My Jazzmaster arrived today (pics included)...

[berlinbetty]

As for the guard, it's a genuine 1965 one. Can't find that sort of tortoise nowadays!

 Hey, soiouz, two questions...

1)  How do you pronounce soiouz?  And...

2)  What are your experiences with putting a vintage pickguard on a CIJ?

  Yeah, thanks for the piggyback, Sull...

[k o y l]

Sullivan: your guitar is awesome ! 
If I had to buy another JM one day, I think it would be the same.

btw, +1 for the black pickguard + black pup covers.

[Sullivan]

By the way, apologies to Sullivan for this thread is a a bit off topic now....

Hey, no worries. It's a good discussion, and it's given me some good ideas.

What's everyone's opinion on the best place to source the pickguard and pickup covers?

[RumorsOFsurF]

The main difference is that the AVRI unit is smoother, and just operates better, IMO.

+1  The AVRI's are nicer!  The spring is stronger, too.

[Soiouz]

As for the guard, it's a genuine 1965 one. Can't find that sort of tortoise nowadays!

 Hey, soiouz, two questions...

1)  How do you pronounce soiouz?  And...

2)  What are your experiences with putting a vintage pickguard on a CIJ?

1) "Soiouz" is the French way of writing the Russian word "Soyuz", so it's pronounced the same... Soyuz!

2) Both my CIJ JMs have pickguard made for american guitars on them. One has a Scotland gold guard on it and the other has the 1965 tort guard. The tort guard fitted almost dead on, because of the shrinking, I guess. For the gold guard, I had to enlarge a couple of screw holes and file the body just a little for the toggle switch to fit... But it's a pretty easy and it fits good.