Starting my Jazzblaster project

[i love sharin foo]

I could use it in time, just not at the moment. If you wanted to send it, that's cool. If not, no problem at all 

Heh, too late, it's in the mail already!

Seeing as how the second body is in the mail already too, I might be able to use it sooner, rather than later 

Thanks a bunch Jon! I appreciate it.

so justin, is that MIJ basswood or alder? i´m wondering cause the one i´m *eventually* turning into a jazzblaster is basswood. it would be nice to know beforehand that the WRHP/basswood combo is a good one.

Like Justin said, the guy selling it said it is alder. It has a decent sized chunk of finish missing on the lower bout, so maybe I'll be able to tell more conclusively when it gets here. After owning a decent many of these guitars, I don't think I have much preference between basswood and alder. The basswood seems to accumulate dents and dings a little more easily, I think. Unplugged, it seems like basswood isn't as loud acoustically, but plugged in I don't mind it.

Justin.

[daydreamdelay]

Unplugged, it seems like basswood isn't as loud acoustically, but plugged in I don't mind it.

Justin.

sig 

[i love sharin foo]

Unplugged, it seems like basswood isn't as loud acoustically, but plugged in I don't mind it.

Justin.

sig 

Looks like a battery powered Pignose is in my future 

[daydreamdelay]

hey, something just hit me.. will all your parts and guard fit the MIJ body properly?

[i love sharin foo]

hey, something just hit me.. will all your parts and guard fit the MIJ body properly?

The trem will fit perfectly, but some of the screw holes for the guard probably won't line up perfectly. No problem though, I'll just make some new holes wherever I need to    Plus, I haven't drilled the holes for the bright posts yet, so I can make sure I get them real close. Now I'm trying to decide if I should go with a plain headstock or else take a chance trying to match the body.

Justin

[fullerplast]

After owning a decent many of these guitars, I don't think I have much preference between basswood and alder. The basswood seems to accumulate dents and dings a little more easily, I think. Unplugged, it seems like basswood isn't as loud acoustically, but plugged in I don't mind it.

Agreed. Back in the 90s when almost all MIJ products were basswood, no one seemed very upset or disappointed in it. Most reviews commended the fact that it's light weight yet yields similar tone characteristics to alder. Many people used to think it preferable to poplar. It wasn't until the CIJ started touting alder that everyone suddenly started dissing basswood. Conincidentally, it was after the 'Made' changed to 'Crafted' and it spawned all the furor about MIJ=crap/CIJ=good (despite the CIJs still being basswood for a period of time after the slogan changed). Along with that came all the eBay hype about Japan's Custom Shop/Craft Shop/J-Craft/etc. and the whole "not for export" thing (which I've never bought into).

Basswood does dent easily, it's not truly a "hardwood" per se.  But it doesn't break your back either.

[i love sharin foo]

I agree 100%. I don't really buy the CIJs for domestic market either. I really don't think they would have made two different versions both branded CIJ, but one for domestic Japanese sale and the other for export. Plus, I had a 50s RI Strat  that I got new in '97 and guess what... it was branded CIJ... and guess what else....  it came from Musicians Friend    That blonde Jaguar I have is one of the MIJ models from '94 and I like it more than any other Japanese Fender I've owned... older MIJ, newer CIJ, later 90s CIJ. Whatever the wood and whether made of crafted, I've always loved the Japanese offsets. I think they do a really great job on them.

Justin

[fullerplast]

Yes!

It wasn't that Fender Japan would not export them... it's more that Fender USA would not import them! There was just no place for them between the MIM and MIA lines. Why would one compete with one's own product (if the price point was already being met by another line). They became alder around the time that the "ban" was implemented. It's not a coincidence that the AV offsets started in '99, and the sale of Japan offsets in the USA ceased shortly thereafter. Notice the MIM "classic series" started around this time too, negating the need for CIJ $trats and Teles.  I'm sure there would be MIM classic offsets if Fender believed there was a lucrative market. It costs alot to tool up for a new line. The demand has got to be there. I believe it would be, but I'm not a marketing expert. I wonder if Fender has tried to analyze how many offsets are privately imported from Japan?


I had a gold/blonde LE Jag and JM JM for awhile. I really liked them! I've also had alot of 'regular' MIJ offsets from '86 through '96. I like the 80s E-Series alot too. I think they're great for the price point, but once you factor in the upgrading and case, you might as well buy an AV. Used, they're a great bargain. If anything was to turn me off to MIJ/CIJ, it would be the thick poly finish moreso than the body wood.

[chrisjedijane]

the other guitarist in my band plays a CIJ jazzmaster, and it's pretty great. It's a lot lighter than my AVRI, and he just got a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquty jazz pickups put in it, so it's sounding immense. The bridge can be a bit more unreliable than on my AVRI, and the trem-lock is non-existant (i honestly couldn't live without this feature....) but aside from that, there's no major problems...

[i love sharin foo]

Okay, I sold a couple pedals to fund the rest of the project. I got the Allparts LRO neck like I planned. I also bought a set of Gotoh Kluson style tuners, a string tree, neckplate, and strap buttons. I'm going for a slightly aged look, so all of the hardware was preaged  I'll post more pics as soon as I get some more of it together (after more of the stuff is delivered that is).

Justin

[Jay]

Where did you get the pre-aged hardware if you don't mind me asking?

BTW you've gas'd me into starting my own Jazzblaster project... 

[i love sharin foo]

Where did you get the pre-aged hardware if you don't mind me asking?

BTW you've gas'd me into starting my own Jazzblaster project... 

Now I need to figure out what to do about parts and finishing etc.  I was thinking of going USA Custom for the body but not sure if they do nitro.  That's one thing I know I don't want to compromise on. Are the Allparts necks any good? I read soem mixed results online but they seem to make a $trat head/vintage style/nitro finsihed that can be had for a song.  I think I'd prefer USA's craftsmanship and 7.25 to 9.25 compound radius (at 3 times the price and totally the wrong head shape) though.

Glad I could help  jumpstart your project Jay  I bought the hardware from a place called Relicmasters.com. They're really friendly and easy to deal with. They carry all of the Allparts stuff too, so if there's anything you're looking for that isn't listed, just ask. They have a "contact" form that you can use. They have always responded to my questions within 15 minutes or so. Their prices are usually about $30 or so cheaper than the Allparts site is direct. I've never had any Allparts stuff before, but Doug said he just recently had a neck and was super impressed with the quality. It is MIJ and like Doug also said, being licensed by Fender and MIJ, the parts could possibly be made in the same factory as the real Fender stuff. I think you can buy pretty much all of the Allparts necks already finished in lacquer or poly. I got mine unfinished and also with the CBS headstock (So I can trim it down), 21 frets, heel trussrod, and 7.25 radius.

I have the Allparts body sitting around right now, which I don't need for this project now that I got the MIJ Surf Green body. If it doesn't sell, I might hold onto it and start an other project   

Jon:
The shield came yesterday. Thanks again! It will find its way onto the next project for sure.

Justin

[Jay]

I'd take that Allparts body off you if I could finish it.  I really want to find a one stop solution for that though...  I don't want to deal with shipping it all over and waiting forever.

[Orang Goreng]

Do you insist on a nitro finish? If you go polyurethane the thing could be finished in a day, two tops.

[Jay]

It just feels and looks so much nicer then the thick poly finishes they put on guitars these days.  Right now I'm in idealology phase though... the reality may end up convincing me otherwise.