Squier JMJM Refinish

[PixMix]

Recently I sold a few pieces of gear that I wasn't playing and used the funds to buy two offsets: A Squire JMJM and a MIJ Jag. The JMJM i got based on positive reviews and I must say I am absolutely satisfied with the build quality and the overall playability of this instrument that feels like a really expensive guitar perfectly capable of being used on stage straight out of the box.

I have been playing this guitar for almost a month now, comparing its tonal character to various guitars I have (a tele, a start, an LP w p90, an LP with burst buckers, an Gibson archtop, and the Jag) and listening to the videos of "proper" jazzmasters. After much thinking and listening to samples from the Green Angel's thread on pickup comparison, I decided to look for a set of SD Antiquity II. While at it, I also decided to give this guitar a refinish and make colors a bit more to my liking. It is not that I dislike the way it is, but gold pick guars or hardware on a guitar isn't really my thing and I already have an olympic white strat. Being that this model isn't vintage correct by its specs, got me thinking that I could go for a "freestyle" color and pg combo and make it a bit more fun.







After some poking around, looking at samples of available Dulicolor cans, and running a few possible color combinations, I narrowed it down to these three colors:

[PixMix]

In the past I have finished and refinished guitars, and with refins I would always strip the old finish, go down to the bare wood and take it from there. Seeing a refinishing thread here of a Squire JMJM and how thick the poly layer is on these guitars, I had my heat gun ready to go. Then, as I took the neck and vibrato unit off, I was surprised to find an extremely thin finish. The photo below shows the neck cavity after I cleaned it a bit (sanded). There you can see the polar body, the veneer on the top, and a vey thin finish. This got me thinking to use the existing finish as a substrate, a sort of a primer for the new one.

[PixMix]

And the neck is what really gives these guitars a good rep. It's a very comfortable profile, the satin finish reminds me of an American Start I had ten or so years ago, and the frets are very nicely finished with no sharp ends, though a good polishing would take them to the next level. This one is about to get some color on the headstock, for the uber sexy matched headstock jazzmaster deal.

[PixMix]

Here are some of my thought about color:

- If I go with the gray (the lower right), I should consider a lightly yellowed clear coat, not for the purpose of imitating the aged charcoal frost metallic of vintage guitars, but because the gray would get a slight olive-greenish overtone that looks great with a mint guard or the right red tort.

- If I go with the green, I should reconsider the original gold pickguard as it may look just right against the green. I like it how this green is pretty dark that makes it look like black if there isn't lots of light in the room, but with lots of light directed at it, it reflects a beautiful deep green.

-The top color, and my slight favorite of these is sort of a grey/blue/violet with a very nice metallic quality, something that I didn't capture properly on this photo. I think this color would look great with a proper mint guard, b/w/b, parchment, or a dark tort.

[PixMix]

Onto action - sanding the body. I went for a 600 grit, often changing the pieces of sand paper and it seemed to give it a nice surface for the next coat to stick to. We shall see if the "next coat" thinks the same.

Just started:






...and finished. The sheen is gone, the body still feels amazing. I actually like it matte like this better than when it was glossy.

[Steadyriot.]

Grey grey grey grey grey grey grey greyyyy
I'll be watching this one!

[AWSchmit]

...This got me thinking to use the existing finish as a substrate, a sort of a primer for the new one.

That's what I would do as well... That green looks great. Good luck with the project.

[fuzzking]

However you decide, I think all three color options are cool.

But anyway, interesting to see such a thin finish on a cheaper guitar - and I never knew the necks on these are slab board

[PixMix]

...This got me thinking to use the existing finish as a substrate, a sort of a primer for the new one.

That's what I would do as well... That green looks great. Good luck with the project.

Grey is really sweet. I wish I had chosen a pick guard and tested it against these colors, that would be the best way to decide.

[PixMix]

...This got me thinking to use the existing finish as a substrate, a sort of a primer for the new one.

That's what I would do as well... That green looks great. Good luck with the project.

Thank you. Green on a jazzmaster looks really great. There's a thread on green jazzmasters somewhere here that gave lots of gas over the last few weeks.

However you decide, I think all three color options are cool.

But anyway, interesting to see such a thin finish on a cheaper guitar - and I never knew the necks on these are slab board

I too was surprised to find the thin finish, and I should attempt to keep my finish nice and thin. I have owned in the past both telecasters from the Classic Vibe series (the 50's and the 60s), and they are great guitars, but the necks on JMJM are on a whole new level.


I really I wish I had some three of four blank bodies and did them all in different colors at the same time. Perhaps a project for next summer.

[sjperry54]

Green! Green! Green! I was just thinking if I painted my JMJM I would go dark green. Sure would like to see what it looks like beforehand.

[PixMix]

In the past, whenever I sprayed metallics, I tried to keep the body flat (on a horizontal position) as opposed to hang it and spray it. I usually position the guitar like on the pic below and then make circles around it shooting the paint. This gives me a better angle to shoot the paint and the metallic flakes appear more dramatic and "deep". It also gives me a very even lighting and this makes it possible for me to catch the little flaws early. Now, I am not saying this is the "correct" way to do it or anything like that, but rather how I do it and it has been working well for me. Here the body is placed on top of a small box (I think it's a kid's shoe box).

[PixMix]

And then I made this little jig that will make it possible for me to support the body on the the other side while the paint is still not totally cured.

[PixMix]

The way this works is like shown below. The plan is to spray the top, let it sit for an hour, then change sides and spray the back. I try to cover sides of the body while doing both front and back. This actually works beautifully for the sides, and I usually start by making some three circles around the sides of the body and then the main surface. Once the color is done, then I'll hang it and spray the clear coat.

Btw, the body might look like it's sitting on an unstable jig, but it's actually a very solid base.

[PixMix]

Green! Green! Green! I was just thinking if I painted my JMJM I would go dark green. Sure would like to see what it looks like beforehand.

I did look at a bunch of dark green variations that Duplicolor makes, and there are some amazing ones out there. I am not totally convinced the one I have is the one I would like best if I had an opportunity to test them like I did these three. But I had to cut it off at some point, as chasing color can be a bit like chasing tone - impossible to find that perfection. Anyhow, if you look at duplicolor cans and then google the name of the can with the car maker (e.g. Ford Toreador Red), then look at photos of cars to give you a better idea on what the color will look like. The color of the cap is a pretty close, but not a perfect replica of the color on the can.