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So I can't justify spending vintage or AVRI money, but I love Jazzmasters and I love Fender Japan. Problem was I didn't bond with either of the CIJ JMs I tried, or the 90s MIJ. Then this A serial (probably 1985/6) MIJ came up and I could see from the photos it had a meatier neck and some wear and tear - plus the body was made of sen, instead of alder, and I really have a thing for sen.
So I took a leap and bought it - from Kyoto - and it's everything I hoped, pretty much. Took it apart to see what's what and discovered the nicotine yellow covers held pickups which were not quite the classic "Strat wind" MIJs but not a wide JM wind either. They don't sound great - fortunately I have a nice set of Rose hand-wound formvar ones which I will install the first chance I get. Got some whiter covers as well - these were cream but have yellowed like crazy.
I went to put the brown printed tort back on but I couldn't do it. Had to go and get the B/W/B guard - it totally nails the look I was after. Black Strat knobs in tribute to the last run of the original Jazzmaster in 1982.
But all this writing is just delaying the pictures.


I mentioned that I have a thing for sen:



With a Fuji-gen Gakki sibling (1983, Squier Japan):


1982 inspiration:

Congrats... Nice find. Ishibashi?

I really like the yellowed covers myself. Goes well with the Sunburst.

Nice find, excellent looking guitar! I love the heavily grained body with that black guard.

The pissy covers are quite bad though.

The whole look is so classy. Love the covers and black on sunburst.

Very nice, although I can't decide if I like or dislike the covers.

Thanks guys - I love it too, looking forward to good pickups. Those covers look like someone painted them with saffron, or like the plastic yellowing on a computer from the 80s. The camera is forgiving but the guitar looks like it has jaundice in person. I have some white ones, will see how they look when I do the rewire on the weekend.

The switch tip is almost ... amber.

Oh and it was listed on eBay by a guy I've bought from before, so I emailed him an offer. Nice guy to deal with, username ookini55.

daaaaank

That fucking grain. That's one hell of a sunburst.

I thought Verlaine's in this video was that scheme for years in the 240p era but now I see it's just history's plainest tort. Bugger. Posting it anyway.
[youtube][/youtube]

Lovely looking body and I love the black guard.

Black guard was a fine choice - looks great.

Shimmy..

There is an E serial JM66-70 on eBay at the moment - I think the body wood is sen as well. In better shape than mine and cheaper!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161356181094

Well golly, it only took me nearly seven months, but I have a full new wiring harness and my Rose Korona pickups installed. For full cork sniffing I even went the AVRI trem. And shielded the hell out of the cavity and guard with copper foil. I kept the entire original harness intact since I guess there aren't too many 1985/6 Jazzmasters on the planet.
Poor man's brass tub:

Foil explosion:

All the bits ready to go (note - short Switchcraft switch works just as well as the angled one which costs 3 times as much):

Harness done:

Installation:

Sounds godlike - that breathy light JM sound and none of the midrange glare it had before. Pickups sound very different to each other - and both the middle position and the rhythm circuit have beautiful, usable sounds, which they didn't with the originals. Highly recommend the Rose guys - they did custom winds using formvar wire and it's definitely mellow.

taylornutt wrote:The whole look is so classy. Love the covers and black on sunburst.

Me too. Congrats!

looks rad.

me likey

Thanks guys! Went with some less extremely yellow covers I had sitting around. Finally scratched the Jazzmaster itch.

Looks great, amazing condition for its age, I have an early/mid 90's JM that is pretty beat up now.

Rad addition, man.

I cannot stop scrolling through pages of Jazzy photos.