Guitar Tech Tips - How To Setup Your Fender Jazzmaster

Want me to walk you through a setup step by step? I'm doing a workshop on Zoom. Would love to have you. 👉 loungingguitars.com/
Full guitar setup video start to finish on my Fender Jazzmaster. This one has a Fender 60s Original Jazzmaster neck & body loaded with a Fender Custom Shop Pickguard and wiring with Lollar Pickups.

[@b_l_a_n_k_f_i_e_l_d]

Dude is so good he refinished the guitar from blue to sunburst and back to blue AND swapped out the bridge from brass tele style saddles to a Mastery before your very eyes! You probably didn't even notice.

[@LoungingGuitars]

🤪🤣😂😂😂

[@michael.henery]

Thanks so much! Just bought my first Fender Jazzmaster and I have no idea how to take care of it in the way you showed in the video but I've always wanted to learn how, so thanks again!

[@LoungingGuitars]

You’re very welcome! Glad my videos are useful! Check out the setup I did for my Inoran Jazzmaster. It hits a couple other things that I may have missed in this video.

[@ListenHereOldMan]

woah, you're a lifesaver, friend! i got old and stopped having time to play, so my '99 CIJ Jazzmaster needs some real love and care.. excited to do it, tho! thanks so much

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@theguitarprofessionals8584]

Thanks for the great content!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most guitars dont have the best bridge like you have!!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you! 🤘🔥🤘

[@profile2047]

Very pleasant learning experience.

[@LoungingGuitars]

More coming soon!

[@Tonetwisters]

That's a beautiful Jazzer.

[@YourFavouriteColor]

THANK you. you're the first person I've seen on youtube to describe what the tremlock is for, to rescue the tuning when you break a string. It's not meant to set the vibrato to synchronous. the bridge was designed to float, and the tremlock was for string breaks. you're doing the lord's work

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@carlosmontiel2854]

Still don’t get it

[@YourFavouriteColor]

@@carlosmontiel2854 so on a floating system, if you break a string, the equilibrium between the spring tension and strings is destroyed. The spring gets looser because there is one less string applying pulling force. Consequently, the angle of the fulcrum changes and the strings go out of tune. The little tab on JM/Jaguar vibratos is a "tuning rescue." If you break a string, you slide the tab, and it preserves the angle of the fulcrum, keeping the rest of the strings(relatively) in tune so you can finish the song. People assume that it's an option to set the bridge to synchronous(flat only) vibrato, which isn't true. Same with strats. They are not designed for synchronous tremolo. they're designed to float. If you set up a strat with synchronous tremolo you will damage the paint under the bridge plate because it will be constantly smacking into the body.

[@carlosmontiel2854]

@@YourFavouriteColor thank you so much

[@bellumsounds]

This is fantastic! Thanks 🤟

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you! 🤘🔥🤘

[@TheAndrewc5120]

awesome video. investing in a couple bits and bobs for my j mascis squire and would love to give it a proper set up at the end.

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you! I have a newer video release that goes even more into detail on this setup! Check it out!

[@jdufour7]

Came for the set up, but stayed for the Topo Chico!!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Right on! 🤘🔥🤘

[@jackparsons3197]

Great video!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you!

[@lenaandthelambcampingadven3422]

Great effort thanks!

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@MajorLOVEmusic]

Love it!!!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you!

[@chriswhrtn]

that sunburst is lovely man i see you 2 on insta alot of the time, nothing like a 60s sunburst 🔥(thanks for the paradigms tip)

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@sterling11233]

good stuff dude

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thank you!

[@brownobservablephenomena]

thumbs up for hitting the gritty with your kids!! also this video is great!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Haha thank you!

[@sambleach]

Best Jazzmaster setup video ever! Congrats mate, I'm looking forward for a video explaining the height of the Jazzmaster pickups, keep the content up, I'm sure you will have a great success around here :)

[@LoungingGuitars]

Thanks man! Greatly appreciated!

[@nicholaschavira1743]

Pickup height is kinda subjective. I would just finagle with it until you find a tone and balance that you like.

