Fingolfen
Well-known member
Updated with done pictures (at the front... if you want the gory details, scroll down...) Ian finished up the nut and the set-up... and dang is this thing amazing... 
Detail pic...
----- (previous post starts here) -----
When it first came out, I loved the look and sound of the Fender Noventa Jazzmaster, but honestly hated the available colors. The Fiesta Red was too orange, the Surf Green was too 50s, and the Walnut was… well… brown… So I did what any enterprising DIY person would do, I took matters into my own hands and decided to build my own. I started with a Warmoth Split Jazzmaster body for this build (swamp ash core, flame maple top, and a gloss black cherry burst finish).
I wanted to retain as much of the feel and sound of the original as possible, so I picked up a set of Noventa Jazzmaster pickups and electronics. I kept most of that intact only changing out the 5-way switch for a 6-way switch (which gives me a neck/bridge setting) and the stock jack for a Pure Tone Mono jack (all pictured below after a successful "tap test").
The neck is an original Fender Noventa Jazzmaster neck in Pau Ferro – unfortunately the nut slots are not cut and I lack the tools to do it properly, so I’m taking it in to Five Star Guitars to have the nut dressed and the string guides installed (with the rest of the set-up).
I’d initially gone with a Warmoth black Split Jazzmaster pickguard in black to match the pickups, but it just didn’t work visually for the build, so I upgraded to a Halo carbon fiber one, that absolutely pops!
So, I'm really happy with the build - at least as far as I can take it. I've got the tremolo and bridge thimbles attached (American Professional II). The bridge is still "floating" as it needs some strings to keep it in place, which needs the nut... etc. I'm hoping to get it by Five Star this weekend so Ian can work on it next week. The man's an artist.
If you're interested in the full, far more verbose, incredibly detailed, and only occasionally redundant step-by-step of the process so far, it's at the blog...
Detail pic...
----- (previous post starts here) -----
When it first came out, I loved the look and sound of the Fender Noventa Jazzmaster, but honestly hated the available colors. The Fiesta Red was too orange, the Surf Green was too 50s, and the Walnut was… well… brown… So I did what any enterprising DIY person would do, I took matters into my own hands and decided to build my own. I started with a Warmoth Split Jazzmaster body for this build (swamp ash core, flame maple top, and a gloss black cherry burst finish).
I wanted to retain as much of the feel and sound of the original as possible, so I picked up a set of Noventa Jazzmaster pickups and electronics. I kept most of that intact only changing out the 5-way switch for a 6-way switch (which gives me a neck/bridge setting) and the stock jack for a Pure Tone Mono jack (all pictured below after a successful "tap test").
The neck is an original Fender Noventa Jazzmaster neck in Pau Ferro – unfortunately the nut slots are not cut and I lack the tools to do it properly, so I’m taking it in to Five Star Guitars to have the nut dressed and the string guides installed (with the rest of the set-up).
I’d initially gone with a Warmoth black Split Jazzmaster pickguard in black to match the pickups, but it just didn’t work visually for the build, so I upgraded to a Halo carbon fiber one, that absolutely pops!
So, I'm really happy with the build - at least as far as I can take it. I've got the tremolo and bridge thimbles attached (American Professional II). The bridge is still "floating" as it needs some strings to keep it in place, which needs the nut... etc. I'm hoping to get it by Five Star this weekend so Ian can work on it next week. The man's an artist.
If you're interested in the full, far more verbose, incredibly detailed, and only occasionally redundant step-by-step of the process so far, it's at the blog...
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What a gorgeous guitar, and 3 P90's! No way to get a bad sound out of that. The Warmoth stuff is pricey but the build quality is always top shelf. 
