Why A Jazzmaster? Ask Zac 64

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I have always had a jaundiced view of the Fender Jazzmaster. I thought it was only for surf, punk, or players with extremely large pedalboards. I learned I was horribly wrong after spending time with Dan Strain's 1965 Jazzmaster. They are beautiful sounding instruments that have their own very identifiable sleek & sinewy sound. As a known Tele-Guy, I take a look at the Jazzmaster, and spotlight what I see as its strengths, and how I was quite uninformed when it came to my former opinion on them. As a bonus, I take a quick look at a 1967 Guild Starfire V that was modified with a Lollar Firebird pickup in the neck.
Some great additional info on Jazzmasters:
Guitar Moderne's (Michael Ross) excellent overview with helpful clips
www.guitarmode...
Five Watt World's short history
• The Fender Jazzmaster:...
Gear for this video
1965 Fender Jazzmaster with Mastery Bridge. Restoration and aging on the body and neck by Dan "Danocaster" Strain.
Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10-46
Pick:
Danocaster Medium
Amp:
1965 Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, and bright cap clipped on the vibrato channel.
Effects used:
TC Polytune
Mirage compressor pedal
AnalogMan Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Ibanez Mostortion Overdrive
Boss DM-3 Delay
Line 6 Echo Park Delay
9v power via Truetone CS6 (Amazon Aff link) amzn.to/38S9rZK
#askzac #guitartech #jazzmaster

[@LeviBulger]

My favorite guitar ever. There's nothing like the sound of a good Jazzmaster through a loud Fender amp.

[@clockwork914]

Ugly duckling ❓ The offset contour body was one of Leo’s proudest accomplishments. It’s no mistake or accident that it was used for the Electric XII.

[@glenkepic3208]

Great. I'm 4 in '61 and family buys The Colorful Ventures, Don Wilson, a SB Strat, Bob Bogle, SB Jazzmaster. I loved these. Garage bands were starting. Couple of years later, older brother of my sisters friend had a Jazzmaster. Loved it. man, my first electric was an offset, Audition Jazzalike with gold foils, $12.00 in '73. Now, Sq Jagmaster, sb, ts guard. Used to jam with RF BlueLine tunes with this. Good little offset that was in the window '01 then sat neglected. Wife had the shop fix it up and gave it to me for Christmas, '06 or so. Btw,,,I believe Hank Garland used a Jazzmaster for Elvis' "Little Sister". Yeah, they could rock.

[@chokkan7]

I put together a Jazzmaster body with a Tele neck and bridge, 3 Strat pickups, and a custom pickguard. She's a beaut, and very comfortable to play, seated or standing...couldn't be more pleased...

[@SKY_DWELLER333]

I was very fortunate for Christmas this year to receive a American vintage 1965 reissue thin skin Fire mist silver jazz master. Love the twang of Jazz masters and telecasters. But Jazzmasters really get into that ethereal territory with the tremolo system. Or perhaps more accurately, vibrato. Surf music, desert music, ambient, psychedelia. This guitar has such a unique sonic signature, and is truly haunting and magical. And yes, it’s glassy tone is absolutely perfect for finding different colors through pedal manipulation.

[@davidkieltyka9]

IMO the best way to increase break angle over a Jazzmaster’s bridge saddles is to put a shim in the neck pocket. My Jazzer, a ‘66, came with a factory-installed small phenolic shim that worked fine, but I replaced it with a tapered wooden one from Stew-Mac. The shim lets you raise the bridge height, eliminating the “strings popping out of the saddles” thing. Improves sustain too. I personally don’t care for tone of the Mastery bridge…but that’s a taste thing and YMMV.

[@maxpeck4154]

I have the vintage bridge on mine, no shims with .10s and I've not had a string pop out yet. I did ditch the clunky Fender vibrato for a Mastery however. Total butter.

[@allthingsclassicrock]

I had a Troy Van Leeuwen JM I had to sell during lockdown and now I’m jonesin’ for another after watching this video. Beautiful guitar.

[@thebenefactor6744]

I love everything about what the host and the commenters have said about the jazz master's clean tones, but what really surprised me about mine (classic vibe with Lollar JM pups) was that it was the best sounding guitar that I've found through a cranked Marshall 1974x. A satisfying crunch that sits right in my ideal sonic pocket, AND has very crisp note definition at the same time. Enjoy yours if you have one; they're very versatile.

[@barbmelle3136]

From Leo: I love the Jazz Master pickups. When your signal starts with a glass clear, wide response tone, you can make it into whatever you want. If you start with a hot humbucker that starts to crunch right out of the gate, you can never get clean and crisp.

