Fender Jazz 5 machines heads alignment

[wazz]

Does anyone know when/why Fender changed the machine head alignment from 5 in a row to 4 and 1 on the Jazz V?

Wazz

[The Burpster]

Wazz, I can think of several reasons why they MIGHT have done it but dont know why they ACTUALLY did it.....

I guess the only way to find that out for sure might be to email them, unless there is a Fender-head on here that can come up with the goods?

[David Nimrod]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='30298' date='Jul 11 2007, 03:05 PM']Wazz, I can think of several reasons why they MIGHT have done it but dont know whay they ACTUALLY did it.....

I guess the only way to find that out for sure might be to email them, unless there is a Fnederhead on here that can come up with the goods?[/quote]


I have a '96 Deluxe Jazz with the '5 in a row' Gotoh machines,

and I reckon it looks much better than the '4 + 1' arrangement...

Maybe Fender wanted a Musicman vibe to the headstock?

[wazz]

David,
I have a 2006 Deluxe Jazz V with the 4+1 and prefer that look. However, I like the 5 in a row also, that being the arrangement on the first Jazz V I tried.
Maybe its to do with balance, maybe its to do with keeping the look as original as possible with the elephant ear pegs.

Wazz

[David Nimrod]

I think you've got it right! the 4 + 1 looks like a classic 4 string.

The MIM 5 string Jazz now has the 5 in a row design headstock.

I guess Fender just wanted them to look different...

[wazz]

4+1 or 5 in a row, they are still great instruments

[EdwardHimself]

it could be because having a tuner nearer the nut reduces headstock size and neck dive, allowing them to use elephant-ear tuners like on most jazz basses, there are still a lot of jazz basses with the 5 in a row with the gotoh mini tuners tho.

[JPJ]

My '96 Jazz V DLX has five in a row, were Gotohs but I've changed them for schaller ultralites to reduce the shoulder strain on long gigs.

On my self-built P V Hamm mutant thing, I have Wilkinson elephant ears in a four over one arrangement.

Despite the added weight of the elephant ears, the P actually balances better on a strap, no uplift from the left hand required. I put this down to the moment of the 'G' tuner being nearer to the fulcrum (failed engineer speak).

[Muppet]

On the normal Jazz V I think it was post 2004 and the Deluxe switched around 2003 I think...

[Sharkfinger]

[quote name='Muppet' post='30512' date='Jul 12 2007, 12:12 AM']On the normal Jazz V I think it was post 2004 and the Deluxe switched around 2003 I think...[/quote]

If I were to make a guess, I'd say it has something to do with the string tension being to much (or too little?) when there is that much "trailing" string between the nut and the machine head. I remember reading somewhere that this may have been an issue even on 4 strings, which is why LF came up with the 3+1 arrangement for the stingray. Don't know how accurate that story is; it may have been conjecture on the part of the author.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Sharkfinger