The Classic Player Jazzmaster Special

by Nate Barnes. Originally posted in the Fenderforum.

Update: A few weeks later, Nate has revised his opinion on the buzz-stop, so here’s the updated version

Hey everyone- bear with me, this is going to be a long post, but I hope it will be worth your while reading it ;)

I wanted to give everyone an update and share my experience in trying to solve my AVRI 62 Jazzmaster buzz problem. Keep in mind this is just my experience and opinion for my particular style of playing, so it might not work for everyone. I play pretty aggressively and mostly play Classic/ Alternative Rock, so I’m not in the Surf vein that many JM owners are.

After getting the guitar shipped from Fender, it arrived with a pretty nasty buzzing issue. I then had it set up by a pro luthier, and had him install a buzzstop, which at the time solved all buzzing issues and gave the guitar more sustain and an overall more “normal guitar” feel, which I liked at the time.
After about a week and a half, the buzz returned. Thanks to the help of people in this forum, I found some temporary solutions for the problem. The buzz was coming from the small individual string height adjustment screws on either side of each string saddle coming loose and rattling. This was simultaneously lowering the action as well. I followed the advice I received here, and used loctite on each of the screws and got them to a good height where there was no buzzing.

Throughout this process, I found that there really was no set position where the screws would stop rattling. I would sometimes have to tighten a screw to eliminate the buzz, but some screws actually required loosening to eliminate it, and this was also adjusting the action of each string in the mean time. This was a tedious and stressful process as I also had to finish all adjustments before the loctite bound to the threads. After finishing the procedure, my guitar played great and buzz free for a couple of days before the buzzing returned. Perhaps it was from my hard style of playing, but either way the loctite did not end up being enough to stop the screws from loosening.

After reading some more responses from this forum, I decided I needed to make some changes and ordered some Mustang style bridge saddles for $25 from Allparts.com. This was half as expensive as buying the whole bridge, and after having installed it, I can vouch that they fit perfectly and the stock bridge piece is identical to the one you would get with the Allparts bridge if you ordered the whole thing (some have said that the allparts saddles are a bit narrower than genuine Fender parts, but I had no problems with the allparts models). The saddles also allow the guitar to play properly because they are both designed for a 7.25″ radius.

Changing the saddles was a very easy process- this was my first time doing any sort of work or modification to a guitar, and it went without a hitch. I didn’t even have to change the strings (they were still pretty new)- once you loosen the strings almost all the way, you can scoot them to either side of the bridge and pull it right out, making it very easy to work on (capo the 1st fret so you don’t have to stick the string tips back in the tuner holes when you retension). So long as you have had your guitar recently set up, or know how to set it up yourself beforehand, there shouldn’t be any issues performing this procedure.
After installing the saddles, all I had to do was put the bridge back in and re-tighten the strings. I then had to raise the action a tiny bit using the allen wrench holes on each of the two bridge posts (I had some of the original JM saddles set a bit higher than where the Mustang ones lie), and set the intonation of each string (which was also surprisingly easy), and Voila! No buzz whatsoever and the guitar felt great. I also haven’t noticed any difference in tone from only having one saddle over the pickup vs. the multiple saddles to choose from that the stock JM threaded rod ones offer.

After having my guitar set up like this for a month and a half, I decided to try it out without the buzzstop after reading some posts about the difference in sound at the offsetguitars.com forum. I had only tried the mustang saddles with the buzzstop on and wanted to see if I liked the feel of the guitar without it, and whether or not removing it brought back any of the buzz problems I had experienced before.

After removing it, I found several differences in sound and feel, some good, and some bad. The first thing I noticed was the difference in tone. Without the buzzstop, the strings were able to reverberate much more behind the bridge, adding a cool very subtle reverby effect to the sound of the guitar, both unplugged and through an amp (which many people believe contributes to the classic JM sound). The other things I noticed were that the strings were easier to bend and the tremolo system was much smoother.

I had also experienced a rarely occurring buzz with the buzzstop on due to the strings making contact with the intonation screws behind the bridge, which disappeared once I removed it. With just the Mustang saddles on and no buzzstop, I didn’t experience any of the intense rattling I had gotten from the original JM saddle’s individual height adjustment screws, and almost all buzzing was still tamed. Another plus was that the bridge sat more upright in it’s housing after removing the buzzstop (the bridge had been angled forward toward the pickups from the added tension behind caused by the buzzstop). I also was able to set up the trem-lock feature, which was previously inaccessible with the buzzstop over it. This is a great feature if you gig a lot with your JM and tend to break strings regularly.

