That middle position with the classic JM pickups in the 40th anniversary is such a gorgeous sound and hard to beat, so for that reason I prefer that one.
I played that 40th Anniversary, thinking I'd put the money in to pay more. It was awful compared to the J Mascis. The sound was good, but everything else felt so odd. I think Fender realized that pros were playing a Squier at gigs. Especially when you have someone like Tame Impala doing it, a guitar maker will take notice. So they started shifting the marketing, without a doubt. I think the 40th Anniversary is the "replacement", but it just isn't as good. To me anyway!
Just got a J Mascis JM last week and I love it! Wish I could get my hands on the desert sand 40th anniversary JM too, but now they're out of production.
I preferred the clean sound of the 40th Anniversary. It's more of a classic, slightly scooped vintage sound. Clearer in the highs and less dirt. On cleans, the JMJM had more of a congested compressed mid-push, almost more Gibson like. But it wasn't as pleasant and had some breakup in the highs. But the JMJM comes into it's own with more drive. It pushes interacts with the amp really nicely. But overall, I think I'd go for the 40th VE too. I prefer the newer slightly buttery / warm sand coloured finish. The JMJM white is a bit of a stark colour, reminds me to much of stock basic new car finish. Easier to source a 40th VE than a JMJM now too.
that's all due to the P90 style pickups in the JMJM. I've put Seymour Antiquity 2's in mine, gorgeous cleans. the neck is what makes the JMJM the winner. its the most playable neck I've ever come across. its silk.
@@coldacre Yip, you are right, the neck is special, one of the best. Two of my not very expensive guitars have two of the best necks: Squier JMJM & Sire L7. I like the P90 style pickups, personally. But I'm a big fan of P90s, and have single coils I'm happy with for the single coil sound (Vintera Strat & Tele). Antiquity 2's sound great. I put Fender Pure Vintage '59s in my second Strat (Squier CV 50s Strat) and they sound really nice too.
Andrew, would you ever consider doing a small series on how you go about writing/composing your skits? I absolutely love your playing style, the way the melodies stack and compliment each other, letting each one breathe without overcrowding, playing off one another. I love making post-rock stuff like that but find it can quickly get busy. Also, how you go about choosing the tones for each part so they layer and sit in distinct zones but still mesh well...a real skill you have!
Yes! It’s on my list - thanks for the prompt. My approach feels so impromptu that I need to collect my thoughts and methods a bit before shooting a video about it :)
I only have two guitars. A Mexican Strat and the J Mascis. I haven’t touched the Strat since I got the JM. Such a quality sounding and playing guitar for the price.
100%. They are great instruments for their original price tag. The neck on mine is one of the best feeling necks on any guitar I own. It's a fun one - glad you're loving yours!
They are both awesome and can’t really go wrong with either. I had a few different classic player jazzmasters and I lived in older houses and the pickups were really noisy at idle. What I like about both of those guitars you reviewed is they both have wider nuts than the 42mm standard nut size on all the mim guitars I’ve owned, which for me is a huge sale point for me the 40th is a hair wider than the jm. I got the 40th but I’d be stoked on a mascis too they are both rad
I got the 40th anni vintage bout two weeks ago. I LOVE IT! The satin finish and neck are wonderful. First Jm, now I'm wondering what a more expensive one is like.
Exactly the same thing, got my first JM 2 weeks ago and love it! It's the seafoam green vintage edition. Wondering what the more expensive jazzmasters would sound like, ha!
thanks for watching and for the kind words! ...that was just a little riff I made up. I try not to recycle cover tunes/riffs, although I'm sure I'm guilty of "writing" parts that are near-ripoffs without even knowing haha
I think there's a bit more sparkle to the 40th Anniversary pickups. I also really like the look of the maple fretboard -- there's a nice tint to it. I wish the gold edition came with a maple or rosewood fretboard. The Indian Laurel necks I've been getting have been looking pretty dire, which is disappointing because my Cyclone's IL neck looks almost indistinguishable from a rosewood neck, so they can look really nice, but mine so far have been pale and dry and chipped at the edges.
@@seraphim87 I'd definitely just swap out the neck. You can find some nice necks all over the place. Get a nice deep roasted maple neck or something, that'd be real nice on the J.Mascis.
