I Played (almost) Every Jazzmaster to Find The Best One

Check out the exact guitars that were used in today's vid HERE (affiliate)
Squier '60s Classic Vibe Jazzmaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/B0aQYJ
Fender Vintera II '50s Jazzmaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/y2A5xG
Fender American Pro II Jazzmaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/Y9Pxkr
Fender American Ultra Jazzmaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/LXBGy0
Fender Custom Shop '59 Jazzmaster
sweetwater.sjv.io/DKGrZb
The Jazzmaster is one of the most often overlooked and underrated Fender guitars, initially being somewhat of a failure before eventually taking root in the indie and underground music scene and becoming an icon in its own right. But what's the best one in the modern day line up? We're taking 5 Jazzmasters from cheapest to most expensive and putting them head to head. Thanks to Sweetwater for sponsoring this video.
Go check out Keith's @fivewattworld video on the history of the Jazzmaster:
• The Fender Jazzmaster:...
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0:00 Intro Track
2:22 Intro to Jazzmaster
3:31 5 Jazzmasters, 1 Riff (bodysnatchers)
4:10 A Brief History
5:18 It's Built Different
6:04 Trem Example
6:27 Pickups and Settings
7:21 Main Circuit Demo
7:56 Rhythm Circuit
8:39 Rhythm Circuit Demo
9:20 Squier '60s Classic Vibe
11:53 Fender Vintera II
13:57 Fender American Pro II
16:21 Fender American Ultra
17:42 S1 Out of Phase
18:18 Fender Custom Shop
20:10 Ranking
26:44 Outro

[@jamespieres2226]

Half hour Rhett Shull video about jazzmasters? Heck yeah

[@nedim_guitar]

Rhett going shoegazey. I like the noise.

[@al271987]

My wife wanted to play guitar so we got her a CV Jag, and the tremolo on hers is rock solid *after* we set it up. I shimmed the neck, put 11s on the guitar, used loctite on the bridge height screws, and used a sanding sponge to even out the connection point on the tremolo plate. The whole deal took maybe an hour and all the materials cost about $25, but now the guitar stays beautifully in tune, has zero buzz behind the bridge, and plays beautifully with super low action. What I’m saying is, if you’re willing to do the work, there’s nothing wrong with the Squier offsets, cheap tremolo included.

[@janzelf]

True! I got a few too, did the setup according to premier guitar. Did it myself, because the luthiers kept fucking my guitars up and told me to get a Strat. But I declined, I just wanted an offset, these are not only bigger, but they suit my body better, better access to the higher fret register than a Strat. It's just a better guitar to me. But nowadays it seems everybody knows these are better, because it used to be cheap second hand guitars. These days they became even more expensive secundaire hand than new and the Strats are deadcheap nowadays. 😅

[@deanmccaskill5495]

I’m no expert on offsets but I totally agree about 11s (12s even) and locktite. Those things made my little Classic Vibe pretty good. It’s the only Squier I have.

[@WRCzATL]

I'm betting if you shim the neck and raise the bridge - for more downpressure - on any JM, you'll eliminate that little bazz/rattle you kept finding. It's basic part of a good JM setup. They were designed for big heavy jazz strings (flatwound even) and that works better with the lower bridge setting.

[@evolasme]

thanks for mentioning the break angle on the bridge regardless SHIM THE NECK 1degree raise the bridge and get more break angle on the bridge (creating more down force on the bridge) you will have the same action better tunability more resonance ^ a better playing guitar and no rattle!!!! i wish he would have mentioned this mod in the story it helps so much

[@jeremysiron9622]

Yep for me I got a classic vibe Squier I had to shim the neck, there was no other option…and then when I started asking around I found out that pretty much any Jazzmaster after the 1980s factory switch most of them you need to shim the neck

[@sgd5k292]

The JM American Pro II solves most if not all of the vintage Jazzmasters problems including a different bridge, an easy to adjust neck angle system built in, and the Panorama tremolo system. They come with 9s and I have 8s on mine and no problem at all. However, if you want to go with 11's or heavier strings, you will need to pick up a different spring which is easy to install.

[@darkMeluca]

@@evolasme definitely agree. I bought an American Original 60's and even with a bridge replacement (liked the Mastery love the Staytrem) was still buzzing and felt off. Added a 1 degree shim and it plays like a different guitar. Wish I would have tried that first!