The changes I didn’t like were that the low E string would pop out if I tried hard enough, and sometimes big bends around the 12th fret on the high E string would be choked off immediately by the string sliding a bit out of it’s saddle. Not having the buzzstop also created a buzz in the bridge housing, which I later cured by wrapping the bridge posts in a couple layers of gaff tape (electrical tape would also work).

Overall, I think some people playing heavier music will enjoy the feel with the buzzstop, it does give the guitar more sustain and makes it feel more like a normal guitar with a steeper string angle over the bridge. However, I ultimately decided that the benefit of the added reverby sound without the buzzstop, the slinkier feel of the strings and tremolo system, and access to the trem-lock all outweighed the annoyance of the string jumping and choking issues, and decided to keep the buzzstop off. The jumps and chokes occur very rarely, and mostly when you are playing overly hard and aggressive.

If you are looking to eliminate buzz and want to have a more reliable, consistent bridge, the Mustang saddle modification worked great for me. I also tour a lot, and having a low maintenance bridge that doesn’t buzz or loosen is going to make my life a lot easier. Whether or not you decide to use a buzz stop is a matter of personal preference, and it may solve some additional buzz problems for really aggressive players. Hopefully my experiences of the differences of the two will help you decide what’s best for you, but the best way may be to try both ways out.

Thanks again to everyone here for helping me out and answering my questions- hopefully this in turn can help someone else out!

This is an article about the recovery of a 1966 Jaguar, that originally appeared as a post in on the offsetguitars.com forum. It was written by “sookwinder”, who also took the pictures, and who also gave his kind permission for me to use them here.

When I first viewed Doug’s “rebuild of a 63 Jaguar” web site a year or so back, I knew I wanted to do something similar. So about 6 or 7 months back, during one of Doug’s sojourns, he located a 66 Jaguar that needed some TLC and contacted me to see if I was interested.

I was interested and a week or so later, Doug was able to pull apart the Jaguar and send me the neck/electronics/guard/bridge etc. In turn he sent the body to Lays in Ohio for a refin. As you can see by the photos the original sunburst was worst for wear with one of the previous owner(s) using a black marker pen to “colour in” the worn black of the burst.

I chose for the refin a vintage Olympic white, but a version of the Oly White that I had seen on a ‘66 Jazzmaster which had almost a primrose hue to it. Lays did a great job stripping back the body, managing to keep the neck pocket markings. They shot a nitro finish which included a tinted nitro finish at the end with some “dummy” guard/plates/trem in place to give a shadow effect (similar to that described in Doug’s “63 jaguar” expose).

The colour of the Olympic White that the body ended up with was not exactly the same as the example I had provided, but it is still great, being a very warm/yellow version of Oly White (actually now after looking at the colour in bright sunlight it does appear closer to what I had originally requested… strange the way it “changes colour/warmth” depending upon the light source – far more than other colours).

I requested a slight amount of “checking” to done to the finish, but in the end the degree of checking was minimal.

From the time of shipping the body to Lays, to Doug getting it back was somewhere around seven months. So if you intend to use Lays for any refinishing, do not expect it to occur quickly. The finish did appeared to need a final “buffing”, as pointed out by Doug and although I did toy with the idea of just leaving the finish in the “not so shiny” condition, in the end some elbow grease and the finish is all buffed up (so to speak).

While the body was being refin’d I worked on the other issues. These were the bridge being rusted solid, gunge and grime everywhere, a nut that needed to be replaced, PUP switches not working, upper rhythm control circuit disengaged, a second generation F tuner which had replaced a stuffed first gen F tuner (the enlarged hole in the head stock needed to be dowelled and re-drilled).

Besides the re-dowelling of the headstock, which my father did so superbly that you cannot see the repair at all and it is a shame that the F tuner actually covers up the woodwork, over the past 6 months I have been slowly cleaning / repairing /sourcing the parts which were needed to address all of the issues.

During the process, I discovered that I think that there were in fact two types of first generation F tuners. Both are identical in the sense have the same thin shaft that goes through the headstock (as opposed to the 2nd generation F tuners that are sealed and have a thicker shaft) and are not truly sealed.

I bought of ebay a set of 1966 1st generation F tuners and a second set which were late 1968 1st generation F tuners (both sets had been fitted to teles). Because the 68 set looked cleaner I automatically grabbed one of them and attempted to fit it into to location for the B-string tuner. The screw holes would not line up, because the whole housing had to be rotated ever so slightly to allow it to fit flush with the head stock. I tried all of the remaining five 68 tuners and they all did not fit correctly.

I then grabbed a tuner from the set of 1966 first gen tuners and all six fitted correctly. At this stage I did not understand why there appeared to a difference between the two sets of first gen F tuners. I then removed two first generation F tuners from my almost mint 1966 jaguar and they both fitted easily with all the screw holes lining up.