[@simply3141592654]

Great quote. You can even get sort of Gretsch tones from vintage JM pickups.

[@BeesWaxMinder]

Who is “LEO”?

[@noel2x]

@@BeesWaxMinder di caprio

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@noel2x you mean the Actor?!

[@snicker576]

@@BeesWaxMinder law enforcement officer

[@fivewattworld]

Ok, I had to get Ann to help me ID’ing the Crowded House changes. We’re impressed!

[@AskZac]

Glad you have Ann around.

[@Bob46374]

Thank , I was trying so hard to name that song

[@sgd5k292]

Bought a new ProAm II Jazzmaster last year and love it. It solved all the problems of the older JM's especially due to the new Panorama tremolo and the bridge. It comes with 9's, and I have gone down to 7s, but like 8s the best. If you like heavier strings such as 11's or 12's, all you need to do is replace the tremolo spring. It also is capable of either the modern JM sound, or at the push of the tone control, you get that brighter vintage sound. Now I am waiting for my "splash" reverb to come in. I will be in surf sound heaven then!

[@telekmetyk]

People forget the resurgence of Jags and Jazzmasters came from the indie rock scene of the late 80s and early 90s. Bands like Sonic Youth, dinosaur Jr and others used offset guitars because they were the cheapest instruments to buy second hand because no one wanted them. They also removed all the silly stock circuits and usually just blasted out straight from pickups to the jack with out even a volume or tone control. If you look at all the famous users, none of them use them stock as they came. These guitars are all about the looks.

[@oqsy]

The only question a player should ask themself is “why NOT a Jazzmaster?”. Now that Fender Japan is making Junior Jazzmasters, even the smaller players have a short-scale Jazzmaster. WRHB models, HB models, and P90 models are available. There is a Jazzmaster for every purpose. When you meet another Jazzmaster player, shake his hand, for you know you have met a man of quality and ingenuity. Jokes aside, I love Jazzmasters, but not the pigeonholing of it to indie, shoegaze, and surf. They are far more versatile than that, even in stock 60’s layout. Thanks for the video!

[@Dogdickdale]

I’ve got an American professional Jazzmaster. I like it but it’s probably my least played guitar and often the next in line to consider trading in for something different. The sound is so unique that I’m always too chicken to get rid of it. This show is so good. You should teach this class at a university or something.

[@AskZac]

Thanks!

[@nickshaw6085]

​@@AskZacAsk Professor Zac! Lol

[@badgerdub]

I've played a '64 Jazzmaster exlusively for 15 years. I play cali country / grateful dead lead guitar with a heavy pick. I lock the trem and add a buzz-stop and it's an absolute workhorse for bar gigs. It's got great twang and tons of upper-midrange cut. the middle position is absolute rock monster while the neck is strat+LP junior clean heaven with thick low end. Jazzmaster pickup sets are hum-cancelling (RWRP) so even though it's a noisy guitar compared to a tele, that middle position is really pro. I will say that because of the 'wider' lower midrange of Jazzmaster that I prefer them through a Blackface Bassman with the more beefy preamp, rather than a Bandmaster/deluxe AB763 that has the scooped blackface sound.

[@benjamingilmore825]

I love the tones Chris Stapleton gets out of his Jazzmasters through his brown face Princeton. Some beautiful piano like sounds

[@SteveSchuffert]

The bridge and trem was changed for the Ultra model. Works perfect. Stays in tune like a rock.

[@jfinester]

I’ve had a soft spot for Jazzmasters since I started playing in the early ‘60s. The Walk Don’t Run (Ventures) sound is a Jazzmaster with flatwound strings. I’ve never owned one-I just never found the right one! One day, maybe...and that Guild Starfire V is cool too. In 1976 I got a Guild X-500, their equivalent to a Gibson L-5CES-blonde, gold hardware, just a gorgeous thing. I had it on the road with me until Frontier Airlines did a number on it. Don’t take a nice archtop on the road, kids!

[@tonydrake821]

You nailed it. The open sound and lack of mid-range offers up a lot of space for effects, especially cavernous reverbs and delays. The lack of sustain from the original bridge also plays into that and is actually usable if you have a light touch. It's the perfect ambient guitar.

[@tlister67]

The lack of sustain gives a more percussive quality

[@johng2880]

I have an Ultra JM that feels amazing with the compound radius neck. It also features phase switches in the upper bout (with individual volumes). The only thing I didn't care for was the noiseless pickup set. I changed them out for '65s and I think it's a forever guitar. OH yeah, my avatar.