I have a few guitars with laurel fretboards, and I am very happy with them. But I did have to condition the boards with lemon oil (using 0000-grade steel wool) and then a final coat of fretboard wax, to get them looking rich and feeling great.
The 40th Anniversary winner...The Alnico magnets give it the edge over the P90s....They're warmer and more pleasant with crystal clear transients...IMO..cheers Frank "The Memphis Suns"
I agree; I favor the clarity of the pickups in the 40th. The P90s are cool for certain applications but a bit more muddy / hairy at times. Thanks for watching Frank!
Definitely Team 40th anniversary. I've always thought of the Mascis as the bar for modern offsets...but Fender/Squier really really knocked it out of the park for the 40th...The satin finish is super nice. I hope Fender keeps a satin finish JM in the lineup going forward.
Man I totally agree. I heard folks rave about the JMJM, finally got one and it really lived up to the hype. After watching your guys' video of the 40th Anniversary I got curious, and I have to say I'm leaning 40th too - although they're both great guitars. But man the desert sand...it's beautiful.
Tremendous comparison video. I have to echo a previous commenter... very good demonstration of the different sounds of each. And you briefly played the exact same measures for each guitar so we could get a clear contrast. It drives me crazy when they compare 2 guitars and don't play the same chords or melodies for each comparison. I don't think you can go wrong with either guitar. After watching your video I went to the GC website and found the 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster Vintage Edition on sale for $389.99. Unfortunately they're back ordered until November but now I'll have an early Xmas present for myself. Anyway, thanks for a great video and some extraordinary playing.
Appreciate the kind words and glad it was helpful! Hope you dig the 40th Anni - they’re fun guitars and I think you’re hard pressed to find a better player for $389!
I’ve got the J Mascis Squier and swapped the pickups out for Lollars. The Mascis pickups run too hot if you’re looking for that classic Jazzmaster sound. It’s my 3rd guitar… also happy to discuss selling it if anyone is keen - with original + new pickups, of course.
I might be coming into a bit of money soon and have been debating which of these I want. I actually though the tonal quality of the Mascis was better in all but the last position in the video. It seemed both brighter and fuller to me. I did notice it has considerably more buzz however. I'm wondering if that might be a ground issue somewhere in that specific guitar, or if that's something typical for those pick ups or another component in that model. It wouldn't bug me much while playing, but for recording purposes, that could be bothersome.
My understanding is the J.Mascis actually has P90 style pickups as opposed to the Jazzmaster's actual Jazzmaster style pickups, hence the difference in sound.
I think you’re right! There’s often a good bit of ambiguity in some of these lower end models as to *what* the pickups are. JMJM sure sounds more like P90s
I’m buying the J Mascis or 40th Anniversary and love both of the tones and guitars (and tend to lean towards the 40th for appearance) but I have one question, which guitars are better for different genres of music?
What genres do you play? The 40th Anniversary is a more vintage leaning sound / JM more for rock or indie/alternative stylings I’d say, with its beefier pickups.
Huge difference in sound. Not sure if the pickups are the same. But the maple vs rosewood fingerboard may account for a good portion of it. I tend to like the clarity of the 40th anniversary. The Mascis seems a bit more striking and a tad harsh. I would want something almost in between.
The pickups are different , the 40th definitely has a more vintage, slightly scooped feel and the JMJM like you say has that harsh edge and more midrange. Something in between would be intriguing, it's still a close call for me as sometimes I kind of want that ragged texture the JMJM brings. Thanks for watching!
40th anniv has Jazzmaster pickups whils Mascis has P90s. You could try some aftermarket Jazzmaster pickups that go for high output for an inbetween sound I think, maybe the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound?
@AmbientEndeavors thanks so much! based on your comparison I just bought the 40th, looking forward to receive it and I'm considering which gauge would be the best, I will see...
@@AmbientEndeavors not sure really. I love the neck and rosewood fretboard with dots on the Mascis but the anniversary body, hardware and electronics is more to my preference. The Jazzzmaster line has way too many packages and options and different vibes. Don’t like the Mascis tune o magic bridge. Also don’t know why the anniversary one has a maple fretboard. Not sure which one would be better. If I had to choose I would go with Mascis and swap the bridge and MAYBE the pickups.
