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Post by salteedog on Apr 23, 2019 14:31:52 GMT
Some of you may recall I ordered one of these way back in January. www.thomann.de/ie/fender_sq_cv_60s_jazzmaster_lh_lrl_ow.htmThis is the very first lefthanded offset ever sold by Squier and at €399 it is the only Fender lefty offset that is priced at less than €800. The next cheapest lefty jazzmaster is priced at €1,090. The cheapest Fender or Squier lefty Jaguar is the €1,400 Kurt Cobain model. So spoiled for choice, we are not. So I decided to treat myself when these were launched back in the new year. And after a wait of almost 4 months it has finally arrived...it's at home waiting for me when I get home from work this evening. Stay tuned...! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2019 15:37:25 GMT
Pleased for you saltee. I can't remember now whether we decided that these now have genuine Jazzmaster pups or lookalike P90s.
Looking forward to your thoughts on it though.
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Post by MartinB on Apr 23, 2019 16:24:55 GMT
Happy NGD! I hope it’s really nicely put together.
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Post by salteedog on Apr 23, 2019 21:23:38 GMT
I believe they have genuine JM pups - at least I hadn't read anywhere that they weren't. They definitely sound different to the pups on my p90 guitars with a lot less mids. Anyway my initial assessment is that it's a very nice guitar - no finish flaws, good polished modern C shaped neck, very well finished and level frets and decent tuners. Also I like the sound of the pups.
However there are some flaws - 1.The tone and volume pots are installed a bit crooked. An easy fix I reckon but something I wouldn't have expected from the famous Classic Vibe quality standard. 2.The high e string is a little close to the edge of the fretboard for my liking - I think the neck just needs to be loosened and re-tightened a little bit to align it better. 3. And the bridge has a fair bit of rattle. The latter is not atypical for JM bridges. I'll have a closer look at it - I think a shim on the neck may help with the set-up. Also - the knobs are right-handed and the pots are wired in reverse (so 1 is maximum). But it sounds like they have used a linear pot (or perhaps a reverse audio) for the tone and a linear pot for the volume. (The Harley Bentons frustratingly use normal audio pots wired in reverse for the tone....which is downright ridiculous. So kudos to Fender for getting it mostly right.) |
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 24, 2019 10:09:21 GMT
2.The high e string is a little close to the edge of the fretboard for my liking - I think the neck just needs to be loosened and re-tightened a little bit to align it better. 3. And the bridge has a fair bit of rattle. The latter is not atypical for JM bridges. I'll have a closer look at it - I think a shim on the neck may help with the set-up. The saddles look like they are not fixed and can be moved around laterally when strings are loose. If this is the case, that's a possible fix.  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2019 10:29:32 GMT
It amuses me that Fender decide to keep known problems because they are traditional! That scratchplate looks nice though and I'm pleased to see which colour you got, saltee. I bet you looked at it this morning and had a childlike, "I can't believe it's mine!" moment. Maybe even one last glance last night?
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Post by salteedog on Apr 24, 2019 12:59:56 GMT
Yes the design of the traditional bridge is a bit crap. At least this one doesn't have the original design saddles which are notorious for causing string jumping. It comes stock with a Mustang bridge with better saddles albeit not individually height adjustable. Still there are several potential failure points for causing buzzing or rattling.  |
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Post by MartinB on Apr 24, 2019 13:37:47 GMT
How do you feel about the notorious rhythm circuit?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2019 14:21:31 GMT
That's a point with those Mustang bridges. If they are not individually height adjustable are they the correct radius? And yes, I'd love to hear what your think of that rhythm circuit. LeoThunder was illustrating a capacitor filled variotone pot on an Ibanez the other day and described it as 'varying degrees of muffled' or something and I had to smile because that is sort of what you could describe the thing as on my Revelation too. Although it's not quite fair. You do have to then balance it with different volume and amp settings too. There are useful sounds there but they are not all instantly usable. |
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Post by salteedog on Apr 24, 2019 14:39:41 GMT
One man's muffled is another man's dark and smokey. The rhythm circuit is far from essential but I can see it being used. I do like a fat jazzy tone on occasion and I think the darker tone works very nicely through a fuzz pedal. I'm happy to have it.
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Post by salteedog on Apr 24, 2019 14:42:06 GMT
It amuses me that Fender decide to keep known problems because they are traditional! That scratchplate looks nice though and I'm pleased to see which colour you got, saltee. I bet you looked at it this morning and had a childlike, "I can't believe it's mine!" moment. Maybe even one last glance last night? Well the choice was between Olympic White and ...Olympic White! Makes a change from the usual black or sunburst that is normal lefty fare though. |
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Post by LeoThunder on Apr 24, 2019 15:22:05 GMT
That's a point with those Mustang bridges. If they are not individually height adjustable are they the correct radius? And yes, I'd love to hear what your think of that rhythm circuit. LeoThunder was illustrating a capacitor filled variotone pot on an Ibanez the other day and described it as 'varying degrees of muffled' or something and I had to smile because that is sort of what you could describe the thing as on my Revelation too. Although it's not quite fair. You do have to then balance it with different volume and amp settings too. There are useful sounds there but they are not all instantly usable. Here's a demo of that feature (clean neck PU) in that very guitar. I love it but this is the function I don't use. Here's the straight sound: |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2019 11:20:33 GMT
Considering the similar trems on the MS-60 you own and the Jazzmaster do you feel a difference in the way the bridges respond salteedog? I like the way my MS-60 feels and the tunomatic seems an ideal bridge for it. I've not found a need for roller saddles or anything like that to keep it stable either. |
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Post by salteedog on Apr 25, 2019 12:19:11 GMT
The setup on both are very different so true comparison is impossible until I adjust them. The MS-60 is practically decked with only a limited degree of freedom where as the Squier is floating freely. But my sense is that a TOM bridge is indeed a good partner for the trem - especially if the slots are cut decently/lubricated properly. I'm not convinced that the movement of the Jazzmaster bridge in response to the trem unit isn't more trouble than it's worth. Also ,the edges and screws of the thing come perilously close to making contact with the strings - another reason why alternative JM bridge and saddle designs are popular.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2019 12:39:40 GMT
I notice the Classic Vibe has the vintage trem position; further back from the bridge than the Classic Player or Deluxe do. I wonder if that closer position may have helped the break angle somewhat? Then again the classicists wouldn't have liked it because of shorter string length. You can't win!
It'll be interesting to see if you decide to shim it. Or maybe that's tricky because of the front edge of the Mustang bridge? Maybe some notch filing there to help?
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