SQUIER SHOOTOUT: Classic Vibe Jazzmaster vs J Mascis Jazzmaster
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- Here's a comparison of the sound of each guitar. I'm playing through a Joyo American Sound pedal in my DAW. Let me know what you think and please subscribe!
Music gear used:
Squier FSR Classic Vibe 60s Jazzmaster Surf Green
Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster
Joyo American Sound Pedal
Garageband with an ART USB Dual Pre
Video:
Canon HFG10 camera
Rode Video Mic Pro
Neewer NL480 LED lighting
Nikon D7500 (still photos)
Apple Final Cut Pro X
I’m always surprised just how good the squier guitars will sound and play sometimes
Bob Morris I just got mine and It is beautiful. Got the Jaguar as well but this Jazzmaster is wonderful.
I played a few squire telecasters and they weren’t great but I just bought a 60s vibe and it’s a beautiful Sound
maxisthebest Dude Yes you are right. It depends and not all great. I used a Squier Jaguar recently and I know that people praise it a lot but in my opinion It wasn’t that great. I played a Squier CV Jazzmaster and that was entirely different and just felt great. I have a 50 CV and a 60 CV Tele and I love the 60’s Vibe. The thing with guitars is you can hear on you tube and say wow but in person it may not be for you. I recently tried a Squier CV Mustang and it sounded ok but just didn’t feel right. Playability wise also with the narrow tall frets as well. I prefered the Vintage Modified more. For the price these are amazing though but they are going up in price.Both Jazzmasters in this video are great sound wise and playability wise but JMascis plays much better. CV one more Vintage style sound.
The old Squiers from like 2005 were pretty bad overall. These days you can gig with them. It's crazy. You should check out the Paranormal Series that they just released. I know a lot of pro players who are grabbing some.
@@Official_KC those paranormals look so nice, I'm really tempted to pick one up. Early squiers get a bad rep but these newer models are kinda magic. Might be worth hoarding a few to resell in the future, who knows
I agree. Will pick one up. Played it through Fender and Blackstar tube amps. Ended up with it in my hands for over an hour. Fantastic tones.
Very tasteful playing, and well-chosen to make the comparisons.
Thank you!
Thanks for this. I'm wavering between these two. Very good to know about how the necks feel.
The JMJM is a sleeper. :)
I have had my vintage modified jm for a little over a week and it's hands down my favorite guitar ever. I definitely want to check out a CV soon. I dig the jmjm but i really need chime at the ready when playing a jazzmaster.
I love the CV way more than J Mascis but both great. CV sounds definetly vintage.
They are both CV.
@@TheChristafershawn the j mascis seems to have more output....i prefer the traditional jazzmaster,its tone is warmer....itis also twangier....and more "fender"....denpends on your likes, mates, hands down.......
@@TheChristafershawn Agreed, EXCEPT for the pickups. I get why they went with hotter P 90s on an artist model, just wish they wouldn't have.
Normally, I'm more of an alt/modern rock/punk player, but I'd prefer the traditional Jazzmaster pickups in this and want one mostly to play surf, which is why the more traditional set are preferred in this case.
@@DarthEcoli I hear you but I would say they are hotter Jazzmaster pickups apposed to P90's. I have a couple other P90 guitars including a Gibson Firebird with hot P90's and the sound is very different to my ears. The JM is much more jangly then the Firebird. That said I have yet to hear what traditional JM pups sounds like in person. I am thinking about getting the another Jazzmaster for that purpose. There is always a reason for another guitar it seems. Peace.
CV sounds way better. Hotter pickups doesn't mean better. Usually, the tone goes to hell.
Great quick comparison. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
I’ve owned both these models for years now, the Mascis is light years beyond the Vintage Modified quality wise. The Mascis feels like a $1000+ instrument, and has one of the best feeling necks on any guitar regardless of price. Pickups are a matter of taste, the more P90-esque Mascis pups can be switched out to more traditional sounding JM pups very easily.
I totally agree. The neck on the Mascis is so much better than other Squiers I've owned, and as good as instruments more than twice the price.
David Niles I have custom shop Gibsons and much more expensive Fenders but the neck on the Mascis is still one of my all time favorites. It was apparently modeled after the neck on the Rory Gallagher signature Strat, J Mascis owns one.
how did you own the fsr classic vibe surf green for years when its only been out 7 months
@@danadams8649 clearly he's talking about the vintage modified JM because he says it in his comment you smartass
Daniel Adams The Vintage Modified is what I said which was introduced over 10 years ago, not talking about the Classic Vibe, FSR or any other.
