Jazzmaster Help!!!!

[mre1208]

so I've had a Jazzmaster for a little while now but had never really played with the tremolo arm for more than a few minutes...today I played it for a while and went to take the arm out to put it back in the case....and the arm won't release. no matter what I do it won't come out/even budge. I don't want to force it and end up damaging/breaking something....but since I'm new at this trem system, I thought perhaps I was missing something here as to how it comes out....the other times I've used it it was always really lose and would fall/come out easily...this time it went and stayed in place well, but won't release. can somebody please help me figure this whole thing out.

thanks,
mike

[mre1208]

no clue why it actually did that...I went ahead and took out the entire tremolo/bridge and managed to tap it back out....so it falls out when I don't push it hard and when I do push it hard it gets stuck and I have to do this.....if anybody knows of some tip/trick I'm missing, please let me know.

[hippiebob01]

ive never played a jazzmaster, but on the mustang im looking at getting, theres an allen screw that holds it in.

[mre1208]

ok, so after finally finding somebody who had owned/owns a jazzmaster, they told me that it just takes a nice strong pull...reluctantly, i put it back in today and then winced as I pulled a little harder than I thought it would take, and it comes out just fine....but I'd rather be safe than sorry with a brand new $1400 guitar.

[fenderden]

Any photos of your Jazzmaster? I just picked up a pair of custom-styled Jazzmaster. The one pictured is the Korina body with Korina neck and Rosewood fingerboard and P90's. It's hand built by Dennis Fano who is a highly respected Luthier and Guitar tech from the NY/NJ/PA area...

[mre1208]

sure...here's my gear as of right now.

[chuckocaster]

how do you like the pulsar? how slow does it go? nice collection man!

[mre1208]

the Pulsars pretty nice...the range of speeds is great and one of the best features is the switch that'll take it from wavy tremolo to pretty much cutting through the signal without having to mess with the knobs....it takes a little effort to get just the right sound out of it, but once you get it it's nice. I had a boss tr-2 and the volume drop off was way too much for my liking.

[fenderden]

Here are some better shots of the Fano JM6's...

[refriedwhiskey]

Those pegheads are cool.

And korina...always pretty.

[mre1208]

beautiful guitars.

[fenderden]

Those pegheads are cool.

And korina...always pretty.

Yes, the headstocks are cool. Check out the raised "Fano" lettering in these close-ups. I thought that was a cool touch:





I'm a dyed in the wool Fender player and love my Strats Jazzmasters and Teles. When I picked these two up it was pure playing pleasure. These are top shelf guitars that run maybe a bit more than say a American Deluxe Strat, but with the quality and attention to detail of a custom shop. You should see the fret work on this, wow!

I came across them at Alto Music Music in Middletown, NY who according to the Fano website is one of 3 current dealers here on the East coast. The story behind them is they are made by Dennis Fano, a luthier and the former ace Guitar tech from the famous Matt Umanov Guitar store in NYC. The dealer rep told me Dennis went off on his own several years ago as an upstart and started building his Customs in NJ, but has recently relocated to PA since apparently his operation is growing. What I find about these guitars that is awesome is the attention to every little detail you don't find on assembly line guitars. I had a nice e-mail exchange with Dennis who was ready and willing to answer all of my questions. He sounds like a real nice guy with a passion for guitar building.

[Fripperton]

Love that Korina. Does he do any with a vibrato tailpiece? Should be fairly easy to route the body for one of the JM styles.

[Fripperton]

Oh yeah, almost forgot, here's my JMs..

[ziess]

That red one is beautiful.

I also like those Fano headstocks. Very like the Starcaster headstocks. They look to be cool guitars. Does he have a website?

Tommy.

[refriedwhiskey]

They're kinda reminiscent of a Gibson Firebird headstock, too.

[fenderden]

Love that Korina. Does he do any with a vibrato tailpiece? Should be fairly easy to route the body for one of the JM styles.

I had asked Phil at Alto what other color options and pickups he offered as alternatives, but I didn't follow thru becuase the Lindy Fralin P90's it was built with are just awesome and I was. I was told just about anything could be special ordered, but that it could take several months if it was a complete guitar build. I would think a vibrato would be a straight forward option. I wouldn't mind having a vibrato on these like I do on my Fender Jazzmaster, but I like the hardtail equally.

[NeoFauve]

One of the places I pop into when I'm in NYC sells Fanos.
Really funky, neat stuff.
One that he had last time was like an LP Jr, but with a Tele bridge and p'up.
I did not plug it in.
I didn't want to like it in an unhealthy way.

[fenderden]

Oh yeah, almost forgot, here's my JMs..

Fripperton, Those are all just great Jazzmasters. Now the tough question which one do you play the most out of those three and why?

[fenderden]

One of the places I pop into when I'm in NYC sells Fanos.
Really funky, neat stuff.
One that he had last time was like an LP Jr, but with a Tele bridge and p'up.
I did not plug it in.
I didn't want to like it in an unhealthy way.

I think you are referring to 30th Street guitars. And the Single cut I think is called the SP. Alto has one, and man does it sound great! It put all of the Gibsons I tried there to shame, including a '59 RI VOS all going through a Fender Hot Rod amp.

The Lindy Fralin's as I mentioned before are to die for.

[Fripperton]

I usually end up using the red '62 the most. It fits the traditional tones I need for Wave Invasion and was my main guitar for the band for a couple of years. The MIJ Jag in the middle has been sold. The Green Custom shop model gets a fairly good amount of use in live situations when I don't want to take a 45 year old guitar out. It has Duncan humbuckers but they're splittable so I can get some cool single coil tones. I can get a nice clean sound out of the humbuckers into my blonde and brown amps with just a hint of hair if I push it.

[lure555]

I usually end up using the red '62 the most. It fits the traditional tones I need for Wave Invasion and was my main guitar for the band for a couple of years. The MIJ Jag in the middle has been sold. The Green Custom shop model gets a fairly good amount of use in live situations when I don't want to take a 45 year old guitar out. It has Duncan humbuckers but they're splittable so I can get some cool single coil tones. I can get a nice clean sound out of the humbuckers into my blonde and brown amps with just a hint of hair if I push it.

I was gonna say... one of them JMs look suspiciously like a Jag.

[mre1208]

Here are some better shots of the Fano JM6's...

i notice the natural one is up on ebay now. what gives?!

[Victorilux]

Fripperton, the double candyapplpe red Jazzmaster is one of my fav's...very odd, but very kick-ass guitar

[Fripperton]

Thanks. Pawn Shop prize, about 7 years ago. Ran about $400 less than a new USA RI JM. It was so clean I thought it was a RI. Came with the original brown '62 case.

[Kap'n]

That mahognay/korina look is pretty groovy.

[Victorilux]

Thanks. Pawn Shop prize, about 7 years ago. Ran about $400 less than a new USA RI JM. It was so clean I thought it was a RI. Came with the original brown '62 case.

Maybe I'll be as lucky someday. Till then I'm very jealous!

[Yankeehotelfoxtrot]

How much are those Fano JM6s? those are gorgeous.