I know this is an older video but noticed you switching the toggle switch for the lead circuit while in Rythm circuit mode. It doesn't work that way. When in the Rythm circuit, the toggle switch is useless. The only thing below the strings that affects tone while in Rythm circuit mode is the push/push tone knob. That, as you earlier indicated, coil taps the bridge pickup making a very subtle tone change when in Rythm circuit mode. Great video! I love my Pro II Jazzmaster. I also turn the tone down a bit to mellow out the jangles. The variety of tomes this guitar produces is amazing. I actually think this could be a "do all" guitar once you get the tones sorted out.
@mtjguitars4 ай бұрын
Yep I figured that out before I be even posted the video but at the time I was too lazy to reshoot and it still gets lots of views so I'm fine leaving my ignorance out there for all to see 😆
@MD-mh6iu2 жыл бұрын
Great review! This exact guitar arrives later today. I have AM Pro2 Strat and love it, especially the neck. Can’t wait to play this one, my first Jazzmaster.
@stevemiller12033 жыл бұрын
Great review, sounds and looks really good!
@jaygeekay96059 ай бұрын
shurely a wonderful guitar !… and a splendid place, where you are playing! Love it! 😍
@gahangore1112 жыл бұрын
Thank you for saying how important the rhythm circuit is to the Jazzmaster experience. I will forgive you for your opinion on painted headstocks 🤣🤣🤣
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
Haha I have weird and boring taste in guitars, painted headstocks look cheap to me even though they are usually on more expensive models. The rhythm circuit on this guitar isn't a classic, but you can still get the bright/mud option. I'd like to convert it to a traditional rhythm circuit at some point but Jazzmaster wiring is a headache.
@andrewljacob3 жыл бұрын
8:30--OH YEAH!
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
I'm quite fond of that sound too! I'm thinking that I need to do an updated demo/review after owning it for nine months. I'll get the sound right this time and do a bit more editing to cut out the sloppy playing.
@andrewljacob3 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars I thoroughly enjoyed the video. When I heard Stu Hamm say that a performance isn't supposed to be an exercise in not making a mistake, I became like, "yeah, man--mistakes! Authenticity! Humanity!" Regardless, I think an updated review would be cool. This is the one American Pro Jazzmaster II I'm at risk of possibly buying. I'm trying to make my American Pro Jazzmaster in white blonde my keeper, though.
@tomlavelle85183 жыл бұрын
Very cool review. Thanks!!
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Let me know if there are any features I missed or things that would make it better. I'm always trying to make the videos that I wish other people made.
@nympholepticmonkey3522 жыл бұрын
Great review!👌. I already have a pro ii telecaster deluxe in dark knight and was thinking about getting this exact jazzmaster too in the hope that when recorded together they'd provide greater tone range. Would you say there's enough of a sound difference between them to justify buying the jazzmaster as well? I really love the sound and the look of it but obviously it only really make sense buying it if it has enough of a different tonal pallette to warrant buying both. I'd really appreciate your input on the subject as I'm facing a bit of a dilemma so if you can advice in anyway it would be greatly appreciated👍. Thanks for reading and again thanks for the great review man 👌👍.
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
That is a GREAT question. I think a lot of people would be surprised even to consider jazzmasters and teles as having a similar tone but I definitely hear it! The middle position (both pickups) are jangly and crisp on jazzmasters and teles. That being said I think you can justify both because the Jazzmaster offers 1) a rhythm/lead circuit or a bright/mud type of switch which gives a bit more versatility (although I have added that to my tele as well). That is something the American Professional 1 cut, so I'm glad its back for the 2nd version. And 2) Jazzmasters also offer a tremolo which most teles don't have except for the occasional bigsby. The Jazzmaster trem system is my absolute favorite, it isn't for hendrix/van halen style dive bombs but it gives a beautiful touch to sustained chords.
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
Let me know what you end up doing!
@harveycogswell52784 күн бұрын
Hey Mike! Did you ever switch the pick guard out for the silver one?
@mtjguitars4 күн бұрын
@@harveycogswell5278 I did and it was stunning! I traded it away last year. I'm ultimately not a jazzmaster or Jaguar guy. But it looked awesome
@andrewljacob2 жыл бұрын
In your opinion, is the rhythm circuit or series mode on this guitar supposed to approximate humbucker tones? I see myself as a Jazzmaster guy, but I still keep an old Strat around just because it has humbuckers. A Jazzmaster that can do pretty much everything is the dream. Thanks again for the excellent demo!