[@drewnorth3816]

I've shimmed the neck on all of my JM's, except for the J Mascis. Even on the one's that shouldn't require it, such as the AM Pro II and AM Vintage II. If it's an offset, I shim, 95% of the time. Works wonders

[@andreweaton5598]

Man I really wish you could have put the J Mascis in to this. Truly the best guitar for the price of any guitar period.

[@lukeparsons4965]

My thoughts exactly

[@grizelda4526]

First thing I thought of. Love mine.

[@Cyndaquills]

This is the only guitar I have ever bought twice. I used to do a lot of buying and selling. Had a rarities flame koa strat worth around 2k and the squier J mascis at the same time and the necks felt almost the exact same. Sold both because I needed the money but bought the J Mascis again a year later.

[@jmeakin4]

As superior as the J Mascis is said to be, Chris Buck asserts that the 40th Anniversary model is an even better JM and has one as his #1 instrument.

[@christophervincent8420]

The 40th anniversary Vintage is also an excellent choice. I actually preferred that over the J Mascis.

[@CakeorDeath1989]

Thank you so much for that intro. When you see Jazzmaster demos on KZbin, they play bluesy licks on it, and it just isn't playing to the guitar's strengths. It's an alt-rock/indie BEAST, and IMO, it's more of a rhythm guitarist's guitar. It *wants* to play big, chunky chords. Mine's a 2016 MIM Classic Player, modded with Curtis Novak JM-V and JM-FAT pickups. Basic signal chain is that, through an EarthQuaker Devices Westwood, into an AC30. It's fucking amazing.

[@seedyv1]

You might want to check out @Puisheen if you haven't already. He has some very tasty shoegazey jm, as well as other offset demos.

[@CakeorDeath1989]

@seedyv1 that's where I learned about Curtis Novak pickups, haha. 😄

[@Joe-vc2cc]

Please do another video on the Squire J Mascis Jazzmaster. It has a cult following and I’d love to hear your input on it.

[@gabe_cesar1031]

GREAT mixing of the audio rhett! I noticed the dynamics of the mix and space IMMEDITLY. Simply outstanding

[@szymondudzinski6661]

Have you played the J Mascis squier Jazzmaster? On one of my favourite albums of all time, "Peripheral Vision" by Turnover, the rhythm guitar is all this guitar, and for a squier, it's just bonkers mate. Also, Chris Buck recorded a video where he said he absolutely loves it!

[@jmeakin4]

Chris Buck later tried a 40th Anniversary JM and says it's even better. It's now his #1.

[@taylornutt]

I wish the J Mascis Squier had the vibrato in the traditional location. I have the CIJ J Mascis Jazzmaster and it's in the normal location.

[@effectosis742]

It is probably the most popular Squier jazzmaster among artists : guys from Tame Impala , Kevin Shields , Joe Duplontier , Frank Iero , the man himself... the list goes on...

[@philliplaclede6269]

The classic vibe stuff really is impressive

[@CatmanJimbo]

That's been my experience as well! I don't own any currently but after selling my CV 60's Jazzmaster to a friend I've been thinking about picking up another CV of some kind. The name could have been a meme but they really did nail the vintage vibe.

[@laranjiinha77]

indeed

[@taylornutt]

I bought a CV Jaguar FSR in Silver Sparkle. After swapping the vibrato, pickguard and pickups, it plays as good as my AVRI Jaguar.

[@kentuckywindage222]

​@@danielgallardo7249 I own a 50's Classic Vibe Tele and Strat both play like butter and sound great. I'm considering the Mexican Tele with dual humbuckers and coil split. I played one and really liked it but the volume knob shaft was bent and they wouldn't knock-off any on the price. I like 24¾ scale better and Stat body contours best. Humbuckers for rock but a Tele and Marshall sound really good to my ear. I have never played a Jazzmaster in my 40 years of learning guitar...... and still learning.

[@tompoynton]

I’ve got the 70s Classic Vibe P-Bass in walnut and it’s awesome

[@zacharysmithingell5460]

Rhett your videos are so cinematic and well lit, and the cuts and whatever else (I dont know the terminology) are superb. The production quality is absolutely top notch, and I don't think anything else out there is getting the quality youre achieving here. I commented a little while back agreeing with someone on how excellent the drums sounded on a track you made, and I needed to follow up here to comment on your visuals work, too. Also, were I a fender guy, I'd take a jazzmaster. Love your work, man. Thank you for what you do.

