Squier 40th anniversary Jazzmaster (impressions on p. 8)

[zenarcade]

I like them but would chance the hardware. Am i the only who detests gold hardware?

[Tweedledee]

I like them but would chance the hardware. Am i the only who detests gold hardware?

You’re not the only one. I would change the gold hardware, too.

[mediocreplayer]

I like them but would chance the hardware. Am i the only who detests gold hardware?

Definitely not. I find it very tasteless. I love that JM but cannot buy it with this crap all over it.

[seenoevil II]

Agro Hot Take Warnimg

I said something like this on anther thread recently, but Squiers are pretty overpriced crap.

These guitars are really pretty. But they're still:

1.5" Basswod bodies
Questionably contoured
Green, unstable neck maple
Soft pop metal hardware
Poorly shielded
Poorly wired
Cheap electric components

They're cheap components screwed to bad foundations. The fact that they'll be $600 is borderline insulting.

Of course want one of those jags. Look at them. I have to remind myself that this is a poor imitation of what would be an incredible guitar if made with care. Inflation blah blah blah. $350. Max.

[Surfysonic]

According to the spec details, they're actually Poplar bodies.

I'm strongly considering the Satin Desert Sand JM with the maple neck.

[CROSS_guitars]

Yeah. I own VM Jazz, Jags and CV Jazz, Jags and these new ones are Poplar.

You didn't mention how shitty Laurel looks and feels compared to rosewood.

[gibs]

I like them but would chance the hardware. Am i the only who detests gold hardware?

Naw, never been a fan, I can tolerate it when it’s mixed with nickel, as long as nickel is the majority, like PRS has done in the past. But hate straight gold hardware, especially on a fender.

[Surfysonic]

...

I'm strongly considering the Satin Desert Sand JM with the maple neck.

...

Welp, I caved. Pre-ordered.

[seenoevil II]

Yeah. I own VM Jazz, Jags and CV Jazz, Jags and these new ones are Poplar.

You didn't mention how shitty Laurel looks and feels compared to rosewood.

I mean, poplar is better? I guess? At least it's literally green as well as figuratively green. Obvious disclaimers YMMV, IMHO etc. It's just I've had a wild ride with my first Gen VMJM. Maybe these are 200% better, cause these will cost 200% as much.

For that price they gotta give us:

Full thickness bodies
CTS/Switchcraft
Tremlock
1° neck pockets

At $600 you're in Epiphone's house, and Epiphones aren't toys. Everything is gig-worthy on an Epiphone. You can't have Amazon basics level anything on a $600 instrument. If Squier wants to be the new Fender Mexico, they gotta step it up.

[gibs]

Yeah. I own VM Jazz, Jags and CV Jazz, Jags and these new ones are Poplar.

You didn't mention how shitty Laurel looks and feels compared to rosewood.

I mean, poplar is better? I guess? At least it's literally green as well as figuratively green. Obvious disclaimers YMMV, IMHO etc. It's just I've had a wild ride with my first Gen VMJM. Maybe these are 200% better, cause these will cost 200% as much.

For that price they gotta give us:

Full thickness bodies
CTS/Switchcraft
Tremlock
1° neck pockets

At $600 you're in Epiphone's house, and Epiphones aren't toys. Everything is gig-worthy on an Epiphone. You can't have Amazon basics level anything on a $600 instrument. If Squier wants to be the new Fender Mexico, they gotta step it up.

My CV is full thickness, and quality. Most of the comparisons between VM and CV usually say the CVs (made in Cortek Indonesia vs China like the VM) are better quality across the board, except maybe the neck. As for epiphanies being gigable. Idk about that, they also don’t have CTS or high end electronics at $600 mark either. Also your just not gonna get the trem lock on anything overseas unless it’s an MIJ. That’s just how it is. They do make a (laughable” attempt at shimming, but I do wish they’d put pitch in the neck pocket itself, I mean they do for the J mascis model, why not the non tune O matrix bridges?

[Fiddy]

I estimate this thread will reach at least 50 pages...