I liked your consistency in demoi'ng all the sound choices. Usually around eight to 12 bars is enough, before changing the pick up selector and you're spot on. Too many demo's tend to become a performance piece for the creator, so thanks for keepin' it real, and I've just subb'ed your channel.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and the sub! Sincerely appreciate it. Glad you’re jiving with my review model - been honing it and always glad to hear other folks’ feedback. Cheers!
I have both and despite them looking almost identical, they are completely different guitars in your hands. I definitely lean towards the JM by a longshot, but they are their own unique guitars. Note my 40th anniversary has the laurel neck with the square inlays. I bought it used and already it's got the standard bridge sinkage that is common to Jazz Masters; however my JM has not had any issues and has the adjustable bridge. In retrospect I would have only purchased the JM as it seems to be a much higher quality guitar, but again depending on your style of playing, one may suit you better than the other. I prefer the neck on the JM and it stays in tune better as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either, but it's the J Mascis for me.
You forgot to mention a huge difference between the two which is the trem placement. The 40th has a traditional placement, whereas the JMJM is closer to the bridge, creating a greater break angle. In theory it would affect sustain and the 40th would be a little more ‘plunky.’ Great tones all around and good quality video. Thanks for the comparison!
I think the 40th anniversary squire sold me on wanting one. I have the J. Mascis and love it but I like the maple fretboard look a lot and the desert sand color is very nice.
it is cool that they chose maple boards for these 40th anniversary models. something different, you don't see those on offsets much. agreed, the matte desert sand is nice, especially against the gold pick guard. thanks for watching!
I love the J Mascis (and the now-discontinued fender classic player, which is very similar) because it's a jazzmaster with the mods already done for you. Everyone wants a vintage-correct JM until they actually play one and then they're buying different pickups, different bridge, etc.
I love the look of the maple board and the desert sand together. The tones are great either way. JM sure has a unique sound. Love the playing samples and your style.
The 40th has a chunkier neck? But the J Mascis has a wider neck, right? I only played the Mascis and i remember thinking, this is a chunky neck, compared to my modern C fender necks... i'm deciding of buying one of these
I played the vintage one a while back. It's a great guitar for the money! It held up really well against the American pro ii too which surprised me. Lovely review man!
Cool comment for me, as I own an American Pro II myself. Don´t use it much lately but still love JMs. Thinking on selling the american and buying the Squier, thus saving some bucks... Would it be a good call in your opinion?
@@videophotozama5666 Depends. The parts are obviously better quality but if you don't play it as much you might as well sell it and grab the cheaper one if you want to keep a Jazzmaster in your arsenal 🙂
I got the 40th. Once I upgraded to a Staytrem Bridge, and Descendant vibrato, I have hardly played my other guitars in nearly a year. Not only did it improve the feel, but it improved the tone.
I love your 40th anniversary! I own a JMJM as well and totally in love with it. I swapped out the pickups for Curtis Novak's and all I can say is WOW! The best sounding JM Ive ever heard in my life, no lie. The problem lies in the bridge... Also swapped out with a Wilkinson roller bridge which is better, but not 100%. So much fiddling around to get it to my preferred playability. I might just have to get a 40'th anniversay. Its a beauty and Im a sucker for maple necks! Yours sounds great and I found it to sound and ring nicer than the JMJM. Thanks for sharing!
I'm lucky I was able to grab one of the Staytrem bridges that drops straight in. they stopped making it years ago which is a shame, as theyre the perfect bridge for a JMJM.
@Neon Thunderbird They are on backorder but you could have had your spot in line. Unfortunately I wasnt able to get one through Sweetwater as I am from Canada and they have territory contracts with Fender. They wont ship Fender to Canada. I got it somewhere else for $419.99 no wait. Luckily they had 1 in stock. They are fantastic! 👌
Masterful playing and I liked this shootout because there were some obvious differences. The 40th being a bit on the sparkly and clear side and the Mascis, albeit muddy in the bridge, more expressive and artful in my opinion. I’d go with the Mascis.