On closer inspection there were other variations between the 1966 and the 1968 sets of first generation F tuners. The shaft that the actual key part of the tuner (the bit you turn) was both thicker and longer on one set that the other. There are variation is the dimensions of the actual key knob between the two sets. There also appeared to be a slight variation in the parallelogram shape of the stamped outer housing between the two sets, which would account for the observation that a tuner from the 68 set would not fit parallel with the set from 66.

So if you are sourcing replacement first gen F tuners, beware that they may not fit exactly.

Anyone attempting to restore a vintage Jaguar should read/memorise Doug’s brilliant expose as well as the wiring diagram from the Jaguar. These two documents were invaluable as I started to fit together the electronics into the Jaguar last evening.

Once I started, even though I had initially thought that I would only install the lower controls, I ended up fitting all of the electronics, trem unit, bridge, pups, and guard.

One thing that did surprise me was that the guard had shrunk over the 6 months it had been off the body, which sort of surprised me as I thought only the earlier nitro guards shrunk (any one have any ideas on this- huh?) An hour of careful filing of the bridge leg holes and the PUP selector plate hole (and a few beers while watching Veronica Mars on TV Wink) and the guard fitted snugly.

The bridge unit cleaned up beyond all expectation and using the methodology explained by Doug, the PUPs also cleaned up well.

This jaguar only has four glazier points, as opposed to the six points shown in the wiring diagram: One in the lower control, one in the PUP selector route and two in the upper control routing. Maybe a CBS cost reduction?

Next the neck will be attached and a new bone nut fitted (by the guitar tech I use).

[later]

Ok everyone, the neck was fitted and the Jaguar was sent to my luthier who refretted the neck, fitted a new fender bone nut, adjusted the truss rod slightly and did a truly superb overall set up. The Jaguar plays like a dream, with no frets “fretting out” when bending strings, which occasionally happens on my other 66 jaguar.

An interesting observation is that the sound of the PUPs in this 66 differ somewhat to the other one I have, with these having almost a strat like qwak about them, but still retaining the Jaguar colour. With the neck cleaned up and the new frets fitted it is now my choice of guitar when I slouch back on the couch, with the TV remote and a cold one not too far away.

I have found it somewhat difficult to take photos of the vintage olympic white finish. If the light is too bright, it turns the finish almost snow white, so a more subdued lighting was required. Enjoy, as I have restoring this offset orphan.

Forgot to add… much appreciation for the help, advice and occasional spare part that Doug has given over the past 10 months. Thanks mate.

(One more thing…. the carpet shown in one of the photos ain’t my carpet, it’s at my brother’s place… just incase anyone wanted to make any comments)

by Greg Gagliano – Copyright 1996, 20th Century Guitar Magazine

Much has been written about the inception of the Fender Jazzmaster with its notable changes up to 1966. However, it is necessary to summarize these features to give some perspective to the Jazzmaster of the late 1960’s. The earliest Jazzmasters (prototypes) had small, Stratocaster-like headstocks and fretted maple necks. The headstock shape quickly changed to the familiar large style and remained unaltered from 1958 through 1967. Other well known modifications included the change from anodized to nitrate pickguard (late 1959), nitrate to plastic pickguard (early 1965), spaghetti logo to transition logo (mid-late 1964), Strat style knobs to “amp” style knobs (circa 1964-65), Kluson tuners to Fender tuners (late 1965), slab rosewood board to veneer board (1962), unbound fingerboard with clay dot markers to pearloid dots (late 1964), bound board with pearloid dots (late 1965) and bound board with pearloid block markers (mid 1966).

However, the Jazzmaster continued its metamorphosis in 1968. Starting with the body, construction went from 2-piece to 3-piece alder (and occasionally 4-piece), although 3-piece bodies can be found as far back as late 1966. Polyester lacquer was used in place of nitrocellulose giving the Jazzmaster a slick appearance. This finish, which looks and feels excellent, should not be confused with the thick, plastic-like finishes found on mid to late 1970s Fenders. The color of the tortoise pickguard changed from red with white chunks and some black swirls to a brown-red that contained more black swirls and fewer white chunks. The neck profile of the 1968-69 Jazzmasters remained unchanged from the bound/block marker necks introduced in 1966. However, Fender did offer a maple cap fretboard with black binding and block markers during this time (see Gruhn and Carter, p131).

Examining the headstock reveals a host of changes. As on most Fenders, the gold transition logo was changed to the black CBS logo by late 1967/early 1968. The swoopy Jazzmaster moniker with motion lines changed to a larger bold block letter style around this time also. Sometime in mid-1967, the headstock was modified from the traditional large shape to the shape used on post-1965 Stratocasters. These changes are clearly illustrated in the photographs. Note that the 1962 model headstock is nearly straight as you follow the outline from the just below the rounded top portion to the “point.” By comparison, the headstock on the 1968 model is curved in this area. The 1969 headstock is a bit more trim with a less pronounced or protruding “point.” The difference is subtle and was confirmed by measuring and comparing headstock dimensions on the two guitars. This trimmer headstock has also been observed on Jazzmasters as far back as late 1967 indicating that the slight difference in shape may have been due to variation in production.

In addition, a somewhat surprising feature is also found on these two particular Jazzmasters. Both the 1968 and 1969 models have factory installed pearl button Fender/Grover tuners. These tuners were standard on the Fender Wildwood Coronado series, LTD and Montego guitars. Normally, 1968-69 Jazzmasters were equipped with the standard Fender “F” tuners with diagonal-cut backs. There is no mention of the Grover tuners being a factory option in the 1968-69 Fender catalog. It is plausible that Fender installed them on a custom basis, regardless of whether or not it was an “official” option. However, the fact that these tuners could be special ordered on the Jazzmaster was not widely known by the public at the time. If it was widely known, there certainly would be more Jazzmasters around today with factory installed Grovers since they are far superior to the standard “F” tuners. These are the only two Jazzmasters with Grover tuners known to exist by the author, however that does not imply that other examples are not extant. One wonders if these tuners were optional on the Jaguar and/or Stratocaster, as well.

The post-1967 Jazzmasters are fine instruments and offer a viable and affordable alternative to earlier models. Unfortunately, Fender guitars and basses, including the Jazzmaster, began to suffer from quality control and materials problems beginning in late 1966. It is still far easier to find a “good” Fender instrument from the 1966-69 period compared to mid to late 1970s Fenders. Perhaps it is the inconsistent quality (or the polyester lacquer!) that steers collectors away from the 1968-69 Jazzmaster. Maybe it’s just that there aren’t many on the market because there weren’t many Jazzmasters produced in 1968 and 1969 in the first place.

Special thanks to Mr. Dennis Kimball for providing me with photos and information for his 1968 Jazzmaster. Dennis and I spent quite a bit of time on the phone comparing notes and this article would not have been possible without his time and support.

About the author: Mr. Gagliano, a research biologist and part-time bassist, is an avid fan of early CBS era Fenders, G&Ls and Guilds.

Visit GGJaguar’s Homepage

This feature is about the Jaguar’s and Jazzmaster’s tremolo system, one of the smoothest and tuning-stable systems out there. It is not designed for “dive-bombs”, but within normal range it’s ace. Plus it has the unique “trem-loc” feature – a feature that many people just don’t know about. I came across several guitar repair/maintenance guys who just didn’t know what this feature is about. Time to change that. :-)

First let’s have a look “under the hood”:

Now, on to the function of these metal-thingies…

I intend to setup the tremolo as described by Fender, so that the lock feature will work. This feature works like a mechanical memory of the tuned state of the guitar. If a string breaks, normally the missing pull of that string forces tremolo systems out of tune, usually the whole tuning goes sharp. That is because the balance between the tremolo’s spring and the pull of the strings has shifted – the spring is now stronger in comparison to the pull and forces the strings to go sharp.

Fender designed the Jag and JM tremolo so that with a simple slide of a knob the “right” tuning is restored – the tremolo works downward only when the lock is engaged.

Here are the components important for the setup:

All we need is a tuner, a philips screwdriver and some patience. Turning the adjustment screw will alter the tuning, so several rounds of turning and retuning are necessary.

First, setup all other factors of the guitar (intonation, action, neck curve) before setting up the tremolo (see the setup tips and the troubleshoot-list if unsure).

Then tune the guitar to pitch. With the screwdriver, turn the adjustment screw so that you just cannot engage the tremlock (by sliding the tremlock button towards the tremolo, away from the bridge). With a minimal push on the tremarm downward, sliding in the lock should be possible.

Too tight…

… you cannot engage the lock, neither in pitch tuning nor with a broken string.

Too loose…

… sliding in and out has no effect on the tuning, but if a string would break, the system will go sharp, even with the lock engaged.

Perfect:

Perfect, because the system remains the same position with the lock on or off:

Now, tune the guitar, and fine-adjust the tremolo setting so that you can slide the knob in and out without theoretically altering the guitar’s tuning. It may take some times of turning and tuning, I recommend a quarter-turn each time. The desired state is that with the lock engaged, the tuning is minimal flat (if you have a “in pitch” position, which is theoretical the desired, you may get some buzz when the lock is engaged. so a mini bit of “push” from the spring on the lock is ok).

