WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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paulitik
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by paulitik » Fri Jan 03, 2014 12:33 pm

s_mcsleazy wrote:i have a weird thing with fender. call it stockholm syndrome if you want but honestly, i cant hate them. for every dud guitar they make, there are ones sell like hot cakes.

how well did the squier vm jags, jazzys, bass vi and mustangs sell? people seem to like the classic player series. so if they bring out the odd guitar that aint to your taste then what is the problem? someone will like it. a company cant keep preaching to the choir. maybe they are trying to get into the market set by the les paul. but if it brings a few more people over to our side then what does it matter? wouldent you rather see fender making the guitars you love and maybe having to put up with a dud every so often? not everyone wants the typical jazzmaster trem. some people dont get along with them.

lets be honest. there is a good chance that when the current indie boom is over and the next big thing hits, offsets will end up on gumtree/ebay/craigslist for 2/3rds what people paid for them and the true fans of the guitars will be modding them.

I don't have a problem with Fender experimenting and bringing out new models and variations, I encourage it. It just sucks that there isn't a step into a USA made Jazzmaster that isn't more like what people love about the Jazzmaster. Warm low output single coils, and the tremolo system with a mustang bridge. I like the rhythm/lead circuit, but if there is one thing I'd sacrifice on a USA made Jazzmaster, that would be it. It's just weird you have to go from the $899 American Special, to a $2K+ 65 AVRI. They need something in between. I think the backlash with the Special is due to the fact that's the only oprion they give us for an entry level USA made Jazzmaster. The guitar itself is fine. It's Fenders answer to a Les Paul Studio with an Offset Body and a longer scale. It's a cool guitar, just not what people have in mind when they think Jazzmaster.
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Gonkulator
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by Gonkulator » Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:06 pm

This guitar kind of reminds me of those "JM's" that the dood from Paramore plays.

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caliban
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by caliban » Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:20 pm

Gonkulator wrote:This guitar kind of reminds me of those "JM's" that the dood from Paramore plays.
When I see Paramore, I only see that redhead gurl...

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by Shiells » Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:10 am

In the context of the American Special series, which obviously is a line of stripped, basic instruments, when the instrument in question is a Jazzmaster, which is, to begin with, one of the most expensive guitars Fender makes, then maybe the instrument does need to lose something such as its antiquated and quirky preset system. However, they've added cost to production where they didn't need to by adding the stacked humbucker Jazzmaster pickup. It seems it would have been more frugal to maintain some kind of tremelo system and leave the pickups alone.

Apparently, Fender has become self-conscious about its single coil pickups. I can't understand why the sudden change to hotter, high output pickups and, not to mention, higher gain amplifier channels, from Fender.

Notwithstanding, if I sort of force myself to forget that the American Special Jazzmaster is a Jazzmaster, then I don't mind it too much.

I hope they do an American Special Jaguar, but leave the pickups and tremelo alone.

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by hoddyman » Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:05 pm

It's kind of a Jazzmaster-shaped " SG" type guitar with a bolt-on neck.

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mcalllisterra
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by mcalllisterra » Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:29 pm

I love the one review on the Fender site:

"The neck was really smooth which is good if you play songs which shift positions."

:D

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by gutter rock » Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:05 pm

mcalllisterra wrote:I love the one review on the Fender site:

"The neck was really smooth which is good if you play songs which shift positions."

Ha! If only I could figure out how to play without the whole pesky changing positions thing.

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by theletterJ » Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:11 am

Just use major thirds tuning :whistle:

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by Shiells » Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:29 pm

Stacked humbuckers don't sound like traditional humbuckers. And, they tried to voice the Jazzmaster stacked humbuckers to capture some aspect of Jazzmaster single coils even though the new pickups are also hotter. So the bridge reminds you of a Gibson solid body, but its sound really shouldn't.

I am a fan of Fender's Wide-Range Humbuckers, and of Fender pickups in general whether humbuckers or single coils. But of all the problems Jazzmasters may have, the pickups are not one. IF it came down to having to decide between a tremelo arm and stacked humbuckers, the new pickup idea should have been tossed out the window.

Is Fender having an identity crisis? I mean this and the new 68 Custom Vibrolux and Deluxe Reverb Amps ...designed to break up sooner? WTF? Here is that classic amp you love but designed to sound entirely different?

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by giant baba » Sat Sep 27, 2014 5:05 pm

That would appear to be an electric guitar, OP.

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by setyaback » Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:21 am

i played an american special this weekend for the first time. It sounded pretty good and I actually liked the pickups OK, though I'd prefer regular JM pickups. I was sorely disappointed in the quality, fit/finish, etc. Felt very "light," and not in the weight sense. Definitely not on par with my other U.S.-made instruments -- maybe on par with my blacktop JM but certainly not significantly better than it.

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by Larry Mal » Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:12 am

I have yet to hear of anyone actually purchasing one of these. Has anyone else?
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by marcello252 » Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:32 pm

Fact is Jazzmaster and Jaguar are so sexy shaped....
this is why what ever hardware you put in to 'improve' it (whatever it could mean) is accettable

(that said, I have a traditionale Jazzy and a traditional jaguar)

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Bothand Nether
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by Bothand Nether » Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:00 am

fast forward to now,
when there is one on eBay @ 575.00
-with no bids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-American ... SwKtVWu26w
pretty sure whomever @ Fender that decided this was a good niche to fill,
maybe has some regrets.
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Re: WTF IS THIS!? (American Special Jazzmaster?)

Post by brndgtl » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:46 am

Bothand Nether wrote:fast forward to now,
when there is one on eBay @ 575.00
-with no bids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-American ... SwKtVWu26w
pretty sure whomever @ Fender that decided this was a good niche to fill,
maybe has some regrets.
I don't think so. They're releasing another short run of them in October, with Bigsbys. They definitely do fill a particular niche.

Not everyone cares about vintage accuracy or the tremolo or weird bridge or the headstock or whatever...

I've played one and it sounded great (AV65 pups!). They're solid guitars if you don't want/like the trem.

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