[@fritz3620]

Love your videos. You come from an approach that many of us forget when looking at gear. The key point you always make is that this is what you hear and feel when playing the guitar. Unfortunately, depending on where you live, it is hard to find a store close by that has the selection of guitars you might want to try in the right colors, pickups, etc. A video on buying a guitar online and the process you would go through might be great. Also, ordering a custom guitar might be cool. I ordered a custom mandolin and its not always a guarantee you will get the sound and feel you wanted. Thanks!

[@thenoyrd]

Hi Rhett! Loved the video as always, awesome to hear you talk about Jazzmasters! Just one note: When you explain about the rhythm circuit at 8:00, it's correct that the vintage rhythm circuit isolates the neck pickup, BUT, when you showcase it at 8:40, you are using an AmPro II, whose rhythm circuit's is set with both pickups in series. Just wanted to add the note :)

[@jannytyler]

You are correct.

[@rusekd]

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed that!

[@nedim_guitar]

Squier CV and Fender American Pro II sounded the best for me with distortion. Clean, I liked Squier the most, the American pro was too dark for me, and the others aren't dark enough. That's good, because the Squier CV has been on my list these last couple of years.

[@suadiggitti]

I got myself a MIM JM with the 3 P90's (Jazz Master P90) When I brought it home, I felt like I made a mistake buying it. I just couldn't make a connection with the guitar. I thought I had while playing it in the store but things changed when I came home and plugged it in. My ignorance led me to think this. Watching your channel has opened my eyes to understanding how to hone in my sound with the amps that I have, and that I have done. I now really enjoy my JM.

[@arcadiohernandez4906]

Nice job comparing the various Jazzmasters! I didn't know much about them & now I have a better understanding of what a Jazzmaster is all about & what the guitar can play.

[@austinbridge]

Love this video. Great rankings at the end ✌ Very level-headed reasoning.

[@platklump]

My desert island guitar! The first trick to jazzmasters is to put the volume on 9 if it's always ice-picky. I setup my amp and guitar like a gibson: neck pickup volume and tone on 10, middle maybe 9 and tone on 6/7, bridge volume on 9/10 and tone on 6/7. If you've got issues with the setup, shim the neck. The squier classic vibe series is very great value (you probably have to shim the neck), but I've got a expensive 59-like version on the way because these guitars are my absolute favorite!

[@balaportejean7015]

Thank you sir. What is shim? P’ease

[@johnmclachlan6746]

Hey, huge M fan over here - but can we just acknowledge how wicked the bass lines and drum grooves are in this? My gosh they were laying in DOWN. Love the channel Rhett, thanks for all you (and your team if you have one) put out there for us. 🤘🏻🤙🏻

[@ZacharyWThomas]

Great video, I especially loved the jam at the beginning! As someone who actually owns both the Vintera and the Classic Vibe JMs shown in this video, I mostly agree with your rankings. I have modded just about every part of my Vintera by now, and at this point I wish I would have just saved the money because I could have done just about all the same mods on the Squier and still spent less than the ticket price of the Vintera. Another thing to note, the buzzing you are hearing is coming from the bridge and not the vibrato. As others have pointed out, this is common on those stock bridges and luckily can be corrected with a few setup steps that are specific to Jazzmasters.

[@KSETONMTL]

Right on point Rhett! Pretty much everything I've touched MiM are fantastic... Guess I'm going to have to check out the Jazzmaster now... Thanks for a great review!

[@Ponchy]

Great vid! I have the American Pro II and I love it. It was kind of a childhood guitar for me so I was super happy to cross that one off the list. Also I just noticed you have a Big Six! I loooove my Big Six and it's the main console/mixer for my studio.

[@sofaripper]

O M G this is hands down the best sounding intro i’ve heard in a while. You are a magician, Rhett

[@g_and_kikos_homestudio]

I dig that intro tune man. Alot of different colors sharing the space

[@WilliamHaisch]

On the buzzing: my Mexican Fender Jaguar has a similar vibrato that buzzes, too. The tiny saddle height screws will vibrate, buzz, and rattle their way out of the saddles. I haven’t lost any (yet) but I bought a Mustang bridge which has saddles made of different sized solid barrels that match the fretboard radius. 😊

[@garypannone7755]

Great playing in the opening. Great video.

[@TMKXL]

My favourite guitar

[@justinshiro]

dude i have ALWAYS wanted you to make one of these videos on the jazzmaster. i got the 40th anniversary squier one and i love it. bodysnatchers sounded sick too

[@garydunham335]

Damn man. As a bassist, I appreciate the bass appreciation in the intro with the bass solo! Nice video!

