MissoulaGriz
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2008
- Messages
- 764
- Reaction score
- 634
I couldn't take it any longer. I used to have an AVRI '62 Jazzmaster that I absolutely loved but I moved it in a larger gear acquisition trade. The net result was a beautiful Fender Bassman rig and some other odds and ends, but...I was left without my lovely AVRI '62.
In comes Fender, offering up a MIM Jazzmaster, nitro body and neck, vintage correct specs, AVRI '65 pickups, surf green (my favorite color) and a hardshell case for under $1,000. Are you kidding me? I did some quick Google searches and found nothing but positive reviews on this guitar. I couldn't resist any longer so I pulled the trigger and got a nice little discount at Musicians Friend.
I just received the guitar and I have to say, I've had plenty of NGD's in my life: I own several Gibsons, USA Fenders and Gretches as well as some newer USA G&L guitars and even a kick butt Chinese Epi 339 P90 PRO, but out of all my NGD days, this MIM Jazzy just blows me away. The instant I opened up the hard shell case and got a whiff of that new Nitro smell and saw the gorgeous finish on this guitar, I knew I had a winner. The fretwork is some of the best "off the line" work I've yet to see on any guitar, US guitars included. The finish is spectacular, the intonation is spot on and I couldn't set the action any more perfect than it already is. The neck feels just a smidge thinner (not much) than my old AVRI but other than that, you'd be hard pressed to tell the two guitars apart if you were playing them blind-folded (they even buzz and rattle exactly the same LOL). The AVRI '65 pickups are very nice. I actually prefer these '65's to the AVRI '62's that I had. They have a little more meat to them and are not as bright as the '62's. This guitar sounds amazing through my '67 Bassman.
I'm also impressed with the quality of the hardware on this guitar. The tuners are very smooth and accurate, the bridge is...well...a Jazzmaster bridge (fine for now but will probably swap out for Staytrem). The tremolo unit is nice, I do wish it had the locking feature but then again, the cost of an upgraded trem unit is negligible and I may or may not swap it out. The switches, pots and pickup selector are all nice quality and don't feel "cheap" what-so-ever. The case is also a pleasant surprise, it's solid in construction and will serve it's purpose very well. I gig and record regularly and feel like this case will work perfectly for my needs. It's just nice to get a case with a sub-$1,000 guitar these days.
Overall, Fender absolutely hit it out of the park with these guitars. For regular working musicians and/or serious hobbyists, the 60's lacquer Jazzmaster and Jags are a wonderful option. I simply can't find any faults in this guitar that are worth mentioning.
Here she is:
In comes Fender, offering up a MIM Jazzmaster, nitro body and neck, vintage correct specs, AVRI '65 pickups, surf green (my favorite color) and a hardshell case for under $1,000. Are you kidding me? I did some quick Google searches and found nothing but positive reviews on this guitar. I couldn't resist any longer so I pulled the trigger and got a nice little discount at Musicians Friend.
I just received the guitar and I have to say, I've had plenty of NGD's in my life: I own several Gibsons, USA Fenders and Gretches as well as some newer USA G&L guitars and even a kick butt Chinese Epi 339 P90 PRO, but out of all my NGD days, this MIM Jazzy just blows me away. The instant I opened up the hard shell case and got a whiff of that new Nitro smell and saw the gorgeous finish on this guitar, I knew I had a winner. The fretwork is some of the best "off the line" work I've yet to see on any guitar, US guitars included. The finish is spectacular, the intonation is spot on and I couldn't set the action any more perfect than it already is. The neck feels just a smidge thinner (not much) than my old AVRI but other than that, you'd be hard pressed to tell the two guitars apart if you were playing them blind-folded (they even buzz and rattle exactly the same LOL). The AVRI '65 pickups are very nice. I actually prefer these '65's to the AVRI '62's that I had. They have a little more meat to them and are not as bright as the '62's. This guitar sounds amazing through my '67 Bassman.
I'm also impressed with the quality of the hardware on this guitar. The tuners are very smooth and accurate, the bridge is...well...a Jazzmaster bridge (fine for now but will probably swap out for Staytrem). The tremolo unit is nice, I do wish it had the locking feature but then again, the cost of an upgraded trem unit is negligible and I may or may not swap it out. The switches, pots and pickup selector are all nice quality and don't feel "cheap" what-so-ever. The case is also a pleasant surprise, it's solid in construction and will serve it's purpose very well. I gig and record regularly and feel like this case will work perfectly for my needs. It's just nice to get a case with a sub-$1,000 guitar these days.
Overall, Fender absolutely hit it out of the park with these guitars. For regular working musicians and/or serious hobbyists, the 60's lacquer Jazzmaster and Jags are a wonderful option. I simply can't find any faults in this guitar that are worth mentioning.
Here she is:
