This is a great video. I am going to tell you to buy the Squier over a Partscaster for an Offset. Watch Puisheen's video on how problematic all those parts get and you will either spend way more with a professional Luthier fixing the issues or you will give up. Buy the Squier and play it stock for about six months. So what you will want to do is probably four things: treat the bridge (we will get into that), shim the neck, line the control cavity with copper tape (make sure to use conductive adhesive), and get 1 Meg pots. I definitely agree with Audiomo with needing that 1 Meg pots as it really opens the highs and gets you that jangle you are looking for. The neck shim is going to be at least .5° if not more to really get the most out of playing the Jazzmaster. The conductive foil is really because those Jazzmaster pickups like to pick up a ton of stray signals and the shielding helps out significantly. For the bridge you have multiple choices. Really a Jazzmaster wants thicker strings because it was designed to be a hollow body replacement, that said I know you are not likely to go that route. The Blue Loctite is definitely important for traditional Offset bridges. You can swap the saddles for a Mustang style but to be honest you might want to get the Tusq Mustang/Jazzmaster saddles. Otherwise you can just buy a new Fender Mustang bridge for like $40-50 new. If you dive into (and it is hard to resist) Boutique parts, especially the bridge, you NEED TO KNOW the radius of the bridge. Some bridges like the Stay Trem only come with one radius. It is real easy to fall for Boutique parts and all of a sudden your Squier Offset has $1000+ into it. So, that's a factor in buying or modding a Offset. The Partscaster idea is really going to be problematic. All the issues you get with Strats or Teles is going to be greatly exacerbated by the lack of choices for parts and you just have to order online and hope it works when you get it. Like we have talked about in the past, I bought a Xaviere JT 100 for my first "True Offset" and I basically looked at it like a Partscaster. It is essentially a heavily modded guitar, I have done everything that I mentioned up above. I kept the GFS stock Jazzmaster pickups because they are a popular option to replace Squier pickups. I also replaced the tuners with modern locking ones, I replaced the string trees with Tusq ones. I did some cosmetic changes in having a Decoboom Wave neck plate on it and replaced the knobs with UFO pearloid topped knobs and a metal three way switch. Basically it's a Tele basic Jazzmaster where you don't have the extra switches and wheels. I like Offsets and it's a fun rabbit hole to go down but you will have to adjust your guitars settings. If you try to set up an Offset like a Strat, those are the guys that eventually quit playing them.
Brilliant video Steve. Great content and what an easy watch. Jim is so chilled and very knowledgeable. Keep up the good work mate. Defo worth doing another video with Jim 👍
Really enjoyed the banter, Steve! You and Jim should form a transatlantic RU-vid channel. Can't believe you've not had more likes... Maybe the audience didn't like the controversy over whether a Starcaster is or isn't an offset! 😂
Thank ya kindly mate 😀🙏 Yeah I've not quite figured out the deal with collabs yet. It's only the Rob Chapman one that managed to break 1k views on this channel 🤷♂️ It's a shame as I do enjoy doing these kind of videos, great to make new guitar pals and... they're way less work 😜 I think it might be a mix of the longer duration puts people off, and with this particular one, the image quality wasn't great. The last couple of vids I've uploaded were 4k and apparently RU-vid prefers that, so with this one being 1080 (or much less in parts 😜) YT might not push it out. I dunno - all just speculation 🤷♂️
That was great , I really enjoy chats that like that just wander off topic, when these things stick to times and topics it’s far too clinical, a more natural chat where people just go off on a tangent is far more enjoyable,, nice one Steve , I’ll be checking out Jim’s channel too,, awesome stuff mate 👍👍🤠🎸
Cheers Chuck! 😃🙏 Looks like Jim was spot on then😎👍 Tangents for the win! 😁 That works for me - I'm a nightmare for going off topic at the best of times 🙈
Dude you really need a jazzmaster. I have a classic vibe and it's so awesome. Using the bridge pickup with a fuzz is craaaazy. I thought I bought it for surf music but I use it mainly for heavy fuzz stuff 😂😂😂
😜👍 I get it though. I'm guilty of not including 90% of literal offsets , when I'm talking about offsets too tho 🙈 Which probably makes me ...Offset-ist? 🤷♂️
Hey Steve, I played a Fender Vintera ll Jazzmaster today and I can definitely say that there is a night and day feel on how the Wide Swing Tremolo works on the Fender vs Import Offsets. I might recommend that you try a Fender Jazzmaster and then the Squier Jazzmaster because the whole world of upgrades is pretty much inevitable. I plan on buying a bridge and trem system from Haylon for my Xaviere JT 100 because most Offsets I have seen usually favors a Mastery Trem. If I was not doing that I would upgrade my stock bridge and trem with a Fender Trem and a Mustang bridge. The Fender AVRI (American Vintage Reissue) is definitely a fantastic and worthwhile mod for a Squier. For me the Fender Vintera II Jazzmaster is the one I want and I love my Xaviere but I don't want it to try and be a Fender stand in (a Fender Pretender if you will). I plan on doing a Vintage V65V along with heavy mods too, but I want my Offsets to be something other than a real deal Fender. Really, try the real thing before you get the Squier. A Partscaster is going to be your worst repair on steroids, I would not suggest that.
Thank ya sir for your insights 😀👍 If I get a chance to try both - I most certainly will 👍 I have been looking into this a bit more since speaking with Jim and since the Offsets Live stream - loads of great info from everyone here including yourself of course sir 🫡 I was mainly looking at the Squier 40th anniversary as i liked the colour and it had a maple fretboard, but i've since found out, it also has the mustang bridge and an angled neck pocket, So it's now ticking more boxes. I've also been in touch with the man from "Tuffset" who we could do a collab with in future, this would be a massive upgrade, if I went that route. But I'll keep an eye out for Fenders on the used market too - Cheers mate 😀👍
@@stevecassidyguitar Steve, good to hear. The whole Offset rabbit hole is a very confusing and winding hole, much like Alice in Wonderland. I'm glad to hear that you are drilling down to what you want want. Another option you may want to consider is to find a really good either Strat or Tele neck to put on your Squier Jazzmaster baritone project and turn it more into an Offset you can use or play. That has a familiar bridge and you could set it up more like the Strats that you are used to. I know Fender has a $1400 version of that guitar made in the US, but you can use what you have to make a more gigable guitar. Just a thought. 🤔
@@gringogreen4719 Excellent idea mate - and it has crossed my mind - but then I'd end up looking for another body for the Baritone naeck - It never ends! 😂👍
@@stevecassidyguitar It's a vicious cycle isn't it? Unless you are playing a genre where you need a baritone, it's next to useless. I owned a Danelectro Baritone in the 1990s, it was cool but very limited. My feelings on Baritones is to buy a production made one because retrofitting a normal guitar means all sorts of compromises. I have a Nashville High Tuned guitar and again, it's limited as a practical instrument. A Tele would be a good modification platform for the baritone neck. Or you could sell it to fund the Partscaster Jazzmaster or another project. If you don't want to play heavier strings then you want to shift your focus to projects that could help you with projects that will benefit your playing. Besides the baritone you could just down tune a standard spare guitar so you are not fighting the tension on heavy strings.
@@gringogreen4719 It just so happens that this fridays vid, is about a production model T style Baritone 😀👍 There's a few reasons for me to have a Baritone kicking around, even though I could probably never gig it. I have a few pupils at work who are into really low metal tunings, a couple have have 7 strings, one even has an 8 string! 🤯 Having a Baritone and a capo avialable, makes the lessons run a bit more smoothly rather than trying to re-tune my strat (with Trem) Down to B standard etc 🙈 It's also handy for wee RU-vid shorts, that I don't do enough of 🙈 and recording... which I also don't do enough of 🙈 and Just youtube vids in general, potentially helps to appeal to a wider audience 🤷♂ I do wish I had more time to play it, (or any guiar really) for leisure, but the YT takes up all my spare time now 😬 Still though, I do appreciate your suggestions mate 😀🙏
Ha! Yeah, I can see why it might look that way, but not quite. JR was so gracious to have a collab with myself early on, and I'd been watching (and blethering on) Jim's livestreams for a while. Then ma good pal Rafael Jesus, shouted me out to Jim that i'd did a collab with John. Then when John got injured, Jim reached out to John to help out with content. Then this happened 😀 I think that's how it all worked out 😁 but I love that these things happen out of the community - just makes the whole YT Guitar-sphere seem a bit smaller and more accessible 🤓👍
Honestly Steve the CV is the lightest in the jazzmaster range . Same weight as the ibanez . The trem is sigoid with 9s reinforced and a lubed nut wicked game cancelled be played the whole tune withdiveand trem and I still in tune .
I messaged a guy on eBay today - he has 2 in stock (has a store in Germany) I asked him to weigh them 😁. But since then, I bought another Jet strat this afternoon 🙈
@@stevecassidyguitar i love the CV as it's great for surf and that Spanish sound . Also it's super comfortable laying the side palm just behind the bridge on the strings .
The squire jazzmaster doesn't have that bridge grooves he is talking about it has single grooves . .the bridge doesn't sink . It moves forward and backwards to aid the trem system . I have8s on mine but they are reinforced ball ends . Jags are heavier. You can get a squire jazzmaster CV and add a copper scratch plate. .
@@cameronmeikle6766 Ah right - got ya 👍 Soz... Yeah I like the look of the SFG and maple fretboard, actually not that keen on the Gold anodised guard, I,d possibly change that - maybe tort or something🤔
Santino Surfers!.... Wait what!!!... I love Jonas Krag😳, but he's mostly known for playing in the house band in different TV shows here in Denmark. See him play in some videos in this playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLmJKpnOgcS-6RfvGWktg9UBcFnmTYhzEy&si=75Lv3YTFHRCPWA3d ) Funny how I often learn about Danish bands/artists from people outside Denmark 😁
Thanks for this mate I'll definitely check this out when I'm not at work 😜 But yeah.... He's become one of my favourite new players. (New to me). That Santino Surfers album is incredible 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitar Well, the videos is not really about him, he's just in the "house band" But the band is just phenomenal. I'm listening to that Santino Surfers right now.. I like it! 👍
First and foremost what are they putting in the water stateside . My god I’ve watched the guy a few times and really liked him thought he was very knowledgeable but thought he was in his early 20s … jingly jangly is in your blood mate . When I played in bands in the late 80s the sound of young Scotland was very thin jangly guitars . Loyd Cole orange juice etc .the black role neck was king that was when we were properly cool .. look forward to your journey I do like the idea of a jag but probably will just go homage .. being a lefty my choice is always restricted..
Ha you're right there mate! I think it's a combination of genetics, he admits to drinking a lot of water, and hasn't touched alcohol for 4 years I think! Good on him I say 😁👍 I don't think I'm familiar with the artists you mentioned, but I'll have to check em out. I do love a bit of jangle these days 😎👌
Haha it's all genetics and diet, I was born in Colombia so we age well provided we don't eat total rubbish. Quitting the drink also helped immensely, I balloon'd up quite a bit towards the end of that.
The saddle on the CV isn't a vintage and it doesn't sink . It doesn't jump out of the crease it has a single groove . No locktight needed .ba wee neck shim hells easy done . The guitar is no heavier than a fender strat the vibrati is awesome dip and dive . .this guy is a bit confused . The squire comes with a Mustang bridge Steve .
Good info sir - thank ya 👍I seen that on a review of the 40th today that it has the mustang bridge - well spotted sir 😎👍 I think Jim was just referring to the bridge he had in his hand as I asked about that one 👍
In fact I can sell you mine . Or you can try it and ease your mind . What's with all the drama ye dint even need to take strings off to shim the kneck . Half a million Leo fender designed it that way. The CV has a Mustang bridge . Go try one . He's talking about
@@cameronmeikle6766 Yeah mate it's the green one I like. Sold out almost everywhere though, and people want more than new price for used. I can wait 😁👍
so why do you have 90 comments on this video where you are doing the same thing you complain about??? it is a harmless RU-vid video go do some yoga or something
@@tomasodriziola wind your neck in mate. The guy was giving SC wrong information on the bridge sinking and showing him a vintage bridge from an old fender . This was wrong right from the start. Do you have a jazzmaster and would you have took that guy's advice without question ? I was glad to help get the facts correct. Go watch his videos . He has no sense of humour , boring robot .
@@tomasodriziola obviously you can't count .so I will correct you there,i posted way less than 90 comments and I make valid opinions. I don't know alot about much but I am a player and I work on guitars . Oh and I'm not a sheep or a fan boy. I like Steve's content cause he's funny and I like his style .I can also have an opinion on anything I choose .bhaaaa 😂
@@tomasodriziola oh aye and away and bile yer heed ya numpty ! Whit are you the woke free speech police !? Bell end .aye I would tell that to your face any time.😘
@@cameronmeikle6766 wrong information on bridges sinking? This has been an issue for decades, are you new to offsets because this is well known. Go to offset guitar forum and find it being talked about since the beginning of that site, or maybe just search RU-vid for other people that have the issue and how they recommend fixing it. you also call the vibrato a "trem" multiple times, so it seems you are the one here with really have no idea what they are talking about yet fuming because you don't like the person in this video. I will say to again maybe to try yoga, maybe drink less could possibly help too I hope you feel better soon
