Nash JM-63 owners

[JKR]

I confess that since starting this thread, I've been researching and got some serious GAS for a Danocaster. Both the T and JM are superb sounding guitars (online anyway). Such a difficulty job to track one down here in the UK......

[Subgenius]

I've tried a Nash Tele and a Strat once . I thought they played well.

I don't understand the hate around here for them. I think they're cool. Expensive but cool.

[marqueemoon]

I've tried a Nash Tele and a Strat once . I thought they played well.

I don't understand the hate around here for them. I think they're cool. Expensive but cool.

I'd love a Nash Tele or hardtail Strat. It was really just the JM that was meh.

[gnoleb]

So I ordered a Novak p-180 and it arrived today. I'll install it soon (probably this weekend) and post what I think.

So I did this over the weekend. When I opened it up, I saw there was no shielding whatsoever in the guitar. Not even conductive paint...just the same gold paint of the top. For a guitar in that price range with known noise issues, that was disappointing. I'm going to send him a note (I've already sent him one about other issues and he responded).

However, the Novak P-180 not only did the trick, this is now like my dream setup with a JM. Bouncy neck pickup with some honk if you dig in, jangle but also just a bit of punch in the middle position (which sounds great from clean and every bit of the way to saturated), and then a bridge pickup which gives me the grind and snarl I want for lead / aggressive parts. The addition of the Bournes 250k taper push/pull pot also just sounds better than the CTS pot that was in there, and I like the volume taper on it better. It actually made every position of the guitar sound better (and I'll put one in on the tone in the future to see if that helps).

I read the stuff above about the buzzstop...I dunno. Right now the guitar sustains really, really well, better than any Fender type I've owned, actually...very unexpected, and supposedly the angle of the strings off the bridge by the buzzstop enhances that (at least in their claim). I'll probably take that off as an experiment not too long in the future, but I wanted a 1:1 to compare the new pickup. I still don't like the look of the buzzstop. Not only does it not look vintage, it looks sort of...cheap.

In summary:
- I think a guitar of this price range should be shielded.
- The bridge was a pain because it was setup using the hex screws above the "0" position, and since you have to take it off to take off the pickguard, that means setting it up again. That was annoying.
+ The Novak P-180 is a total winner. Through my Orange Dual Terror, Vox Night Train, and Fender Deluxe Reverb II. Cannot get a bad sound out of it and somehow it balances perfectly with the Lollar neck.
+ I'm impressed by the sustain and how it lets me do ringing note riffs I can't do on my Baja Tele. It isn't as much as my Les Paul, naturally, but it is good.

I'll look into shielding soon to see if I can reduce some of that noise.

[gnoleb]

Oops, totally meant to post pics of the guitar with the pickguard off.




So yeah, no shielding. I was disappointed in that; a guitar in this price range should come with that. I am still really happy with it overall, though. The Novak JM-180 is perfect for what I wanted from the bridge. The neck feels absolutely fantastic and the play-ability is almost on par to my '92 PRS custom 24 (which is the best playing guitar I've ever had in my hands). I really like the flatter fretboard for lead work and the tuning stability is still fantastic.

And, I'm going to get a Danocaster (I'm on the list). I'd had a Fender CP JM years ago and I just hated it; I hated the pickups and I hated that a big bend meant it was instantly out of tune (and I had the nut replaced once, and re-fitted again from the fantastic True Tone Music in Santa Monica, who'd turned my Epiphone Les Paul into the second best playing guitar I've ever played...so it wasn't their fault). I ditched it and swore off JMs until this one, and now I remember one really big reason I'd liked them - they balance perfectly on my frame and my forearm. Perfectly.

Now I want another one and I thought I'd try a Danocaster as I'd played a tele once and it was pretty great, and because I've heard a few people say they are amazing with JMs. I have time before it happens, but I'm trying to decide on pickups (if I want hum-cancelling or what) and I need to find a schematic for the Nash rhythm circuit wiring (which can be used on any selector position, which works great for me because I like it on the middle hum-cancelling position with a treble-y fuzz setup to get a layered MBV sound) as Dan said we was willing to hook that up for me if I could find it (he's awesome).

Anyways, I'll post back when I receive the Danocaster and let you know what I think. I'm really excited about it.



My collection:
1992 PRS Custom 24
1996 Fender Strat Ultra
'14 Gibson SG in Silverburst
'13 Gibson Midtown Custom
Fender '57 Hot Rod Strat
PRS SE Mikael Akerfeldt
Fender CP Baja Telecaster
Ibanez AS93 Artcore
Chapman Ghostfret
1994 Epiphone Les Paul
Gretsch G5445T Duo Jet

[Johnny Alien]

That is some super clean and neat wiring though.

[JKR]

Hey gnoleb
The Nash looks pretty good except for the missing shielding!

I enjoyed reading your post until you said you were getting a Dano....huge congrats on that!! What colour you going for?

[gnoleb]

Hey gnoleb
The Nash looks pretty good except for the missing shielding!

I enjoyed reading your post until you said you were getting a Dano....huge congrats on that!! What colour you going for?

