Left handed Jazzmaster from parts

[Acoasma]

Hello,
Finally, I decided to make some guitar from parts together. I wanted to do some lefty telemaster, but there were avaible some lefty jazzmaster body, so I get it. Yop, and sorry for my english, Im just eastern redneck.

Plans:
JM body, surf green nitro (fromEugene, dekuji)
Maple strat neck, 7,25", made in Czech rep.,fender lic
Kluson vintage tuners
Fender tremolo
Staytrem bridge
Pickups from my japaneese jm
Vintage fender witchhat knobs
Some ebay pickguard in tortoise shell or red pearl
And the rest.

[Acoasma]

Base:
Body
https://ibb.co/czAsyJ


Neck
https://ibb.co/f7Xmsd

[JVG]

Hello!

Great to see more lefty players here

Your plan sounds great. Please let us know how it takes shape, or ask any questions. I am also lefty, so I will try to help.

Cheers!
J.

[ThePearDream]

Sounds like a good plan, I feel for you lefties out there.
I think you should consider not reusing the Japanese Jazzmaster pickups if at all possible.
I'm not sure what options are available in the Czech Republic though, so I don't want to give any specific recommendations.
I'm sure some of the Euro members can chime in with suggestions.

[MrFingers]

Which company did make the neck? (interested in a rosewood fretboard one, but with CITES and the likes, the US is no longer an option...)

[Acoasma]

Hello!

Great to see more lefty players here

Your plan sounds great. Please let us know how it takes shape, or ask any questions. I am also lefty, so I will try to help.

Cheers!
J.

Sounds like a good plan, I feel for you lefties out there.
I think you should consider not reusing the Japanese Jazzmaster pickups if at all possible.
I'm not sure what options are available in the Czech Republic though, so I don't want to give any specific recommendations.
I'm sure some of the Euro members can chime in with suggestions.

There are a lot of pickups available here. The main reason for japan pickups is that I already have a japaneese jazzmaster. So, I want to upgrade pickups on my japaneese fender (lollar or novak or fender 65, I need help! ), and the leftover japaneese will be in the project guitar. Just for budget.

[JVG]

Fair enough. Maybe sometime later you will upgrade those as well. Note that Japanese jazzmaster pickups (and covers) have slightly different pole-piece spacing from US ones, so you can't use the Japanese covers for custom wound pickups.

Selecting pickups is hard work these days - we are spoilt for choice with so many great custom winders out there!

Cheers!
J.

[Acoasma]

Which company did make the neck? (interested in a rosewood fretboard one, but with CITES and the likes, the US is no longer an option...)

I bought it in some small musician shop in Prague. The only info is that its made in Horovice, Czech rep. I dont even know if they have some website. Its old guitar factory, I dont know who owns it. Some guy works in factory and re-sell the necks to the owner of the shop. He always has some pieces on the wall for great prices. There are many finishes and many wood. Last time I was here they recieved new "batch" of necks - really nice brown color wood,even on headstock. All were right handed, so maybe next time.
The rumours said that these (like mine on photo) are made here, packet and send direct to us, only for usa/mex decaling on headstock and simply mounted into prepared bodies. Money talks, we're not listening...
I dont really know if it is true, but I had to talk with some honest man in circa 2008 in Amati factory, Kraslice. Amati is our other famous communist factory where have been musicians instruments made. From trumphets to drums. When were commies gone, lots of companies didnt gone well. Amati too. The guy show me whole big room full of exellent grade saxophones. Nor one has stamp "amati". Only a thin sticker "made in czech rep." which was easy to remove. I ask him why these dont have a company stamps. He answered, that these saxophones will be packed and send to usa. There will be stamped and resell as american instrument.
Sad.

[ThePearDream]

Hello!

Great to see more lefty players here

Your plan sounds great. Please let us know how it takes shape, or ask any questions. I am also lefty, so I will try to help.

Cheers!
J.

Sounds like a good plan, I feel for you lefties out there.
I think you should consider not reusing the Japanese Jazzmaster pickups if at all possible.
I'm not sure what options are available in the Czech Republic though, so I don't want to give any specific recommendations.
I'm sure some of the Euro members can chime in with suggestions.