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't call it humbucker tones per se. I think Jazzmaster is a unique tone. The pickups are single coil and to me they sound like a really beefy, but still single coil, telecaster. Selecting both pickups has the twangy punchy sound of a tele in the middle position. Transition from strat to Jazzmaster has been my journey and at the end of the day I still prefer single coil to humbucker. I like getting the darker rhythm sound while still having the charm of single coils... if you're looking for the hum cancelling of humbuckers then you gotta stay in the middle position all the time.
@DonThorvund3 жыл бұрын
The AmPro II does not have a traditional rhythm circuit. It has a Series Switch in place of the traditional rhythm circuit. I am sure it is a cool option, but not traditional. Personally, I think the traditional Rhythm Circuit is something pretty amazing.
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
That is true. I think they create a very similar effect especially when comparing it to the phase function of the switch on the JM Ultra. The true traditional rhythm switch I believe is on the Vintera 60s and the American Original 60s. I've owned one of those and played both. I don't think that rhythm circuit is superior to the AmPro II. The American Pro II has a better output balance between rhythm and lead and still gets the darker tones for rhythm.
@DonThorvund3 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars Both pickups in series (AmPro II) is much different than the neck pickup with a capacitor (traditional). I do not know about the Vintera, so I cannot speak to how that is set up. A traditionally wired Jazzmaster with 1 meg pots and a true rhythm circuit is pretty amazing, but unfortunately, not many models have true traditional wiring. If the Series circuit flips your pancakes, that is awesome. I think it is cool to have multiple sound options, Its just a good idea to represent it correctly. It is not traditional or vintage (but then again, neither are noise cancelling pickups and tapped bridge pickups). Don’t get me wrong, I am looking at one of these beauties, but I think I would convert to a four position switch to keep the series option and require the rhythm circuit to traditional. That is the beauty of guitars, you can make them your own. Great review and don’t worry about the open mic, no big deal.
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@DonThorvund Thanks for the correction. I genuinely did not know it wasn't a classic rhythm circuit until you commented. I'm not a lifelong jazzmaster player, I just got into them about two years ago. Being able to get a darker tone for rhythm than lead is the piece I'm looking for and so the Am ii scratches that itch. The Pro II is still a rhythm/lead circuit even if it has attempted to modernize a bit. Whereas the Ultra didn't even attempt to have a rhythm circuit of any kind. I did a side-by-side pickup comparison between the Ultra and Pro ii. It sounds like you're not a fan of the noiseless pickups (normally neither am I) but those Ultra pickups were nice. It was just a strange decision with wiring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYuTaJ96mLGoqMU
@DonThorvund3 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars I am not a fan of the Ultra wiring at all, but maybe the simplified interface is great for many musicians. I am not usually a fan of noiseless pickups as they tend to lack the sparkle, but again, if you play in electrically noisy environments, then maybe they work for a lot of people. I will check our your other reviews. Thank you!
@kcd21203 жыл бұрын
@@DonThorvund Would there be any way to change this Am Pro II rhythm circuit to a traditional rhythm circuit? Or perhaps the pickups need to be specifically designed to work with a traditional rhythm circuit.
@marklewis74843 жыл бұрын
Fantastic review. Thanks
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
I'm glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! I'd like to keep making more videos like this and would really appreciate it if you would like and subscribe (if you haven't already)
@farrewelll3 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you demonstrated it acoustically it actually sounds pretty good you can tell the strings are new but it really jangles
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
I agree, I think it is somewhat natural to be able to hear the strings. If you sit down in a guitar shop and demo a guitar you can hear/feel it acoustically as well as through the amp. That being said, I think that is why I've gotten some thumbs down for this video, so thanks for the encouragement!
@StuartwasDrinkell5 ай бұрын
I want that dark night fìnish ... i will mod it for original rhytm circuit when i have it. Jazz Master circuit ... are you kidding me man!?
@mtjguitars5 ай бұрын
I didn't end up modding it but I did get an American professional Jaguar and I did put a classic rhythm circuit in that one .
@StuartwasDrinkell5 ай бұрын
@@mtjguitars Nice! I have a texas tea american ultra tele... and i got rid of the noiseless pups and banged the montys danish pete's in... i now am modding it for nashville three pups wit 5 way selector.. found a vintage 60s strat pup for the mid! I cant help mess with stuff! I love the ultras for the contours... but not a fan of noiseles, not hot enough for me. That dark knight finish on that pro 2 JM is awesome! I'm blue black all the way for finishes too!
@sgd5k2922 жыл бұрын
Did you replace the pickguard, and if so could you show it? I have a Am Pro II Jazzmaster on order and it will take a few weeks to become available again. There are none available anywhere at least in my search including no used ones to be found anywhere at this time. I am also getting the Dark Night....my wife loves the color!
