Modded Jet Vs Fender Player | A Fair Fight?
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- A highly modded/upgraded Jet JS400 - Could it Kill a Fender Player Strat in a Fight to the Death? #FenderKiller
We're gonna award points for most of the important features, demo some tones, (They have the exact same single coils! 😀) and we're asking Is this something you might consider? Or have you already did something similar? 😀
Credit: Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio for the Awesome Synthwave tracks 😎👌
Affiliate Links - Apparently these help out the channel if you make a purchase 🤷♂️
Vanson Tuners (If out of Stock - Try ebay or Wilkinson's - both "Jin-Ho" made in Korea)
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H7BR9KI...
Graphtech Nut & String Tree
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0043NQWFW...
PureTone Jack Socket:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073JQ39TC...
Mini Toggle Switches (5 pack)
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TXNXLVK...
Non-Affiliate links:
GFS Dream 180
www.guitarfetish.com/Dream-18...
Gotoh 510 FE1 Trem (Cheapest I can find online)
www.thomann.de/gb/gotoh_510ts...
PureTone Jack Sockets (cheaper but currently out of stock)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256063739594
Here's part 1 - the Jet JS400 (Stock) Vs Fender Player:
• Before You Buy A Fende...
Jet JS300 Vs PRS Silver Sky SE:
• Before You Buy a Silve...
I've reviewed a few Jet & Fazley Guitars - Here's a playlist:
• Jet & Fazley Guitars
Check out the review of the Jet JS450 Here:
• This One was Surprisin...
Check out the Review of the Jet JS 300 Strat Here:
• Jet JS 300 SFG Review ...
Check out the Review of the Jet JT300 Tele Here:
• Jet JT300 Review - 202...
00:00 Contenders.. Ready!?
01:18 Headstocks
01:38 Nutz
01:55 Tuners
02:55 String Tree
03:24 Neck, Fretboard & Frets
05:18 Neck Heel Joints
06:16 Body Material
07:35 Countouring
08:55 Pickguards & Plastics
11:31 Pickups
13:38 Switching?
15:01 Trem system / Vibrato
16:13 Jack Socket
16:37 Resale Value
17:22 Price
19:08 The Winner..... ?
19:42 What did we learn? - Hudba
What's your favourite guitar mods? Let me know! 🫳⌨️⬇️
I think a lot of the tone is derived from that shirt...its amazing!
@@GraemeCampbellMusic😂👍Tone shirts now available from my new Reverb store 😁👍
I've stuck a Dimarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton in my HB fusion 3 and it sounds the nuts now mate!
@@markdoolan3424 oooft!! Nice one mate - exquisite choice sir 👍
Sounds like a beast! 😁
GraphTec Legion reporting in! Nearly always will replace the string trees. Nut wise I am still hesitant unless the original is really bad. But have not yet cut my teeth (pun intended) enough to have the confidence. Otherwise it is rather a question of 'what has issues needing attention', seeing as I only have a small budget. F.i. on the Jet JT 350 I recently got I switched the barrels because the spacing on the originals were not symmetric. Yeah, that is my OCD kicking in.
Your modded Jet looks and sounds amazing, Steve. :)
Stock trem on the Fender Player is the worst part about the guitar IMO; the angle of the trem bar is off and the bent steal saddles jabbed at my hand so I swapped the bridge out for a Wilkinson within a week of owning it which made a big improvement IMO. I know people buy Fender for the iconic sentimentality of their heroes, but the Player series could be a lot better if Fender dared to depart from the design flaws of the 1950s. Leo got it right back then, but the world has moved on. Luckily I only paid £485 new for my HSS Strat, and invested another £215 on Fender locking staggered tuners, Graphtech TUSQ XL nut, Freeway 10-way switch, Wilkinson vIbrato, sexy black plastics, and posh chrome covers and knobs - which turned it from a flipper to a keeper. It now looks like (and surpasses) the Plus + FSR series in some ways, but that's a grand total of £700.
