'59-ish Firemist Gold Jazzmaster project

[mcjt]

hey cool! for the hundreds of hours (minimum) that iv'e spent on this site, i missed that thread.

i have a GPR. i thought it was thinner than a 58 original. even my rhythm plate doesn't mount on properly- the screws are too long for the thin pickguard. Do we know what the thickness is of a 58-59 aluminium guard?

[fuzzking]

Do we know what the thickness is of a 58-59 aluminium guard?

Fullerplast measured 0.062" - original gold guard.

[Dane_Brammage]

Wow, lots more replies than I expected!

From what people have said, it sounds like this body could be a real '59, but wouldn't have originally had a gold guard.  I don't feel bad about changing the guard type since the whole thing has been refinished, it's never going to look original.

I agree that gold-on-gold might or might not work.  From the pictures I've seen, there's a lot of variety in shades of gold found on different companies' guards.  The Eden guard looks VERY gold, and I don't think that would look good at all on this guitar.  Fuzz King, thanks for the tip about the GPR guards.  Strange that they have them on ebay but not in their regular web store...  I'm not crazy about the colour, though, it looks like a dark orange-brown.  Is that accurate?  From pictures, the Allparts guards look closest to the tan-gold colour of the real thing.

mcjt, that photo looks good to me.  That's the colour I'd like.  Is that an original?  Is the body Firemist Gold or Shoreline Gold or...?


Getting away from pickguards, does the AVRI tailpiece come with screws?  If not, what size do you need?  Are they just the standard Fender pickguard screws?


Thanks everybody.  This is a great forum.

[mcjt]

i think the gold on gold JM was a Shoreline. don't think it was original- prob a refin.
Shoreline with an GPR guard or Allparts (probably the same) should be very NICCEEE (à la Borat)

0.062" is 1.57 mm. i'll check my GPR sourced guard to see if it's the same. the hole pattern matched my AVRI tortoise guard perfectly.

The Eden guard has the grain running perpendicular to a true Fender guard. I wouldn't go there.

i am unsure about the tremolo with or without screws. some dealers don'T include screws and you have to order them- and pay- Angela does this on certain SKU's. These screws are MUCH larger than pickguard screws, but much smaller than neck bolts. I think they'Re the same size as Fender bass bridge screws

[glimmertwin]

I have a '63 Strat neck, so I'll use that for now. 

That's the first time I have seen someone say that-normally its the vintage strat guys buying up old JM necks for their bodies. 

[Dane_Brammage]

That's the first time I have seen someone say that-normally its the vintage strat guys buying up old JM necks for their bodies.

Revenge!  Sweet revenge!  Nah, it'll go on a Strat eventually.  Long term, I'd like to make a neck for the JM, but for now it's just going to get what I have lying around.

After all that talk about gold guards, I'm now eyeing a '59 tortoise pickguard complete with wiring harness on ebay.  It's too much money, but oh the temptation...

[Dane_Brammage]

Hmm...

or

or


I am paralyzed by indecision.

[the older brother]

If you got a vintage tort that is the shit! - else I think the gold is best IMO.

[dain]

i had my 64 jag done in firemistish gold and because of the weird pickup routings i had to make my own guard.  when i eventually have it redone i'll probably do a green guard, because its impossible to find a good replacement tortoise!  my gold finish is really weirdly faded too, and i keep thinking i'll eventually just refinish it black...  the old golds are really hard to get right!

[glimmertwin]

...here is a link to a Zhivago's old refin 64 firemist gold JM with a mint pg and here is a picture of the same guitar now owned by a different forum member(mezcalhead) here but with a tort guard on it.

http://www.ron2e.co.uk/Refjazma.htm

[dain]

here's the original jazz that i was inspired by...

[fuzzking]

I am paralyzed by indecision.

I would have the very same problem 

[spaceghost]

if you could find a vintage or vintage-esque (good luck) tort guard that would be great.

mint would also look mighty fine, IMO.

if you went gold, ask Nolan (RumorsOfSurf) where he got his gold guard, because that's what you'd want on the gold JM.

also, check angela.com for the AVRI tailpeice, i believe it comes with all the screws you need.

[mezcalhead]

...here is a link to a Zhivago's old refin 64 firemist gold JM with a mint pg

I really liked the mint look as well:

[StevenO]

I have to say that the tort guard on the Zhiv/Mezcal Firemist Gold JM looks like a work of art. So much action going on in there.