Rob's JMA1 (JazzMaster)

Here's the next instalment in my GAS journey ...

I've got a JMA1 kit that I'm hoping to make more like a JazzMaster, by doing some mods and adding some other parts, namely ...
- JM pickguard and controls
- JM tremolo

For the finish, I'd like to emulate the Elvis Costello JM ...
Attachment 19290
Which is a similar look to what I was able to achieve on the P bass I recently completed

Here's what I've got to work with so far ...
Attachment 19289

There are going to be a few challenges along the way with this ... I'll need to do some routing to fit the JM controls and the new trem, but I'll also need to fill in some of the existing routing in the body. The scratch plate will cover most of this, but the main area to cover will be the original bridge route, which falls between the scratch plate and the new tremolo.

Should be fun!!
:cool:

Some work ahead, but this looks stylish and cool

Best of luck with your build.

Woo hoo! More offsets!

Got some time this weekend to route the body to fit the Jazzmaster trem and scratchplate.
I still have to fil the hole that was there for the trem/bridge that came with the kit and cover the hole in the back of the body. Still thinking about the best way to do it ...

So far so good ...
Attachment 19686 Attachment 19687

slowly coming together ...
Attachment 19688

Sweeeet! :D

Nice work!

Damn shame there is now a new kit that comes with P90's instead of those chunky ones.

Like what you have done so far and keen to see where things go from here.

Cheers, Waz

Looks amazing man! You've doing a fantastic job. I like the jazzmaster P90 covers much better than the soapbars in the new kit. Watching your build with keen interest.

cheers,
Gav.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThreeBbass

Got some time this weekend to route the body to fit the Jazzmaster trem and scratchplate.
I still have to fil the hole that was there for the trem/bridge that came with the kit and cover the hole in the back of the body. Still thinking about the best way to do it ...

So far so good ...
Attachment 19686 Attachment 19687

slowly coming together ...
Attachment 19688

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Great build, will watch this with keen interest as im doing a JM-1 64 Jaguar replica. Im up to the same stage as you, wondering what to fill the cavities with. Good luck..

Hey Rob, just wondering if you bought a loaded jazzmaster pickguard or put that together yourself? I've just ordered a JZA-1 and I'm tossing up whether to play around with the second set of controls. I've also long lusted after the Costello Jazzmaster (one of my all-time favourite artists) so will end up going down the walnut stain path as well. Love what you are doing with this one.

Hi Chuck,
I was lucky and found a guy on ebay who was selling a new factory loaded pickguard cheap.
The problem I've found is that the kit has the neck set further back into the body than the original, so I've had to muck around to get the routing right to fit the pickguard, pickups, neck and bridge in the right places.
Spent some more time on the weekend ... it's finally coming together
I'm pretty pleased with the colour I've been able to achieve ... used a blend of DT Nullabor Ochre and Black Stump.

I'll put some pics up tonight to show you what I mean ...
:-)

If you still want to stain, an old school method of covering unused holes (usually due to mounting a bigsby) is with a "custom made" plaque. I think it looks rad.
https://images.reverb.com/image/uplo...8kmqgviqhm.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chuck

Hey Rob, just wondering if you bought a loaded jazzmaster pickguard or put that together yourself? I've just ordered a JZA-1 and I'm tossing up whether to play around with the second set of controls. I've also long lusted after the Costello Jazzmaster (one of my all-time favourite artists) so will end up going down the walnut stain path as well. Love what you are doing with this one.

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Hey Chuck,
here are a couple of pics of where I'm up to with the front and back of the JM. I inset some ply that I had in the shed to cover the original routes in the body. The one on the front gets mostly masked by the pickguard, and so disappears. I'm not so happy about the one on the back ... thinking that I might still just get a black plastic plate and cover it ... although it won't really be seen.

Attachment 20708 Attachment 20709

That stain looks fantastic. It's a tough call with the routing covers. I guess you either somehow make them disappear entirely (paint rather than stain, or pickguard etc) or make the cover have a presence and not be shy about it as you are suggesting with a plastic plate. I think I like the second option a bit better

reverse burst on the back?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThreeBbass

I might still just get a black plastic plate and cover it .

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Rather than cover it, I'd get 6 strategically placed screws to make it look like a wood cover.

cheers, Mark.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king casey

Rather than cover it, I'd get 6 strategically placed screws to make it look like a wood cover.

cheers, Mark.

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That's a genius idea!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dedman

reverse burst on the back?

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That was my original intent ... but, for whatever reason, the stain didn't take very well, although I've only put 3 layers on so far.
Kind of liking where it's got to now ...

I assembled the guitar last night ... looks pretty good ...
Sounds OK too ... but still needs a final setup ...

Attachment 21519

Looks great 3B!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThreeBbass

I assembled the guitar last night ... looks pretty good ...
Sounds OK too ... but still needs a final setup ...

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...9&d=1502405831

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Nice. Can't wait for my JMA-1 to arrive.

nice one Rob came up looking sweet

Great job.

Top hole, old chap!

I feel like "watching the detectives"
Very nice!!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThreeBbass

I assembled the guitar last night ... looks pretty good ...
Sounds OK too ... but still needs a final setup ...

Attachment 21519

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Nice! How did you go about fixing/measuring out where tremolo should be screwed into place?

It's got a rout to sit in, so you can't go far wrong. The main alignment requirement is side to side, so that you get a straight string route down the neck, over the bridge to the trem. Fit the neck and bridge temporarily, run a piece of string from the low E trem up to the headstock, through the low E hole, back through the high E hole then down to the trem. Make sure the neck/bridge alignment is OK first, with the string pulled taut it should run parallel to the sides of the neck and both strings being an equal distance from the sides body at the end of the neck. If that is fine, then move the trem so that straight string line carries on and mark the position (making sure that the trem is at 90° to the strings and not angled.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

It's got a rout to sit in, so you can't go far wrong. The main alignment requirement is side to side, so that you get a straight string route down the neck, over the bridge to the trem. Fit the neck and bridge temporarily, run a piece of string from the low E trem up to the headstock, through the low E hole, back through the high E hole then down to the trem. Make sure the neck/bridge alignment is OK first, with the string pulled taut it should run parallel to the sides of the neck and both strings being an equal distance from the sides body at the end of the neck. If that is fine, then move the trem so that straight string line carries on and mark the position (making sure that the trem is at 90° to the strings and not angled.

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Thanks Simon! First time builder here, i just wasnt sure if the up/down movement, (closer/further from bridge) would affect intonation! there’s about 10mm movement each way when the trem is in the cavity, but judging from your reply, side to side/parallel aligned is most important
Thanks again


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