[seenoevil II]

Epiphone have had a major upgrade to their electricals. Better pups, CTS, Switchcraft, and those devisive but modern solderless wiring harness things. They've also just generally upgraded various aspects of various models. True neck through firebirds. Gibson correct body outlines for ES guitars. I'd say they're decidedly gigworthy.

I mean, with Huss and Dalton, you get baked maple and stainless steel frets. G&L's imports have the same hardware as MIA. Same price range as these.

I mean, why not have a trem lock? Like. Why not?

They're not spending anything more on these, and the price is up 50%.

These are special cause they painted them the colors they know everyone likes best.

Again. Just my hot take. I just find $600 squiers obnoxious.

[bessieboporbach]

Agro Hot Take Warnimg

I said something like this on anther thread recently, but Squiers are pretty overpriced crap.

These guitars are really pretty. But they're still:

1.5" Basswod bodies
Questionably contoured
Green, unstable neck maple
Soft pop metal hardware
Poorly shielded
Poorly wired
Cheap electric components

They're cheap components screwed to bad foundations. The fact that they'll be $600 is borderline insulting.

Of course want one of those jags. Look at them. I have to remind myself that this is a poor imitation of what would be an incredible guitar if made with care. Inflation blah blah blah. $350. Max.

I have a 2019 CVJM and (aside from the minor detail about the body being poplar and full thickness) you are 100% correct. They are junk.

One can enjoy playing a junk guitar. One can enjoy the looks of a junk guitar. One can gig a junk guitar. One can mod and feel pride in one's mods to a junk guitar.

And the CVJM at least has really good sounding pickups. But in terms of its neck, fretwork, and the quality of its hardware, there's no way of justifying what it costs even given the current market. They are made with total indifference to any kind of quality because quality is not what sells an offset guitar in the 2020s.

(Maybe no guitar is sold on quality these days. Those PRS Silver Sky SEs with no-name pots and piss-poor mystery meat wood cost as much as a Player Strat with CTS pots and quality alder and maple.)

I have a Yamaha TRBX174 bass, which cost $250 new, that I bought a few months before my Jazzmaster. The fretwork, fingerboard, shielding, neck stability, hardware are all miles ahead of the CVJM.

[bessieboporbach]

Yeah. I own VM Jazz, Jags and CV Jazz, Jags and these new ones are Poplar.

You didn't mention how shitty Laurel looks and feels compared to rosewood.

I mean, poplar is better? I guess? At least it's literally green as well as figuratively green. Obvious disclaimers YMMV, IMHO etc. It's just I've had a wild ride with my first Gen VMJM. Maybe these are 200% better, cause these will cost 200% as much.

For that price they gotta give us:

Full thickness bodies
CTS/Switchcraft
Tremlock
1° neck pockets

At $600 you're in Epiphone's house, and Epiphones aren't toys. Everything is gig-worthy on an Epiphone. You can't have Amazon basics level anything on a $600 instrument. If Squier wants to be the new Fender Mexico, they gotta step it up.

My CV is full thickness, and quality. Most of the comparisons between VM and CV usually say the CVs (made in Cortek Indonesia vs China like the VM) are better quality across the board, except maybe the neck. As for epiphanies being gigable. Idk about that, they also don’t have CTS or high end electronics at $600 mark either. Also your just not gonna get the trem lock on anything overseas unless it’s an MIJ. That’s just how it is. They do make a (laughable” attempt at shimming, but I do wish they’d put pitch in the neck pocket itself, I mean they do for the J mascis model, why not the non tune O matrix bridges?

The VM Jazzmasters and Jags were never made in China, they were made in Indonesia by Cort just like the CVs are. They are really barely different.

[seenoevil II]

One can enjoy playing a junk guitar. One can enjoy the looks of a junk guitar. One can gig a junk guitar. One can mod and feel pride in one's mods to a junk guitar.

It's worth noting that a bone stock VMJM was my number one for 7 years. 20 something gigs, 3 albums.

I've just wrapped up a whole sweeping set of upgrades (notably not the pickups). I like it very much, but I'm very aware that it's a dog of a guitar with fundamental flaws that are bone deep due to poor timber and poor carving.