[@anthonyz7000]

Yes! To me, the switches on the upper bout are by far the most mysterious and potentially confounding thing about the Jazzmaster.

[@dylanfan424]

The chord is a minor 7 or maj6 it would be functioning as an Gmaj6 and A Maj 6 in the context of how you are playing it here. Cool video, I’m a recent convert to offset guitars.

[@BluesboyJagCigarBoxGuitar]

I've got a Squire J Mascis JM and it's amazing! I flip to the treble pickup and it sounds awesome for country, the middle setting is great for any music and the bass pickup is nice and fat. Super simple. I use it for assisted living gigs at very low volume and the tone really comes through well.

[@timothydurkin6800]

Why a Jazz Master? You could’ve ended video after playing opening riffs. Question answered.

[@stevebenaszeski9153]

I use this more than other guitars because of the RHYTHM CIRCUIT. Surprised you didn't mention it. I like your articulate explanation of how effects pedals work well with Jazzmasters because of their V shaped eq.

[@Molotov_Milkshake]

I'm interested. How do you make use of the rhythm circuit? I use mine as a darker tone on a lower volume for quiet parts in some songs etc, but I'd love to hear some other ideas.

[@anthonybowers7571]

I can't see that circuit on his guitar ..

[@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001]

If someone need to know how a jazzmaster sounds like , they need to check out Television “Marquee Moon”album from start to finish 😄

[@AskZac]

TRUTH

[@sethhoward1095]

There's a clipping from a Melody Maker "Any Questions" that can be found with a quick search about the gear used on Marquee Moon. No source is mentioned, so take it with a grain of salt, but according to that not a lot of Jazzmaster.

[@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001]

@@sethhoward1095 yeah I’ve read it but I’ve also read lots of Tom verlaine interviews where he says his solos were almost always his jazzmaster on the bridge pickup. Of course we shouldn’t forget Richard Lloyd who mainly played a telecaster at the time The pictures taken at the time around Marquee Moon also show Verlaine with either a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar with Danelectro pickups , i really don’t know about this melody maker article.. it kind of appear only quite recently Anyways .. it’s a brilliant album and people should listen to it religiously 😀

[@sethhoward1095]

@@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001 One of my favorite albums for sure. Yes, lipstick pickups have always been a big ingredient in Verlaine's sound. The Dano early on, Jag/JM with lipsticks, and the parts Strat with a JM neck and three lipstick pickups. Largely what inspired me to put together my own lipstick JM. The two times I saw Television live in the early 2000s he just played a (presumably rented) Strat. Lloyd did too. They both sounded exactly like themselves.

[@lastofthe4horsemen279]

The best

[@sethhoward1095]

The ability to do bends and use the vibrato simultaneously is one of the great features of a JM. You can also bend notes behind the bridge if you're clever. I guess the secret is out now, but yes you can use a JM for a lot of the same things you'd use a Tele for. Giant pedalboard optional.

[@dcaudwell]

Great stuff, as always! I wonder if you have come across Danny Adler in your travels. He's a US-born guitarist and band leader who has consistently played Jazzmasters (and mostly though Vox amps). He moved to the UK in the 70s and made some great bluesy, funk music with his band Roogalator ("Cincinnati Fatback", the 1977 version, perhaps being their finest) and then, in the 80s, with Rocket 88 and finally the Deluxe Blues Band ("Calling in the flag" from the band's session with Mike Vernon, has a great solo) . Today I believe he's back in the US and still plays and records. He's actually credited with turning Elvis Costello onto Jazzmasters, big glasses and sharp suits etc - maybe an urban legend but Roogalator were big in London in the 70s and very influential, so who knows? Another reminiscence - I have fond memories from the 80s of watching Buddy Guy go totally transcendent while playing a Starfire (not sure which model). There are also some great clips of him playing one in the 1970 documentary "Chicago Blues" by Harley Cokliss ("First Time I met the Blues" from this film is pretty powerful and can be found on KZbin).

[@AskZac]

I have seen clips of Buddy with the Guild. Killer

[@vayabroder729]

Incredible how this guitar was considered a “jazz” guitar by Mr. Fender. They are cool and versatile but a little too far from your regular archtop...I’ve seen videos of Joe Pass playing a Jazzmaster and/or Jaguar and he made it sound like a jazz box! Starfire was what Jerry Garcia used in the early days of the Dead...