[@MrMont-ue8kh]

Great video - thanks for doing this, Rhett. I love my MIM Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster, which is a lot like the Vintera you liked, and for the same reasons. I wish it didn't have the screw-in trem arm, but teflon tape mostly takes care of that.. By the way, "set up out of the box" is Sweetwater, not anything to do with the Fender models. They do their 55 point inspection, which includes a basic setup.

[@wesley6001]

Just saw your vid pop up after buying a the Vintera II literally this afternoon. I was blown away by the sound and quality of the guitar, especially at its price point

[@SgtJADAN200]

I bought an American professional 1 JM a couple of years ago and it's been my main guitar ever since. The pickups are fantastic and sound great through many different styles of amp. And I like that it doesn't have the rhythm circuit and they moved the pickup selector to the top so it doesn't get in the way when playing heavy. Not to mention the absolute tank you get for a case!

[@davidjairala69]

Having wider pickups gives you a broader "aperture" over the string which gives you a more complete representation of the longer- wavelength bass frequencies. Jazzmaster pickups are really flat in shape though, so they're usually pretty mild in output, retaining a lot of that top end shimmer. I think that's where the rhythm circuit came in, to add extra darkness. They were trying to compete directly with the dark sound of the Gibson scale length because that was the thing to compete with. ETA: I have the ampro ii with the panorama and my rattle is in the arm. Doesn't translate into the signal but it can be annoying when playing unplugged, I just give it a light smack and it usually settles down for a bit

[@Thecariboumoose10]

Just when I thought man where is Rhett this week?! No uploads! And then you drop this great 5 guitar jazzmaster review! I had a vintage modified squier with the Duncan design pick ups , it looked great and played great, ultimately sold it on just cause how finicky the bridge was (even after following the puisheen jazzmaster set up neck shim videos) but I did love it and miss it for its “fidelity” clean sounds !

[@larrylharrison]

You do a great job on these videos. Thanks for providing your honest opinions. They can really help the novice consumer as well as more advance players!

[@TJKoch91]

I bought a Squier 40th anniversary JM new and it needed a good setup and I added a treble bleed circuit to it (the amount of high end that dropped off going from volume 10 to volume 9 was kinda ridiculous) but now I love it. It does have the sinking bridge issue which is a problem with a lot of JMs, not just Squiers, but I couldn't believe how good it feels and how FAST it feels too, I was shocked. I shot it out against a few other JMs at the shop, including the Vintera II and the Classic Vibe and I actually liked the 40th anniversary the best. Looks amazing too.

[@PianoDentist]

Interesting to hear what you've done to yours. I have a Squier 40th anniversary too. I was ready to shim and had some spare for the job, but then found out the pocket is pre-shimmed at the factory on these models, given that most players will do this anyway. I can get low enough action whilst preserving the break angle over the bridge. Personalty, I have not had bridge sinking issues and it stays in tune well. I like thinner gauge strings, so I use 10's on my JM - which I believe is the lowest gauge one should use.

[@TJKoch91]

@@PianoDentist I'm using 10s as well. I pretty much have to raise the bridge back up every time I pick it up. I think I'll just end up putting Loctite on the bridge poles like a lot of people do.

[@nataliesteiner]

I recently bought a 60s Vintera II and I am so glad you also chose it - it sounds so good.

[@noaha3006]

Im looking forward to getting one of those, so thanks for that Vid. Man

[@orneryhombre9078]

Excellent, thanks Rhett. To me the Jazzmaster is a perfect morphing of a Tele and Strat. Nothing feels more luscious and sensual than a Strat but I can’t get the lovely clean both pup sounds of the Tele from it. Enter the Jazzy. And I just love what the tone circuitry does to the neck pickup. Best of both worlds, although I must give a nod to Strats on the neck pup for Blues. But it’s a rather indiscreet nod. I’m the 2nd owner of a 7 year old American Vintage ReIssue Thin Skin ‘65 Jazzmaster I snagged 5 years ago. Stayed with 11’s, installed a Mastery bridge and locking vintage tuners and Holy Toledo. Killer guitar. These were Wildwood specials and were available I think in a few different year models. Gave $2100 for it then, listed and verified in Mint condition. Now they’re going for $31-35 hundy. This guitar does everything including Setzer and is my all time favorite for Surf. If I had to pick one guitar to do everything…that’d be tough but it would be between this and my White Falcon. The JM does Setzer a little better than the Falcon does surf. So glad I don’t have to choose.