I'm now looking for a Tele Player bargain, although I would only mod the tuners, nut and 4-way switch (to get series)...
This sounds like a beast mate! And not too much coin either 😎👌
Freeway also do a 6way switch for your planned Tele if your hear sot desires 😃
@@stevecassidyguitar Yeah, I did see that Freeway had a 6-way switch for the Tele, but I have no practical use for "out of phase". I have that on my SG, but never use it. I've already got an Oak Grigsby 4-way in a Harley Tele, so would probably transfer that over to the Fender.
Hi, I have a Fazley Classic series FLT 218 it cost £77. When I received it I changed the pickups, bridge and machine heads to Wilkinson brand parts. The guitar cost £77 , the Wilkinson parts cost about the same. I changed the strings to Ernie Ball 9s. I didn't have too much to do setting it up and minor touch up of fret ends It has a synthetic nut. It now sounds great and looks good. I have played in one or two bands but now having reached 72 years of age I no longer play in public but I do play every day well almost every day. I like making up tunes and try to keep up with the latest stuff. I really like your channel, Keep up the great work.
Thank ya very much mate - hugely appreciated 😃🙏
The Fazley stuff is also really good - I've tried out a few.
£77 though!?! It's crazy what you can get for so little these days. And with a couple of mods and some TLC (like you did to yours) you can end up with something pretty special 😎👍
A lot of people under-estimate the significance of the string tree, just like you've pointed out.
Cheers mate 😃👍
Your input is hugely reassuring and appreciated 👌
Please do continue to keep me right 🙏
Hope you're doing well 🙏
@@stevecassidyguitar The "funny" thing is that I actually happen to be not feeling well. LOL.
@@GuitarQuackery sorry to hear that mate - hope you're feeling better soon 🙏
Excuse me, did you just justify me paying £10 for an American string tree for £9.99 for my classic vibe?
@@CosmicBrain21 I'm not sure 🤷♂️
Possibly 😬
Was it a good decision? If you're happy then yes I did 😃👍
If you're not then.... Nope it wuznae me 🙈
Great comparison. It’s true that middle pickups don’t get enough love. You should use it more! 😎👍🏻
Thank ya Marsha! 😃🙏
I know - I've been neglecting it for years 🙈
That Fender, designed by bean counters, never had a chance. Good on them for providing really good bodies and necks if one is a modder.
I only wish I possessed the skills and patience to do all the .nods myself. Then I'd save loads more! 😂
The Fender sounds a little darker but there's not a lot in it. Another consideration is "out of the box" playability. Fender will struggle on this one due to Fender's proclivity for shipping guitars with fret ends that could grate cheese.
Very good point mate 👍
The Jets could do with a string change and a wee fret polish out the box, but yeah.... I've had my hands on a few too many Fenders with the sharp fret ends the past 2-3 years 😬
Very good point mate 👍
The Jets could do with a string change and a wee fret polish out the box, but yeah.... I've had my hands on a few too many Fenders with the sharp fret ends the past 2-3 years 😬
I feel there may have been a wee bit of bias here 🤣🤣 fair play though, the jet guitars are fantastic and the mods you've done make it a real gigging guitar 👍
Well yeah.... I practically specced it "almost" exactly how I wanted it, so 💯 biased! 😂🤣👌
Just ordered the PureTone jack, thanks for the recommendation!
Nice one mate 😃👍
Most reliable socket you can get imo.
I'm enjoying the channel and your sense of humor :) I've been considering a Jet JT-350 as it seems to be a good quality budget tele that's reasonably true to the original.
Thank ya kindly mate 😃🙏
I got a good look at the JT350 today at the Jet Guitars Booth at Birmingham guitar show - looks classy 😎👌
2 options too... SS or HS with coil split 😃👍
Great video, love this mate. I have just tidied the fretwork on my JS-450. Gonna upgrade the pickups but value for money its a no brainer.
