2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 9:06 am

I haven't seen this posted yet so I'll share my findings here.




TL/DR - 2019 JMJM's have thicker necks, whiter bodies, yellower-more satin necks. Neck pocket and pickguard measurements ever so slightly different. 2019 pickguards are more yellow/less copper.








Background:
The J Mascis Squier Jazzmaster has been a favorite of many for its incredibly value. More than any other feature that gets it mentioned - is the neck. People that love the neck generally love it because its C shape, and the jumbo frets. Personally, I've bought several of these and currently have examples (of at least the neck) from 2015, 2017, 2018, and now 2019.

I recently used my Musician's Friend Backstage Pass points to buy another J Mascis Jazzmaster to part out for a project. When it arrived, I immediately noticed that the neck felt entirely different. Yes, all necks feel different even on the same model - but the general characteristic of the JMJM necks I have from 2015-2018 are generally the same (very thin and the jumbo frets feel obvious).

What felt different on the new 2019 JMJM Necks?
The neck feels fatter, chunkier, and wider than all of my earlier examples.

Maybe it's just the one you got or the setup?

That's what I was hoping for but it is not. I measured it and also went to my local GC where they have a 2019 in stock. The new ones are different. Also I took some rough, but fair measurements. See photos below. Additionally, I tried to swap the necks because the 2019 body is about a pound lighter - but the neck is so wide - it would not fit into the neck pocket.

What else is different?

2019 pickguard - more gold, less copper (yay!). Also measurement is ever so slightly different. I swapped pickguards and the screw holes did not align perfectly.

2019 body - finish is whiter, less sandy/gray

2019 neck finish - the new ones are siginificantly yellower and more satin

2019 nut - the older JMJM's had a grayish rounded nut. The new ones are starch white and rectangular

Fender/Squier's Response - I called the customer service line to ask if there were changes because the 2019 I got felt different and their response (verbatim) "We are under no obligation to advertise any changes to our catalog.". It was an odd response but according to my sales reps at MF, GC, and Sweetwater - Fender is appearantly known in this industry to be shitty to customers.


Photos

Note: I swapped the pickguards in these photos. The 2018 PG is on the 2019 and vice versa.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
https://imgur.com/a/ZnVQ7j1
Last edited by prospect on Mon May 27, 2019 8:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
JagWire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2018 7:40 am

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by JagWire » Sun May 26, 2019 10:06 am

Interesting post.

Anyone know what years are rosewood and what years are laurel?

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 10:19 am

JagWire wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:06 am
Interesting post.

Anyone know what years are rosewood and what years are laurel?
Not sure but if it helps my 2015 is rosewood and my 2018 is laurel.
Edit. My 2017 is also laurel.

User avatar
JagWire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2018 7:40 am

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by JagWire » Sun May 26, 2019 10:31 am

prospect wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:19 am
JagWire wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:06 am
Interesting post.

Anyone know what years are rosewood and what years are laurel?
Not sure but if it helps my 2015 is rosewood and my 2018 is laurel.
Edit. My 2017 is also laurel.
That does help. A Mascis JM will be my next purchase.

User avatar
alexpigment
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 3:02 pm

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by alexpigment » Sun May 26, 2019 10:39 am

I thought they switched to Laurel in 2018 around the same time that Fender MIM switched to Pau Ferro - maybe they did it in late 2017 though. At any rate, the 2019 neck looks like *rosewood* to me.

Also a quick look at Sweetwater (they have 4 models in stock with their pictures) doesn't match the looks of your 2019 at all. Have you checked your serial number to make sure the 2019 is not old stock?

User avatar
dropthebeat
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:52 pm
Location: NB, Canada

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by dropthebeat » Sun May 26, 2019 10:47 am

Yeah, that 2019 fretboard looks lovely.

I dunno - I have one from minutes after they came out (2012? 2011?) and I'd describe the neck as specifically quite chunky. I've never taken measurements with calipers, but it's certainly bigger than the hundreds of "modern C" necks I've played, bigger than the AVRI 52 Tele I used to have, etc. I'm surprised to hear anyone describe these as having thin necks.

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 10:56 am

alexpigment wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:39 am
I thought they switched to Laurel in 2018 around the same time that Fender MIM switched to Pau Ferro - maybe they did it in late 2017 though. At any rate, the 2019 neck looks like *rosewood* to me.

