2024 MIJ Traditional II Jazzmasters - what's the catch?

[RT60]

These really look too good to be true now based on price vs spec/construction etc...

About ten years ago when I tried an MIJ JM, it left me wanting... they were put together OK but the electronics and trem weren't amazing.

The ones today look way nicer. Bill of materials is basically spot-on with alder/maple/rosewood as you'd expect instead of basswood for the body.

Poly finish is normal for MIJ I guess unless you get super lucky with a limited lacquer variant, but that doesn't bother me either way.

Anyone experience them firsthand yet? Will I need to gut the thing and replace pots and switches and tremolos or are these nearly "there" now?

[JamesSGBrown]

Pretty sure electronics are now all fine- but tremolo is still the usual wrongly-spaced and rattle-lidden affair.

[marginwalker]

I think they have U necks with a 40mm nut width these days. The Heritage 60’s model has a 60’s C shaped neck and has nitro paint though

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Pretty sure electronics are now all fine- but tremolo is still the usual wrongly-spaced and rattle-lidden affair.

Rattle yes (2023 Traditional Late 60s Jag) but wrongly spaced?

[ldp54002]

Pretty sure electronics are now all fine- but tremolo is still the usual wrongly-spaced and rattle-lidden affair.

Rattle yes (2023 Traditional Late 60s Jag) but wrongly spaced?

The string hole spacing is slightly narrow compared to AVRI. If you look at a MIJ trem from above, you can see the strings fan out just a little bit between the trem and bridge.

You can see it in this post from a few years ago.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Pretty sure electronics are now all fine- but tremolo is still the usual wrongly-spaced and rattle-lidden affair.

Rattle yes (2023 Traditional Late 60s Jag) but wrongly spaced?

The string hole spacing is slightly narrow compared to AVRI. If you look at a MIJ trem from above, you can see the strings fan out just a little bit between the trem and bridge.

You can see it in this post from a few years ago.

ah. understood. I thought you meant the positioning/distance to the bridge. I have a few MIJ units (with Staytrem arms) and I'm pretty happy with them.

[sunburster]

The ones today look way nicer. Bill of materials is basically spot-on with alder/maple/rosewood as you'd expect instead of basswood for the body.

Nope, the MIJ Traditional guitars have basswood bodies (they do some FSRs with alder***, though). And U-shaped necks. And 9.5" radius necks. Electronics are fine, pickups are blah and will probably need to be replaced. Decent guitars, but not up to par with the American stuff, in my experience.

The Japanese Heritage JM is on par with American guitars (because it is made to American specs) in respect to the woods, finish, electronics, pickups, radius, and neck profile, the only downsides are there are no shielding plates in the body cavities and you still get the junky Japanese bridge and tremolo (and no hard case). But since they are half the price of American equivalents (at least at Japanese retail price), it's not a bad deal.


***Here is a recent MIJ FSR Traditional JM with an alder body and PV65 pickups (specs are otherwise the same as a normal Traditional):

https://shop.kurosawagakki.com/items/2876970

And here is another FSR with an alder body, this time also with a slim modern-C shape neck and bound neck with block inlays:

https://shop.kurosawagakki.com/items/2876967

[RT60]

The ones today look way nicer. Bill of materials is basically spot-on with alder/maple/rosewood as you'd expect instead of basswood for the body.

Nope, the MIJ Traditional guitars have basswood bodies (they do some FSRs with alder***, though). And U-shaped necks. And 9.5" radius necks. Electronics are fine, pickups are blah and will probably need to be replaced. Decent guitars, but not up to par with the American stuff, in my experience.

The Japanese Heritage JM is on par with American guitars (because it is made to American specs) in respect to the woods, finish, electronics, pickups, radius, and neck profile, the only downside is you still get the junky Japanese bridge and tremolo (and no hard case). But since they are half the price of American equivalents (at least at Japanese retail price), it's not a bad deal.


***Here is a recent MIJ FSR Traditional JM with an alder body and PV65 pickups (specs are otherwise the same as a normal Traditional):

https://shop.kurosawagakki.com/items/2876970

And here is another FSR with an alder body, this time also with a slim modern-C shape neck and bound neck with block inlays:

https://shop.kurosawagakki.com/items/2876967

Hmmm, this dealer rarely gets it wrong and they are saying alder -

Not saying it’s an FSR either - https://www.coda-music.com/fender-made- ... 34427.html

[sunburster]

Hmmm, this dealer rarely gets it wrong and they are saying alder -

Not saying it’s an FSR either - https://www.coda-music.com/fender-made- ... 34427.html

That's the FSR I quoted above (with an alder body, slim modern-C shape neck, and bound neck with block inlays), from Kurosawa Gakki. Have a look at the official Fender specs for the normal Traditional JM, where they note a Basswood body is standard:

https://www.fender.com/ja-JP/electric-g ... 00305.html

[RT60]

- quote mess, nm -

[RT60]

Hmmm, this dealer rarely gets it wrong and they are saying alder -

Not saying it’s an FSR either - https://www.coda-music.com/fender-made- ... 34427.html

That's the FSR I quoted above (with an alder body, slim modern-C shape neck, and bound neck with block inlays), from Kurosawa Gakki. Have a look at the official Fender specs for the normal Traditional JM, where they note a Basswood body is standard:

https://www.fender.com/ja-JP/electric-g ... 00305.html

Oh right I getcha. Thanks!!!

[sunburster]

Oh right I getcha. Thanks!!!

No problem, looks like a great guitar for the money, if you're after a bound neck with block inlays and a C-shape neck. Nice light weight on those too, from what I've seen (under 8lbs).

[IrishBread69]

What pickups are in the black FSR?

They're available in the UK at the moment for a reasonable price. Do they have PV65 or the typical Japanese Traditional pickups?

If they are PV65 equipped I'll probably pick one up.

[sunburster]

What pickups are in the black FSR?

They're available in the UK at the moment for a reasonable price. Do they have PV65 or the typical Japanese Traditional pickups?

If they are PV65 equipped I'll probably pick one up.

Same pickups as the Japanese Traditional guitars (not PV65s).

[GilmourD]

What pickups are in the black FSR?

They're available in the UK at the moment for a reasonable price. Do they have PV65 or the typical Japanese Traditional pickups?

If they are PV65 equipped I'll probably pick one up.

Same pickups as the Japanese Traditional guitars (not PV65s).

But those aren't the same as the old tall, narrow coil in a Jazzmaster cover, right? They're proper Jazzmaster pickups, just made in Japan?