Thanks for weighing in - yeah, they were definitely contrasting to the point where I'd have a hard time parting with either. I tend toward the sparkly/clean one BUT, you're right - there's an aggression and expression from the Mascis that is really inspiring for certain contexts too.
I have a J Mascis and a CV Jazzmaster (with a J Mascis neck). I love the look of the new 40th Anniversary. Question is, do I really need three Jazzmasters? :) My main criticism of the J Mascis are the pickups. They are very hot and will push your amp harder than a JM with "real" Jazzmaster pickups. If you are after a clean sound, it might not be the guitar for you. That said, I love the JMJM neck.
A year on and Squier has reissued the JMJM and it is now $150 less than the anniversary. Chris Buck (Cardinal Black) uses an anniversary well known in UK has also just put a video out on both. He says the JM is more P 90ish and points out clunk on trem probably because of bridge difference. I shall try both, but as you I like maple necks so JM has too be better to sway me 😅😅
Both are tremendous sounding guitars. I think it really comes down to your budget and which one you think looks cooler. I happen to really like the looks of the Squier 40th Anniversary with the maple fingerboard/neck. But the sound of the J. Mascis is really nice. I love those 60s tones you get out of them.
There's something special in J Mascis squier pickups. They sound like magic, very sweet almost chorusy tone. I've read them are actually P90, but they doesn't sound like other P90 I've tried. If anyone know a guitar that has similar tone to J Mascis squier, let me know.
I own the J Mascis, but the 40th anniversary sounds great. It actually sounds more like my Mascis because I swapped out my pickups for the vintage 65s. Great video, nice guitars.
@neonthunderbird yeah, I was actually contemplating putting the stock bridge back in, but leaving the neck 65 in. Then I could have the best pickup from both sets.
I was totally blown away by the full, round, chiming clean sounds of the 40th Anniversary. The Mascis sounds thinner and dirtier, even in the clean section. Anyway, I also liked the "woody" crunch sounds of the 40th Anniversary better than those of the Mascis, which inspire a "plastic sound" feeling in me. Astonishing enough, as dark fingerboards are mostly seen as producing a warmer sound than the more trebly character of maple boards. The fact that the 40th Anniversary is a great guitar, is all over the net, and spreading! You did that great, thank you! Only through your "scientific" approach, compatibility is possible at all.
Man thanks for watching! This was such a fun and informative video for me to make and it's great that it's still proving helpful to many who are eyeing one of these guitars. Cheers!
I got the Mascis Jazzmaster a 4-5 years ago and I had no intention on getting a guitar when I walked into Guitar center. I was in the market for a new amp and saw that J Mascis Jazzy and figured I'd use that to demo the amps, since I love Jazzmasters and Dinosaur Jr. Immediately I was completely blown away by the feel of the neck, one of the most comfortable necks ive played on, i'd say on better than fender standard and player series, on par with professional and up. Then I heard those pups which I wasn't expecting since Jazzy's are pretty bright, sometimes a bit to bright but I loved how hot they sounded. I was in love with this guitar quickly. I've never picked up a guitar and fell in love with so quickly AND at that price point! Completely changed my mindset of squier being crappy beginner guitars only. Unfortunately, I sold it when covid hit after I lost my job needed cash. I thought I would be able to buy a new one at some point, wasn't expecting them to discontinue it. Recently went to a Sam Ash by me and they happened to have the 40th anniversary in stock so picked up and played it. Another great sounding and feeling guitar by Squier. Absolutely love the color choices they have and that dark maple neck. The neck was nice but not as nice as the J mascis one. I liked it but didn't fall in love with it like I did with the Mascis JM, and i think that was more of just the feel of the guitar/neck for me personally. I did like the sound of the pups, sounded like a Jazzmaster for sure. Both guitars are absolutely great in their own ways and sounds.
I happen to have recently bought a 40th Anniversary myself, and I'm really happy with it. I think it's crazy value for money, and they're also getting hard to find brand new. Very well set up (other than the intonation, which I had to correct myself), very comfortable feeling and good sounding. Going to your comparison, I like the sounds of the 40th Anniversary when I hear them, but then when I hear the J. Mascis my ears seem to prefer that tone time after time.