Your point about EQ is well-taken. I used to be a huge pickup weenie, chasing tiny differences in tone, until I realized you can often just turn a knob on your amp to adjust for any minor differences. Virtually all Strat pickups fall into a certain ballpark, as do Tele, P and J bass, PAF’s, P90’s, toasters, gold foils, etc.
Oh yes. My experience in swapping out pickups, is that I don't necessarily get a "better" sound, just a different one!
I own the J. Mascis. Very nice guitar especially the rhythm tone with tube screamer and amp on slight grit... it is pure creamy tone.
wow...that classic vibe is simply breathtaking...
It's a fun guitar to play - nice and chimey (and I love the color). :)
@@anotherheadlessdemo quite expensive for a squire though. I may just go cheaper and get a Harley Benton.
I prefer the clean clear sound of the CV.
Love your down to earth approach and that you play the same thing at the same settings in this comparison. I often wonder how tone and volume are set on the guitar on demos of this type, but here I’m assuming they were the same, whatever they are.
I just got a Mascis Squier and am about to switch the pups out to Duncan Antiquity IIs simply because I do want a more traditional sound. I was hoping to get Antiquity I, but can only get II at the moment, so that’s what the mod will be for now.
The tone and volume controls on the guitars were all on 10. I use a sans amp pedal (Joyo American Sound) and that is set for a cleaner sound and neutral EQ.
I was looking at those Duncan Antiquities - haven't bought them yet though. Stop by and let me know how that sound!
The J Mascis is definitely beefier, but still has undertones of the classic sound. I used your older J Mascis videos when deciding to purchase one myself. Very happy with my decision! Only change I'm considering is a mint green pickguard
I agree about the play-ability, the neck feel of this guitar is amazing!
@@ryancxx It really is - great playability!
I agree. I bought the J. Mascis jazzmaster after I watched one of your videos. And it became one of my favorite guitars. Can't stop playing it. And the neck is AMAZING...
@@ryancxx I'm looking to most likely pick one up today used for $320. Almost silly not to what, with all the great reviews and feedback I've heard about the J Mascis JM.
I don't think I'd be quite as happy with the CV, except for the more traditional pickups, which sort of bums me about the J Masics, but you'd likely expect that with an artist's model. I regrettably rather did, but it doesn't necessarily deter me from buying it.
If I do get it, it might have to get the SD Antiquity II works just for the more traditional JM tones. Stoked either way though.
@@DarthEcoli How do you like it? I get where you're coming from but personally I love the pickups. You can get a lot of different sounds out of them and they can be really beefy
Very nice playing and clean tones.
Rob McDade Thank you!
That CV jazz sounds great. You're getting some great tones considering your signal chain too.
Thanks much!
Very nice chords and tones dave ,,,,i think the maskis when equed sounds just as good as the classic vibe and of course dave you play them really good i enjoy watching you!!!
Many thanks! I've recently swapped out the JMJM pickups for Pure Vintage 65s. Very different sound than the stock pickups.
Thanks David. Great review and comparison in a short and sweet video - didn't have to listen/skip through a bunch of preamble. I think they both sound great but I'd personally choose the J Mascis for the better build quality and hotter pickups for my music tastes.
Glad you liked it! When I decide to pick up a guitar and play, I've been grabbing the J Mascis as of late. It has a really good feel and I like the pickups as they are; I don't feel like I need to swap them out for something else.
Wait, a difference in build quality? Could you point out specifically what you’re talking about? When I tried both of these, there was zero difference in “build quality”.
CV for me! Both sound good, but for most stuff I prefer starting out with lots of headroom. The JM must be P90's, hairy from the start and middy, bassy. Great for lots of stuff. Obviously everything depends on the song requirements. Thanks!
Thank you very much for comparing)))
just ordered one cant wait thanks for the review
Hope you enjoy it!
@@anotherheadlessdemo ye i cant wait i put my strat away erry night but the jazzmaster is going to be permanently in its stand in my man cave
LOL!
@@anotherheadlessdemo well i got the jazzmaster.The shop that i ordered it from rang and said not until may and its unlikely ill find one in australia.So i googled every store in my state and sent an email and a store that ive driven past a few times but a long way from home had one on the shelf held it over night for me.Obviously its not as good as my usa strat but its great value for money and its a really fun guitar ive found myself playing more and more and like the strat i put it away every night its pretty sweet
A review between the G&L Doheny Tribute and the J mascis jazzmaster would be interesting.
I have both and they are very similar but very different! I am not so keen on the Tribute gloss neck and may sand it down to a Matt one day. However the tone controls on the Tribute are excellent, as they are on all G&L’s, so you can get pretty close to the J Mascis tone. I bought the Doheny first because of supply problems with the J Mascis. But as soon as one became available I just had to get one, even though I had the Doheny. I guess that tells you something! Both keeper guitars for me.