If a string breaks, the system will go sharp…

…because the spring and the strings are out of balance.

Now, simply push the tremolo arm down, and engage the lock – you’ll return the system to the tuned state immediately, because the tremlock forces the system back in the right position:

And there we are. If you play occasionally with a altered tuning (dropped d-tuning for example) you will love this feature. At least so do I. :-)

Note: Some vintage systems seem to have very strong springs, so that the “balanced” position will not be possible even with the tension loosened as far as possible. This happens usually with string sets lighter than .11s (.10s on the JM).

Contrary to that, some Japanese models seem to have springs that are too light to handle stronger strings. (.11s and up).

Tom Arnold, August 2002 (updated January 2004)

[Update June 2007:] German “Gitarre & Bass” magazine has kindly asked if I would translate and submit this article for their July issue, which features a large article about the Fender Jazzmaster. I did so, and now it’s printed. Hooray. :-)

This is a feature I found in 1999. The website it originally appeared in is long offline, so I typed this from the print-outs I made then. If anyone has this source online, I’ll gladly add the link.

Measurements in this article are in inch, for metric conversion use: 1 inch = 25.4 mm (for example string gauge .011 is 0.2794 millimeters)

It focusses on the Jaguar, but the same principles apply to the Jazzmaster.

Setting up your Jaguar

Written by Angel Romero (29. May 1999)
This is a fairly detailed approach to setting up your Jag. I’m afraid I haven’t had time to add pictures, but I will be doing so soon.

Disclaimer: Be sure to seek help if required. Neither myself or Angel will except any responsibility if you damage your guitars as a result of attempting the following set-up.

Materials

1. Fresh strings: Recommended for the Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Mustang and Jag-Stang .011s and up. For dropped-D toning low E of at least .052. The higher the string gauge the less string buzz or slap.
2. Straight edge ruler: an 18 inch metal ruler is adequate. If you buy it at an art shop they tend to have a very nice straight edge. A 6 inch metal ruler is also good to have.
3. Mechanic’s feeder gauge set: If you cannot get one, there is a simple way to build one. Glue the ends of the guitar strings you cut on a heavy board and label the string’s radii.
4. Dark furniture or lemon oil
5. Assorted screw drivers: flat and philips.
6. Hex key set: preferably metric
7. 400 and 800 sandpaper wet/dry
8. 0000 steel wool
9. Capo
10. Electronic tuner
11. Five 1/2″x1/2″x1/2″ foam rubber squares

Start by removing the strings. To relieve stress on the neck never cut the strings before fully unwinding them. I prefer unwinding in the following order: D-G-A-B-lowE-highE.

If you see string nicks on the frets or are having difficulty bending the strings, you might want to sand the frets. Completely cover the pickups with masking tape. Lightly sand the frets and fret board with the 400 sandpaper. Run it up and down the whole length of the fret board, never across, with even pressure. You want all the frets and the whole width of the frets sanded evenly. When the nicks are sanded place the guitar on it’s side and blow off the residue. Repeat the sanding with the 800 sandpaper and blow the fret board and repeat with the steel wool. Blow the residue off the guitar’s body: do not wipe it as you will scratch the finish. If you want, practise with an old guitar you don’t like that much.

Put on some oil directly on a clean cotton cloth and wipe it evenly the length of the fret board so that it is all wet and shiny. Let it stand for a couple of minutes and wipe it thoroughly with a clean cotton cloth. Give it some elbow grease as you don’t want an excessively oiled fret board since the wood may rot. The fret board should end up with a satin finish with shiny frets.

If you only see the fret board dry do the oil procedure alone.

With an exacto knife or a razor blade clean the string slots in the nut. A clean slot will let the string slide and the tuning regained after bending or using the tremolo.

Wash and dry your hands. Excessive oil and dirt will adhere to the strings and reduce their life.

Replace the strings. I replace them in the same order I remove them.

Push the bridge back. This will make intonation a bit easier later and when using the tremolo, if you dive it and lose tuning, pushing the bridge back will bring the guitar close to tuning.

Tune the guitar as desired. If using alternate tunings it is recommended that you have a specific guitar for each tuning since altering the tension of a string will cause a loss of intonation.

Now for the juicy part: Checking the neck curvature. There are two ways: a) use the strings or b) use a straight edge ruler.

Place the capo on the first fret. If you have the 18″ ruler use the edge running the length of the fret board to check the curvature of the neck. Measure the space between the ruler’s edge and the top of the 8th fret. It is more reliable at or near the center of the fret board between the D and G strings.

