A little help with some Jazz measurements please

[Buddster]

Hi

I wounder if I could ask some kind soul to take a minute to check some measurements on thier Jazz for me please. 

I've a Squire Cv and it's needed a lot of setting up from new. The action was very high and lots of fret buzz after the 12th when lowered which required much fret reduction/leveling/truss rod adjustment.

I've got it to where I like it now, but would be interested to compare it to another.  Not having access to the genuine article (or finding pics online) I've no resource to do so other than someone out in BC land. 

 

On this first pic, this is how much I've had to file away the bottom of the E bridge saddle to get the action down (same on the G). I've seen this done else where, but doesn't seem right to have to do this and if I upgrade the bridge I'll have to do this again. I have tried shimming the neck but this resulted in a terrible clank from the strings which was worse. 

 

 

This next pic is the height I now have over the neck pickup, which is a bit low compared to the Fender specs, but can't get the pickup any lower in the body, and if I did I can't rest my finger on it. What height should the top of the pickup be from the pick guard? (ish) If I made it the recommended 5mm from pickup to string, the action would be stupidly high. 

 

And finally, how high is the neck at the 19th above the body? It feels like the neck pocket is cut too low, but without knowing what it should be, I can't tell. 

 

 

This is the action I've now got, which is perhaps lower than Fender specs, but I do like a low action. I've managed to get my Ibbys even lower without any issues. 

 

Any help would be appreciated. It's been quite a journey to get to this point. Much more than I would have imagined. But it's been educational and don't mind doing it on a Squire. A 74 original is a different matter! 

 

Many thanks in advance. 

[atsampson]

On my Tokai Jazz with TI flats, which I set up with slightly higher relief and action than the Fender specs:

• E string action at the 17th fret is 2mm between the fret and string
• At the 18.5 fret dot, the edge of the fingerboard is 4.8mm above the pickguard (which is 2.5mm thick)
• The top of the neck pickup is 5mm above the pickguard; the bottom of the E string is 11mm above the pickguard at that point
• At the bridge saddle, the bottom of the E string is 11.5mm above the base of the BBOT bridge

On my MIM fretless Jazz with ETB92s, which has lower relief/action and the pickups cranked right down:

• E string action at the 17th fret is 2.6mm between the fingerboard and string
• At the 18.5 fret dot, the edge of the fingerboard is 5mm above the pickguard (which is 2.2mm thick)
• The top of the neck pickup is 3mm above the pickguard; the bottom of the E string is 9.55mm above the pickguard at that point
• At the bridge saddle, the bottom of the E string is 9mm above the base of the BBOT bridge (the saddle isn't all the way down - there's about 0.8mm adjustment left)

You may be able to do some surgery to the foam under the pickups to get them lower, but it does look like you need a shim to raise the neck or tip it back a tiny amount - maybe the top of the body isn't quite parallel with the neck pocket?

[Buddster]

Many thanks for taking the time to do that. 

Interestingly, your neck sits lower in the pocket, your saddles are a bit higher (therefore the strings above the pickup/guard), and yet the action is the same at the 17th.

Next time I take the neck off I'll have a measure of the pocket, see if its flat. 

Shimming did help me raise the saddles, but i had to have quite a bit of relief and the clanking off the frets. 

I've yet to work out what it all means, but appreciate you doing that. It gives me something to compare mine to. 

[Buddster]

Just an update incase someone finds it useful in the future.

atsampsons mention of checking if the neck is parallel to the body made me double check that area. Having already tried a shim at the body end which didn't work as intended, I tried one on the front end. Just 0.2mm, but that was enough to make the neck more parallel. It also ment I could lower the action a fraction (as there's more break angle on the frets) and seems to have removed some rattle giving a more rounded sound, which was what I was after. The neck is nice and flat as well. 

Feels much nicer to play now. 

Such small things making a big difference. 

[Waddycall]

I’m no expert but I think I’d tackle it on this order-

set relief according to fender specs

set Bridge saddles to a nominal setting with some adjustment both ways

check action 

shim pocket accordingly

 

makes sense in my head to think of the end of the neck at the pocket as being a fixed point and then adjusting the relative positions of the nut and bridge accordingly.

[Cliff Edge]

 

This is the same measurement at the 19th fret on my 1973 Jazz. Any other measurements I could give are irrelevant considering the obvious difference. 

 

[Buddster]

Wow, that's really low compared to mine. There's no neck maple showing above the scratch plate. 

[Cliff Edge]

1 hour ago, Buddster said:

Wow, that's really low compared to mine. There's no neck maple showing above the scratch plate. 

Yes, not sure what Squire were up to with yours. Whatever it is it ain’t a good copy of the original. 
You should definitely not have to do what you have to make it playable. If it were mine I would have taken it back to wherever it came from. 

[Dov65]

Maybe just me but the pic with your bridge looks as tho it hasn't been folded to 90° it looks as tho its more from that picture angle...opening the fold up would lift the intonation screws and saddle height. Cant see string tension causing that either not with the holes being low on the heel

[Buddster]

That's a very good point Dov. Now you said it, it does look bent over. Which as you say, would cause the saddles to be low. I'll check tonight. 

[Buddster]

Bugger, I thought you might have had something there Dov. Seems it was just a trick of the camera angle

 

[Dov65]

Ach worth a try bud

[rmorris]

re " I have tried shimming the neck but this resulted in a terrible clank from the strings which was worse. "

 

Something wrong here. What was clanking ie what was the string hitting or interfering with ?

[Buddster]

The rattle sound a string makes when not pressed down hard enough. Not fret buzz as you'd get on the higher feets. It happened on or around the fret that was being played requiring the action to be raised or more relief added to the neck. It would be the string hitting the fret(s) in front of the one that was being played. 

Adding the shim to the body end screws definitely made it worse than without the shim. 

Adding a shim to the neck end screws has improved the situation.