Also a quick look at Sweetwater (they have 4 models in stock with their pictures) doesn't match the looks of your 2019 at all. Have you checked your serial number to make sure the 2019 is not old stock?
Yep. This is a CY19 serial number. The older ones I have are CGS serial numbers.
The ones currently on Sweetwater match my 2019 sans pickguard that I swapped.

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 10:58 am

dropthebeat wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:47 am
Yeah, that 2019 fretboard looks lovely.

I dunno - I have one from minutes after they came out (2012? 2011?) and I'd describe the neck as specifically quite chunky. I've never taken measurements with calipers, but it's certainly bigger than the hundreds of "modern C" necks I've played, bigger than the AVRI 52 Tele I used to have, etc. I'm surprised to hear anyone describe these as having thin necks.
Interesting. They feel like slim C’s to me. The 2019 feels like a deeper C/D shape. Then again I haven’t played hundreds of modern Cs just a few dozen.

User avatar
alexpigment
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 3:02 pm

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by alexpigment » Sun May 26, 2019 10:59 am

As I mentioned earlier, that 2019 board looks like rosewood. I did some googling about CITES and found quite a few articles saying that rosewood may come back in 2019 to cheaper guitars. Apparently the big guitar companies have been lobbying to make musical instruments exempt from CITES. I didn't see that any actual change had been made yet, but who knows. If that is a 2019 J Mascis made from new stock parts - and I still have my doubts - then maybe this is a sign of that change already happening.

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 11:00 am

Whoops my last picture has incorrect labels. The top one is 2019 with 2018 pg. bottom is 2018 with 2019 pg.

User avatar
alexpigment
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 3:02 pm

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by alexpigment » Sun May 26, 2019 11:00 am

prospect wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:56 am

Yep. This is a CY19 serial number. The older ones I have are CGS serial numbers.
The ones currently on Sweetwater match my 2019 sans pickguard that I swapped.
The fretboards look nothing alike though. Is there a trick of the camera somewhere that I'm missing?

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 11:01 am

alexpigment wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:59 am
As I mentioned earlier, that 2019 board looks like rosewood. I did some googling about CITES and found quite a few articles saying that rosewood may come back in 2019 to cheaper guitars. Apparently the big guitar companies have been lobbying to make musical instruments exempt from CITES. I didn't see that any actual change had been made yet, but who knows. If that is a 2019 J Mascis made from new stock parts - and I still have my doubts - then maybe this is a sign of that change already happening.
Serial number is a 2019 serial number.

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 11:03 am

alexpigment wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 11:00 am
prospect wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 10:56 am

Yep. This is a CY19 serial number. The older ones I have are CGS serial numbers.
The ones currently on Sweetwater match my 2019 sans pickguard that I swapped.
The fretboards look nothing alike though. Is there a trick of the camera somewhere that I'm missing?
Huh? Are you implying that I suggested this example and the ones on Sweetwater have fretboards made from the same exact tree? I’m not sure what your concern is. Fretboards can vary in grain and in color - even when using the same species of wood.

User avatar
alexpigment
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2018 3:02 pm

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by alexpigment » Sun May 26, 2019 11:05 am

prospect wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 11:03 am
Huh? Are you implying that I suggested this example and the ones on Sweetwater have fretboards made from the same exact tree? I’m not sure what your concern is. Fretboards can vary in grain and in color - even when using the same species of wood.
My concern (confusion/excitement?) is that you have a rosewood board on your 2019 J Mascis.

User avatar
prospect
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2286
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Washington D.C.

Re: 2019 J Mascis Jazzmaster Changes

Post by prospect » Sun May 26, 2019 11:08 am

alexpigment wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 11:05 am
prospect wrote:
Sun May 26, 2019 11:03 am
Huh? Are you implying that I suggested this example and the ones on Sweetwater have fretboards made from the same exact tree? I’m not sure what your concern is. Fretboards can vary in grain and in color - even when using the same species of wood.
My concern (confusion/excitement?) is that you have a rosewood board on your 2019 J Mascis.
Oh sorry. It's possible but I don't know for certain. All the specs online seem to indicate Laurel. The ones on Sweetwater have serial numbers similar to mine (2019). They do look overall darker to me, but I don't know if its rosewood or laurel. They sure do look a lot like the indian rosewood CIJ's to my eyes. But yeah, not as light or streaky as the laurel boards on my other JMJM's.

Post Reply