I like the idea of the Doheny except for the lack of JM trem on it. That's where this guitar wins.
I think you need a lower output to get that 'authentic' JM tone. I already have a hot 'modified' Squier JM, so I think I will demo the CV in Daphne Blue as it will be diffferent - and I love that trad JM sound. If the neck / fretwork is inferior though - no sale ...
I changed the EQ at the end of the video with the J Mascis and got it to sound a little closer to the CV. The fretwork on the CV is fine, there's just something about the JM that's better. Here's my CV demo: ua-cam.com/video/7MXBzkBOYkM/v-deo.html
I've got a Mascis and I absolutely love the sound and feel of it. Looks cool, to boot!
Just wanted to say both of these guitars sounded great in your setup. Extremely impressed by the amp sound of the American Sound. What were you using for reverb, it sounds really sweet too?
latontolog Sometimes I use an Oceans 11 reverb pedal, but more often than not I use something called “PlatinumVerb,” which is part of GarageBand. It’s stereo and really lush sounding.
latontolog J.Mascis is a stunning guitar
Great video as always, David. I’m more a fan of the CV’s pickups myself; more articulate and vintage correct, like you stated. The Mascis definitely doesn’t sound bad either though! Which does your ear prefer?
I'm not sure which I prefer yet. I do like the bridge pickup on the CV better. It sounds more "Fendery" than the J Mascis. I do wish the CV had a neck as nice as the JM though!
So I just listened to a 66 JM to hear a vintage Fender played through a deluxe reverb.(Normans guitars).Besides the differences in amps etc that the guitar is being played through the Vintage fender neck pickup has a quirky midrange response that I don't hear in either of the newer squier guitars. And it was bright but not overly. The bridge pickup seemed a lot brighter than the squiers which made the middle combo nice and chimey. I just got the J Mascis and I agree the pickups are hotter, and it's not exactly vintage tone BUT, I can get it VERY bright and glassy and clean depending on the settings. I'm running through the Helix native plugin on digital performer. I'm more of a jazzy type player. Listen to Jonathan Cordy on youtube with his Mascis. It's quite good and versatile.
Thanks for your demo you did a great job of EQ'ing those they sound great.
Thanks Jeffery. I'm sure the Squires sound a little different from a vintage instrument (and maybe different from a new Fender as well).
This is great, thanks!
Glad you like it!
Last year I purchased a Squire Limited Edition Classic Vibe 60s Jazzmaster from my local GC. The following week I stopped by and they had a used J Macis on the wall.
I now own two Jazzmasters.
I still have both as well. Do you have a preference? Is there one you tend to play more?
@@anotherheadlessdemo It depends on the day. I also have a G&L Tribute ASAT and a Gretsch G5410 Rat Rod.
I like the fact that the J Mascis takes care of my need for a P90 equipped guitar....
..for now.
I used to have a Les Paul Special clone (2 soapbar 90s) and the J Mascis sounds different, but I didn't feel the need to hang on to the LP.
Hi David great video. Can you speak to the overall build quality and neck feel of the CV? I much prefer its aesthetic to the JMJM.
The neck feels pretty good on the CV, but the JM is better. The build quality is good on both and better than the older VM series.
Hey loved the video man! I just bought the J Mascis JM and it is an amazing guitar. However, I have smaller hands and the neck thickness paired with the jumbo frets is kinda bothering me. My CV Tele is a much thinner more comfortable neck, is the Classic Vibe Jazzmaster thinner? Is it worth getting it for the neck alone or will I really miss the features of the J mascis? I'm not picky about sound, just the feel/quality of construction.
The width at the nut is slightly smaller on the CV. The neck shape is pretty similar. To me, the J Mascis neck feels more substantial with better build quality. Hope that helps!
Can you tune to drop-D and back again with no tuning issues with this type of tremolo? I am between those two guitars to buy, cause one of my favorite sounds was from one 80's fender jazzmaster that one friend had some years ago and i record him in the studio, i fell in love with the clean tones of that guitar, so maybe the classic vibe could be more for me, also i play bouzouki and the more twank could fit some melodies from that, but the ''p-90s'' could remind me more my heavy past, now i have only a acoustic guitar. Nice review, ive watched it again and again but still i can not decide
I haven't used a Drop D on either of these guitars, although I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. As long as everything was lubricated well (nut, string tree etc), it should be fine. That said, I'm finding the J Mascis is better at staying in tune (so far).
I had a Mascis JM and regretted selling it. Recently, I grabbed a classic vibe JM and I think I like it better overall, but the Mascis neck shape was better I think.