Measure the space with a ruler or better yet a feeder gauge. This standard distance for a 7.25″ radius necks should be .012″. If the distance is greater you have to tighten, turn clockwise, the truss rod nut. If it is less or the ruler rocks on the 8th fret, the truss rod has to be loosened. If you cannot use a ruler or straight edge press the string at the last fret and measure the relief at the 8th fret. Your string is your straight edge. In these guitars it is a pain on the butt to adjust the truss rod, since the neck has to be removed to access the truss rod nut. Loosen all the strings, remove the neck-plate screws and remove the neck. To remove the neck you have to pull or push it forward away from the body. If you pull it out, toward the headstock you might damage the finish around the neck or body.

Guess-timate the turn needed. A quarter turn a time is more than enough. Replace the neck, restring and re tune. Let it stand for about half an hour for the whole system to reach equilibrium. A lot of people are too eager to play their instrument and do not let the wood adjust to the new settings and up with a lot of unnecessary string buzz. Measure and readjust ass needed. For those of you who placed locking tuners, when replacing the strings do not cut the excess string because restringing without the excess is quite difficult.

Once the neck is adjusted we adjust the action. The Jaguar and the Jazzmaster have height adjustable saddles. These saddles come set-up from the Fender factory with the required curvature so try not to fiddle with them. Height adjustments are done with the two hex set screws at the high and low ends of the bridge. The screws require a .5 mm hex key.

With the capo still on check the string height at the top of the 17th fret without pressing the string at any fret. The strings height should be .078″ for the low E and .0625″ for the high E. Adjust with the bridge height screws as needed.

The pick up height is checked with the string pressed at the last fret. For single coils at the treble side the height is .078″ and at the bass side .094″. This is purely subjective since some people like the pickups higher for higher output and lower for better sustain.

Remove the capo and play your guitar. It should play really good. Some people like higher action others lower, adjust to your preference.

To set intonation you need an electronic tuner.

Play your open string and tune exactly to pitch. Place rubber foam squares between the last fret and the strings not to be tuned.

After the string is tuned to pitch, play the string pressing the string at the 12th fret. Verify if the octave is sharp, flat, or in tune. If the note is sharp you have to move the saddle back, if the note is flat you have to move the saddle forward. Retune the string to an exact pitch and re-check at the 12th fret. Repeat as needed until you get the open note and the higher octave exactly to the same pitch, an octave apart. Repeat with the other strings.

When adjusting the saddles, I personally prefer the bridge pushed all the way back since when adjusting it’s easy to push the bridge forward. If I start with the bridge all the way back I just push it back and recheck: sort of like a reference point. If you leave the bridge at the middle, you have to be very careful not to move the bridge as you will lose intonation of the other strings.

Once you’ve checked and double checked the intonation, you’re done! You should have a comfortable, perfectly in-tune guitar.

Remember this is just a guide to start with.

After about a week recheck the neck’s curvature and readjust as needed. If you change the string gauge, you will have to compensate neck and intonation for the extra or relieved tension. String height will not be an issue as long as you do not move the bridge’s height screws.

If you still have excessive string buzz that can be heard through the amp you might want to take the guitar to a tech to check for uneven frets. You could check by putting the edge of the 6″ ruler near the frets that buzz. If the ruler rocks the fret it rocks on is too high or might have come loose. If there is space between a fret and the ruler the fret has worn down too much or was pressed into the fret board too hard. This should be repaired by a qualified tech.

Remember, some string buzz is perfectly normal as long as it is not heard through the amp.

originally appeared on the Fenderforum, posted by Scopo, Australia (Notes by Tom Arnold).

Problem: you have a brand new CIJ Jaguar? it has string buzz and rattles? (Note: applies to Jazzmasters as well, and sometimes MIA and vintage ones, too.)

Potential solution/s (in approximate order of simplicity and cheapness):