[@davidjack7633]

I'm super keen to buy the spring for the tremelo. Anyone have any links? UK friendly would be amazing.

[@alstrummer2446]

Thanks for taking your time to make this video, I found it really helpful. Great tip with putting the screws on a magnet! I am not clear what the sliding button on the trem plate does or is for. Should it be forward or backward and why? Any help is appreciated.

[@LoungingGuitars]

Hey! I have a newer video going over this in detail! Check out the latest release.

[@alstrummer2446]

@@LoungingGuitars That's great. I will check it out. Just got a Johnny Marr jaguar with the same button and trying to figure our best usage of the vibrato system. Fantastic guitar so far.

[@Illneverremember1]

Try as I did, I could never get the original bridge on my new Player Series Jazzmaster to cut it. I shimmed the neck, raised the bridge, but I couldn't get it as high as it needed to be without the strings hitting the back of the bridge base. I settled for lower than what it needed to be, but just couldn't distribute pressure evenly enough across the saddles. Some strings aways sounded a bit lessor than others., and the whole guitar just seemed to not be all it could in terms of tone and resonance. So I broke down, considered Staytrem and Mastery bridges, but settled for an $80 Fender American Pro bridge and it completely solved the problem, making the guitar sound and play as it should.

[@LoungingGuitars]

Great to hear it’s playing great now!

[@BlindingSun_]

Sounds like you overshimmed the neck. You should have tried flatwound 11.s before shimming. Sometimes the right strings make all the difference

[@Illneverremember1]

@@BlindingSun_ I got a Mustang bridge with higher saddles, also 11's. All good now. I could probably go back to the original bridge but probably won't.

[@nicholaschavira1743]

Do you shim the necks on your jazzmasters? What kind of a bridge is on the blue one? Thanks so much, great video!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Hey! I don’t shim the Ocean Turquoise Jazzmaster. It’s an American Original which comes with an angled neck pocket. You can shim with a 0.5 or 0.75 degree full neck pocket shim from Stew Mac if the neck pocket is not angled from the factory.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

@@LoungingGuitars I was going to do that, but Stewmac is really expensive for that kind of thing, even for members like me. I found similar shims for a few dollars on reverb or ebay, it's just a thin piece of wood cut precisely - Stewmac wants big money for them....

[@Doady1337]

I opened up my Jazzmaster today and replaced the jack. But after putting the pickguard back on, I seem have no rhythm circuit on the guitar. Completely dead. Opened it up again to make sure i didnt catch anything or mess a solder up but it seems perfectly fine - wiring wise. I didnt even touch anything else but replacing the jack. I'm at a loss. Could something be shorting out the circuit channel?

[@rocketplyer3746]

Is it just me or do ALL jazzmaster players just love topo chico

[@LoungingGuitars]

It’s not just you. All of us love it! 🤪

[@tendingtropic7778]

i was waiting for the string action and pickup height setting... do you have a video on those too?

[@tendingtropic7778]

nevermind, found the string action. not the pickup height though

[@LoungingGuitars]

Just posted a new Jazzmaster setup vid with this detail in it!

[@RayyanKesnan]

Thanks for this video, it's really helpful for me. I have a Vintera with the vintage neck radius though, and I have trouble bending too high above the 12 fret. I have the neck shimmed with a 0.5 stew mac shim and there's a slightly noticeable forward bow on the neck, but it's pretty straight. I'd like to lower the action more but I can't bend at all then. Do you have any tips for fixing this? I've heard that vintage necks don't get low action and have the bend trouble but idk how true that is...

[@LoungingGuitars]

The radius of the neck is definitely the culprit. Make sure the neck is as straight as possible with only the slightest relief / forward bow. I set the string height at the high E while trying to bend a hole step at the 10th, 12th and 14th fret. I set the height right before the bend frets out. It ends up being right around just under 1.5mm at the high E at the 12th fret.

[@RayyanKesnan]

@@LoungingGuitars Thanks so much! I'll try making the neck a big straighter right now. My string height is at 2mm right now for the high E so it would be nice to lower the action somehow.