Nice playing and great tone from the Joyo pedal. After watching it, I was expecting to read that you were using a Kemper or Axe-Fx! Was there any reverb or compression added in Garageband? I have the same pedal but can't get it to sound nearly as good as you do.
Thanks! I used a little reverb from Garageband but probably not any compression. While I spend way too much time looking at expensive gear videos, I've also realized you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a good sound. :)
Thank you!
I got a CV and it's my favorite guitar . Even more than my 1900$ les paul .
I bought a j mascis yesterday...best feeling guitar i've ever played...was going to get strat...talked into trying mascis by store employee...played it for 5 minutes and bought the damn thing...
First time I played a J Mascis (it was in a Guitar Center), I couldn't put it down!
what's so good about it compared to the others?
@@eldritch6871 The neck, mostly.
Yesterday I was at my local store and played the Classic Vibe against the J Mascis.
Since I wanted a Jazzmaster because of the classic tone the J Mascis is definitely not in the Jazzmaster-ish range.
The difference sound-wise is exactly how you described it. Thanks for that, I liked the way you made the comparison without any distracting noodling just plain and simple to bring the point across.
Unfortunately the „b" and the „e" string around the 13th and 15th fret sounded dull. The dealer said this would be kind of normal for the Classic Vibe in the price range and could be fixed with some minor adjustments.
I am not sure what to do right now and have to ponder the pros and cons. I played the Fender Vintera 60s Jazzmaster just to have a reference and maybe I am biased because of the higher price but the most convincing guitar of the 3 was the Classic Vibe at least for me.
The CV needs a lot of work right out of the box. What did you think of how the Vintera played compared to the CV?
@@anotherheadlessdemo The Vintera played good - let's say as you would expect it to play but I felt that the neck size is not as comfortable as with the J Mascis - this might be very subjective. It may sound strange but sound-wise I liked the Classic Vibe even better than the Vintera. The Classic Vibe has the sound that’s on my mind for that kind of guitar and I contacted the dealer and ask for a cost estimate for the setup-work which may could fix the problem. The Classic Vibe would be really great if it would not have the flaws around the neck area. The overall playability is cool but compromising with that issue or a higher string setup doesn’t pay off in my opinion.
What kind of work was suggested for the CV? I'm debating taking mine to a luthier who actually knows what they are doing (unlike myself!). The nut needs work or maybe replaced and there are several high frets. Ugh.
@@anotherheadlessdemo With the one I played they said in the first place the frets would have to come down slightly respectively need an overall adjustment. The dealer recommended the J Mascis because of the better „Gibson like“ bridge and said that the bridge could be an CV issue too. If the nut would also needs work it’ll become an even bigger project. In some "do it yourself" UA-cam videos about "CV improvements" everything looks easy but keeping in mind that those guys actually have experience with that kind of work and have all the tools, work benches and stuff at hand I agree with you and would bring it to some one who knows how to do it right.
I am desperately awaiting the answer from the dealer about the costs / more details. I think putting some extra money in that guitar is acceptable because it has that outstanding classic tone and it still would be an „affordable“ instrument when it costs let’s say 100 bucks more.
Great video, thank you.
I like jumbo fret and full sounding pickup, J Mascis Jazzmaster is my pick. An eq pedal and the presence knob on OD/AMP usually make out the chime thing to me.
Glad you liked it!
Exactly. If you EQ it correctly, you can get some nice chime and the neck and frets are much better than the CV IMHO.
The comments reflects why there are two models. The audience for the CV is for " people who want the old-school growl great for rock, indie or blues" and the J Mascis is more for Alternative rock like J Mascis plays. I took a couple of J Mascis pickups salvaged from a car wreck and put them in an Epi SG guitar ... IT ROCKS!
I just got out my J Mascis earlier today for the first time in a long time (maybe since the video). The neck is killer and I think it sounds great as is.
The J Masic is meant to sound hotter and closer to a P-90 then the traditional Jazzmaster. Personally, I love the more aggressive nature of my J Mascis. I can get close to that chimmy tone by turning my volume down a hair then crank it to push the front end of my amp. It can rock which is what it was designed to do but it also cleans up nicely if you take your time to dial it in on your amp.
I totally agree. Even though the pickups are pretty hot, you can get a nice chimey sound out of of it.
Based on all these comments about how great the J Mascis is I wanted one, but being left-handed they don't make left-handed JM models. Ended up getting a CV which is great but the neck is super dry and definitely needs some oil and polishing. A little disappointed but I was suprised to realized I enjoy the CV a lot nonetheless, it's very nice and sounds very good. Mine played perfectly out of the box which was kinda surprising. Thanks for your videos.
The CV needs quite a bit of work right out of the box. Mine plays ok, but still needs some work on the nut. You are right about the neck - very dry!
