All that jazz

I finally managed to sit down & discover what the new Fender American Professional Jazzmaster (OK, not that new since it debuted @ January 2018) has to offer. I would like to pre-empt readers out there that this is not a formal appraisal of the instrument but a documented impression more like it. On that note, I make no apologies for being personal with certain perspectives.

Thumbs up to the QC standards of an American Pro instrument. I expected no less than the American Standard bearings & this Jazzmaster did not disappoint. The immediate feel was very impressive; flawless, so to speak. Volume & tone controls were smooth & functional, ditto the tuners. The darn pitfall here is the 3-way selector which was super stiff in the neck selection but no issues with the midway & bridge options. I'm pretty sure this is just a little glitch but it bothered me excessively as I constantly needed to toggle the pickup options for adequate tonal evaluations but I was hampered in this aspect. Bummer.

Moving on to the pickups- the other let down. I'm rather surprised with how praiseworthy these are deemed to be in established gear literature & online references. Having heard them in person, they sound nasal even under the slightest hint of drive. I feel they are only outstanding in clean mode but we know how the Strat clean is the standard to beat. Certainly not recommended for those who thrive under lots of gain/ drive. It's certainly not an amp issue because I played it through two amps just to confirm how trashy things are & I wasn't proven wrong.

My take- the American Professional Jazzmaster received some fanfare when it debuted this year. A less confusing electronics layout, functional bridge features & pickups wound to manifest contemporary tones were the key upgrades. I still couldn't get over the fact that the tone let me down because this guitar was shortlisted as a possible year-end acquisition for me. I would urge you to check out the Japanese version first before committing to this American. The Japanese is still sticking to the traditional Jazzmaster formula but it's in my opinion a more honest rendition of a Jazzmaster. Mind you, there's at least a $900 difference between the two so some thinking & an informed decision is due. 

So all that jazz comes to nought. At least for me.