I find it really hard to pick a favorite. They're unique enough one to the other - and the JMJM is so fun when you're really going for that kind of raunchy rock and roll thing.
As you say, it's down to personal preferences. In my perception the 40th Anniversary has a more percusive attack and the tone is more on the trebly side, whereas the J. Mascis sounds to me with more body. I seem to prefer the latter, but, let me say, you get absolutely beautiful tones from both; I specially like your airy clean tones. I assume the tune you play in the beginning is your own composition. You make both guitars sound like a dream.
I'd give the slight edge to the JMJM - it's a really comfy neck and the fretboard is great for the price. I know they did a couple different runs of boards on these, either Indian Laurel or Rosewood depending on vintage.
So, I owned a JMJM and proceeded to sell it for a variety of reasons. The satin neck wasn't for me, I had to replace the bridge (rattle) and trem system (unusable) but even these upgrades weren't enough. Ultimately the JMJM doesn't sound very good. It's a muddy guitar, there's no note clarity at all and there's not much you can do to fix that save for swapping out the pickups and pots. Really is best to avoid this guitar imo.
The cute little waitress with bouffant hair stops to refill your sweet tea. She asks if you're from around here. You put down your biscuit and say "No ma'am, I'm just passing by." ♪♪♪bumbumbedumdum♪♪♪
I'm still new to this, but to me the J Mascis just sounds slightly more compressed (in that same full and pretty way a pedal can add to the sound). I imagine you could get the same sound from the 40th Anniversary depending on pedal and amp settings. If that's the case, the 40th is more flexible. Either way, they are both leaps ahead of other options out there in the price range.
I had an American 62 reissue jm in the past and will say that guitar played so nice and felt great. I wish I didn't sell it. However, I now own a jmjm and feel it has way more balls and sounds way better with effects. The ri I had was way more planky and it's tone would get lost with the the dynamic pedals I used. The mascis I now own shines through. The best way to describe the two is the reissue was designed to sound a certain way without too many effects being 1962 was pretty limited whereas the jmjm was designed by a guy who uses many effects and played loud. The 2 guitars are only comparable by the body design and that's it. They are both different animals.
I bought one from Sweetwater and the guitar was great with 1 exception. HUMMMM!! No shielding in the electronics cavities. I used the Aluminum furnace tape to shield it and checked continuity from 1 end to the other. Now, no hum and the guitar sounds fantastic and is silent when not being played.
I know this is going back a bit, and sorry if you've answered this, but how do the 2 necks compare on these? Any noticeable difference in thickness to them? I prefer the thicker or v shaped models myself. (think Baja tele style)
Both felt comfy to me, although I don't think either are technically "V". The JMJM seemed a bit more substantial, while the 40th Anniversary maybe a slight bit less beefy. You obv. get the different playing experience maple vs rosewood / laurel fretboard. Hope this helps!
Great video.I love your playing,especially on the clean section with the Hybrid picking.I’m in the market for one of these but I just wondered,was the build quality equal on both of these?
Thanks! Build quality is pretty comparable. The JMJM was surprisingly solid out of the box, neither had glaring issues to be honest. Minor complaints: both could use a setup to your preferred strings/action to really feel 100%, and the 40th had a mild amount of fret sprout on some edges. But I’ve played both out before setups and wasn’t bothered. Hope this helps - thanks for watching!
One of the better reviews that I have seen on YT and wrapt that you didn’t present a distortion filled presentation completely devoid of the true sonic abilities of the instruments. Been a player for years with many guitars and previously - many years ago - had both an original Jag and JM. Just really appreciated your presentation and subbed. Thank you from Australia
Can't wait for my 40th to arrive tomorrow. I went to G.C. to get a difference return on a 40th P Bass I bought for my daughter. If G.C. sells an instrument cheaper than one you bought from them within a month the will give you back the difference. They had the 40th JM on sale for $299 and I got $98 back from the bass so I got my J.M. for $201 out of pocket. No way I was going to pass on that deal. I love the clarity of the 40th. Gain can always be added via pedals but clean can not.
Interesting. I agree the JMJMs are fantastic guitars, the neck feels so good on mine. I also have and demo'd a 40th Anniversary Strat that I was quite impressed with.
