OffsetGuitars.com

I'm new to the Jazzmaster and recently bought a AM Pro II. I'm struggling a bit with basic features, for example, I only just found out about the grub screw to adjust the stiffness of the trem arm. (Why is that info so well hidden?)
Does anyone have a good link to a basic guide for the adjustment features, trem arm, trem lock, etc.
I know, do a search! Believe me I have and I can't find a good all-in-one guide.
Any help appreicated.

Checkout Puisheen on YouTube. He's the mr. Miyagi of all things Jazzmaster.

Thanks, I have seen him. He was recommending to take a hammer to the trem bar! Does he even know about the grub screw adjustment? Told you it was well hidden! Haha
I was looking more for a pdf guide or web page that has all the specs, description of the various adjustments that can be made on JM APII that are not obvious, e.g. the infamous grub screw, or the trem lock!.

This is the go-to reference on trem setup ....
https://offset.guitars/the-goodies/sett ... lo-system/

Yep, I’ve seen that.
Even that doesn’t mention the grub screw adjustment.
I guess maybe a comprehensive stand alone guide doesn’t exist?

If you mean the grub screw in the base of the screw-in arm collet on the Am Pro II, that should not really need adjusting. It's a rather obscure part. I may have mentioned it once or twice in forums, but AFAIK that's about the extent of the discussion on it.

Fender have not really provided much in the way of specific setup instructions for offsets since the early days, when you got a little manual with the guitar. There was an online setup document for a number of years (as there is for the strat and tele), but it had some serious errors (eg saying that the string-saddle contact points on the [rocking] bridge should be lubricated - which should never be done). Anyway it disappeared from online several years ago.

Thanks. No, I am talking about the push-in trem arm grub screw on the APII for adjusting the looseness/tightness of the arm. I have used it on more than one occasion.
Don't think any AP IIs have screw-in arm.

Sorry, I think it was the Am Pro I that had the screw-in arm. It and the Classic Player trem have screw-in arms with a grub screw in the bottom of the collet.

Where is the grub screw you are referring to on the Am Pro II ?

It's on the casing where the arm fits in. You have to remove the trem plate to access it.
See what I mean about things like this not being common knowledge. I find it odd that there isn't some kind of manual avable from Fender for this sort of thing.

There is a service guide on Fender's website but it doesn't really help with your trem set up question: LINK

Yes, I’ve got that, but, as you say, the service manuals are useful, but not what I’m after.

Aah ... that does ring a bell now. It's on the the collet block on the bottom of the (new) Panorama trem that the Am Pro II has. The hex key to adjust it is listed in the parts manual:
WRENCH 3/32 HEX KEY (TREM ARM ADJUSTMENT) 0018622000
Not sure that there's ever been any discussion about the actual adjustment (but I could have missed it).


viewtopic.php?t=117440&start=75#p1696927 (from the 20 page thread on the Panorama trem .. mistakenly headed 'American Performer II')


https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?msg=214904

timtam wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 24, 2024 7:17 pm

Aah ... that does ring a bell now. It's on the the collet block on the bottom of the (new) Panorama trem that the Am Pro II has. The hex key to adjust it is listed in the parts manual:
WRENCH 3/32 HEX KEY (TREM ARM ADJUSTMENT) 0018622000
Not sure that there's ever been any discussion about the actual adjustment (but I could have missed it).


viewtopic.php?t=117440&start=75#p1696927 (from the 20 page thread on the Panorama trem .. mistakenly headed 'American Performer II')


https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?msg=214904

Just came to say, that the Am Pro II most likely came with the Panorama „Tremolo“ which might have a different mechanism than the old unit. Glad that you already posted pics as well!

Guys, firstly, let me say thanks to you all for the helpful posts. However, this is not what I was asking about. I know how to use the grub screw. I only brought that up as an example of how difficult it is to find information on how to adjust various things on the Am Pro II that are not obvious. It's not just the JM, the same applies to aspects of the Am Pro II Strat (and others, no doubt).
I was only asking about whether there was a good written guide to specs and features (inc. adjustable ones) of the JM Am Pro II. I guess there is no such guide. It just seems illogical. I mean you can only search for something - e.g. arm tension adjustment screw - if you know it exists, and how do you know if there is no documentation? Fender documentation gves info on all the usual stuff, action, intonation, etc., but nothing model specific that I can see.
BTW, the photo above is the correct trem for the AM Pro II. The adjustment screw is the one on the arm block that isn't the arm insertion hole!
I tried to post an image, but couldn't see how. How do I do that here?