Absolutely! My nut wasn't even glued haha.They cut corner for sure, but I was surprised because the strings don't fall out of their saddle on mine. After oiling the board, and polishing a few things it works well for me. Very happy with the sound, especially for how cheap it is. Sounds like a classic JM.
Does the Troy Van Leewuen signature Jazzmaster worth the money with this J Mascis on the other side.....? THANKS!
I've never played (or even seen) a Troy Van Leewuen Jazzmaster. It's almost $1000 more than a J Mascis Squier. That's a lot! I was hooked on a J Mascis the moment I picked one up.
Cool video! What is the weight difference between the two? I’m not a huge fan of heavy guitars and I’ve heard the mascis is heavier than the cv. Once again, great video!
I can't really tell much of a difference in weight between the two. Heavy guitars don't bother me all that much (I used to play Les Pauls and 335-style guitars). I've never really think of a Jazzmaster as being heavy.
Tone wise, p90s are the opposite of Jazzmaster pickups. I love both thou.
I have the J Mascis Squire and with a change of pickups and new bridge it's my favorite guitar. The neck is really perfect.
I agree, the neck is great. What bridge and pickups did you add to yours?
@@anotherheadlessdemo Duncan Antiquity II's. I think they are a little bit brighter than the Antiquity I's but I use 500K pots so I don't have any "ice pick" at the bridge pickup.
...and a Staytrem bridge. The overall sound of the guitar was improved tremendously with the bridge before I even changed the pickups.
I have two guitars and a Bass VI with that bridge. It's just really, really good.
@@julius2790 I've been thinking about swapping out the pickups on the JM for Duncan Antiquities. Good to know about the difference between the Is and IIs.
absolutly !!! was thinking of going ultra light 8-38 but the vibe is it wont work ?
I've never used strings that light on any guitar. I think the CV ships with 9s.
I also picked up a j mascis !!! However thsey both great guitars!!! Just have to learn how to play better love your chords on this vidio sounds great!!!🎉
Glad you like them!
Im just getting into playing guitar and I was thinking of saving for the JM jazzmaster because I thought it was great price for the quality of guitar, but now seeing this im not so sure I really can tell the difference between the CV and honestly it sounds better. Im just not sure if I want to trade the better feel of the JM for the better sounding vintage chimey like tone of the CV. Any suggestions on what I should do?
You can always swap out the JMs pickups! A lot of players do that for a more vintage Jazzmaster sound.
@@anotherheadlessdemo what about a set of SD antiquities how would they compare to the stock in the JM or CV ? I like your suggestion tho go for the better playing neck and modify from there, Peace
The finish of the J Mascis is superior as you would expect for the higher asking price, and it's an awesome rock guitar, but the reality is that it doesn't sound like a Jazzmaster. The pickups use bar magnets which makes them far more comparable to a Gibson P90...
I have some Fender Pure Vintage 65s ready to be installed. :)
it makes sense, J mascis is a indie rock guitarist, and he's known to literally drown out the sounds of his guitar with layers of distortions, so it makes he wanted more hotness on his guitar.
@@anotherheadlessdemo Please post a vid when you get them installed.
Agree, just doesn’t have that classic chime, which the Classic Vibe gets pretty right
Does the CV have the thick finish on the back of the neck? I know the JMJM doesn't. I have Matt Freeman sig bass from squier and hate the finish on the neck.
Yes, it has the glossy finish on the neck. I don't mind it but some people hate it. If you know what you are doing, you can bring the gloss down somewhat.
Is it easy to get a sound out of the J Mascis that can get in the ballpark of Jazzmaster sound while still having its own feel? I love the way the JMJM are built but i want more of a trad JM sound. Is there a middle ground? I play through a 68' Princeton Reverb and a modded Blues Jr.
I think you could do that with most amps. I have a 68 Custom Princeton (do you have the reissue or vintage?), and it's quite bassy and with the JMJM, you might need an EQ pedal to get it into the traditional JM territory. I've been using a Katana for a while now and i think the JMJM sounds good with that.
@@anotherheadlessdemo I have a newer 68. How did you get that EQ set for the JMJM? Again, im looking for something that is the in ballbark of the JM sound but standing out as well. Can the JMJM get that, is my basic question. Thanks for the info and video!
Oddly enough, I've never used my JMJM with my Princeton. When I was using the Princeton on a regular basis, I used my Joyo American Sound pedal to give the 68 a little more sparkle. I also swapped the speaker for a Ragin' Cajun which helped a little.
Awesome video
Would you say the J Mascis guitar still sounds like a traditional Jazzmaster, just a bit hotter, or does it sound like another guitar in a Jazzmaster’s body?