[@Cryanoutloud]

Great job man, always appreciate your videos. As far as your ranking goes, I think im right there w you on that- I am a big fan of the Vintera stuff in general. I think if I ever pull the trigger on a JM, I would probably stick w that Vintera and slap an american made bridge on there- good to go. Thx!

[@robertmitchell2178]

Great review. I completely agree with your final ratings.

[@casseurpoisseux]

On the Am Pro II, "the rhythm circuit puts both pickups in series for a thicker tone with increased output, controlled by independent volume and tone roller pots" (from Fender's website).

[@aaronburns9538]

Yup. My first guitar in 20 years, I'm obviously a newbie but the quality of my Ampro2 is awesome. The action is incredible. I've had zero problems with it.

[@scameron.1759]

you never disappoint with the intro!

[@carlweiderick]

Great video! I love the Jazzmaster and I agree with all of your rankings so, of course, I have a MIM Jazzmaster.

[@jonahwilson-nausner6809]

This intro track gave me Mark Johnston vibes, amazing playing as always Rhett!

[@kller324]

I got Mars Volta vibes lol

[@paulkessler8622]

Solid reviews, good work brother 👍

[@davehossack7191]

Funny true story, I love JMs...tried an Ultra but did not buy - for EXACTLY the same reasons you mentioned (and it sounded dead acoustically), bought an American Pro II, after some qc issues (Fender replaced the first one) found that I liked the guitar, great neck, but the push push was not to my liking. Ended up selling in and grabbed a Troy Van Leeuwin JM on the used market. Far better than the other two, I wish you had included it in the vid. Pickups and electronics are much better - it plays great. All that said I would love a Custom Shop but thats a lot of dough! Thanks Rhett for another great video!

[@oceantree5000]

I’m a Vintera (first series) player myself, so I wasn’t surprised at this result. I play a 60s Vintera Modified Tele, and picked it out of a very similar lineup at our local shop. It was- for me- head and shoulders above an Ultra, two American Player IIs, a couple Japanese killers… among all those more expensive axes, mine absolutely sang. It’s the best neck I’ve ever played, and the body is as resonant as a hollowbody I just sold. Soooo good. Granted that it does have some modern bells and whistles (S1 switch, 4-way toggle), which I actually love, it remains a solidly vintage-feeling and -sounding instrument.

[@joehynes2964]

Loved this. My '65 pure vintage Fender pickups arrived 3 days ago to put in my lefty Squier Jazzmaster. This is my current weekend project. The Squier neck was shite. Replaced it with a block-inlayed neck I bought from Warmoth 22 years ago (cost more than the guitar itself). It's a total parts-caster at this point, but it plays great and the new pickups will send it over the moon.

[@kokobily]

I 've had my TVL Jazzmaster Copper (MIM) for over two years now. I know some would say that I overpaid for what is essentially a MIM but I love it and would recomend it to anyone - the key mods make it really playable and the quality is immaculate! Thank you Troy and Fender!

[@mauijet]

I was lucky and got the Desert Sand 40th Anniversary Squier on a Black Friday deal for $360! Got it for a fun mod job and to play at the beach with our battery powered surf band jams. I really liked the specs of the desert sand satin finish, satin neck, and gold anodized pick guard. Aesthetics I could invest in. It played pretty good stock, except for the trem. Put in new wiring, Fralin Jazzmaster pickups, Staytrem bridge and a Descendant vibrato (which is AWESOME!). The stock tuners are good 👍🏽. After polishing & rolling the fretboard, polishing & filing the frets and doing a setup, it’s a really nice guitar (admittedly more than a beach banger!). $1,275 all in now, and with the Squier logo on the headstock, I’m thinking it won’t be as much of a target for theft.

[@hajwitlox6548]

Neat comparison Rhett. And agree with your high ranking the Squier CV. I own the same one, only changed the stock PU's for Fender Pure Vintage Jazzmaster PU's. This definitely upgraded the sound. I made the neck feel siky smooth with a Scotsch Brite pad and then finishing this with steelwool. Made the fret ends feel better and give the edges a more semi-rolled fretboard feel with endless rubbing the frets with rubbers while watching video\s like your's. Did'nt evn feel the need to change the Trem system yet. The guitar stays intonated and in tune mostly. It sounds awsome and i am amazed that everytime i visit a guitar dealer , while waiting for my turn when buying something, i try out different more. sometimes a lot more costing jazzmasters i still haven't found one that feels better then my ol' Squier CV. ( some might sound even better but don't try that out becourse mine sounds great). Thanks again

[@ethanhitchcock5431]

Thank You Rhett , you've helped me narrow down my decision on getting a Jazzmaster , its funny cuz the Vintera was the one I was considering anyway , I love the Desert Sand finish and the price is not a gouge in my bank account...what is that white pedal you were fiddling with ? Love the intro music ( dig your playing ) Thanks again !

