I'm starting to figure out that "less is more"! Talk some sense into me!!!

[berlinbetty]

  I keep a Squier Telecaster and an Epiphone 10w practice amp at work to play at lunch time and lately some of the best playing I've done is with this gear!  It reminds me of all the people that say the best blues players played on cheap guitars and amps, but they're usually defending Squiers and Epis to "label snobs".
  It doesn't help that I get a great sound out of this stuff, either!  I get the "perfect" tele sound out of that amp with the treble up and everything else down.  Then, with the mids up and treble and bass down, I get a great P-90 kind of a growl.  And the neck on this tele is awesome!  Actually, it's a Squier '51 neck and if I was going to have a signature guitar, it would have these neck dimensions.
  The last thing I want to do is get rid of my Jazzmaster and Valvetronix.  I love all the different amp settings and effects and the feel of the Jazzmaster, but I'm finding out I play better without all the bells and whistles!
  I think (God forbid) if I ever fell on hard times, I'd get rid of everything but that damn Squier tele and Epi amp!!!

[fourmations]

less is more!!!

i spend more time obsessing about gear than playing nowadays!

I have stopped buying stuff now for a long time

I have a jazzmaster, lovely 89 squier tele, an epi les paul
a 335 copy and an old squier shredder "superstrat" style thing
i have some fx and an old tube amp and a good acoustic

that covers every sound i want guitars to make
anything else i buy will be just greed!!

back to your conundrum.....
what you like is what you like!
if you dont love the jazzy , sell it!

I have the smae thing with my 89 squier tele,
its a superb guitar and i prefer it to my JM
I'd love to prefer the JM but I dont, thats just a fact

rgds

4

[berlinbetty]

  That's just it.  I DO love my Jazzy!  I even sit it by the television so I can gaze longingly at it during commercials!  I just play better on my frickin' Squier!

[Maggieo]

How about you try the Jazzmaster-cord-amp thing for a while?

[berlinbetty]

  You mean "just plain ol' amp"?  No effects or nothing?  I do that sometimes when I'm trying to get a nice "garage" sound.  I really like that, too.  I've even been entertaining the idea of swapping out my AVRI pickups (sound great, but too "throaty" for my tastes) for the pickups in my Lotus Strat copy!  I don't know if someone upgraded at one time or if Lotus just makes good pickups, but those things are just the sound I'm looking for!
  I've been guilty of that before, as well.  Trying to be a snob and put in what "should" go in there and forsaking what was right under my nose.  It's a long journey, frought with peril, isn't it?  Finding your voice?

[k o y l]

Guitars are like horse... you don't choose the horse, it's the horse that chooses you.

Really, do what's the best for you no matter what: if it means putting the pickups from the Lotus and the neck of the Squier tele on the JM, who cares ! only your ears and hands must be the judges.

It would be really nice if guitar stores had something to make you forget what guitar you like and who you favorite guitar players are before trying the guitar and amps in the store, I'm sure they'd be less deceived people and we would surely learn a lot on ourselves as guitar players and musicians.

[Maggieo]

  You mean "just plain ol' amp"?  No effects or nothing?  I do that sometimes when I'm trying to get a nice "garage" sound.  I really like that, too.  I've even been entertaining the idea of swapping out my AVRI pickups (sound great, but too "throaty" for my tastes) for the pickups in my Lotus Strat copy!  I don't know if someone upgraded at one time or if Lotus just makes good pickups, but those things are just the sound I'm looking for!
  I've been guilty of that before, as well.  Trying to be a snob and put in what "should" go in there and forsaking what was right under my nose.  It's a long journey, frought with peril, isn't it?  Finding your voice?

EEK!

Instead of putting Strat pickups in a JM, maybe you should trade the JM in on a Strat you like and drop the Lotus PUPs in it.

[berlinbetty]

  See?  That's exactly the trap I fell into.  I bought into the snobbery that you can't put Strat pickups in a Jazzmaster!  But the way I see it now, if I want the look and feel of an offset (not too mention a trem I prefer) with the sound of a Strat, why not?!?  It's kinda like I'm designing my own guitar with pre-existing parts, it's just mostly Jazzmaster.