[@danielrocha2581]

Yo solo queria saber como cambiar ñas cuerdas y sali con un curso completo de luthier

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@DrAgan_tortojed]

Gravitational pull is itself a pull towards the Earth, not, say, towards the Moon...Thanx for the useful instructions - 99% of which are applicable to other guitars👍!

[@LoungingGuitars]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@pharmerdavid1432]

What was that bridge on it at the beginning? Later you used a Mastery bridge, but the first one looked interesting - it appeared like a good bridge for wang-bar action?

[@LoungingGuitars]

It’s a Fender Custom Shop RSD bridge.

[@rong648]

Do you have any recommendations on how to set up a Squire Jazzmaster tremolo system without a trem-lock? I was thinking about adding a spacer as a trem-lock.

[@LoungingGuitars]

Nothing can really be done to add a trem lock but adjust the spring so the trem arm is at a height you like and check if the trem bottoms out or can’t pull up enough to at least bend up to half a step.

[@rong648]

@@LoungingGuitars I used my tuner, and I can bend up to a half step. Thanks

[@romantrix]

I set up the lock button as you indicated. The problem is that when the lock is perfectly working as intended then the tremolo downward travel is very reduced, almost unusable. Should I then swap the spring to one with a different stiffness or do further internal adjustments?

[@LoungingGuitars]

Which Jazzmaster model are you playing? What’s the country it was made in? Each model has different quarks. Just want to make sure I give the right advice.

[@romantrix]

@@LoungingGuitars Thanks, I believe it's a late 90s CIJ. I made a bit of research and arguably the cause is that the spring is too soft for string gauge I'm using

[@LoungingGuitars]

I would upgrade that to a Fender American Vintage Reissue Trem Unit. They just work much better. If you have the money, you can get the Mastery trem Unit which is even better.

[@phoenixbejarano1025]

My guy really pushing for that topo chico sponsorship 😂

[@LoungingGuitars]

You know it! 🤪🤪🤪

[@noisessential]

It's the same for a Jaguar ??? I have a Squier Jaguar CV 70s and I'm trying to do a good setup, but I'm wondering how to setup the distance of the string with the neck, the height of the bridge

[@LoungingGuitars]

It should be fairly the same. My starting point is 1.7mm to 1.8mm over the 12th fret.

[@tuckermcshades9079]

Thanks for the video! Where can I buy the replacement panorama tremolo ?

[@LoungingGuitars]

The trem unit can be purchased on fender.com if they have them in stock. You can also look up darrenriley.com or Reverb.

[@tuckermcshades9079]

oh, i meant the replacement spring for use with heavier gage strings, sorry i worded it iso poorly

[@LoungingGuitars]

I got the spring on eBay. Seller name is superiorsell2014. The option to select is 16x8x25 in Yellow. The Yellow spring is the correct spring tension. These ship from China so you may have to wait a bit. You also need to modify your spring retainer. I didn’t want to modify the factory part so I bought an Allparts Jazzmaster Spring retainer. You have to laithe the retainer to fit the diameter of the spring.

[@bciecko1]

Any ideas on why my trem arm collet isn't the center (or center-ish) in the hole? It rubs against the back edge of the hole the collet sticks out from the face of the trem plate. I've never had this happen before. I thought tension might sort it, but after stringing it up it hasn't. This is a brand new AVRI trem unit. I've used them many times before. All brands and guitar price points and never had Fender, Squier, Mastery terms have the collet so far back in the hole.

[@BlindingSun_]

Blame Johnny Marr 😂😂😂

[@bciecko1]

@@BlindingSun_ He's a Jag player though. I'd rather pick on a Jazzmaster player.

[@BlindingSun_]

@@bciecko1 Troy Van Leuween

[@aeoteroa818]

i have srew saddles and man, i never thought id hate anything more than a floyd rose. i use jazz 3's and i strum very hard, i knock my 9's right off the damn bridge. im thinking mustang saddles will be my easiest and cheapest option

[@LoungingGuitars]

If you can get a hold of a Johnny Marr bridge depending on your fretboard radius that one is really good! But a Mustang bridge works!