Thank ya mate 😃👍
Looking forward to your Jet vid! 😁🙏🙏🙏
Amazing video as always! I find that changing tuners helps a lot with guitar stability and intonation. I really like the hipshot locking tuners with universal mounting plate but they are pretty hard to get in the UK. I'll try the vansons one some time :)
Thank ya kindly mate 😃🙏.
I'm sure I've got a set of unused hipshot lockers ready to go on a project - cheers for the heads-up and reminder 👍👍
Amazing, Your 'fruity' shirt against the black couch background made it look as though you had no arms beneath the elbow and when your hands came into view they appeared to be freely floating in the room. Full points for visual special effects.
Thank ya mate! I wishi could say it was an intentional magic show 🙈
Who needs a green screen 😜
Cheers mate 😁👍
Uh-huh, that's why soo many professional guitarists are seen rocking a Jet on stage, in vids & elsewhere. I love me a Jet, have 2, jes sayin....
Yup.... I don't see that changing anytime soon 😆👌
News! Clapton jumps ship to Jet Guitars! 🤯
😜
Throwing my two cents in here, depending on the artist and the contract, sometimes they CANNOT play another brand or model in public if they have a contract with a major brand.
It's also an open secret that many musicians play cheap gear in the studios. Unless you have a camera and put up footage, you will never know if they are playing budget or top shelf gear.
I will point out main artists like Jack Black from the White Stripes (National) and Rick Miller (Danelectro) from Southern Culture on the Skids played old budget brand guitars when they were at the absolute bottom of their resale value and nobody else was playing them. These were their main guitars!
You also see "student models" aka "cheap shit" 💩👍✨played by major players like Harmony Bobcats that Annie Clark aka St. Vincent had as her main guitar. Keep in mind even Jimmy Page played a Danelectro in Led Zeppelin.🤔
Some great middle pickup tones there Steve, you should defo use it more often! I don’t mind changing stuff out if there is one or two aspects of an otherwise great guitar that don’t suit me (like the bridge pickup on my Squier Jazzmaster), but I haven’t yet bought a guitar planning to mod it.
Thank ya pal 😃🙏
It's not that I don't like that middle pickup.... It's more that I feel there is less opportunities to use it 🤔 but that more of a me thing 😜
Have fun with your future mod projects mate 😃👍
Hey Steve, back again! Great video. I want to say that I like both guitars for different reasons. I'm a modder at heart but the more modded guitars I have the more I appreciate a well made stock version.
I typically buy a guitar for my "Primo Cheapos" mainly as a neck and body and then I see the stock form as mainly parts to help the build. I don't have to worry too much as I know the neck and body fit. I usually start buy replacing all of the pickups and electronics. I typically do GFS, Seymour Duncans, and Filtertrons as my "go-to" pickups. I upgrade the tuners (I buy Jin-Ho branded ones that look identical to your Vansons(sp?) tuners you use) and I also put in Tusq string trees. I also put in Dunlop strap locks as well.
Depending on the type of guitar I may replace the bridge (still figuring out what I like for S types) and maybe the pickguard.
For Teles and T styles I like to add a Bigsby or a Bigsby like (GFS X-Trem) on them and I found Gotoh makes a fantastic traditional style Tele bridge wity the back scalloped for that. I will probably try a Dusenberg Les Trem on the next T style build.
Final thoughts, putting up a modded guitar next to a more expensive stock guitar is a bit of a Fool's Errand. I would say 99% of the time I will take my modeed guitar over a stock Fender. It has the feel I like and the sound I like and overall that helps to project more confidence as a player. I started out on Fenders, lost lots if money modding and reluctantly selling them. To me a budget guitar modded to the hilt is more of an investment in happiness than a stock main brand guitar. At the end of the day we are making an emotional purchase and it is essentially an "investment in happiness" overall. 😎👍✨💙
Mate! I couldn't have said it better myself - excellent comment 😎👌
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience 👍
I'm currently on the train to Birmingham and the WiFi keeps dropping out. Apologies for this brief response 😬
@@stevecassidyguitar
Safe travels my friend! I am looking forward to what you post from that show! Cheers from sunny Arizona🏜️👍✨
Always quality comparisons covering things that actually matter. I currently don't have a traditional strat type guitar. Shame on me. Cheers Steve.