Cheers. Yeah, I was disappointed in the lack of shielding. Just to be clear (you said you enjoyed reading it until...), I'm not giving up the Nash. I'm actually really happy with it - it plays, feels, and sounds great. Right now I'm using it through a Kemper for most things, so the noise gate is solving most of the noise problem. But if I have to use it with a head and my wampler pedals (which seem to cause the most hum, no idea why)...I'm going to rip it open and shield it / try other things.

I'm not sure what color I'm going to get for the Dano, truthfully. Maybe a sunburst with the tortoise pickguard, maybe blonde with the gold pickguard. Then inca silver might look great next to this gold Nash. Silver and gold. I dunno I have some time to decide. I will be getting hum-canceling on those. Whichever Dan thinks will best fit what I play.

[JKR]

Hey gnoleb
The Nash looks pretty good except for the missing shielding!

I enjoyed reading your post until you said you were getting a Dano....huge congrats on that!! What colour you going for?

Cheers. Yeah, I was disappointed in the lack of shielding. Just to be clear (you said you enjoyed reading it until...), I'm not giving up the Nash. I'm actually really happy with it - it plays, feels, and sounds great. Right now I'm using it through a Kemper for most things, so the noise gate is solving most of the noise problem. But if I have to use it with a head and my wampler pedals (which seem to cause the most hum, no idea why)...I'm going to rip it open and shield it / try other things.

I'm not sure what color I'm going to get for the Dano, truthfully. Maybe a sunburst with the tortoise pickguard, maybe blonde with the gold pickguard. Then inca silver might look great next to this gold Nash. Silver and gold. I dunno I have some time to decide. I will be getting hum-canceling on those. Whichever Dan thinks will best fit what I play.

That is interesting re wampler pedals. I have a new tumnus on my board and it's definitely noisier with single coils - even in front of my studio Kemper!
I want a danocaster....but by the time I import to the UK with the state of the exchange rate atm.....

[Will S.]

Nash's stuff is unfortunately quite hit or miss. My T72DLX was a wonderful guitar, my JM63 less so. It just didn't have the "it" factor for whatever reason. If I were to rank the offsets I've owned/own, I'd go:
1. Fender CS 63 JM by a wide margin
2. Vintage 65 Mustang
3. Johnny Marr Jag #1
4. Danocaster Offset
5. Nash JM63
6. Johnny Marr Jag #2

[gnoleb]

Nash's stuff is unfortunately quite hit or miss. My T72DLX was a wonderful guitar, my JM63 less so. It just didn't have the "it" factor for whatever reason. If I were to rank the offsets I've owned/own, I'd go:
1. Fender CS 63 JM by a wide margin
2. Vintage 65 Mustang
3. Johnny Marr Jag #1
4. Danocaster Offset
5. Nash JM63
6. Johnny Marr Jag #2

I think one thing that plays a lot into people's opinions is the neck radius. I tried a few Fender re-issues and the Johnny Marr, and I just can't deal with a 7.25 inch radius anymore. I know lots of people like them (even prefer them for the vintage vibe), but the 12 inch radius of the Nash (and the big frets) suits me a lot better for playing lead. It is very close to my beloved PRS and '94 epiphone les paul. So its a feel thing. The Danocaster is 9.5, which hopefully will feel alright to me.

[Will S.]

Yes I can certainly see that playing role. Having played many and owned a couple I can say that overall people are way too hard on the Nash stuff, I'd say quality and quality control is similar to the modern AVRI.

[JKR]

Nash's stuff is unfortunately quite hit or miss. My T72DLX was a wonderful guitar, my JM63 less so. It just didn't have the "it" factor for whatever reason. If I were to rank the offsets I've owned/own, I'd go:
1. Fender CS 63 JM by a wide margin
2. Vintage 65 Mustang
3. Johnny Marr Jag #1
4. Danocaster Offset
5. Nash JM63
6. Johnny Marr Jag #2

I'm amazed that the Danocaster ranks so far down your list....obviously some really nice guitars above it, but would have expected it to match a CS??

[sunburster]

Nash's stuff is unfortunately quite hit or miss. My T72DLX was a wonderful guitar, my JM63 less so. It just didn't have the "it" factor for whatever reason. If I were to rank the offsets I've owned/own, I'd go:
1. Fender CS 63 JM by a wide margin
2. Vintage 65 Mustang
3. Johnny Marr Jag #1
4. Danocaster Offset
5. Nash JM63
6. Johnny Marr Jag #2

What is the reason for the big difference in quality between the two Marr jags? Just curious.

[gnoleb]

I'm amazed that the Danocaster ranks so far down your list....obviously some really nice guitars above it, but would have expected it to match a CS??

This is why I think things get so subjective and people need to get them in their hands before assuming firm rules. I played a CS JM at the local (chain) dealer before buying my Nash. To me, it just didn't have it. It wasn't the vintage feel or setup so much as it just felt kind of sterile. And a JM should have lots of character. But it is/was probably the right feeling guitar for someone else. I've seen that loads of times; a friend tells me they found something amazing, I play it, and I don't think it is very good. But what can you do? If they like it, great. Lots of people here shite all over Nash, but mine feels and sounds great (the lack of shielding, grrr). Different strokes, right?