NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

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RocknRollShakeUp
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NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Tue Jul 02, 2019 3:39 pm

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I've been dreaming of one of these Wildwood 10's for a while now, and when I saw that these Relic Ready JM's have the RSD bridge and looked to have enough of an increased neck angle so that I wouldn't have to necessarily shim, and also replace the bridge most likely, and that they didn't look like something that someone dragged behind a tractor, I was GAS'ing hard. But don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with shimming, actually I think it is a given with many JM's if you want to improve the playability and sound. And now with the StewMac shims, it is sort of a no brainer. My other CS JM has a .5 deg shim in it from Stew Mac as we speak.

My other Jazzmaster is a CS 64 Closet Classic Reissue with a 7.25" radius which is a really cool guitar, but I really do prefer a flatter neck radius (9.5" to 12" would be perfect for me) and I figured that 10" would be perfect. It's also a real nice and full .86"/.98" C profile. Well, no doubt about it, I think I have found my perfect neck, for real.

Yes the maple neck! Well I have a partscaster Strat with a maple neck, and I've always wanted another maple neck guitar, as all of my others are mostly rosewood, with one ebony board, and why not a Jazzmaster with a maple neck I said to myself.

The pickups are Custom shop hand wound Jazzmaster pickups. I am not sure what the specs are but they are superb sounding. Good clarity, chime, and punchy twang! It may be that RSD bridge, as well as the pickups, but this Jazzmaster is a tonal beast, it's got it all sonically speaking. Very loud acoustic resonance as well. Nice weight at 7.93 lbs too.

Is this Jazzmaster too bright with that maple neck you may ask. Well, first of all I'm not convinced that a maple board is noticeably brighter than rosewood. My experience tells me that this is not generally the case. I think electronics and hardware factor much more into it. My CS 64 Closet Classic, with a rosewood board, is about the same in the brightness department. I play both with the volume at 7-8 and tone at 6-7. Maayyybe, the Wildwood 10 is a tad brighter...I may put the tone at 6.5 instead of 7...but it is such a subtle difference. The Relic Ready does seem to have a bit more attack and snappiness, but that could also be due to the bridge, or even the way I've set it up with a straighter neck relief and do to the fatter, stiffer neck . Anyway, it sounds glorious, I'm totally honeymooning in tonal nirvana.

I am also very pleased with the RSD bridge. Absolutely no rattles or buzzes come, or will ever come I don't think, from this bridge. It is built like a damn tank and rock solid. It does float, but on first impressions, not nearly as much as the more traditional JM bridges. I suspect that it is responsible for a tad more sustain and punchy twang in the tone. The guitar still chimes brilliantly, it is still a Jazzmaster after all.
Aesthetically, I was put off initially, some time ago, when I first saw these RSD bridges. However I think it looks fine now, as it grew on me. In any case I think the CS ought to sell these things as they are so well made, without any pieces that may rattle.

Lastly, I can't say enough good things about Bruce Beard at Wildwood Guitars. He gave me a super price on the guitar, so good, I couldn't pass it up. I was interested in 3 JM's, two Relic Readies and a Journeyman, and Bruce get Greg Koch to do a shootout video between the 3 which they sent to me. How cool was that! Actually, Greg also ended up playing this guitar for a long time on the last Wildwood live broadcast on Fakebook if you are interested in hearing it, and seeing it totally manhandled by the Mansquatch himself (he starts off with a Strat then goes to the JM for the rest). I could link it if anyone is interested.

Well, I thought I would share the story, keep feelin' groovy y'all!

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by kgbAttack » Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:18 am

Beautiful guitar, congrats!!! I have also a CS with RSD bridge. The guitar is quite bright but I too set the tone around 7 and I love its sound! Can you share a photo of the neck where I can see the strings action around the 12th fret onwards? I'm curious to see if it's different than mine. For my taste, it sits a little high but the RSD bridge is already quite low (and am contemplating shimming the neck, unlike yours, I don't think the neck pocket is angled).

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by leokula » Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:44 am

I truly think that bridge is just beautiful!
Jaguar > Jazzmaster :)

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by thenewromance » Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:28 am

That is one great guitar, close to my perfect vision of what a JM in 2019 can be.

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by X-Ray Spex » Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:39 am

I really really like maple boards on Jazzmasters, this works so well.

I know a lot of people hate the RSD bridge but I think it's great, we just need someone in the OSG hivemind willing to take it apart and scan the parts and then we could mill or 3D print them ourselves.
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Jul 03, 2019 5:16 am

Very nice. I’m also an RSD bridge fan.

No personal experience, but I think someone here mentioned Couch strap + nitro finish having some reaction issues.

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by tune_link » Wed Jul 03, 2019 6:17 am

Damn that thing is beautiful! I've never played a guitar with a RSD bridge but it looks like it would be very stable. That pink with the maple neck tho....WOW.

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by Tafarel » Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:31 am

Congrats. That's a great looking guitar. I have a shell pink CS with rosewood board and RSD bridge -- mint guard, however. I like the RSD bridge a lot. I also have a daphne blue CS JM with maple board and RSD bridge. They both have the CS wound JM pickups. The daphne is not noticeably brighter than the shell pink, so I think you are correct that other factors play a much larger part in the brightness. I don't find mine particularly bright, but then again, I play through a Supro Thunderbolt and it has a soft response that I absolutely love with these guitars.

...and lest anyone think I am a blues lawyer because I have two CS Jazzmasters, I assure you I am not. I sold a big pile of 'planks' and a few amps to acquire these two. I merely love these guitars.
"I'm nostalgic for conversations I had yesterday. I've begun reminiscing events before they even occur. I'm reminiscing this right now. I can't go to the bar because I've already looked back on it in my memory, and I didn't have a good time."