Thank ya kindly mate! 😃🙏
No S type!?!? 🤯
Did I just hear your GAS get switched on? 😜
Terrific and fun vid, The JET sounded much better in my opinion and looks incredible, that neck wow !! 👍🎸😆
Thank ya kindly mate - I'm still over the moon with this one 😃
And still a couple of mods left to do 🙈
Very nice, well done Steve! Love the humor and of course a modded Jet! By the way, i'm really digging the neck on HB ST-62! The difference to the 9,5 inch radius on the Jets is not huge and because it feels so good to play, it inspires some great licks!🎸🤘🏼🎸
Thank ya kindly mate! 😃🙏
But stop giving me HB Gas!!!! 😂
Glad your project worked out mate 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitar😂 ....oh, and it is 6 pounds 8.9 ozs.....(or bang on 3 kgs)😃
@@gearViewmirror Wow! Perfect for gigging! 👹🙈
I'm a serial modder. I have spent hours justifying buying a new guitar to the wife, arguing how it it is slightly different to the 23 others and then modding them so they all sound and play exactly the same!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Ha! 😂👍
I hear ya... I've been guilty of the exact same thing 🙈
Trying purposely to have more variety now tho 😁
So for variety, try a different wifey....
@@jamesonpace726 😂
Welcome to the sickness! I am running into that issue too. That said the same pickup will sound slightly different in different guitars.
@@gringogreen4719 It's a disease! 🙈👍
Mercis d’avoir pris le temps de me répondre! je suis un grand fan de tes chroniques 👍🎸
Merci beaucoup d'avoir pris le temps de commenter mon ami 🙏 Bonne chance à toi 😀
I bought a jet js400 in seafoam green...was the relic version. Wanted a tom delonge strat.. got pearloid pickgaurd.. vintage tuners... Invader pickup ..rewired it with full size pot. Neck is sublime.... Polished frets... It's absolutely amazing .. I had chance to play the fender equivalent and the jet wipes the floor with it at a 1/4 of the price with the mods... No brainer....so I can appreciate this video entirely... Jet is the good out of the box..little set up.. but when you mod them they're killer....
Couldn't agree more mate 😃👍
Sounds like a great project mate - well done sir 😎👌
Mods for the win! 😁👍
yeah you got me really thinking about doing something like this! I have an Ibanez Blazer stratocaster (Japanese from '82, the BL470, absolute killer guitar) which has of course a different shape headstock from the fender stratocasters, but I actually really like that shape. I also really like the jet headstock shape (logo not perse so much, but it also doesn't bother me), there's something really funky about that shape! The roasted maple neck sounds awesome to me! Also, if after mods you're still looking at half of the price of a fender player series (I would have the mods done by my local guitar store too) I really see no reason not to do it (except maybe for possibilities in pickguard and body finishes).
Thanks for your down to earth and honest review!
Thank you mate! I know the Blazers very well - Awesome Guitars! 😎👌
I have heard of some people managing to fit 3rd party "Fender" pickguards to their Jets, with some filling and re-drilling of holes, but I've not tried it myself, couldn't guarantee they'd fit.
Anyway I have no regrets - this modded Jet has been my no.1 gigiing guitar for almost a year now 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitar that's great man, like I said, I'm really considering it since the price is ridiculous. Unfortunately there is only 1 shop in the Netherlands where could try a Fazley (which basically is a Jet), and just getting it online without having tried it, doesn't feel right. I also meant to say the headstock looks funky, not funny (typo). Something about it reminds me of an Elvis Presley haircut, very cool
@@jospoortman9915 The current line up of Fazley's are not the same as the Jets anymore unfortunately. It was only the Fazley Phynica series (now discontinued 😭) that were made in the Jet Factory, to the same specs by the same team.
But the current Fazleys are in a different factory now, different specs, different team (and not quite as good 😬... yet).