[@Heitzsche]

The Staytrem JM bridge is also a robust option!

[@GoodmanRecordingsTokyo]

I chose to watch this thinking, haha i know everything, what could I learn? Polytune 3 has strobe function????

[@LoungingGuitars]

Yup! Haha!

[@ElephantTusks]

What dremel/polishing compound are you using? Thank you.

[@LoungingGuitars]

I used the Music Nomad Frine Polish for this one.

[@ElephantTusks]

@@LoungingGuitars Which Dremel model do you recommend?

[@jeremypiteo2341]

Here's a question, regarding the Am Pro 2 Jazzmaster. I have the vibrato lock engaged, and no matter how much I tighten or loosen the vibrato tension screw behind the lock, it makes a "tink" when the arm goes back to the up and resting position. I'm guessing it's where the 2 plates meet somewhere. I saw another youtuber use gaffer's or duct tape to dampen the contact between the 2 metal plates, and someone on the same vid said, "a simple adjustment of the tension screw should do it". I'm not finding adjusting that screw tighter to be the case. I can still dive, from E, down to G# but, always the "tink" when I let go of the arm and it tops out. Does the tension spring screw need to be super loose? super tight? I don't understand why I can't find a straight answer to this problem. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[@LoungingGuitars]

Hey! What string gauge are you using? Also, have you swapped out the spring as the AmPro 2 spring is too soft for the trem Unit.

[@jeremypiteo2341]

@@LoungingGuitars Using 9's, which came stock. I also haven't been able to get a spring that didn't require boring out the middle to fit the spindle. I bought the spring that Ryan from 60 cycle hum recommended but the original spring remains.

[@jeremypiteo2341]

Getting the awesome dive action I want, but, again, always with the tink when the bar tops out.

[@LoungingGuitars]

You can try this. When I got my Panorama Trem, I had to tighten all the screws and nuts and everything underneath ‘cause I was getting some clink / tink noises. Even though the trem arm is push in and snug, it still made sounds afterward as the tolerances at the Fender plant are still not great. Start by tightening everything on the trem and troubleshoot from there. You’ll have to take it off the body of the guitar.

[@jeremypiteo2341]

@@LoungingGuitars I appreciate the correspondence. I will check it per your advice and get back to you if I fix the problem. Thank you again!

[@Tom-db7bx]

Is Topo Chico Topo Giggio's cousin?

[@LoungingGuitars]

🤘🔥🤘

[@brownobservablephenomena]

oh no, not a sad story!

[@christineblack4654]

wow that's plain stupid. cuz in canada we need to adjust the trust road twice a year in the winter cuz we put the heat on and in the summer we put air conditionner on and the neck moves. they should put a tune o matic for lowering the action some like it lower. ho this does lower? we cant see your hand was in the way. can the pick ups be lowered? did not talk about it I think and cant see it.hummm

[@LoungingGuitars]

🤘🔥🤘thank you!

[@mrperson6773]

I can't imagine having to literally take off the neck for a simple truss rod adjustment...

[@LoungingGuitars]

You don’t have to imagine it.

[@mrperson6773]

@@LoungingGuitars I think it sucks, doing that

[@Tyrannocaster]

You will never own an older Fender, then. I prefer the head adjustment too, but you get used to it and back in the day that was the only option.

[@wilburwokeii8298]

Good video but dudes who talk about setting up Jazzmasters are worse than people that need to tell you about how they do CrossFit or Keto.

[@LoungingGuitars]

Hahah! Thanks for the underhanded compliment? 🤣🤣🤪

[@inandouttv5365]

If you see Topo Chico empties in your neighborhood, the rent's gonna go up

[@LoungingGuitars]

Bummer…….

[@BlindingSun_]

Set it on Fire and buy a Jaguar instead 😂😂😂😂😂

[@LoungingGuitars]

🤪🤪🤪🤪