[@Nightpants]

I bought a used Mod Shop JM in Sherwood green for a really good price. The Mod shop version is basically an American Pro 1 which doesn't have the rhythm circuit, but you can get that same sound with tone control. A lot of people bagged on the AP1, and it disappeared off the market fairly quick, but i really love this guitar. I replaced the pickups with Lollar Black Bobbins (which sound fantabulous) as the original ones were pretty ice-picky. The neck is a C to D and is probably one of my favorite necks in my collection. I know the purists will wring their tits over it not being legit JM circuit design, but I love it and that's what matters.

[@Simbosan]

I think the Mastery bridge is a must have, you WILL knock the strings out of the grooves on the traditional bridge. I would also recommend seeing if you can get a MIJ JazzMaster second hand online.

[@nwwags]

I bought a Squier cv Jazzmaster a year ago to be a fun thing to mod up. The more I modded, the more I loved it. Mastery trem and bridge, new pickups. Now it’s my main. Had a lot of fun bonding with it along the way

[@photobouph]

As a new guitarist I love these shootouts, it really shows what you’re getting for the price. Great playing!

[@bradenandre2298]

Anyone else watching Rhett's videos after being subbed for 5+ years? It's like keeping up with an old friend at this point. Keep it up Rhett, you rock.

[@brandonbuell3519]

This was awesome! Great video.

[@nikolaki]

Squier, thank you for making a lefty CV Jazzmaster a few years ago. Needed some work (neck shim, vibrato tweaked, wiring tidied, body buffed polished - a lot of bits on the finish - and new tuners, high e was damaged). I love the guitar. I dont have £1200+ for a US model. But you only made it for year or two. Now it's to give us a lefty CV Mustang Bass.

[@martijnschilders1726]

great video Rhett! i love Jazzmasters. i have a G&L Tribute Doheny. a sort of Jazzmaster in it’s own. pickup sound has more midrange and less twang but a great guitar to rock with.

[@Black-Moons]

Good video, Rhett. Regarding the custom shop bridge: when I went down the JM bridge rabbit hole last year, it was only available on custom shop models. Not aftermarket, they popped up second hand for hundreds of $ on Reverb occasionally. I got on the Staytrem wait list and received it in about 3 months for under $120. It's a drop-in product that is a massive upgrade: better sustain and excellent tuning stability for my Squier Vintage Modified JM.

[@MusicAndreevDenis]

Great overview man! Would love to see J Mascis JM in it as well. Regarding the "buzz" from tremolo I experienced the same with my J Mascis and I've found what it is: it's the tremolo arm sitting in the holder you have to push it really hard until you hear the click and then it sits tigth and solid with no buzz otherwise it's a little bit loose and will resonate with the strings hope that helps!

[@SplyBox]

I always love these comparison videos

[@bl8155]

Nice video, I would have loved to have the American Vintage 2 reviewed here though.

[@daryloya]

Thank you Rhett. I like the look of the Ultra. If you had to keep and use it what would you change? tremelo, bridge, pickups, how would you wire it? Thanks

[@Kingsnax12]

I would love to see you take one of these squiers and upgrading it and customizing it and giving it a makeover. Philip Conrad did a video like that a while ago and his wife even repainted his bass. The level of attachment you can get to a modified instrument is like no other

[@10julesmusic]

Good to see the Squire JM getting some love.

[@General_Ethos]

Hi Rhett, have you considered making a shoot out video on the Fender Jaguar? It’s a unique instrument just like the Jazzmaster. I have a mid 2000’s US made 62’ reissue that I was given as a graduation gift when I graduated from university. I absolutely love it! I did upgrade the pickups with a set of vintage pickups.

[@andrewtesta3850]

I’m surprised you switched! Always thought ‘62-‘65 AVRI pickups were the most sought after since they’re discontinued. What did you end up putting in instead?

[@General_Ethos]

@@andrewtesta3850 I still have the original pickups that came with the guitar. I thought about getting a pair of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Jaguar pickups, but they are the same as their Vintage Jaguar pickups and have just been aged. I went with the SD Vintage Jaguar pickups. I played the guitar for a while before swapping them out for the Duncan’s and the guitar sounded okay but after the swap sounded smoother and more like an original ‘65 I played in a store.