Love it! Have you tried the Fray Bentos mod? 🤔🤔🤔
😆👍 You'll have to educate me on that one ....? 😆
Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful weekend Steve ❤❤❤❤❤❤😅😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thank ya so much mate! 😃🙏
Same to you - all the best 👍
I've modded a cheap Squier Sonic strat, bought new online. I did a complete fret job, nut, pickups, pick guard, volume pot change, the total cost ended up to be 436 USD. All new parts. The bridge and keys were ok, no need to change them, yet.
Awesome mate - sounds killer. Great effort 😎👌
With the Sonics having slightly thinner bodies, I'll bet it's nice and lightweight too - ideal for gigging 😃👌
Thanks!
Aww mate!! 😃
Thank you so much for your generosity! 😃🙏
Hugely appreciated 🙏
All the very best to ya mate 👊
My pre modded JS300 with Fender pups and Grover tuners that I bought on Reverb is arriving today!
Sounds awesome mate! That will be killer 😎👌
HNGD 🥳
Both those guitars sounded great , but the jet coming in at basically half the price definitely seems the winner all round, I’ve only modded one guitar, bought a 💩 jaxville Strat style thing and it sounded proper garbage, so I bought a prewired pick guard with hot rail pickups in ( perfect fit too) and changed the trem block for a Wilkinson , total mod was just over 50 quid but the guitar is now usable and sounds pretty decent (it would sound better with an actual guitarist playing it) definitely worth doing it though and it didn’t take long to do, ( under an hour, which I found disappointing 😂) anyway,, I’m waffling 😂,, great video mate 👍👍🤠🎸
Cheers mate! 😃🙏
And good on ya with your Jaxville mods 😃👍
I remember seeing Jaxville Strats. They had some cool graphic finishes iirc 🤔 Like a smokey blue/black one and even a Sunburst relic type one. Definitely worth a couple of upgrades 😎👌
The bridge pup sounds a good deal better on the fender. Positions 4&5 are very traditional and soft on the fender, but the modded jet has more bite and sounds a lot funkier in the same positions. Would have liked to hear more cleaner tones, maybe some wah too 🔥 that said, you again convinced me to get a jet as a modding platform, though I'll probably get even nicer pups like suhr or lollar
Thanks for the feedback mate! 😃👍 I've actually just been thinking the past few days, I might change the bridge pick up. I do love it as/is, but this is my main gigging guitar and I feel like a little bit more bite for solos n stuff. If I wasn't gigging it I'd just leave it as/is.
Hope your mod project goes great! 😃👍
@@stevecassidyguitar Thanks mate! I think it's awesome that this is your main gigging guitar and definitely an encouragement to do the same. The Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" is great for a little more bite in the bridge, I recommend trying though it's a good deal pricier. Have one on my PRS SE and it's great for solos and everything funky too. Not the best for cleans but who wants that from the bridge pup anyways haha
@@ekisoderqvist I've heard great things about the Pearly Gates 😃👍 I'd considered putting them in my Harley Benton Fusion after Jonathan Koh put them in his - sounded great! 😎👌
The reason I like the GFS is that I do like the cleans 🙈 love the sound coil split with the middle pickup clean 😃
@@stevecassidyguitar Have to agree, split bridge together with the middle pickup is an important clean tone. I wouldn't choose the pearly gates for that either, there split tone on that could be better, at least alone it's way too sharp. But as a crunchy lead tone humbucker it works like a dream. 😃
@@ekisoderqvist Ah great info mate - cheers 😀👍 Maybe I'll swerve the PG for this one 👍
Nice one, Great video. Im based in Ireland ☘️and also own a couple of jet guitars a Strat and tele style, which I have slightly modified. I find them fantastic value for the money.
