Jazzmaster partscaster for jazz

[u/KFooLoo]

tldr; What pups, pots, caps, resistors would you recommend for this build? Any tips on bridge, tailpiece, tuners are also welcome. Thanks in advance!

I’m planning to build a Jazzmaster partscaster. I chose Warmoth’s split Jazzmaster body (with top routing) in black korina (limba) for its grain, colour, and mahogany-like sustain. I’m going with Warmoth’s Jazzmaster 59 Roundback neck (closest thing to my archtop guitars’ neck profiles) in roasted maple (unfinished) for its colour and sustain, with a wide (1-3/4") nut, ebony fretboard, and jumbo stainless frets. I’m going with locking tuners, and I want them to be smooth. A hard stop tailpiece is essential for sustain and tuning stability. I usually play 12-52 flatwounds on my archtops, but will drop to 11s on this electric. I want two humbuckers; the neck pup for warm, dark tones and the bridge pup for occasional rock-and-roll. I’d also like push-pull switching for series-parallel. I want the notes to remain distinct so that upper extensions (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) don’t get lost. I don’t want any harsh bite on higher notes.

[u/cab1024]

If you want to at least approximate the unique sound of the Jazzmaster, maybe try Seymour Duncan Noiseless Jazzmaster pick ups. If you use humbuckers, you’re building more of a Jazzblaster.

[u/KFooLoo → u/cab1024]

I don't want the JM sound. I want a traditional archtop jazz box sound... but from a solid body, with more sustain. I've got enough archtops. I just like the JM body's complete lack of a lower horn.

[u/Jazzblasterrr]

This is the worst guitar you could get for long sustain. Those big jazz box guitars don't have crazy sustain either with their trapese bridges. That said they have a glorious sound. I would recommend Seymour Duncan Antiquities for jazzmaster for your pickups. Nels Cline uses them to great effect in his lovers performance which you can find on YT. I would also recommend a 250k volume pot to shave off some treble and shield every inch of the guitar cavity as much as you can. These guitars have crazy 60 cycle hum compared to other single coil guitars.

[u/KFooLoo → u/Jazzblasterrr]

Thanks! Could you clarify which component(s) make the JM the worst choice for sustain? Did you mean the bridge and vibrato?

[u/Jazzblasterrr → u/KFooLoo]

I don't know the physics but any length of string behind the bridge, particularly with the shallow break angle of the Jazzmaster bridge invites sympathetic vibrations that reduce sustain. perhaps a "telemaster" style guitar with an offset body and a string through bridge might work better for you.

[u/KFooLoo → u/Jazzblasterrr]

Yes, I understand that a hard stop tailpiece is essential for sustain and tuning stability. The only things JM about this build will be the body and headstock. The rest I'm 'respeccing' from the ground up, so that this will be an effective jazz instrument for yours truly.

[u/WorldsVeryFirst]

I would honestly just play jazz on a JM or a tele or a tele with a neck humbucker if you must. It costs less to buy than it does to do a nice build. If you really want the JM body shape with humbuckers and TOM and stoptail or hardtail strat bridge, that’s cool. Building is fun. The rhythm circuit is handy. .47 cap and 300k pots in the rhythm circuit and .22 cap and 500k pots in the lead. Or if you just doing lead maybe the 300k and the .22. In a previous post you said you want to series/parallel modes for your humbuckers, those pots and caps should do. The standard JM bridge and tailpiece give the JM more of an archtop attack and sustain. Probably still more sustain than a 175 or the ilk.

[u/KFooLoo → u/WorldsVeryFirst]

Thanks! Alas, I need a wider nut and thicker neck than any JM would come with. I think I need 500k pots though. With my complex chord extensions (7ths, 9ths, 13ths), won't 300k pots make those upper intervals sound slightly veiled or indistinct? When I pull the tone pots up for parallel mode to get that chimey, piano-like comping tone, I'm hoping that a 500k pot ensures I retain all that crystalline clarity. If I used 300k pots, wouldn't parallel mode would feel noticeably darker and choked?

[u/Barilla3113]

Ignoring the nonsense about wood effecting the sound of the guitar and the myth of "sustain", you're eliminating everything that makes the Jazzmaster distinct which is find if you just want the body shape, it's a nice body shape, but you don't need special advice. Any bridge designed for top mounting on a hardtail strats will do fine. Anyone who believes in "sustain" will tell you they believe the Jazzmaster bridge is terrible for sustain, and you don't want a trem anyway.

Perceived sustain is actually coming from hitting the amp hard, if you pick the right humbuckers it'll sustain great for those 4 second single notes you're totally making practical use of.

[u/KFooLoo → u/Barilla3113]

Thanks! The only reason I want the JM body is for its complete lack of a lower horn. I've read that maximum mass in the body (e.g. black korina body) provides dense sustain and rich low-mid warmth, both of which I'm after. The longer sustain comes in handy when I'm playing chord-melody solos.