The Show Us Your Offset Thread

[Hybrid]

I just don't understand why Jaguars, Jazzmasters, and Mustangs are more popular. They're seriously the coolest guitars!

[Holy Schnikes]

I just don't understand why Jaguars, Jazzmasters, and Mustangs are more popular. They're seriously the coolest guitars!

Price has a lot to do with it, in most cases. And general lack of availability beyond the AVRI until Fender recently started with the whole HH/Blacktop/etc thing. Japan gets ahold of the good shit and it's $$$$ now days to get it to the States. May as well build your own...

[rfurtkamp]

Problem is cost; they were too cheap to be taken seriously when I bought my '64 in 1990ish for 100.

Now they're too expensive comparatively. People stick with what they learned on a lot of the time (the cheap LP, Strat, SG, or Tele Squier, Epiphone, etc). It's just recently we've gotten the cheap Fenders again, and even there the entry-level instrument isn't there.

At this point the Mustang frankly just costs too much. Even used ones are pricey unless you buy them in hideous colors or get very lucky.

Doesn't help there's the myth of the instability/lack of tuning on the Jag/JM trem, and that Jimmy John Tony Stevie Ray Hendrix didn't use an offset as their mythical instrument to make geeezers weep.

[Bellyheart]

Love my 90s Duo Sonic and trying to get another...or possibly a Cyclone if I can find one. Want a Mustang for the trem but I might figure out a way around that. Telemasters are something that need to be mass produced and cheap from Fender...now!

[Big Mon]

My '74. Went from being Lake Placid Blue to Royal Blue with tape-on racing stripe that my gal won't let me take off

[Mudfuzz]

and that Jimmy John Tony Stevie Ray Hendrix didn't use an offset as their mythical instrument to make geeezers weep.

They were looked at as "Surf guitars" which became uncool by the mid+ 60's if you go by my Dad's [who grew up in orange county in 50s-60s, played in surf bands durring the surf period, before moving on to beatle bands, then R&B bands...] point of view From what he says by the mid 60's it was Strats, SGs, 335s and Teles for the most part with serious gigging musicians

[Holy Schnikes]

Telemasters are something that need to be mass produced and cheap from Fender...now!

Yep, Fender seems to be dragging their heels on this one...

[Hybrid]

I guess its nice to have a unique guitar though. Especially one so versatile.

[grindonomicon]

Love my 90s Duo Sonic and trying to get another...or possibly a Cyclone if I can find one. Want a Mustang for the trem but I might figure out a way around that. Telemasters are something that need to be mass produced and cheap from Fender...now!

Agree on some Fender or Squire telemaster action. Tho the Xaviere telemaster copies guitar fetish sells are worth looking at. They've got really good stock pickups, better than Squiers, and the body and finish are excellent. I swapped the neck on mine for a Squier Strat neck I like the feel of. Great project guitar. I think elwd got one of their jazzy copies and liked it OK too. I got the camera back so I'll post pix in thread later today.

[snipelfritz]

Originally they were designed to compete with Gibson in the Jazz market. The offset design is supposed to be easier to sit and play. However...(see: Mudfuzz's comment below)...

and that Jimmy John Tony Stevie Ray Hendrix didn't use an offset as their mythical instrument to make geeezers weep.

They were looked at as "Surf guitars" which became uncool by the mid+ 60's if you go by my Dad's [who grew up in orange county in 50s-60s, played in surf bands durring the surf period, before moving on to beatle bands, then R&B bands...] point of view From what he says by the mid 60's it was Strats, SGs, 335s and Teles for the most part with serious gigging musicians

Fast forward 20 years, you have a bunch of these unique looking/sounding vintage guitars sitting in pawn shops for super cheap. The newly developing Alternative Rock scene (see: Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, and plenty others) adopted these guitars for their unique biting sound when clean and beautifully abrasive, textural sound when distorted.

Then Kurt Cobain copied all of them and got all the credit.

[rbtr]

Mustang.jpg

My '74. Went from being Lake Placid Blue to Royal Blue with tape-on racing stripe that my gal won't let me take off

Why is the tremolo backwards? Are you left handed? If not, how does that play being right handed?

that thing is awesome.

[Big Mon]

Mustang.jpg

My '74. Went from being Lake Placid Blue to Royal Blue with tape-on racing stripe that my gal won't let me take off

Why is the tremolo backwards? Are you left handed? If not, how does that play being right handed?

that thing is awesome.

I'm right handed. Not sure why it's in that position unless the OG owner was a lefty. However,it does facilitate some neat wobbly finger picking. So it works out rather nicely

[Baxandall]

See guitar thread for reason and description...


Jazzfront by theecricket, on Flickr

[bob the r0bot]

I'm right handed. Not sure why it's in that position unless the OG owner was a lefty. However,it does facilitate some neat wobbly finger picking. So it works out rather nicely

I can't fathom how miserable the switches would make the whole "upside down guitar" thing.

[Big Mon]

Yeah,probably. It'll be interesting to see what my 7 year old does with them when he takes a crack it it(he's a lefty)