Thank ya mate! 🙏 Hullo to you in Ireland😃
Glad ya like your Jets.... Without mods they're great .. with mods they're awesome! 😎👌
Tuners, Tone / Volume pots and there on par with any so called high end guitar. ☘️
Thanks Steve, great review, entertaining as ever - what's the finish on the fretboards like ?, fender MIMs were finishing maple fretboards by simply spraying over everything, frets and all - which eventually flakes off the frets and chips off the fretboard - very poor. Time to buy shares in Jet. ✈
Thank you mate 😃🙏
I'm struggling to remember if the Fender had a glossy finish on the fretboard or not (I wish I mentioned it in the vid 🙈) I think it does have the gloss on. The Jet is satin and feels more raw. That's my preference as glossy feet boards can sometimes be a bit sticky
Nice one Steve ; both sound great in your hands as honestly the answer for me is it all depends on the neck.
Back in the day i'd say grab a Fender and use that as a mod platform, but they are almost £700 these days new!
If Jet do a better neck for you at a cheaper price then rock on dude!
-Gabe
Thank ya mate 😀🙏
You'll need to give a Jet a try if you've not already - impressive stuff for the price (imo)
@@stevecassidyguitar I have tried them before as they are superb for the cashola!
@@GabrielNacu Nice!😀👌
Fender locking staggered tuners are my go to. Love staggered tuners so you can get rid of the damn string tree altogether! Must admit I’m not a roasted fan but that jet does sound good. Cool video!
Can't argue with that mate - I love the Fender staggered lockers too. Although I preferred them when they were about £60 😜
I actually have a couple of spare sets here, but the reason I've not put them on the Jets etc... is they have the 2 pin fittings. I like an easy drop in replacement as I'm great at ruining guitars as soon as the drill comes out! 😂
@@stevecassidyguitar yeah I hate that about the fender tuners. Those two pins are annoying and I wouldn’t take a drill to a roasted neck either. I can see why people like them, the grain is really nice and it pops a bit more because of the roasting. Yeah, I bought them all the time when they were cheaper. You used to be able to find them on eBay used all the time for cheap now that’s all over with lol. Gotta love the drop and play through! Cheers!
Great comparison! Thanks! 👍
Have you also changed the pots (mini) and the switch (electronic) on your Jet?
When I tried it on a Jet JS-300 I had to reassemble the old potentiometers because the cavity in the body did not allow the normal potentiometers to be fitted but only the mini ones ... (the space was too narrow)
On a JS-450 instead, I changed the bridge (Gotoh 510), tuners (Gotoh SGS510Z-A07 MG-T) and pickups (Tonerider The Overwound set) and the final result was a gorgeous guitar!
Thank ya mate! 😃Your 450 sounds killer! 😃👍
It's still the original switch on this one. But both pots have been changed to full size push/pull for the bridge coil split and neck pup on/off. My tech did it though. He didn't mention anything about additional routing. But there could have been 🤷♂️😬
I have no problen with the Fender Player nut or tuners. I think you need to play one.
Agreed 👍 there's nothing wrong with the Fender player nut or Tuners. But (imo) not as good as the Vanson (JIN-HO) locking tuners or Graphtech Tusq XL nut . Think I've had 3 Fender player Strats - I know em quite well 😃👍
fender tuners, especially vintage split, are some of the best stock knobs on any guitar.
@@richardclark. Good point - Vintage splits - the original lockers 😃👍
I like em 👍
But personally I prefer staggered locking tuners 😁
That Alder also may be 5 pieces or more if it were an American.
With this one being a solid colour.... We'll never know 🤔
Could be tho 🤷♂️😅
tad biased review 😂 but glad you love your Jet. I have a Harley Benton SC-550ii and i had the nut changed, Locking tuners added and replaced the pick ups for the Slash AFD ones. My guitar tutor says if I played/bought a Les Paul now i maybe slightly disappointed as the HB sounds like a beast, so why am I still looking our for a decently priced Les Paul 60s in Bourbon burst??? Id probably be better off buying another HB and modding that. Agree with what you say about re-sale value - id struggle to get back what I paid for the HB and mods (around £500 all in) as there seems to be no re-sale value at all in them going by Reverb and Ebay. But if you mod a guitar exactly how you want it then theres no need to sell it.
