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Post subject: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:03 am
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Hello from Sweden!

I have googled like a mad man but haven't really found what I'm looking for...

My main guitar today is an American Jazzmaster (approx from 1999, serial nr V118135). As a back up I have a CIJ Jazzmaster (serial nr P094005) which I have modified with new pickups from Curtis Novak (JM-V + JM-90) as well as a titanium bridge from KTS. What I want is to get my CIJ Jazzmaster to sound & feel as similar as possible to my American Jazzmaster. The main difference between them is that the CIJ is much lighter & lacks the Americans full tone, volym & all around power - I am now thinking it has to do with the material of the body.

How/where can I find out what kind of wood the bodies on both these guitars are?

My goal is to find a replacement body for my CIJ...

Thanks a million!


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Post subject: Re: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:23 am
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Your American Jazzmaster's body is undoubtably alder -- just as it was designed by Leo Fender.

The lighter Japanese instrument is quite likely basswood -- never recognized by Leo as a legitimate tone wood. Contemporary instruments are often made of it because it is less lighter, expensive, and softer (and thus easier on the milling, routing, and shaping bits used by CAD/CAM machines to create the bodies). Unlike alder (or ash), basswood has a relatively featureless grain and very little visible figuring. You can confirm your body's composition by removing the neck and carefully inspecting the unpainted neck pocket then comparing it to an example of unfinished alder.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:14 am
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Thanks Arjay, I will remove the neck & check it out!

Stay gold, H


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Post subject: Re: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:02 pm
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Body wood isn't gonna be something that will make or break your tone. MIA instruments are usually Ash or more commonly Alder. Alot of Japanese instruments are Basswood but a great number of later year Fender Japan guitars are alder as well.

Even guitars that are identical can sound different and sometimes you'll hear a person nail Jimi Hendrix on a Les Paul.

I'd be looking more at same pickups, pots, pickup height, tone control and amp settings rather than replacing a guitar body. Just my opinion.


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Post subject: Re: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:05 pm
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If those KTS saddles are modeled after the Japanese saddles, then they won't snug up against each other tightly, the Graph-tech saddles have this problem. Only the MIA saddles seem to fit tightly together. At least that has been my experience.

If the KTS fit tightly together, then I would look at the body replacement.

Art


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Post subject: Re: Jazzmaster - different body materials?
Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:01 am
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Thanks for everyones input, I appreciate it!

Later, H


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