The J Mascis isn't as chimey as a "real" Jazzmaster. You can get close if you EQ your amp (like I try to towards the end of the video). Most Jazzmaster players don't think the JM sounds like one at all. Yes, the pickups are a lot hotter and the whammy bar is closer to the bridge on a JM (which gives it a different feel from a more vintage style Jazzmaster).
David Niles because to my ears, they sound fairly close to the CV. The JMJM just had more mid range. Just curious, because I’m thinking to change mine to “real Jazzmaster” pickups, but if the JMJM stock pickups still retain some sort of resemblance to “real Jazzmaster” pickups then I can probably settle with it and save my money.
I played a J Mascis JM and Vintera JM and I enjoyed both. J Mascis does feel like a jazzmaster and I would say it is more comfortable than Vintera. I’m pretty sure you won’t regret getting a J mascis JM.
This made me glad that I bought the CV...USA model in Sonic Blue w/tortoise pick guard. I wanted the classic Jazz M tone. But I would enjoy a JM. The focus for the J. Mascis is a bit different and it does it well. Better fret work.... The price is great for what you get with either guitar.
Classic vibes are not made in the usa 🤔
I went into guitatrguitar in Camden, London and tried out the J Mascis, a Vintera 60s and a Fender American. The J Mascis blew me away and was quite simply just better than the other two. The Vintera's fretboard wasn't great (I don't like the sound or feel of the Pau Ferro fretboard) and the American Jazzmaster wasn't worth the price tag. I bought the J Mascis there and then!
I know what you mean about the Pau Ferro fretboard - check out my Vintera Telecaster review. The fretwork on all my Squiers are better and I prefer the Indian Laurel fretboards.
Cool demo
have got the J Mascis JM at long last. Getting used to the neck.. which everyone seems to love, but I'm finding kind of chunky. Not sure about the Jumbo frets either, how do you find them?
I really like the neck and frets. Compared to my Road Worn Tele (my No1 for years), the neck feels less chunky. The frets are jumbo frets are wider of course.
@@anotherheadlessdemo thanks, yea I'm getting used to the thickness. Still not sure about the Jumbo frets, but seems the mascis is built and sounds the way he likes it to be. Which is good if you like hard playing and super high action. I'm gonna need to shim mine to get anything near normal action, but from what I understand jumbos are more suitable for high action. Would love to try a classic vibe side by side to feel the difference
The JM and the CV have very different feels. Also with my VM Jazzmaster, it really needed a shim. The CV could probably use one as well. The JMs action seems good to me as is.
another thing that I'm not sure you considered: your pickup heights are different between the guitars.
Your'e right they are. That said, I think it's more important to demo them as they are off the shelf. The other thing I'm finding out about Jazzmasters, changing the pickup height is a pain in comparison to other guitars. :-|
J Mascis famously plays with a very high action. Does the JMJM reflect this out of the box?
Not at all. The action is low, but not overly so. I bonded with the guitar right of the box.
@@anotherheadlessdemo Thanks David. Much appreciated
What guitar polish/cleaner would you recommend for the finish of the Mascis guitar?
I don't use polish at all. I've used soft cloths though - no particular brands.
I think the CV sounds more traditional, and I think that has a fair amount to do with the bridge saddles and not just the pickups.
Fender’s offsets have a sort of mechanical characteristic to their sound and I think it has to do with the type of bridge and saddles you find on them that you won’t find on teles, strats, or anything with a TOM (mustang saddles, traditional grooved saddles, etc.
The TOM bridge on the J Mascis is definitely removes a certain ‘clank’ that I associate with offsets.
Jazzmasters sound great with true P90 pickups. Of course, Jazzmaster pickups sound great as well.
Don’t know if anyone said this already but it looks like the bridge is too low on the Classic Vibe. You can shim the neck to tilt it back and raise the bridge higher and get a more solid break angle. Sorry if you have heard that a thousand times
Thanks for commenting. I did a neck swap with the CV and found there was a very minimal shim done in the factory. I added a shim from Stew Mac and it did improve the break angle. So I think you are correct, it does need a better shim than the one added in the factory!
:40 when you think for a moment you saw sasquatch.
LOL ... or a UFO
Is it possible to purchase some pickups that are more classic vintage and then install them in the J Mascis? To get the best of both worlds?
Rick Costa yup!
The thing is it wont be a jmascis anymore after doing that. I know its more money to have both but that is the better option.