[@ER-yq1lc]

I have a classic vibe 70's Jaguar, cleaned up the pivot edge on the tremolo with a file and it made a huge difference. No more buzz and buttery smooth. I wish they did a similar CV 70's Jazzmaster with the block inlays and neck binding.

[@AnBCinemas]

Love this video! Would have loved to see the Performer Jazzmaster in this lineup for the mere sake of uniqueness and affordability and how it compares to the rest of these, but totally understand the decision to stick to the traditional JMs. Great video!

[@christopherguzzi1316]

My CV Jazzmaster is completely stock with stock 9's. Only change is to fix the bridge in place with plumbers tape (to prevent it from rocking) and blue loctite (to prevent it from dropping). It is an awesome playing and sounding guitar!!! As Brett says, it is kind of it's own thing. But then again, so is a Strat or a Tele.

[@HillyDoyle]

This may be semi-off topic but in a nod to the CV's, I needed a tele for a small project ordered a CV from Sweetwater figuring I could get the tones I wanted and sell it right away. The guitar killed me. I couldn't put it down. And I love the alnico 5 (I think) tones. Put 10's on it (shipped w 9's) added compensated brass saddles and I have to say it is incredible...and btw I got the CV idea from your tele shootout....thanks dude!

[@marcohermans3207]

I've got the 40th anniversary squier which is unfortunally discontinued. I had to do do some filing work on the trem system, and a general setup, nut filing which was a bit of new thing for me because Jazzmasters are different animals with the rocking bridge. After a couple of days adjusting it became my main guitar. It plays my Made in USA offsets out of the water. And that for €290 and some elbow grease and patience. Happy days.

[@allend3127]

Love my American Pro Il. I find the pickups incredibly inspiring!! 10/10 in my book.

[@chrisegg7936]

I thought those pickups sounded the best out of all the JMs in this shootout. I could see myself vibing with that sound a lot more than the more vintage-sounding ones.

[@bluematrix5001]

Great review!

[@richypederson4019]

I have been looking at these for quite some time. I wound up going with the Gold Foil Jazzmaster in the end. It was too unique to pass up on, and while I don't have that cool rhythm circuit to play with, I'm extremely happy with the triple mini humbuckers. I got mine from Sweetwater as well, and had them PLEK it. It's easily the best playing guitar I've ever had. Definitely recommend playing around with one if you ever get the chance.

[@ja5304]

Awesome video. Nice two tone sub!

[@burningjoe]

I bought a new Jazzmaster AmPro II last January, I also did not like the pickups, so I dropped in some Novak's, JM 180 (br) and JM90 (nk), and swapped in a Mastery Bridge and String Tree. I LOVE this guitar. I've never owned a Strat, Tele or JM, been a Les Paul guy since the I started playing serious in the mid 80's, so its been a challenge to learn new hand placement and strum through technique (so I don't constantly turn my volume down) but that has also lead to new ideas because the sounds I get are so different than my Les Paul, its been pretty cool.

[@ericjenks9596]

Also feel like you need a crossover video doing a setup on the squier with Puisheen’s channel. Amazing what you can do to maximize these less expensive guitars. At a guess, it needs a shim to increase the neck angle, heavier strings, and to grind the edge of the tremolo to make it more precise. Easy enough to do for most folks at home

[@GingerLeftyGuitar]

You beat me to it. This exactly 👍

[@IndieMerchantSam]

My main guitar is a Squier Classic vibe, it fits me perfectly. I wanted a shell pink Jazzmaster with the rhythm circuit and the classic vibe was the only JM that fit all of that criteria. I swapped the pick guard, pots, and term and now it plays better than the rest of my guitars

[@ChrisCanMakeStuff]

Yay squire CV! I own one and it's my only electric now. I went a bit crazy and put a mastery bridge on it but it's sooooo good now.

[@josephslusarski7384]

great video, Rhett. The tremolo systems may feel loose because they may not be set up. The tension on the trim arm can actually be adjusted I believe with a screw inside the tremolo unit.

[@jeremythornton433]

Rhett, you really need to check out a Squire Thinlline Cabronita Telecaster. You really do. It's a semi hollow body with Jazzmaster pickups. Sounds like nothing else and it sounds amazing!

[@paulhudson2293]

I love the offset Jazzmaster shape, but never really been drawn to the pickup and electronic configuration. I built myself a guitar that's a Jazzmaster shaped body but with telecaster pick ups, and it's super comfortable to play. Really enjoyed the video! I also appreciate how you've ditched the plan B slogan at the end of each video.

[@vw9659]

The push-push switch on the Am Pro II is a coil TAP (you don't need a HB for that - that would be a coil split).

[@OrbitlynX]

Consider maybe also J Mascis Signature. It is one hell of a guitar.

[@stiffmata]

Absolutely! was about to write the same comment! Had to let go of mine a while back and will forever regret it. Not only one of the best JM's i' ever played but one of the best guitar i ever owned period. There is definitely something special about that one. Great job Squier!!!

[@erikberg8352]

Is that the one with the shorter trem to bridge distance? That seemed like a major improvement over the other Squier models. I think the pickups are slightly different as well.

[@devinm2053]

very honest review!!! i love my j mascis squier jazzmaster...did it need some upgrades? yeah.. but still made it worth it picking it up used for $280 with a little negotiation. swapped the trem with a used vintage american reissue for $50 and i would say thats a must have upgrade even if you buy it new for $100. the bridge is getting replaced soon with a roller style. the pickups are ok, ive decided to live with them but some folks may want to swap them out. other then that great playing guitar and awesome feeling satin neck. its thick though compared to other jazzmasters with a wider nut width. plays great though.

[@christophernoia5197]

Been playing a jazzmaster for almost 10 years and most of the time im on the neck pickup and sometimes both pickups. I use the stock rhythm circuit here and there, but rarely use the bridge pickup alone. Too me, the best clean tone is a jazzmaster neck pickup. It sounds great with drive too and all sorts of weird signal chains I run it through. Shout out to sunday handwound pickups. I put his iola jazzmaster set in my guitar last summer and have found way more use with the bridge pickup over the stock AV 65 JM pickups

[@mattrorke7536]

I really liked this video. Thanks! Jazzmasters are great guitars and too often overlooked. Beecause of the shape it’s a great couch guitar too! Two things: 1) that string buzz is because of the Jazzmaster bridge. It’s an inherent problem with these than can be overcome. You can shim the neck and raise the bridge to increase the break angle over the bridge. This will increase the downward force on the bridge and eliminate the buzz. It will also help the bridge stay in place better and work in tandem with the tremolo as intended. 2) the Jazzmaster pickups can be noisy as they are single coils. This can be somewhat alleviated with cavity shielding. I would love to see a video with your friend Dave the guitar tech where he goes through these issues and shows how to deal with them and make these guitars play at their absolute best. Thanks again!

[@trebleboost7]

I’ve only played the Pro II (at Fanny’s last year) and really liked it. Then again I have a Pro II strat so maybe I am a bit partial...Great review. I almost pulled the trigger on the Squire.

[@tomandtheoutlaws]

Such a great intro track. Would love to see these all on Spotify one day. Still listen to the Baritone intro track pretty regularly. 😂

[@WannesVDR]

Still love my Vintera I and not surprised at all about the outcome. JMs rock 👊🏼

[@nickjammer1]

Rhett - great job on this. Was wondering your take or if you looked at the American Vintage II 66? I ended up going for that, although expensive, it seems to have the quality and the most period correct pickups.

[@Metalhead0283]

Just got a classic vibe off someone yesterday, they put a bunch of work into it electronics wise, even had it plekked, plays amazing and sounds absolutely mean with some gain

[@TheAerials]

Hey Rhett, there are specific Jazzmaster bridge mutes than can get rid of that buzzing. Loved the video, my favorite guitar ❤

[@eddieholmes3236]

Great comparison! My first memory of a Jazzmaster is Elvis Costello on the cover of “My Aim Is True”.

[@brucew.5177]

That buzzing sound on my Vintera II went away when I raised the break angle . I thought originally that it was coming for the vibrato unit . Then it needed a shim . The thing I didn't appreciate on the more expensive Fenders was the angled neck pocket and the non traditional rhythm circuit . Great video Buddy . Totally agree with your pecking order ...

[@elmud]

You don't appreciate the factory angled neck pocket yet you shimmed your guitar's neck... wtf?

[@WilliamVonSchulz]

I gotta say that Pro 2 and Ultra has brass saddles too :) (BRASS MUSTANG SADDLES ). Loved the video

[@rizzexponential]

Jazzmasters go a long way with a good setup. My favorite of the Fender line. Thanks for the great vid.