There are a lot of pickups available here. The main reason for japan pickups is that I already have a japaneese jazzmaster. So, I want to upgrade pickups on my japaneese fender (lollar or novak or fender 65, I need help! ), and the leftover japaneese will be in the project guitar. Just for budget.

Fair enough, I've done the same thing when I had a Japanese Jazzmaster. I've never used lollar or novak, but I have the Fender AV65 and those are great. For the price of boutique pickups you could probably put some AV65 in one guitar and some AVRI62 in the other and have two great sounding Jazzmasters.

[Acoasma]

Hello!

Great to see more lefty players here

Your plan sounds great. Please let us know how it takes shape, or ask any questions. I am also lefty, so I will try to help.

Cheers!
J.

Sounds like a good plan, I feel for you lefties out there.
I think you should consider not reusing the Japanese Jazzmaster pickups if at all possible.
I'm not sure what options are available in the Czech Republic though, so I don't want to give any specific recommendations.
I'm sure some of the Euro members can chime in with suggestions.

There are a lot of pickups available here. The main reason for japan pickups is that I already have a japaneese jazzmaster. So, I want to upgrade pickups on my japaneese fender (lollar or novak or fender 65, I need help! ), and the leftover japaneese will be in the project guitar. Just for budget.

Fair enough, I've done the same thing when I had a Japanese Jazzmaster. I've never used lollar or novak, but I have the Fender AV65 and those are great. For the price of boutique pickups you could probably put some AV65 in one guitar and some AVRI62 in the other and have two great sounding Jazzmasters.

Great idea. Thanx

[Acoasma]

Lefthanded kluson vintage tuners and tortoise shell pickguard are on their way.
I am searching for the tremolo unit now. Do you know some trusted seller in eu (except thomman)?
And what company I should choose? Kluson, gotoh or fender? Mastery is out of my budget.

[JVG]

I've usually used right-handed Fender tremolos (because the lefty ones are rare and hard to find). I've tried American and Japanese ones, and found them both to be very good, though most people favour the American ones. Then I replace the arm (and collet) with a lefty Staytrem. Works a treat - you will hardly notice that the arm is on the "wrong" side!

Unfortunately I don't think any of the cheap fender copy trems are very good. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I know this doesn't quite answer your question, but hopefully useful.

Cheers!
J

[Acoasma]

Post arrived!
I was slightly paranaoid about the seller (as always), but I really recieved original kluson tuners. And they are lefty. No china fake, no fail with left handed orientation. I'm so happy!!!
Box:

Inside:

With neck:


I really love em.

I also obtained some screws, nut, neck plate, etc...


I hope I have to shield the body cavities tomorrow. I have alluminium tape.
Should I do it like this?



Next is the problem with neck. I thought that its 7,25'' radius because of screw of trust rod is down and it has vintage holes for tuners. But the frets are definitely like on the modern stratocasters. So, should it be 9,5" radius? I must make some patterns made out of cupboad for checking the real neck radius. Despite this fact I deciced to wait with bridge ordering. My plan is to test the guitar with my japaneese 7,25" bridge and after that I will make the final order of staytrem.

[JVG]

Shielding tape can be a pain in the arse to do neatly. If you haven't done it before, be prepared to take it slow. The tape has a habit of crumpling up and sticking in all the wrong spots if you're not careful and patient. I suggest allowing a small amount (eg 2-3mm) of tape to extend out of the routes, which you then fold onto the face of the guitar. This way you get good contact between the foil in the routes and the foil on the back of the pickguard.

Glad to hear you're getting a Staytrem bridge - they are worth every pound.

Cheers!
J.

[Acoasma]

News

After the rush night shift in work I decited to continue building. Sleeping must wait.

I had to shield the whole cavity.


And I installed the front side of tuners. I also adjust the nut, but I hadn't glued it yet.



Some view on hells bridge and fake accidentally reliced tremolo.


Now I have to go to vet with my cat. Very sad day for both of us...