Thanks for this comparison! I'm considering a Jazzmaster and am torn between the Squier Classic Vibe / J Mascis and the more expensive Fender 60's Vintera. Do you think the Vintera (or a made in Mexico Jazzmaster) is worth the extra? I do have fairly limited budget and the guitar will only be for bedroom playing so durability probably isn't an issue, but I do want a really good sound for home recording and would be disappointed if I knew the Fender Vintera sounded / felt much better than the Squiers. Thanks for any advice :)
Sorry for the delay in replying. Not sure if it's worth the extra money or not. I do have a Vintera Tele (see my review) and I found the fret work to be disappointing for a guitar that cost close to $1000. Both the J Mascis and CV Jazzmasters have way better frets right out of the box.
@@anotherheadlessdemo thanks! I got the cv in the end and whilst it needed some setting up it sounds great and plays great after the set up too!
Tossing up between a 2nd hand deluxe jazzmaster the red one or the cv ,is the deluxe a j mascis ??
I think the red deluxe Squier Jazzmaster is essentially a J Mascis in a different color. I think they both have the same pickups and bridge. Not sure how the neck compares though.
If the Mascis has similar PUPs to P90s then you just turn it down a wee bit. With p90s you don't lose much volume but it will sound cleaner. That's what is great about P90s, you can get a sweet low drive then turn it up for massive crunch.
Oh yes. I think P90s might be my favorite pickups.
Are you using an amplifier or and audio interface? Wich one? It's sounds really good
I'm using a pedal along with a USB interface. The pedal is a Joyo American Sound.
With the more recent videos I'm using a Boss Katana.
Oh great, and any USB Interface is good for recording?
I have a very inexpensive USB audio interface for when I use the Joyo pedal. The Katana has a USB out, so the interface isn't needed.
Where did you get the gold pickguard for the CV?
It came with the guitar. The CV was special run from Andertons in the UK.
can you share the eq settings for the jmjm on the end of the video?
I'm pretty sure I scooped the mids for the JMascis for a cleaner sound. I has much more midrange than the CV. I don't remember the exact settings.
@@anotherheadlessdemo thank you !
Man, two great guitars how is the neck profile? Is it the same? I heard that the j mascis is a bit chunky
The J Mascis is only slightly chunkier than the CV. It's also wider at the nut than the CV. I find both of them comfortable to play. Also, if you like big frets, the J Mascis is the way to go.
@@anotherheadlessdemoin terms of comfort playing which would you prefer?..still debatinng to get either the two
@@guadaejercito6104 I'd have to go with the J Mascis. I haven't played any sub $500 guitar with a neck like this. It feels like a neck from a much more expensive guitar.
@@anotherheadlessdemo thanks niles, i think im more confident what i want to get now
I have j macis and now I want classic vibe also. J mascis doesnt sound bad but dont have that original jm tone wich I like the most.
They do sound very different. I still have both, but I'm planning on upgrading the JM (Fender vintage vibrato, roller bridge and maybe pickups too). After that, I might sell the CV - we'll see.
It's a bit of work to clean it up and it doesn't sound like a jazz master but the performer has the closest sound!
I have the CV. The Mascis is nice, but I don't care for the satin finish neck. I play in a 60s surf band now but always was in bands that played oldies rock . I don't use any distortion so I play clean, I will swap to another guitar for a different sound.
I never understood Punk Rock or any of the bands that used these. Not my thing, but have had younger players think I'm into Dino Jr and Sonic Youth because I play a similar guitar. The mascis is a hard pass, just because I'm not into them and that guitar is very recognizeable. I set up my own gear and for other players and my CV is is just fine. I wanted a Sonic Blue Vintage Modified, but these are impossible to find in my area and I want to play it before i buy it
I wasn't in the market for a Jazzmaster (or a Jaguar), but saw one in the local GC and couldn't put it down. Had to have it! I play in a band that does surf, classic country and a little rockabilly and blues. The J Mascis does all of these well (so does the CV to be honest).
Really like the CV better.
It is the classic Jazzmaster sound. Nice and chimey!
Squiers c v : most of them are good woods these days and have nice sounds and craftmanship. Indonesians are Cort manufactured with nice treats but not all of them. It is a pitty to buy one and not get the best out of it. It is the first time that Squier beats Fender price/quality ratio toe to toe since MIJ Squiers in 1985.
Yes, my CV was built in Indonesia, but my JM was Chinese built. Not sure how much of a difference one manufacturer is to another.
@@anotherheadlessdemo Happy new year with even better gear! I have seen that your squiers are hot cookies and sales are through the roof so maybe Fender builts both China and Indonesia to keep it up with demand. Either way we are win win on these!
try vintage modified too
That was my first Jazzmaster, a VM. To be honest, I couldn't get it to play as well as either of these. Worked on the nut, shimmed and adjusted the neck, just never bonded with it.
