# Jim Root Jazzmaster - Is it worth the money?



## YouAreAwesome (Jan 29, 2015)

Hey guys,

First off: didn't want to bump an old thread, hope that starting a new one is ok. 

I have my eye on the Jim Root Jazzmaster for a while now. Specs are what I look for in a new guitar: mahogany body, EMG's, compound radius modern c shape neck and the satin finish. Like the looks and like the minimalist approach. And last but not least: like the guy and it's music and like Fender guitars. So far so good. 

My only doubt enters when I look at the pricing. For me, it's just a lot of money. Guitars with similar specs seems to be availiable (ESP seems to have some nice ones) for far less (25% to almost 50% less). Although I normally would wait for one to pop up second hand, I don't think this will happen anytime soon with this model. 

I don't have the option to test different guitars at once, because none of the guitars are availiable in a store nearby. 

What are your opinions? If you own a JR Jazzmaster: why not a different guitar with similar specs and do you think it's still worth the money? People who have considered buying one: what were your reasons not to buy one?


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## Duraesu (Jan 29, 2015)

an ESP Horizon will eat any fender jim root for breakfast 

Seriously... If you like Fender, the USA jim roots are fine. I had a Jim Root Strat once and with was a cool guitar but not really my thing. But if you are going to spend that kind of money you can get better deals in the second hand market. Since you are from Europe, there are a lot of good forums you can browse.


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## SandyRavage (Jan 29, 2015)

I was really excited because I love the looks' but after playing one it just didn't feel very good in my hands. Like the neck profile but like most fender stuff I have played recently it just felt well specced but poorly executed.

Others probably won't agree with me but I just thought it felt cheap and for a USA guitar there is just too many other options that I would pick first.

Try for yourself.


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## gogolXmogol (Jan 29, 2015)

ESP all the way, I like vintage American guitars, but as for the playability nothing beats my ESP Horizon!


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## kevdes93 (Jan 29, 2015)

i guess thinking about it ive played all the USA jim roots and i can honestly say that for the price the value just isnt really there (IMO anyway)

i really hate to sound like that guy but its a flat black guitar with EMGs, no way id spend 1500 on one brand new personally.


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## JD27 (Jan 29, 2015)

Well I have a Jim Root Jazzmaster/Strat and ESP Horizon (and others, ). In the US at least, I think those two JR models are worth the money. The ESP Horizons (new) are at least $300 more in the US. I definitely wouldn't call them cheap feeling, they are just very basic more than anything. The finish is a thin satin that wears easily, but that was actually something Jim Root wanted so they would age and show wear. I've got no complaints with either of them. That said, I do prefer my ESPs and wouldn't pay 25-50% more for a new JR model.


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## JD27 (Jan 29, 2015)

kevdes93 said:


> i guess thinking about it ive played all the USA jim roots and i can honestly say that for the price the value just isnt really there (IMO anyway)
> 
> i really hate to sound like that guy but its a flat black guitar with EMGs, no way id spend 1500 on one brand new personally.



How dare he spec his signature guitar that way


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## vilk (Jan 29, 2015)

^It's more like, how dare fender mark up such a basic guitar so much.


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## JD27 (Jan 29, 2015)

vilk said:


> ^It's more like, how dare fender mark up such a basic guitar so much.



Actually it is or was the cheapest of their US made Artist models.


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## vilk (Jan 29, 2015)

Oh, I don't really know. I was just responding/commentarily 'correcting' at the guy above me. I don't feel "how dare they..." about anything. There are lots of no frills flat black guitars with aftermarket humbuckers going for way more than 15hundo. It's more like, how dare everyone.


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## JD27 (Jan 29, 2015)

vilk said:


> Oh, I don't really know. I was just responding/commentarily correcting at the guy above me. I don't feel "how dare they..." about anything.



It may be more than people want to pay for a guitar with those specs, but relative to the Artist line they offer, it's a bit cheaper. Actually, I find the $1199 they want new for his Telecaster a bit crazy considering it's made it Mexico.


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## vilk (Jan 29, 2015)

What? Dude, that's nuts. MiJ Telecasters are like only 500$ how you gonna sell MiM for over a grand it's just silly.


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## gogolXmogol (Jan 29, 2015)

lol, USA Gibsons start at about 900) Carvin's too.. Carvin's QC is top notch btw


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## YouAreAwesome (Jan 30, 2015)

Thanks for the reply's everybody!

JD27: I see you have both the Strat and the Jazz. What made you buy them (both)? Do you play them often compared to you other guitars (nice collection btw!)?


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## JD27 (Jan 30, 2015)

YouAreAwesome said:


> Thanks for the reply's everybody!
> 
> JD27: I see you have both the Strat and the Jazz. What made you buy them (both)? Do you play them often compared to you other guitars (nice collection btw!)?