[@modestoney1577]

i´ve always found them to be very suitable as jazz guitars, but they are so much more. I love Jazzmasters - given they are set up well. My feeling is that a lot of people who dislike them have mostly met badly set up examples.

[@SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

Lot's of classic surf tunes on JMs are middle position.

[@joebubbit]

I just built one very similar via Guitar Mill parts. Mastery bridge and Descendant trem. Dawgtown custom pickups (fantastic!). It plays as good or better as the custom shops down the street.

[@AskZac]

Very cool!

[@garymcaleer6112]

That little excerpt toward the end @ 12:00 had the near-identical tone of Hendrix' Axis Bold as Love album. I don't hear other strats duplicate it so closely. A lovely sound, Zac. My favorite of all.

[@RCGC01]

Dont get to hear JM guitars too often. They do sound awesome

[@johncecilia4517]

Cool video! You should do more videos on different guitars. You get a lot more sounds than most I see on You Tube. Some Steinbergers have similar effect on trem staying in tune with whammy bar used

[@Frank-in-NY]

My 1966 Jazzmaster looks identical. I got it brand new when I was 15 years old. It still plays great. I also have a 65 Reissue Jazzmaster, and it's identical to the 66, except it's mint condition.

[@SubtractiveMoves]

Im always learning from Zac. I bought a Nash Telemaster at my local shop and now seeing this video I understand one of the reasons why I love it so much. When its strummed you can hear each string individually. It really sounds great. That being said.....I would have never been interested in this kind of instrument at all. Yet I walked out of the shop with a Shell pink guitar that I just played for over 2 hours. Thanks Zac

[@guitareveryone]

The Jazzmaster definitely has its place in a player’s collection. I had the opportunity to play a mid 60’s model several years ago in addition to a mid 60’s Jaguar. Between the two I preferred the Jazzmaster with it’s longer scale length and fatter sounding pickups. They are, however thinner, twangier and brighter than one would expect considering its larger pickup size. A lot of people confuse Jazzmaster pickups for P90s but they are a totally different design. I own a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster and the pickups are hotter and fatter sounding than the vintage type and I really enjoy that guitar. I thought that the Guild you demoed sounded pretty cool too. Much enjoyed the episode!

[@anthonymcgill8035]

I’m a Telecaster guy, but I’ve always been intrigued with the Jazzmaster. Despite it’s quirkiness, seems to be a very versatile guitar. Great pedal steel licks, btw!

[@fluidalchemist68]

Sounds even better with flats :)

[@blacktoothfox677]

I am SO choosy with the guitar channels I subscribe to. But, merit, purely, has caused me to commit to this. I love it when I find someone whom I disagree with quite a fair bit (I adore the two pickup sounded Tele and Strat type axes, for instance!?🍀) And yet, STILO understand and respect their opinion, and even GET something out of it, in my constant effort to develop as an earnest player! But live from the UK 🍀🍀🍀

[@blacktoothfox677]

Predictive text nonsense, kindle allows no edit... Pffff

[@jakestadium]

Awesome sounds from this setup Zac. A JM into a blackface Fender with a healthy dose of spring reverb is def. one of the all time classic tones. Kind of like a hi-fi Strat vibe.

[@nikolaki]

Thanks Zac. Enjoyed your video. No mention of the Jazzmaster Rhythm Circuit? I like the contrast that circuit gives to the main one. Being a lefty I was glad Squier released a Jazzmaster at a price that doesn't break the bank.

[@AskZac]

I don't like the dark sound

[@insulartomb]

What a wonderful coincidence! Uploaded the day I caved and bought myself a JM style guitar. As if I wasn't excited enough. Great video as ever, Zac. That Starfire makes me realise that I'd love to hear you play and talk about a Firebird!

[@AskZac]

That and a Jr are the 2 Gibs that interest me.

[@johng2880]

@@AskZac Yeah! See if you can get your hands on a vintage Non Reverse 'Bird. Those are so ugly they're beautiful.

[@insulartomb]

@@AskZac Love me a Special too, but that's for the middle position. So less of interest to you I imagine!

[@insulartomb]

@@johng2880 Shame they're P90s instead of proper Firebird pickups though. Love P90s, just not in a 'Bird!

[@tunesmith7437]

Truth be told: any model/brand of a guitar is applicable in any situation. I feel that Jazzy sounds better than the Teles. It has twang but a smoother kind of twang.

[@mikefromusa6902]

YES!!!! My second favorite fender guitar. You need one Zac.

