s strat.

Sound-wise, the neck pickup sounded incredible, very burly but clear, I thought the bridge was a little anemic, especially compared to the 61 I have now, but it was still really usable, and the middle position sounded really good. It also stayed in tune/intonated really well, I don't think I ever adjusted anything on it once ever after initially getting it set up and I used the factory bridge with 11s and had no rattles. I really really liked that guitar and only moved it on when I had had the change to to trade it and another guitar in towards a 61 JM.

User avatar
simonhpieman
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 626
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:27 am

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by simonhpieman » Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:18 pm

You owned my dream 70s JM! I still dream about natural ash body with white pickguard and B+B :?

I'd possibly agree with the slightly weedy bridge pickup, though I've not owned any 60s JMs to compare. Neck and middle positions were indeed super sweet on the 73.

User avatar
Kinx
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 389
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:27 am
Location: Czech Republic

Re: Can we talk again about late 70s jazzmasters?

Post by Kinx » Tue Mar 05, 2024 3:12 am

I wouldn't describe the bridge pickup on my 72 as weedy. The 78 indeed sounds a tiny bit fatter and punchier, and a a bit less aggressive in the treble spectrum. I always back up the tone on the 72 a bit, whereas I don't do it often with the 78.

The 78 pickups are a bit more high output than the 72 ones and the 78 body is also made of ash (the 72 is alder). Now I'm curious myself, I gotta make that shootout video when I get home by the end of the week. The only thing that would be "unfair" in the shootout between the two is that 72 has a Mastery bridge installed, whereas the 78 has a Staytrem.

I did a shootout between the mentioned 72 and a 63 my buddy bought a couple of years ago and the 72 was more aggressive, more in-your-face and had stronger output. the 63 felt much mellower and less gritty. I would definitely choose the 72 between the two.
Check out my band, The Atavists ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-HZtrljMg

Post Reply