For starters, I love the way they look. They are plain but they are both classic designs and I really like the 70's era headstocks. Besides the aesthetics, they are also very close to what I would want if I had one made or put one together from a place like Warmoth. I like offset shapes like the Jazzmaster, but I never cared for all the extra features and bridge. So his modernized version is exactly what I wanted. I like the Modern C shape, compound radius, and satin finish on the necks. I have the the white strat with maple board. They both have different qualities in the tone, the Jazzmaster is warmer and more resonant, the Strat is brighter.

As far as how much I play them. First of all, I am a gear whore... I have way too many guitars, so admittedly I probably don't give any of them enough attention. I do tend to play one particular guitar for a week before switching to something else. If these were the only two I had, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I think for the money though, if you can get an ESP cheaper, that would be my first choice.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jan 30, 2015)

gogolXmogol said:


> lol, USA Gibsons start at about 900) C



You can get a new Gibson for around $500 as long as you are not concerned with trivial things like paint and finishes


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## Steinmetzify (Jan 30, 2015)

YouAreAwesome said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> First off: didn't want to bump an old thread, hope that starting a new one is ok.
> 
> ...



I own one and dig it. I bought one, traded it for something I was jonesing for and then bought another one. Did a review of the first one here:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/guitar-reviews/272007-fender-jim-root-artist-series-jazzmaster.html

For me, for what I was looking for at the time, it was perfect. I had Strats and Les Pauls and ESPs and LTDs here and was looking for something simpler to play...I kept getting lost in strat positions One knob, one 3 way, done. Basically I wanted a metal guitar for drop C and I really only thought I'd play it in that context on the bridge pickup. 

I dig ebony boards, I dig hardtails, and it's a Fender Artist sig so the quality is there. Do I think it's worth the money? Yeah. Would I look around for a used one for cheaper? Of course. But if I couldn't find one I wouldn't have any problem paying for it.

I even dig the EMGs in it...admittedly, I like EMGs...I really don't like the 81/60 combo in mahogany guitar with a maple top like a LP as the top end always seems too shrill, but this is a gigantic chunk of mahogany and it's dark as ...., so that helps to tame the top end down a lot. I find myself playing a lot of different stuff on it...it cleans up surprisingly well for what it is, and bluesy stuff is no trick on it.

When I bought the first one, I too thought it was a lot of cash...I had an 07 Eclipse at the time as well and compared them extensively. I thought the Jazz sounded better but the ESP slightly eclipsedlolit in terms of build quality. If you're going to leave em stock I'd say get the Jazz....if you're going to be doing some pup swapping and can throw a decent set of pups in the ESP, then I'd go the MIJ route....just built a little bit better.

For all of that, the Jazz looks WAY cooler though. That big black body, the EMGs floating there, the hardtail bridge, REALLY comfortable to play standing or sitting and recording...that giant 70s headstock that looks so badass....locking tuners, too.

It's a great guitar and sounds burly as hell.....plus, not everybody has one. As far as I know, there's like 3 on this forum....JD has one, I have one, and the dude I traded my first one to is on here as well. I've never met anybody that has one and never seen one in the wild here. Everybody that sees it falls in love with it and then they play it and offer to buy it. Bottom line is after all that long windedness, yeah, I think it's worth the $. 

Simple, brutal, easy to play and looks dope. 

If it's a cash problem for you and *you won't jones for the Jazz afterwards, then get the ESP*...you'll get a fine guitar that'll last you years. But it's a lot cheaper to buy the Jazz if that's what you really want then it is to buy a used ESP, keep jonesing and then buy the Jazz too. I've learned a lot about buying guitars over the last couple years, and the number 1 rule for me anymore is to buy what I want, even if it takes longer to save up, because it's cheaper that way.....buying something you THINK is going to save you $ just won't, and in the end you'll spend a lot more than you would have if you just bought what you wanted in the first place.

Good luck mang.


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## YouAreAwesome (Jan 31, 2015)

Dammit. Now I gotta save money.


Thanks guys!


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## tupesaku (Jan 31, 2015)

I have the Jazz too...had a Horizon a while back also. In my opinion both are really great guitars but they are actually quite different...to me at least. The horizon had a bit better overall quality, but playability and sound on both are excellent! 

I was also wondering the price of the Jazzmaster, for example comparing the price to the JM Strat, which is pretty much the same with just a different bodyshape. But for me, the Jazzmaster just had everything exactly the way I wanted so I thought it's worth it...and now after a couple of months owning it, and after some recordings and gigs etc...I still think it's worth the money.

There are a lot of nice guitars in the same price range, so as always it comes up to the preferences  

steinmetzify, a couple post up, had some good points...have to agree with that!


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