[@TheHeater90]

I always knew Jazzmasters were good Country guitars because Luther Perkins played one with Johnny Cash in the late 50s/early 60s, when he wasn't playing an Esquire.

[@ZacharyWThomas]

As some other commenters have pointed out, if you understand your instrument you can probably coax any sound you want out of it. The best type of guitar is the one that inspires you to play on it! I won’t lie, I bought my jazzmaster almost purely on aesthetics, but because I love the way it looks I am way more likely to pick it up and practice. Over time I’ve learned what I like and don’t like about it and how to address or accentuate those things, but I never would have got this far if I didn’t love my guitar.

[@christopherprice3226]

picked up a jazz tele sat loving it. Have a 51 tele reissue ,fender brent mason tele and a G@L dohenney loved this video

[@savoirfaire8979]

Jazzmasters have a futuristic look even in 2022.

[@gresnid3453]

"Now, I'm not gonna go out and BUY one." @10:43 made me laugh.

[@professorhamamoto]

Due to the influence of The Ventures and The Beach Boys, we "boomers" associated Jazzmasters with "surf music." When The Beatles hit and then Hendrix, we did not want to be tagged with what you have shown to be a wonderful instrument. The Jazzmaster skipped a generation and found its place with Punk, New Wave, and avant-garde guitarists. Pedal steel licks sound less mechanical (cf. B-Bender) and more "modulation"-like with the application of the Jazzmaster vibrato bar. Interestingly lefty Otis Rush sometimes used both Jazzmasters and Guild Starfires, which was was unusual for blues players. Could we have your thoughts a vintage Jaguar; particularly about its "short" scale?

[@AskZac]

I need to find a friend that has a Jag to borrow.

[@l6srob990]

very cool video learned a lot about both guitars thankyou

[@AskZac]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jameskrys5286]

Anybody ever see a G&L Doheny? (Doheny is a beach in SoCal)

[@StandbyCymbalist]

I hear they're kickin' out in Doheny too..

[@rmannlefty1]

My main guitar is a Doheny! Most versatile guitar I've ever owned.

[@anthonydratnal1870]

So many of the New Wave / post punk guys bought Jazzmasters and Mustangs because they were available and much cheaper than Strats and Teles, but I've always wondered just how much the incredibly bright, hi-fi sound of these guitars influenced those genres in turn.

[@AskZac]

I think you are right

[@hunkydorian]

Pardon me if you've heard this before, but the best guitar sound ever recorded was Bob Bogle's Jazzmaster on the 1960 Ventures' hit Walk Don't Run. That was the best recorded guitar sound ever. Ever.

[@dunxy]

That is a great track and great tone!

[@tomgartin]

I love how you can hear the Strat and P bass come in, then the jazzmaster just lays right on top clear as a bell

[@southernpride2003]

For me it was Luther Perkins playing Bonanza

[@ugeanspyrll6816]

Totally agree! When I was a kid and wanted to buy a guitar, I remember being so let down by the lack of information regarding clean tones. Everyone wanted hard rock and metal tones, and I wanted to sound like Duane Eddy and Bob Bogle (names I didn’t even know at the time, but sounds that shaped my love of music forever). It seems more people are coming around to the clean sounds and Jazzmasters can be found in most guitar shops these days. I love to see it!

[@ugeanspyrll6816]

*disclaimer* I mentioned Duane Eddy, but I’d like to make it clear he never played a Jazzmaster, just influenced my love of twang and Hi-Fi guitar sounds. I have a Danelectro 6-string bass for Duane’s sound!

[@Tonetwisters]

Cut my teeth on my brother's brand new, 1960 Jazzmaster. Loved that thing. IIRC, that bass string riff on "Oh Pretty Woman" was done on a Jazzmaster. You can fix that "break angle" with 1/2 a business card under the neck up close to the body, to drop the head a bit and put more downward pressure on the bridge. The Jazzmaster is perhaps the best dual pickup sound out there, with the 6120 with DeArmonds a close second, IMHO. This guitar does a killer job on "Ghost Riders In The Sky" ...

[@hoagyguitarmichael]

Great vid. Your viewers should know that if they can't afford a Mastery bridge, a Mustang bridge is a direct replacement and solve the strings popping out issue if not the sustain one

[@AskZac]

Thank you, Michael!

