Jazzmaster build, finished!!

stickyfiddle

This has been mostly done for weeks but I finally got around to the most important bit today...




I'm rather happy with it  

In truth it's taken me a little while to bond with it and/or for it to "settle" or whatever guitars do when they're put together for the first time, but it's absolutely singing now. The rolled fretboard edges I did a couple of months ago feel just right (just the binding in this case), and the Mojo pickups are spot on. 

The tone control on the rhythm circuit is not working, so I need to have a look at that next, and it hums like a bitch, so it needs some shielding but otherwise I'm very happy.  On that note, has anyone used the pickguard-shaped shields you can get? I have an original 60's one that came with the pickguard but with the shrinkage of the tort guard the holes on't line up. Not wanting to cut that to bits a new one would be a better bet, I think.

And a big recommendation for Rothko & Frost for the decal. Mega easy to apply and looks fantastic. I don't have any nitro with me here to mist over it but I figure that was good enough for Leo so it's good enough for me..

Anyway, more pics! 



I've barely used the Mojo pick, but it fits nicely where the guard has warped a bit




LOVE this shot

BoopDeWoop

Lovely colour. I have copper plates and tubs in my Jaguar and I've copper taped the cavity and pickguard of my Jazzmaster and the Jazz is dead silent. Copper tape all the way.

Sassafras

Great looking guitar.
Are the tone and volume knobs as tall as they appear or is that a photographic effect?

JookyChap

Yay! That looks beautiful - Happily belated new guitar day...

JookyChap

That 'plate looks too convincing to be a repro (or have they got better?)

stickyfiddle

Sassafras said:

Great looking guitar.
Are the tone and volume knobs as tall as they appear or is that a photographic effect?

The knobs are standard witch-hats (if there's such a thing as a standard one). They're actually sitting pretty flush to the guard, but they're taller than regular strat knobs so they do look a little tall. 

JookyChap said:

That 'plate looks too convincing to be a repro (or have they got better?)

It's a proper 60's one. Not sure if early or late, but it's lovely. It's also warped and knackered looking in places - particularly a big uplift around the main toggle switch - but that's half the charm  

JookyChap

Cool - nicely done And yes, a bit more knackeredness only adds to the charm..

victorludorum

Did you oil the neck or spray it?

stickyfiddle

victorludorum said:

Did you oil the neck or spray it?

I did neither (MJT did the finishing), but it's nitro. Very thin, and "dirty looking" rather than tinted on the back. It's maybe a fraction yellower than I'd prefer but not like a lot of MJTs I've seen which are faux-nicotined to hell and back.

I've given it a good bit of wax (Gerlitz No1 wax) and it feels lovely. My only guitar with a nicer neck-feel is the Cabronita @WezV did for me. 

stickyfiddle

Found one of the Cab for comparison. Not as posh a bit of maple but the finish is even better.

Andyjr1515

Great looking build @stickyfiddle

sawyer

Nice!

andrewaward

Very nice looking :-)

RE tone pot - make sure its not touching the sides of the cavity.............unscrew the pickguard screws in that area and lift the guard up and see if the tone pot works then....

How have you earthed the guitar?

builttospill

FARK!!!

stickyfiddle

andrewaward said:

Very nice looking :-)

RE tone pot - make sure its not touching the sides of the cavity.............unscrew the pickguard screws in that area and lift the guard up and see if the tone pot works then....

How have you earthed the guitar?

The cavity isn't shielded, and grounding is done entirely by wire. The tone pot should be conected to ground via the same wire as the volume but I think something's shorting against one of the legs of the tone cap, but not a big deal. I'm actually looking at circuits to have the rhythm switch become a series/parallel switch with a variable high pass filter on one of the rotaries, but I'm in no hurry to change it either way.

andrewaward

I would still check - sometimes the pot pushing against the wood of the cavity is enough to cause probs..............its happened to me in the past!

stickyfiddle

I'll have a look next string change

Lodious

Lovely looking guitar!!!!

dogload

Congratulations! That's a lovely looking JM.

breakstuff

Great work,that looks brilliant. Congrats.

Deadman

Luscious.