 

[Maggieo]

  See?  That's exactly the trap I fell into.  I bought into the snobbery that you can't put Strat pickups in a Jazzmaster!  But the way I see it now, if I want the look and feel of an offset (not too mention a trem I prefer) with the sound of a Strat, why not?!?  It's kinda like I'm designing my own guitar with pre-existing parts, it's just mostly Jazzmaster.


 

How about a Jag, instead?

I'm no snob, I've got all sorts of mongrels.  But it seems a shame to bust up a perfectly good instrument that could bring you the money to make something cool.  Maybe a custom job- offset body, Strat pick-ups, etc...? That'd be cool. 

[berlinbetty]

How about a Jag, instead?

  If they made Jags in 25.5 scale, I might never have picked up a Jazzmaster...

I'm no snob, I've got all sorts of mongrels.  But it seems a shame to bust up a perfectly good instrument that could bring you the money to make something cool.  Maybe a custom job- offset body, Strat pick-ups, etc...? That'd be cool. 

  Yeah, you know I've thought about that?  It's almost like the guys here that have made long scale Jaguars only the difference with me is I'm hiding the pickups underneath stock JM pickup covers.  I just like that look.  It seems more balanced to me.  If I can get a different sound and NOT change the look of my Jazzy, that'd be perfect!

[1946dodge]

I DO love my Jazzy!  I even sit it by the television so I can gaze longingly at it during commercials!  I just play better on my frickin' Squier!

I have many squires and other cheap guitars as well as real nice expensive ones. You may feel more relaxed playing your cheap one and cheap amp, simply because you have to dig inside yourself to get the sound you want and at work at lunch time, you are just really screwing around. It makes you relax, probably more relaxed than at home with the big stuff, and you dont expect a great sound at work with the cheaper stuff and when it sounds great, you get even more relaxed.

Relaxed = much much better playing.

You know if you had a real expensive car and went to town to a club, you would not enjoy yourself because you would be worrying about the car getting stolen or banged up. If you took a shitbox, you wouldnt worry at all and would relax and enjoy your night out.

At least that is the way it is with me.

[fourmations]

  See?  That's exactly the trap I fell into.  I bought into the snobbery that you can't put Strat pickups in a Jazzmaster!  But the way I see it now, if I want the look and feel of an offset (not too mention a trem I prefer) with the sound of a Strat, why not?!?  It's kinda like I'm designing my own guitar with pre-existing parts, it's just mostly Jazzmaster.


 

buy a JM-fat from Curtis for the bridge, its very "stratty" - problem solved!

rgds

4

[k o y l]

I DO love my Jazzy!  I even sit it by the television so I can gaze longingly at it during commercials!  I just play better on my frickin' Squier!

I have many squires and other cheap guitars as well as real nice expensive ones. You may feel more relaxed playing your cheap one and cheap amp, simply because you have to dig inside yourself to get the sound you want and at work at lunch time, you are just really screwing around. It makes you relax, probably more relaxed than at home with the big stuff, and you dont expect a great sound at work with the cheaper stuff and when it sounds great, you get even more relaxed.

Relaxed = much much better playing.

You know if you had a real expensive car and went to town to a club, you would not enjoy yourself because you would be worrying about the car getting stolen or banged up. If you took a shitbox, you wouldnt worry at all and would relax and enjoy your night out.

At least that is the way it is with me.

What you say is so true !
I never player well on a new guitar because I'm babying it, I start to play after the first ding usually. 

[mynameisjonas]

I've even been entertaining the idea of swapping out my AVRI pickups (sound great, but too "throaty" for my tastes) for the pickups in my Lotus Strat copy!  I don't know if someone upgraded at one time or if Lotus just makes good pickups, but those things are just the sound I'm looking for!

how about one of these?

[chrisjedijane]

If you think the strat pickups will suit you in the Jazzmaster, go for it! I know Strats get a lot of flak around here, and I'm not a huge fan, but loads of people love that sound. I knew a guy who had strat pickups in his Mustang, and it sounded seriosuly immense.

As for "less is more" - definitely! I bought a big multi-power supply a couple of weeks ago, and connected all my effects up to it, and then realised it just wasn't practical, and I didn't need it. Last week at band practice I was just using guitar>>>tuner>>>amp, with my drive channel on, using the rhythm circuit on the JM as the "lead" channel, and turning the volume down on the lead circuit for cleans. it was great!