1. Chuck out the 9 or 10 gauge strings it came with. Change strings to at least 11-49 if not 12-52 gauge (try flatwounds if you’re at all into surf sounds)
2. Is everything on the guitar tight? There are lots of moving parts on a Jaguar that can rattle – check all the screws in the bridge and Locktite if necessary (once you’ve set the action etc – see below); a little tape on the trem arm can stop it rattling; a little tape on the bridge posts (but not enough to stop the bridge pivoting) can also help
3. Check the neck relief – the neck should be nearly flat, with a slight concave bow. Hold down the low E string at the first fret and the body fret (about the 17th). Between the 5th and 7th fret there should be a small gap between the string and the fret (Note: a good rule of thumb is the diameter of the high e-string). If there is no gap at all, the neck is too straight, so the truss rod should be loosened slightly (about 1/8 of a turn); if there is a big gap, the neck is too bowed and should be tightened (again, start with about 1/8 of a turn).
4. Check the action (the height of the strings from the fingerboard). If any string rattles when fretted, it is likely to be too low and its individual height can be adjusted at the bridge. Action is a matter of your playing style and individual preference – if you’re a heavy strummer or big-bending blues-bender, you’ll probably want a higher action. Action is also dependent on neck relief and string gauge (see, it starts to get a bit complicated).
   (Note: to make things even worse, the overall height of the action is a combination of bridge height plus the height of the individual saddles, both factors can be adjusted separately. Usually it is a good approach to make the angle of the string over the bridge saddle as steep as possible, but the string should neither touch the bridge’s corners nor the saddle intonation screw. You can play with the bridge height vs. saddle height to get different angles while keeping the same overall height.)

5. How’s the intonation? Do notes sound in tune all the way up the neck? If open chords are in tune but barre chords above the 7th fret or so sound out of tune, then you will have to set the intonation of each string by moving the saddles back (if fretted note is sharp) or forward (if flat) (note: this will affect the action a bit, if you move the saddle back (i.e. away from the pickups) you will slightly increase the action and vice versa).
6. Are there any electrical/grounding problems causing hum? Is there a hum when you’re *not* touching the strings? If so, there may a broken ground wire somewhere. As single coil pickups, the Jaguar is likely to pick up *some* hum at high gain or when near transformers, computer monitors etc. But if it’s excessive, then there could be a wiring/grounding problem.

AFTER you’ve checked all these things (or had them checked by an expert), THEN think about shimming, replacing the bridge etc.

If you haven’t already, look at Fender’s Mr Gearhead site for basic set-up tips (- click on Fender logo, then ’setup’, then ‘other Fender guitars’)
(note: here’s the direct link to the set-up article (pfd-file, app. 180kb download) on Mr Gearhead net, but be sure to visit the site, there are loads of useful features)

- a comparison by John Phillips ‘Unquiet’, Scotland. originally appeared in Chris Greene’s ‘Fenderforum’.

Very well actually. I’ve got the pair of them in front of me right now, here are the details:

• Neck: CIJ feels bigger, the original’s is quite V-shaped and feels thin, the reissue much rounder and more hand-filling. Headstock shape is fairly accurate with only a very slightly larger bulge under the logo – barely noticeable. But wrong logo! The reissue logo is a late-60s-style black with gold outline. This is not right on a 62-style dot neck (but maybe deliberate to prevent use by forgers?). Interestingly, the neck is stamped ‘JG-66′ on the heel. Were they trying to make a ‘66 reissue? That might explain the logo but then why no neck binding? The ‘Jaguar’ script is a bit too skinny.
  
  Neck finish is excellent, exactly the right shade with none of the ‘fake-tan’ aspect of so many of the reissues. Dots are a bit ‘flat’ looking, more silver than pearl. Side dots are black and in the maple rather than silver and right on the join line. Frets are near identical. The rosewood fingerboard is quite pale-looking, but 35 years of oil and sweat should help!
• Nut width: ‘65 – overall 41.2mm, string spacing 35.8mm. CIJ – overall 41.0mm, string spacing 34.1 mm. This is interesting as the reissue FEELS wider – but it’s not! It can only be the bulkier neck profile giving a wrong impression I think.
• Machineheads: accurate apart from the lack of ‘Kluson Deluxe’ lettering, work nicely.
• Body: the overall outline is very accurate, the only significant difference is in the treble-side waist, which is slightly less deeply cut. Contouring is about the right depth but the edges are much less radiused so the impression is a bit more ’slab-like’. The sunburst is good, but the centre is noticeably more transparent and less yellow (which is the ‘Fullerplast’ on the original). Of course the finish is polyester not cellulose so is harder and more shiny than the original would have been even when new. There’s no routing for the mute on the reissue.
• Trem unit: ‘pat. no #2,972,923′ lettering is smaller but that’s about all the difference.
  