I'll have to try another J Mascis. I played one at GC and didn't like it very much. But I've played several guitars at GC that didn't sound good, but played at another store and loved it.
Thanks for the demo. I am considering the 40th Ann. Would have been even more helpful, if you did a quicker cut between guitars, just using one pick up position. By the time you switch to a warmer position on the first one and then cut to the other guitar in a brighter position, it’s hard to compare.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually took that note from a couple other folks and have adjusted my process for comparisons going forward. Check out this vid for reference, or if you're interested in the Silvertone stuff. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cV_6CibYTHk.html&lc=UgyUGERD_RPiobNHbqF4AaABAg I can say, the 40th anniversary is such a great guitar, was really impressed with it.
@@AmbientEndeavors - Thanks for the quick reply and I will definitely check out your Silvertone review/comparison. I was strongly considering the new Fender JM Vintage II Model that got generally very good buzz, but way more pricey, especially considering I have several other “go to” guitars, so this would not be my one and only.
I have the J Mascis and love it but was surprised by the difference in sound and how good the 40th Anniversary sounded. One thing I have found with my J Mascis is the difference the anodized pick guard makes to the sound. I swapped mine out for a 3 ply black plastic one (as I think it looks better). It needed a bunch more shielding and the tone lost a lot of its brightness and snap. Ended up switching back pretty quickly. Was really surprised how much difference that one change made.
This is really interesting to hear. I had considered swapping in a mint guard (such a sucker for that aesthetic) but wonder if that would dull some of the mojo. I'll have to keep the gold one around regardless. Thanks for chiming in!
@@bobbychubb6913 Yes that’s what I heard. The original JMJM pickups have adjustable pole pieces as opposed to the flat ones on a standard JM pickup and I read they are more like a P90 in their construction. They are good but I ended up replacing them with more traditional JM pickups and I can absolutely hear the difference in the brightness and output with the traditional being brighter and lower output. They are both good just depends what you are going for.
I agree, that’s my simplified complaint about it. It can be cool for gritty rock or indie sounds, but for the cleaner clearer sound the 40th Anni wins out.
@@AmbientEndeavors I wanted to compliment you on your tone! Thanks for presenting this guitar with excellent clean tones rather than grungey tones. I'm hoping to try the 40th out at my local shop soon. Your video showed me that it doesn't hit the front end of amps too hard despite the output of the pickups
Fender is BIG time wrong on the neck width. The 40th is 1.65" which is very wimpy and quite a disappointment especially when they list it as bigger than the J Mascus. Other than the neck the 40th is a pretty nice guitar. My personal opinion is the J Mascus is a nicer guitar. The neck is much more comfortable also.
Thanks very much for the comparison.They both sound great. My favourite tone is probably the bridge/neck on the JM 40th. Particularly in the clean sound. One thing that I think you missed was: Are there any differences between the pickups. Does the JMJM have P90 pickups - i had seen it mentioned somewhere, but unsure if it is P90 style, P90s or JM pickups? can you shed any light on that?
when i bought the jay mascis guitar it totaly converted me to jazzmaster i just love that guitar.Its not my most expensive guitar but bang for buck its pretty awsome. i just swapped the pick ups out for the jay mascis ones that fender brought out. This is gunna be the guitar in my collection im gunna modify so any tips would be great hope your doing great
nice! yeah a fun mod platform for sure. Folks like swapping the bridge for something a bit more traditional. depending on what your budget is, check out Mastery or Descendant for that and replacement vibrato; huge upgrade!
It’s amazing how much growl the J Mascis pickups have. They’re basically single coil humbuckers (that hum like crazy. :) ). If you like a thick sound, can’t beat the JM JM. But the 40th Anniversary sounds great too. Just a different tone. But no less good/bad. Just different. The only thing I don’t like about the JM JM is the closer placement of the trem, but there has to be a reason, J. chose this design. I’m sure it has some effect on tone (if not, it’s a crazy decision).
I’m a big Placebo fan, and would like to do covers of them. Which of those two would you recommend? I have the feeling the mascis that got re-edited would do the job. What do you think?