[@mikefromusa6902]

Yup. I find the mastery bridge to be a bit too bright sounding and the vibrato doesn’t work the same way. I like the stock bridge or a mustang bridge much better, plus they are a lot cheaper

[@randocalrissian4520]

You don't even need to do that. With a proper setup, the stock bridge will work just fine with roundwound .010s. I wail on mine like Pete Townshend, the strings stay put.

[@mikefromusa6902]

@@randocalrissian4520 💯

[@marcraygun6290]

I have a 62 in sunburst, just the best thing ever

[@AskZac]

NICE

[@docdeens4030]

My Jazzmaster has been with me the longest of any guitar. Beat to hell and back and always sounds great, won't go out of tune even with hard term abuse, and works with any amp/pedal combo.

[@zororosario]

Excellent demo best of what the Jazzmaster can put out ! Cheers thanks for this video.

[@AskZac]

My pleasure!

[@playfasthithard]

Would love to see an Ask Zac on Wayne Moss. Seems like he SHOULD be a tele guy.

[@justinpaquette224]

I think they use 1meg pots and a treble bleed, which contributes to their tone

[@andybeisel8205]

Woah Zac goes shoegaze!! It’s not just a phase, mom!!!

[@DKentization]

is the 2 pick up demo, Crowed House - "Don't Dream its Over"? I have a 60 w/ factory gold hardware, that smokes. No need for the Mastery on this one, I've never had the low strings pop out and I have ham hands.

[@AskZac]

Yep, Dream

[@fpsknifer9906]

I love the middle position of the lead circuit on Jazzmasters. It's the only guitar I've ever played where I like the sound of more than one pickup being selected.

[@SpookieVonDookie]

Nothing surfs like a Jazzmaster

[@PleksiHeddamo]

Except a Fender Jaguar

[@tonywhetham8165]

The Mastery bridge makes a huge difference in playability and sustain. It was the first mod I made.

[@JsnHgl]

Changed my AO 60's JM to a wonderful, stable beast.

[@pjorr3914]

100% - takes it half way to a tele feel + snap

[@angelic_slayer]

I have a 61’ in blonde. Beautiful sounding pedal steel licks man. The tremolo system is like butter on a jazzmaster. Just sweetens a players style.

[@the-LeoKnightus]

My first guitar teacher played a Jazzmaster. Referred to it as the 'tele for gadgit freaks".

[@KevinSmith-lt4qf]

Thanks for this. l always liked Wayne Moss ,first discovered him on the area 615 records but then found out he played sessions with Roy Orbirson.l think you demonstrate what jazz masters really sound like, which sadly so many demos fail to do ,l did have a sixty five l series Jaguar but having always played telecasters l couldn't get use to the scale length. This is a very informative channel keep up the good work.

[@mikeadams4605]

Noooo....I've been gassing for a Jazzmaster for awhile because of Stapleton....You are killing me Zac!! LOL

[@WillyMcCoy50]

My favorite is an alder bodied Jazzmaster thinline, double bound with no F-hole. Had it made by Saylor Guitars in Oregon. The body was spec'd with the route for a tele bridge/pickup/string thru. Esquire style and light weight. Custom quartersawn neck with no Birdseye or dancing flame ....... just straight grain. Solid as a rock and sounds great with a Don Mare 10k pickup.

[@markjohnson9485]

You have opened my eyes to the great sounds the Jazzmaster. I've never owned or wanted one before but you have shown me that, in the studio it can be a versatile tool. I wish you could have spent more time with the Starfire, I would love to have heard more. Keep picking!!

[@alwatsky]

Haha, my first decent guitar was a J Master , it was around a 66 I guess. Bought it new. They have their uses. They have a kinda flabby feel and sound for my money , but they work for these country sounds alright. Lets face it , if you have the music in you any decent guitar will get it out into the world. Its a quality American product. I put P90's in mine, that was cool I modded mine with a tuneomatic... Zac you weren't wrong , but they have their uses, if you wanna sound like that ...

[@leehambridge534]

Hi Zac thanks for you're videos I really enjoy them. All the best from Rugby, England. Ps have you ever reviewed a squire classic vibe telecaster it would be great to hear you're thoughts on them. 👍

[@AskZac]

I would be happy to do that, I just have not been to a shop in a while due to the pandemic.

[@nacienlos70]

We need a 335 video Zac.

[@Irkennalpha]

I think P90's in a Jazzmaster with 500k pots work great! Some of the harshness goes with those pickups and lots of beefiness is added, keeping also part of the enharmonics that the bridge design provide.

[@J.C...]