  I haven’t dismantled the ‘65 recently but the reissue looks just about the same mechanically from what I remember. The arm is curved just right too.
• Bridge: the pivot posts are riveted-in quite differently, there’s no ‘dome’ above the plate like the original. Saddles are larger diameter and slightly coarser thread on the lower 3 strings (advantage – wider grooves). So are the intonation screws, and they’re longer (disadvantage, the ends of the screws interfere with the strings even worse than on the oldies, I had to cut the end off the bottom ‘E’ screw on the ‘65). The height screws are 1.5mm Allen not 1mm.
• Scratch plate: a little thinner than the ‘65 but a very nice colour for a modern tortoise plate.
• Metal plates: also a little thinner, and the Vol/Tone/Jack plate is a bit roughly
  
  shaped. The screws that hold the switches and roller controls are also raised flat head, not countersunk as on the original.
• Controls: roller knobs are excellent, switches are a little thinner and taller than the originals, and the knobs… are the single worst visible fault on the reissue. Horrible, cheap looking and coarse to feel, slightly too tall and far too skinny.
• Internal electrics: the pots are the right values but are small and cheap, though they seem to work well enough. The jack socket is of course a far-east one not a Switchcraft, basically the same construction but a bit flimsier. The switches are DPDT types instead of SPST, which makes possible all sorts of interesting wiring mods without changing the appearance… eg series wiring using the 3rd switch… the brass screening plates are all there, but aren’t held in by anything! They just rattle about in the bottom of the cavities (the V/T/J-plate one audibly so, not good). I’m going to use some double-sided tape if nothing else…
• Pickups: quite close visually, but no staggered pole pieces. DC resistances: ‘65 – 6.2k (neck) and 6.4k (bridge). CIJ – 6.0k (neck) and 6.1k (bridge). But the reissue pickups are NOT opposite polarities. Very bad. This misses out on one of the best and most ahead-of-its-time features of the original… hum canceling in the both-on mode (which I almost always use, especially with distortion).
  
  …on the old one the 2 low side-pieces [the "saw teeth"] are for the A and low E, on the reissue they’re under the B and high E. This might make a significant difference as they widen the magnetic field (being effectively extra pole pieces), but less so where they are cut down. So in theory the ‘65 should have a mellower top and twangier bottom than the reissue… which does seem to be true… but hard to tell for sure as the new guitar is so much brasher sounding in general. [Note: As found out by comparison on the FDP-forum, vintage Jags have the saw teeth aligned both ways - but it seemed to be intended to go under the b and e string, like on the new MIA reissues]

Now the hard bit… how do they sound?

Well, OK I’m biased but my ‘65 is as near to a perfect guitar sound as I can imagine. Smooth but punchy, mellow but twangy, etc. In comparison the reissue is harsher, more ‘honky’ and springier sounding. But it’s not just the pickups, it’s like that acoustically to some extent as well. The pickups just accentuate it. If it were mine I’d definitely think about some Seymour Duncans…

What I think: this is a very nice guitar. It’s very accurate for a reissue, much more so than the Strats and Teles, only let down by a few cheap parts (easily changed), the loose screening plates (easily fixed) and those pickups (also changeable). The basic build quality is so good I wonder how the new US reissues can be that much better for double the money (I haven’t seen one yet, dealers over here won’t take them except on special order). Why did Fender stop making them? Why don’t they do a MIM one?
- John, Mar 2nd, 2001

Additional info:

They still do make the Japan models. There are a few differences in measurement. The pole pieces of the pickups are different than an old Jag. The bridge base began looking like the ones on the Japanese Jags on USA models as early as 1968. The pole pieces are flat because 1962 and 1963 Jaguars have flat pole pieces. The staggered ones came around in about late 1963. [here are images of flat vs staggered pole pieces]
The roller knob knobs and pots are very different on the Japanese reissues. The knobs are actually nicer made than the old ones/MIA reissues.

…The roller knob difference is as such. The originals are made of aluminium with a 1/8″ shaft hole. The MIJ’s are heavy (brass?) with a 1/4″ (or metric equivalent) shaft hole. If you need replacement pots,try finding 1/8″ shaft with that size body in an electronics catalog! The 1/4″ is much easier to find. But that worry is over now too because the MIAs have the post ‘65 type pots. (I specified post ‘65 because pre-CBS Jags and Jazzmasters use Stackpole pots exclusively, and in ‘65 they switched to CTS)
- Jim Shine, USA

Left: Vibrato plate from a ~’87 (E series) Japanese Fender Jaguar. Note the small lettering, the chromed trem lock button, and the large perforation for the arm.

Right: Plate from a 1963 Jaguar. Different pat-numbers?

the “weak” part of the MIJ Jazzmaster reissues are the pickups. rather than to reproduce the originals, more “traditional” single-coils are found under the pickupcovers. the MIJ pickups are not as flat as the vintage ones or the replicas made by Fender USA or Seymour Duncan. Their coil is wound higher and not as wide as the vintage ones. the resulting sound is thinner, more “typical” single coil, as the distinctive sound of the original Jazzmaster pickups.

(thanks to Oliver Greven, Germany, for the picture)

(left picture by Jim Shine*, USA; right picture by Oliver Greven, Germany)

*visit his great collection of Fender parts