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by Maggieo » Wed Jul 03, 2019 9:37 am

Wow, that is nice!

It'd be cool if you linked that vid from Wildwood.

Next time I'm in Omaha, I may have to come pester you to show me that beauty in person. I'm now lusting after one for a second JM. :? :fp:
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I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Jul 03, 2019 12:41 pm

Tafarel wrote:
Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:31 am
Congrats. That's a great looking guitar. I have a shell pink CS with rosewood board and RSD bridge -- mint guard, however. I like the RSD bridge a lot. I also have a daphne blue CS JM with maple board and RSD bridge. They both have the CS wound JM pickups. The daphne is not noticeably brighter than the shell pink, so I think you are correct that other factors play a much larger part in the brightness. I don't find mine particularly bright, but then again, I play through a Supro Thunderbolt and it has a soft response that I absolutely love with these guitars.

...and lest anyone think I am a blues lawyer because I have two CS Jazzmasters, I assure you I am not. I sold a big pile of 'planks' and a few amps to acquire these two. I merely love these guitars.
No Blues Lawyer hate here. Other than atrocious tort I have no real beef with Custom Shop instruments. Even if they’re not all my personal aesthetic taste I’ve been consistently impressed by them.

Considering doing a little “quality over quantity “ house cleaning myself :)

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by NachoMan77 » Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:12 pm

RocknRollShakeUp wrote:
Tue Jul 02, 2019 3:39 pm
Lastly, I can't say enough good things about Bruce Beard at Wildwood Guitars. He gave me a super price on the guitar, so good, I couldn't pass it up. I was interested in 3 JM's, two Relic Readies and a Journeyman, and Bruce get Greg Koch to do a shootout video between the 3 which they sent to me. How cool was that! Actually, Greg also ended up playing this guitar for a long time on the last Wildwood live broadcast on Fakebook if you are interested in hearing it, and seeing it totally manhandled by the Mansquatch himself (he starts off with a Strat then goes to the JM for the rest). I could link it if anyone is interested.

Well, I thought I would share the story, keep feelin' groovy y'all!
Lovely guitar, congrats! Yes, please post the link of the manhandling ;D Greg is always fun to watch

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:32 pm

kgbAttack wrote:
Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:18 am
Beautiful guitar, congrats!!! I have also a CS with RSD bridge. The guitar is quite bright but I too set the tone around 7 and I love its sound! Can you share a photo of the neck where I can see the strings action around the 12th fret onwards? I'm curious to see if it's different than mine. For my taste, it sits a little high but the RSD bridge is already quite low (and am contemplating shimming the neck, unlike yours, I don't think the neck pocket is angled).
Many Thanks!

I had read your post earlier and I just remembered about you wanting to see the action at the 12th fret so I took a picture, but it may not go up as much as you'd like. I will take another tomorrow if this one isn't helpful, but check this out:
Image

One thing I did to mine is I straightened the neck relief from around .010 - .011" to about .006", which lowered the action very low, which allowed me to raise the bridge higher up to regain the proper action but also increasing the break angle over the bridge as much as possible in the process.

I did this because with the original larger neck relief, when I dropped the bridge down a bit to lower the action, I lost enough break angle over the bridge so that the low E string started to buzz a bit in the saddle if I hit it on the hard side. Plus when I plucked that Low E string behind the bridge it didn't ping nicely like I like it, it was kind of splatty and buzzy, indicating that I needed more break angle over the saddle and more tension, if you know what I mean. But flattening the relief, which in turn allowed my raising of the bridge totally rectified the problem, and I kept the same action/string height I was shooting for. The very small droning buzz when strumming the low E is gone, and the Low E string pings nicely when plucked behind the bridge now.
I hope I'm making sense!

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:39 pm

leokula wrote:
Wed Jul 03, 2019 3:44 am
I truly think that bridge is just beautiful!
Thank you, I am also really starting to see it that way too! It is a solid beast of a bridge. It just works.

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:41 pm

thenewromance wrote:
Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:28 am
That is one great guitar, close to my perfect vision of what a JM in 2019 can be.
Thank you. I was a bit of a JM purist, but then I decided to not be so high strung and embrace a more modern take on things, and man oh man, I'm sure glad that I did!

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Re: NGD: Wildwood 10 Relic Ready Jazzmaster

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:54 pm

X-Ray Spex wrote:
Wed Jul 03, 2019 4:39 am
I really really like maple boards on Jazzmasters, this works so well.

I know a lot of people hate the RSD bridge but I think it's great, we just need someone in the OSG hivemind willing to take it apart and scan the parts and then we could mill or 3D print them ourselves.
Thanks for the kind words!
That would be really cool if someone reversed engineered it, if that's the correct way of putting it.

The other cool thing about this bridge that I've learned is that you can rock it back against the tail end of the thimbles and it seems to really like it there. Since the travel isn't nearly as much, it is still intoned and the saddles are oriented straight up..I'm seriously wondering if it isn't supposed to be kept that way, and not with the posts upright floating right in the middle of the thimble hole.

Here is a picture of it rocked back to the tail, and notice the saddles are pretty much oriented upwards, perpendicular to the body, so the strings sit nicely in the middle of the groove. This takes the guesswork out of trying to float the bridge exactly in the middle of the thimble holes and worrying about it migrating out of its optimal spot right in the middle. Since I mainly depress the tremolo, the strings returning to neutral only serve to pull it back into that tilted back position so it always stays put.
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