Most Jazzmasters don't have P90's though. They have Jazzmaster pickups, which are a totally different thing

[@57ebartley]

Dang it, I don't want to buy a another guitar but I have always been intrigued by a Jazzmaster. And I love the in between sounds on Strats and Tele's. My Tele's are Jangley in the Middle.

[@tomburkhardt811]

Hey Zac, I really enjoyed seeing the Guild guitar. My buddy had one of those in the early 70s, played it through a Fender Vibrolux amp. Brought back a lot of good memories. When you were talking about the older 335s I remembered seeing a Gibson in the early 70s that looked just like a 335 but it only had one F hole on the left side. I have researched those guitars on occasion and can't find anything about them or what model they actually were. You wouldn't happen to know anything about them would you. Thinking back I should have bought it. I'm sure they are a rare dog now. I bought a 1974 Tele Deluxe instead. They were the same price, $425.

[@spacejamgoliath]

Always been intrigued by the jazzmasters but never wanted on offset guitar. I don't really sit and play

[@hearpalhere]

I've actually never played a Jazzmaster but they do definitely have a unique sound that seems to be all their own. Thanks for showing us this beauty and playing some tasty licks too. You got some nice friends if they're letting you play with toys like this haha. Rock on!

[@maggieo]

I think Woody has done more for the Jazzmaster and Jaguar in the last fifteen years. Even if you don't get a Mastery set up, there's Staytrem in the UK, and Fender is doing Mustang-style bridges. (I was one of the first to buy a Mastery and put it on my ECJM, named "Nelvis," after Nels and Elvis).

[@maggieo]

And if it was good enough for Luther Perkins... kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJexkH6fdtKSmas

[@mastermachetier5594]

I had been a strat player for a long time , but recently got a vintera jazzmaster and its teaching me so many new things.

[@tobisteffen]

For your Fender department, have a Strat and a Jazzmaster. A Jazzmaster is a better sounding and way more comfortable Telecaster.

[@DevinBellROCKS]

This was cool!!! Thanks!

[@AskZac]

You bet!

[@briancoyne6700]

This channel is bad for my GAS : gear acquisition syndrome.

[@nocomment.5493]

Best guitar ever. I have two, one Squier and one American Fender. I think I'll sell the cheap one in order to buy a mexican Fender.

[@davidkieltyka9]

Great tip on the Starfire. Guild’s ‘60s humbuckers are lovely sounding pickups and the guitars are very well made. (Their ‘70s HBs sound great too but different.)

[@AskZac]

Thanks for the info!

[@hearpalhere]

Thank goodness for the half speed function on youtube, I can now play the little intro from your show Zac! What is that by the way? Is it an original piece that you came up with or some classic lick that I don't know?

[@AskZac]

An exercise I use to help my pinky.

[@hearpalhere]

@@AskZac Wow, no way! I really like it, it's really catchy. I've never been good at learning other people's licks and riffs but this one really kind of caught my ear. Nice going writing this - it's extremely musical and not at all like typical exercises :-)

[@AskZac]

@@hearpalhere Here is the tab www.askzac.com/post/ask-zac-theme-tab

[@tomduckworth8335]

Many years ago back in the 70s I had Jaguar. I forget why I bought it but I used it mostly as a slide guitar but I really hated that guitar. The pickups were very weak and I didn’t like the soft shorter scale length and of course I always had trouble with the bridge and the switching system was glitchy. Probably mid sixties three color sunburst but it didn’t hold a candle to my strat or tele. So for that reason I assumed a Jazzmaster was the same thing just different pickups. So like many of us baby boomers I ignored them. Now over the last few years I’ve seen the light and am an owner of a Squire Classic vib 60s Jazzmaster it nicely rounds out my Fender collection. I’m looking forward to learning all it mysteries.

[@davidestes6738]

Thanks man. Been thinking about a Jazzmaster or Jaguar for surf music. Question... Did you ever play with Nokie Edwards? If so could you do a show about it?

[@AskZac]

Never played with him. Wish I had.

[@bodichair]

I picked up a Jazzmaster on a fluke one Saturday afternoon. This guy rolls in to a local guitar store. He had a beat to hell and back fender case. He lays it on the floor and the sales dude says what you got there? The owner says you tell me? He opens up the case and in lays a 1974 JM all original parts. Someone refinished it and hand painted some vine looking work on it. It actually looked very good. Bottom line I ended up buying it. Its know one of the best sounding guitars I own. I never knew much about the JM . well I do know the pickups have some balls cranked up on a old Marshall tube amp. It blew my mind. From the down dirty to delicate vibrato and everything in between. This guitar has been heavily gigged ,Who would have thought!

