thanks, Zom. I wish I could try more before I buy. I did spend some time today with a Mexican Jagjust so I could see if I thought I could deal with the trem.So far, so good. However, there are no decent Jazzmasters or Jags locally.Only the Jag I mentioned and some abortion of a JM with a humbucker and a P-90.I'm considering either a used Custom Shop or a Thin Skin right now,and of course I wouldn't be opposed to a decent vintage model.

I know lots of you here do, and yes, I searched. Lots of cool info in the Mastery bridge thread.Anyway, a lovely JM has caught my eye, but I haven't owned a guitar with a trem in 20 yearsand I'm just a bit wary.so what say you? Jazzmasters ruling, or Jazzmasters are headaches?

I have a newer CIJ reissue. Lots of folks seem to hate these but I think it's great. I put a TOM bridge on it and I don't use the trem. No tuning issues, and I am a very, uh, fisty guitar player. Overall it's far more stable than my SG, and it 'feels' more stable than my Teles as well. Really like the neck profile to boot.The Mexican models (the 'abortion' referenced is probably a Blacktop, which is also MIM) have different spacing between the bridge & tailpiece than the originals/MIJs/Custom Shop/AVRI/etc. They also lack the trem-loc (which I neither use nor understand)-- so, caveat there, I suppose.I really like my Jazzmaster. It is the guitar I have owned about which I have the fewest overall complaints.

I love mine. I put Fralin's and a mustang bridge on mine. It is pretty sick.

EmpireStateTroopers wrote:Yeah, even though I have a Jag, I prefer the JM. Longer scale, better pickups, simpler (better) circuit.I agree. Some how I ended up with two jags in addition to my jazzmaster. Go figure. Got to love them offsets.

favorite guitar ever

Yeah, even though I have a Jag, I prefer the JM. Longer scale, better pickups, simpler (better) circuit.

I have one and like it - although I am considering selling it. It's a 2007 American Vintage Re-Issue, Thin-Skin Nitro in Fiesta Red. I have a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder in the bridge position, with a Mastery Bridge.

I play a stock, mid-'90s, made-in-Japan Jazzmaster and love it. The tremolo is incredible, although the arm likes to fall out if you lean over too far.It's my favorite guitar, in any case.

I have probably been playing one longer than anyone on here, since 1981.It's still my favourite Fender ever, and probably my favourite electric guitar. For what/how I play, it's perfect. I'm sort of surprised how popular they have become, I do see a lot of used reissues for sale, lots of kids buy them and realize they're not for everybody. It's the best vibrato setup I've ever used. Stays in tune, wiggles nicely.Try before you buy, mine's a '65 and it's wonderful, the reissues vary wildly.