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
I did replace the pickguard, I'll post a picture today to my Instagram account since I can't do a photo comment on KZbin. Instagram @mtjguitars
@sgd5k2922 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars I don't do instagram, but that is ok. I am not going to worry about any changes to my JM for quite a while, and this is from someone who nearly always does upgrades. Thanks for the reply and I liked your demo.
@mtjguitars2 жыл бұрын
@@sgd5k292 you don't need an account to see instagram.com/mtjguitars/p/CYRMaboOfcG/?
@jessesmith29063 жыл бұрын
I wanna see that silver pick guard on this guitar. I’ve got the same guitar
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
instagram.com/p/CK6cD_0jeNX/?igshid=115uqyj6immpw
@jessesmith29063 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars that’s awesome man. Now that guitar is truly one of a kind!
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@jessesmith2906 I'm sure someone else will do it eventually, but I really love this guitar!
@kruser323 жыл бұрын
I saw the pic of the pickguard and it looks great. Could you do a video with it with plenty of light shining on the guitar so we can get a good look at it?
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@kruser32 I'd be happy to. Are there any other features you want explored or tone/style samplings of the pickups? Or do you just want some good detail on the pickguard?
@13Houdini133 жыл бұрын
Are the narrow tall frets a big adjustment?
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
Super easy! They take a light touch and give you a little more space between the frets.
@bassplaya41962 жыл бұрын
They should've kept the traditional rhythm circuit!! I'll just save up and buy a AVRI or original 60's version!!
@chase27873 жыл бұрын
Cool guitar, also why not just mute the vocal mic when making the video?
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
I can't do it in post, my mixer mixes down to one track when it goes to the computer. Getting a proper DAW in on my 2021 list for this channel.
@chase27873 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars gotcha, great playing btw. I’d be surprised if your channel doesn’t gain some more traction soon. Good luck man!
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@chase2787 That is very kind of you to say! The playing is a little sloppy, I still am not comfortable playing to a camera but since I'm not offering lessons or "how to play well" then I figure the playing just have to be good enough to demonstrate the product. I LOVE guitar product demos on KZbin so I'm just trying to add my own small contribution. I'm hoping to get some traction soon, I've been releasing at least one video per week since October 1st and plan to do so until someone stops me! Thanks for watching!
@philparadise37023 жыл бұрын
I read that some people said this guitar was too trebly. Do you share the opinion?
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
Nah, jazzmasters tend to be treble-y and even a bit harsh especially on the lead circuit. I tend to keep the tone at about 7 on the lead circuit and about the same on the rhythm circuit. You can also use different string material for a mellower sound.
@philparadise37023 жыл бұрын
@@mtjguitars Thank you :)
@jmacc98763 жыл бұрын
Love the jazzmaster. To cure the brittle trebliness, I too, drop the tone to 7 or 7.5, drop the vol a bit too (both 1 meg pots) then I use a clean boost (tc spark mini) if I want to boost that nice mellower tone before it hits the dirt pedals/amp.
@kevinsimmons71822 жыл бұрын
Not to nitpick but the switch makes no difference in rhythm mode, only the tapping does.
@MikeTJorgensen2 жыл бұрын
Not a nitpick, very valid point that I didn't realize till I was editing the video 🤦
@kevinsimmons71822 жыл бұрын
@@MikeTJorgensen still a good review and a great guitar. Just got mine after 5 months of back order.
@janrandles86833 жыл бұрын
Do you like this better than the Ultra as far as the pickups? Trying to decide.
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
Yes, I still have my ultra. The new vintage noiseless are the best they've ever been (in the ultra) but they're kind of low output (or at least seem that way). I really like the compound radius on the ultra but I think the phase is useless.
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
I can do a side by side comparison if that would be helpful!
@janrandles86833 жыл бұрын
I am just concerned that I have read a lot of reviews that are not happy with the low output from the pick ups. I love that dark knight color and have it on pre-order but I am told February at the earliest. The Ultra i was looking at was the mochaburst but really don't like that mint pick guard. Thanks for your response as you know a lot about the Jazzmaster. This will be my first and last (lol said everyone who ever bought a guitar!) If you could only have one, which would you choose?
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@janrandles8683 I was told I couldn't get this till March but here I am! If I had to choose it would be the American pro 2. But it's close. The only color I liked for ultra was the blue but I don't like maple boards so I went mocha burst. The mint guard drove me crazy so I swapped it for an aged cream. It's hard to swap pickguards on the ultra since it has three pots instead of two, but it is doable since the jack is in the body instead of the pickguard.
@mtjguitars3 жыл бұрын
@@janrandles8683 I'll shoot a comparison tomorrow and post it here