[@kentonhammond8938]

I have a natural finish Starfire 4. What makes the difference between the 4 & the 5, the wood, the year, the Bigsby ? It's a gorgeous guitar with a very distinct sound.

[@richardinmaryland6197]

The Bigsby is the main difference. In some years, the 5 had a master volume or cosmetic upgrades that were missing on the 4.

[@stringspicksandfiddlestick6388]

I was watching an old Ed Sullivan show yesterday after watching this Ask Zac and fourteen year old Hank Williams Junior was backed up by a guy playing a Jazzmaster.

[@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001]

I have an early 65 jazzmaster ( Olympic white) but with no binding It looks like these tuners are from a Coronado guitar Im not saying for it’s not original to the guitar ( everything is possible with fender 😀) but it’s unlikely ? A well setup bridge shouldn’t cause any issues but yeah anything under 10-46 is not recommended

[@davideskelin8266]

I have a June 65 Jaguar, very similar to the Jazzmaster. In later 65 CBS took over Fender and put binding on necks and I think the tuners changed with many of them then, from what I've seen. What you and I have are pre CBS guitars. Also our finger boards are Brazilian rosewood!

[@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001]

@@davideskelin8266 in 66 fender switched to their own F stamped tuners and block inlays ( as well as the binding) , On Zac’s guitar here it’s no doubt a 65 but these tuners are really specific to the Coronado Anyways... I love these guitars , I had a 66 as well years ago ... should have kept it , sound wise it was slightly different to my early 65 , although both have grey bobbins pickups. I hope Zac can do more reviews of other unusual guitars particularly fenders The 70s telecaster custom , thin line and deluxe would be a good choice

[@davideskelin8266]

@@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001 ah, I see. I have several guitars that I should have held onto. But, I'll hold on to the one I have now. I like it when Zac does these oldie but goodie guitars sessions.

[@eternallearner8185]

My favourite Fender.

[@jessejordache1869]

Embarrassing n00b story: I've had chances to pick up cheap Jazzmasters, but I never did because EVEN THOUGH all my favorite bands played them (or ES-335s) I thought the pickups were P90s, and I've never like the way P90s honk at you. And since I'd be buying long distance, I couldn't just pick it up and play with it. I'm sort of wedded to my tele now, but my eyes are open.

[@jayson3900]

I grew up with some of my favorite guitarists playing Fenders but never really getting it. I never cared for Fenders at all beyond that til I inherited my grandfather's Squire Strat. Then I started to get a feel for them along with a tone that matched more closely to my dream tone. Fast forward a few years til a couple of weeks ago and I got my J. Mascus Jazzmaster not knowing much about JM's and nothing about J. Mascus. Needless to say, it took less than a minute of holding it and playing it to know I wanted it badly. So much so that the very next day I emptied what I had saved up on the side to buy it. I can't remember the last time I genuinely enjoyed just playing my guitar with no purpose at all other than for the love of it. My Jazzmaster has breathed new life into my as a musician in ways I probably still won't be able to articulate for years to come and I'm ever so grateful for my guitar! Great video. Thanks for sharing!

[@fancykarlmarx]

Because they are awesome. You can play country with it and then go across the street and play drone/doom metal.

[@jessejordache1869]

Because I'm basically an indie rocker and showing up on stage with a Les Paul would make me look like a douchebag? Kidding -- I love the sound of JM pickups, but the reason they became the Sonic Youth/My Bloody Valentine guitar of choice was because the blues/hard rockers had to have their strats and their LPs, driving the price of alternatives down, making them affordable to bands in the early New York scene. The Jazzmaster quickly became a favorite because it takes to pedals and other mods SOOOO well. I love my telecaster, but whenever I get to play a Jazzmaster, I'm always amazed at how you can do the most random things to it and get an interesting and original sound. Like sticking a lighter in front of the saddle. Lodging a penny behind the low E string. Yes, I do like Thurston Moore, thank you for asking.

[@buzzcrumhunger7114]

Now you need to borrow a non-reverse Firebird... ;)

[@chippsterstephens6800]

The jazzmaster pickup is pretty cool, an 8 string version of that pickup was used on the fender 400 pedal steel, the early 400s were considered long scale, for a pedal steel guitar, it’s a great sounding steel guitar, and a classic tone, but rather crude and very hard to get parts for the pedals. I use a fender 400 pickup on my long scale 8 string lap steel. It sounds stellar, very Western swing ish…. Anyway….