Jazzmaster VI build

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:30 am

So, I've had a Bass VI neck mounted onto a tele body for way too long. This was never going to be ideal and I hadn't moved the tele bridge far back enough to get good intonation. :fp: it was time for an upgrade.

The neck is a USACG from back when they were still making them. Had it spec'd with a 7.25" to 9.5" compound radius, dark indian rosewood and clay dots for that vintage look. Chris at K-Line did a nitro finish on it and installed a nut. Fantastic job and a great neck overall.

A really nice Jazzmaster body showed up on MJT's eBay store. Nice and light - and the wear looked pretty good to my eyes. For about half a second after I received it, I did consider putting a gold-foil in the neck... I did actually string it up as a standard jazzmaster. I regretted that later when it was time to remove the bridge thimbles - they were a very tight squeeze.

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:36 am

In terms of hardware, I was leaning towards a white pickguard - but it didn't look right on a sunburst body. Picked up a cheap jazzmaster pickguard blank from China so I could hide the bridge thimble holes and cut a new pickup out.

I decided to go for a single pickup and went for the Curtis Novak Bisonic VI. That is one unique pickup - this should be interesting. Will require routing of the pickup cavity.

Image

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:38 am

I had a set of '60s jaguar control plates lying around and I decided to use the lower plate and hexagonal plate in the build. The pickguard was cut, the bridge was moved back, and surprisingly - it all fits together relatively well. :whistle:

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:41 am

String-wise, I went for a set of Labella 26-95. These fit perfectly. The end is tapered to fit in vintage-style posts.

Image

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:43 am

Some original Jaguar knobs from the '60s were sitting in the parts drawer.

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:46 am

Routed the pickup cavity flush with the existing bridge pickup route. With the bridge moved back, this makes it a sort of middle pickup. We'll see how it sounds !

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:48 am

Jazzmaster VI mostly assembled. I now realized that I'll need additional routing to install pots as they land right where the Jazzmaster route constricts. Thank god for the wider Bass VI bridge as even with the low E maxed out, it is only just intonated.

Any suggestions on how to wire this thing with the two-way switches ? The Bisonic has the coil-tap option.

Image

Image

Image

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:01 am

Image

Image

User avatar
noisepunk
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 16807
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: glasgow, scotland
Contact:

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by noisepunk » Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:51 am

i love bass cut on a bass VI, that's my only wiring suggestion–i love how monstrous this thing looks though!

unsolicited opinion: i think a firebird pickup would look pretty nice above that beefy monster, kind of like a rickenbacker 4001/4003 layout... not sure if that would add much tonally.

User avatar
Teebz999
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:38 am

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Teebz999 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:01 am

noisepunk wrote:
Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:51 am
i love bass cut on a bass VI, that's my only wiring suggestion–i love how monstrous this thing looks though!

unsolicited opinion: i think a firebird pickup would look pretty nice above that beefy monster, kind of like a rickenbacker 4001/4003 layout... not sure if that would add much tonally.
Yes, maybe a bass cut on one switch, and a treble cut on another ? A second pickup would give me lots of tonal options for sure. Will get this one wired up first to see how it sounds ! :)

User avatar
RIORIO
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2247
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:49 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by RIORIO » Sun Sep 19, 2021 9:17 am

WOW this thing is incredible!!!

User avatar
smjenkins
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:45 am
Location: The Emerald Fucking City

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by smjenkins » Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:41 pm

This build is rad. If it plays well, don't change a thing!

User avatar
badform
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 310
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:45 pm
Location: B'more, B'more

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by badform » Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:50 pm

I love everything about this glorious beast. *happysigh*

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3571
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by MattK » Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:48 pm

NICE

User avatar
Zork
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1811
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:01 am
Location: Bremen, Germany

Re: Jazzmaster VI build

Post by Zork » Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:40 am

Wow, this is right up my alley! :-*
Would love to see the Tele predecessor, though. I had a frankensteined Tele VI, too, so that's making me curious.
As for the switches wiring I would go coil split + bass cut + straight from pickup to output.

Post Reply