Fuck. I was hoping the J Mascis JM went with more traditional Jazzmaster pickups, but I had a feeling they wouldn't seeing as it's his model. Most likely gonna pick up one today, and me thinks it will be getting the Seymour Duncan Antiquity II JM set works ASAP.
Don't wanna buy it because of the artist model, but because I hear they're pretty well built, and some say even better built than CVs.
The build quality is much better than the CV or the older Vintage Modified. The neck alone is worth the purchase.
@@anotherheadlessdemo I did end up buying it and like the feel of it. I'm used to Strats and this takes some getting used to, but I see why they get such great reviews.
It's a little fucked as is though since he badly swapped the bridge with a humbucker and added crooked Fender locking tuners on it. Easily still well worth the $300 though.
I think I'll end up completely rewiring it and going with GFS Vintage JM pickups and Hipshot tuners instead since they have vintage brackets for the back.
The woes of fixing someone else's fuckups, lol
Congratulations! I use to have locking tuners on my Strat. Other than convenience, I never thought they helped the guitar stay in tune all that much. I really like the vintage split-shaft Kulsons.
@@anotherheadlessdemo Same, David. My 96 Strat Plus has them as well, and if I'm honest, I just tend to keep them loosened as I don't really need them either. I do like them in that they're well built tuners though.
I've tried the split shaft Klusons before and hate them personally because the bloody string always pops back out, and swore off em. Gonna ditch the Fenders and just go with a set of Hipshots with the backing for vintage in line tuners. Still locking tuners, but probably won't tighten them either.
Also, gonna go with a set of GFS Vintage wound alnico Jazzmaster set pickups. Cheap alternative to the SD Antiquity IIs and seem to sound fine. Those two fings should make it a pretty damned nice guitar for having spent pants.
If they pop out, you're not stringing them correctly. I have them on four different guitars and I've never had that happen.
Do you thing the J Mascis can still do great surf tones?
Absolutely:
ua-cam.com/video/OuPWn8VppvE/v-deo.html
He sounds like Michael Scott with a cold.
I think the j mascis sounds just as good when its e qued !!!
I know, right? :)
The J Mascis jazzmaster is one of the most under priced guitars. It sounds like it’s worth much more then what they sell it for.
It's one of the best guitars I own and it cost half of what some of my big name brand guitars have cost.
I love the look of the Mascis more, (the Oly white/gold guard) but I would just change out the pickups.
Yes, if you want a classic Jazzmaster sound, the pickups need swapping.
J Mascis Jazzmaster
My favorite guitar. :)
i have 8s on my les paul gibson fun bending chords many pros use 8s i read that brian may of queen used 8-38s his entire history !!!! but it could be bullsit lol i did put barritons strings on my telecaster did not work lol !!!!!!!!
There are a few videos on UA-cam where players swap out their strings for 8s. Very interesting - almost all say they don't change your tone as much as you would think.
9s on my j m jazzmaster are perfect 8s most likely need truss rod adj .. all food for thought thanks . the new reverbs in guitar rig 6 are better than valhala major dream pop gaze ect amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought the J Mascis pups were underwound to be less hot said J Mascis.
They seem way hotter to me than any of my other Fender guitars.
Theyre hotter than paf gibson humbuckers.
I like it.
Its perfect for loud rock and roll like dinosaur jr.
To me jassmaster mascis is better sound.
Neither pickups are ones you’d actually wanna use so yea
And J specifically designed the pickups for that guitar so its not going to sound “traditional”
J wanted a guitar he could just pull off a store rack and plug in one big muff and have his sound.
I had been gigging with that guitar (and those pickups) all the time before COVID! So there's that.
the j mascis wins lol maybe because i own one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a keeper, isn't it?
the guys jazzmaster is more famous than his band
I know. There are so many people that have no idea who he is. :)
If I want more drive then I go hotter amp.. J M jazzmaster just doesnt suit the jazzmasters nature
If you setup an amp clean, you can get a nice chimey sound with the JM. Does it sound like a Jazzmaster with traditional pickups? Not quite, but close.
That guitar was made to sound like that purposely. Don’t compare apples to oranges.
Yes, each was made to sound a certain way and I've found a lot of players want to know the difference. So voila!
China?
Indonesia
I have had my vintage modified jm for a little over a week and it's hands down my favorite guitar ever. I definitely want to check out a CV soon. I dig the jmjm but i really need chime at the ready when playing a jazzmaster.
I have had my vintage modified jm for a little over a week and it's hands down my favorite guitar ever. I definitely want to check out a CV soon. I dig the jmjm but i really need chime at the ready when playing a jazzmaster.
Get the JMJM and downgrade the pickups to the ones from the CV. People sell those used all the time. Problem solved.