cxrlxscr

I'm on the lookout for a new guitar. I've found that my tastes have changed a lot, I want to play more indie-oriented things and I don't feel my Schecter is the best for that.

Budget: around $700, I could stretch it if it's worth it, just keep it under $1000.

Favourite artists: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Silversun Pickups, My Bloody Valentine, Delta Spirit... basically something to play indie rock/indie pop, dream pop/shoegaze.

Preferences: I'm leaning towards either a Jazzmaster or Mustang-type guitar. I'm open towards any suggestions, though.

Pickups: Just not actives for obvious reasons.

New or Used: Don't mind going used.

Location: San José, Costa Rica if it helps.

Current Gear: Schecter C-1+ w/ Duncan '59/Custom 5 pups, Egnater Tweaker 15, a Bad Monkey OD. I need to invest in fuzz, delay and reverb, but that comes later.

I've been particularly interested in the Fender Mustang Special which can be found for as little as $600, although I don't know if the humbuckers will give me the tone I'm after, and the short-scale does worry me as I'm used to full-size scale.

My attraction to the Jazzmaster comes mainly from the fact that many of the bands I listen to use them, but I haven't been able to actually play one, so any owners, if you could elaborate on the tone of the Jazzmaster, that'd be great.

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JustRooster

That fuzz, delay, and reverb will get you the sound you want cheaper and faster than a new guitar.

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AWACS

However, if you did want a new guitar, I would say something with single coils. Thats it. Maybe made from a "brighter" wood like alder or ash. A good ol' Tele or Strat would work fine methinks.

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Caution:
This post contains my personal opinion and/or inaccurate information.

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cxrlxscr

No need to point that out, I'm aware of that. However, I'm investing on that along with the guitar, I'm changing almost everything, keeping only my amp. Besides, I just don't feel comfortable playing in my Schecter anymore.

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I K0nijn I

I always think of a good telecaster when I hear people talking about wanting something for indie, shoegaze and the likes.

An american Fender might be what you're looking for, but don't limit yourself to those. G&L springs to mind for other good telecaster type guitars, but there are more. Maybe there is a custom builder that might be able to help you? Don't know custom built prices in the US.

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MrFlibble

Don't buy a short scale guitar until you've tried one out. It is vital you use a scale length that you are most comfortable with, and therefore play best on. You may find that 24" scale is more comfortable than what you play on now, or you may find it feels horrible. It's nothing something you want to buy blind.

As for the tone of a Jazzmaster, basically a Jazzmaster's pickups are just the same as the single coil pickups you get in Strats/Teles/Jaguars/Mustangs, only the wire is placed flatter and wider. Also of course the bridge pickup is 'straight' whereas in Strats, Teles and the like the bridge pickup is usually slanted. So the Jazzmaster tone is inherently very slightly smoother than other Fender guitars, though in a blind test it can be very hard to tell any difference.
The main thing with Jazzmasters is they have two sets of volume and tone, with different values so one pair of controls always gives you a slightly warmer tone and the other always gives you an extra-bright tone. This lets you set one pair of controls for a rhythm sound and one for a lead tone and then switch between them, on top of the pickup selection. You can even simply set the bright circuit to a more mellow sound and then there's no difference between the two options; point is, a lot of the sound of a Jazzmaster comes from the expanded controls (same with a Jaguar), rather than anything to do with the body style or pickups.

As far as 'indie' (please clarify, because 'indie' can mean damn near anything) and shoegaze go, Fender-style guitars of all kinds are the most typical options, then at the other end of the tonal spectrum you've got your Gibson-style hollow and semi-hollow guitars. Picking from either group, there's no way to go wrong, really. Evidently you're drawn more to Fender designs, and it seems you're keen on the offset body shapes, so get to a shop and try a bunch of Jazzmasters, Jaguars and Mustangs out, see what feels best in your hands. Tonally, they can all be made to sound like each other, or close enough. The big issue is the feel of them, and that's something you can't predict by looking at websites.

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Darkflame

Keep the Fender Jaguar in mind as well, pretty cool for these genres

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JELIFISH19

http://www.glguitars.com/instrument...s/sc2/index.asp
http://fender.com/guitars/offset/pa...offset-special/
http://www.schecterguitars.com/Prod...itar/TSH-1.aspx
http://www.reverendguitars.com/reve...stream_390.html
http://www.dipintoguitars.com/product.php?id=2

Those are just some random cool guitars that will perform well. I would also recommend an Ibanez RG. It may not look the part but positions 2-4 can sound great. When I play ambient or fuzz, I sometimes pick my RG over my Strat.

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stonyman65

Wasn't there a thread exactly like this not too long ago?

Anyways, maybe an Ibanez Artcore Hollow Body or Semi-Hollow body would work nice. There are a few that fit into your price range.

Or maybe something like this http://www.fender.com/series/pawn-s...shop-fender-72/

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FatalGear41

You can do no wrong with a Telecaster. I'd start (and probably end) the search there.

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JustRooster

You've posted this twice now. The sound is very, very different. I've owned 15 different Fenders, to include Strats, Teles, a Jaguar, and a Jazzmaster. I currently own two G&L's, one of which being a Special. I'm very, very prepared to tell you that all those singles coils sound very, very, very, very, very different.





Jazzmaster singles sound very different. Please stop insinuating otherwise.

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dannyalcatraz

In no particular order:

1) no knock on Fender's quality- they're perfectly fine, but if you can't find one you like for the right price, look at other makers. There are all kinds of "Teles" out there besides Fender- the aforementioned G&Ls are awesome, but yoummight not find them in your price range unelss you go used. Tradition guitars and others may also be of interest.

http://www.glguitars.com/instrument...itars/index.asp

http://www.traditionguitars.com/guitars/index.html

2) Reverend makes some killer guitars in that general price range that might fit the bill- look at models like the Double Agent (bridge HB and P90 in the neck).

http://reverendguitars.com/reverend...eck_series.html
http://reverendguitars.com/reverend..._on_series.html

3) Godin's subsidiary, Richmond Guitars Canada, has the Empire and the Belmont that might appeal to you, and deliver good value for money. The Empire can come with a HB and an oversized noiseless singlecoil or 2 P90s. The Belmont has a Seymour Duncan '59 in the bridge and a pair of Seymour Duncan lipstick pickups in the neck and middle spots.

http://www.richmondguitarscanada.com/guitars.html

4) luthier prices in the USA start around $1000

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JustRooster

+1 for Reverend guitars.

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dannyalcatraz

Another thought- check out the Fernandes Retrorockets, specifically the Pro and Elite. Basically, they're Fernandes' take on the Strat, but with a Sustainer installed in the bridge (Pro) or Neck (Elite). That means, in addition to the tone you're looking for, you'd have the ability to play with infinite sustain & overtones that could and nifty new dimensions to your style.

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/ret...rocket-pro.html
http://www.fernandesguitars.com/ret...cket-elite.html

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MrFlibble

They really don't, not when paired with the same controls/hardware/woods/etc. The coil's placement gives you, theoretically, more of the fundamental tone, but in practice the difference is so minute as to be nothing. The position of the magnets along the string should also effect the tone, as placement does with all pickups, but we're talking a third of an inch or so at most, and again, placed within the same environment, this is irrelevant. The most that can be said is since JM pickups are always installed straight then you will get very slightly less 'twang' at the bridge, but that's the product of such placement, not the construction of the pickup itself.

I mean, I literally just went over my mate's Tele a few days ago, one of those new Squiers with the Jazzmaster neck and neck pickup, and the difference between that and a standard Tele neck pickup was ****-all, both in terms of how it measured and in the actual sound. You can also check in with anyone over at the Warmoth forums, masters of mix-n-matching weird pickups and bodies. JM pickups are ignored precisely because a Strat pickup will give you near-as-damn-it sound in a much easier and flexible form.

But, as I said, the guitar's construction and hardware are what really matter and they're what really define the Jazzmaster tone.

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JustRooster

I just read the first sentence and decided I was finished with this discussion. Have a good day.

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dannyalcatraz

You might like a Twangmaster from Sparrow Guitars- they're customizable!

http://www.sparrowguitars.com/twangmaster

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: “Ninety percent of everything is crap.”

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dannyalcatraz

Here's something else that might appeal:

Hell Guitars

ZeroDot
http://www.hellguitars.com/zerodot.html

No. 2
http://www.hellguitars.com/no2.html

Not only are they doing their own thing stylistically with mutations of the Strat and Tele bodies, they're putting Bareknuckles in these sub-$700 guitars!

(Almost worth it for the pickups...)

And apparently, they're setting up a B-Stock/Prototype direct sale on their website at some point. Could be a real bargain.

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Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: “Ninety percent of everything is crap.”

Why, yes, I am a lawyer- thanks for asking!