Ha 😆 yes mate it is 💯 biased 😂👌
But yeah.... That's the thing with Gas - the beast must be fed! 🙈
You'll probably never know if your HB is better until ya have both 😜 Bourbon burst sounds very classy btw 😁👍
and yeah.... For me, I try to mod the guitars into keepers 👍 Always a good idea to keep hold of the original parts to put back to stock if you wanna sell it and not lose too much
Would be nice if Jet would do a premium option that we could buy ready made with all the better parts already in there. I saw their comment on this on one of your other videos and can't wait to see what they bring out this year. I want a strat style guitar to add to the collection but I'm holding off to see what Jet come out with before I make my final decision and purchase. Looking at the 300 series as i want all single coil pickups.
Same here mate - I'm keen to see what else they release too 😃Currently on my way back from the Birmingham Guitar show and managed to get over to the Jet booth for a chat 😃👍
They have plans for new models but didn't share much more than that.
I suggested a thinline Tele 😁🤞
Hey man! Spittin facts as always! I got my new strat for mod platform and i want to swap pickups.I will use some custom shop fat 50s but i wanted a rail on the bridge, any recommendations?
Thanks mate! 😃🙏 And nice one... I like the fat 50's too 😎👍
For the rails - it depends how much you wanna invest of course. John Robson recommends the Artec rails which always sounds good on his demos. That would be the least expensive option. I put an Iron Gear Jailhouse Rails ii in a partscaster and I like that too. A wee bit pricier tho. Then you're probably into Seymour Duncan territory. Apparently the Artec is quite close to the SD hot rails. I have a hot rails in my Charvel, but it's a bit hot for me.
I'm curious if I'd prefer the cool rails.
Apologies that wasn't much help 😂
It really depends what kind of sound you're after
to be honest im not looking for something too hot. Hot rails is too hot for my taste here , thought id ask but ill check iron gear rails too! Thanks Steve@@stevecassidyguitar
you are a real pro. ❤❤
Thank you so much! 😃🙏
It doesn't feel like that to me though 😂🙈👍
Bought a Jet js-400 with rosewood board and Firefly ffst. The jet is great and after changing pickups to ones i had laying around (SD 59 & 2 hand wound Rose Pickups) sounds, plays and feels amazing ( no scratchy frets ). The firefly hhhmmmm I am parting out! The specs of Firefly were slightly better as were pickups but construction was not up to the Jet. Might pick up a Jet tele and make it nashville style!
Very interesting!!!! I've been very curious to try out a firefly for a while - heard great things, but they're hard to get in the UK.
Good to know the Jet is up there with the quality in comparison - cheers 😎👍
@@stevecassidyguitar Just ordered a Jet jt-300 in pink with rosewood board for $236 all in to match my fantastic is-400 in pink 👍🏻 Firefly was disappointing when I started to mod it. Sloppy routing, locking tuners with quite a bit of play, would have needed fret level and neck had a back bow that could be taken out with truss rod but could not get an action I liked without some buzzing. Shame as has a roasted mahogany body. Could have been a nice guitar with more careful manufacturing and quality control. Others have had good experiences with firefly perhaps I was unlucky. Hopefully I can get some money back by selling the parts. Am sticking with Jet though quite like to try a budget Japanese Bacchus 🤔 Also have a Donnor dst400 which is not bad and got very cheap with discount code 👍🏻 Great video I can see you put a lot of work into them.
@@mikeyjhn Thank ya mate 🙏
The roasted mahogany body is an EART spec too. I wonder if Firefly is possibly same factory 🤔
If it is - I completely get i👍 I have experienced EART guitars.
Great video! I'm thinking about doing same upgrades to mine. Does the gotoh trem was a direct fit or do you have to make a modification to the holes to fit in?
Thank ya kindly mate. 😀🙏 I had my tech install it, but have been asked this one before... The post holes should be aligned the same as the gotoh 👍 but you will need to file around 1-2mm out from the trem block cavity to allow clearance for the gotoh trem barrel to move. I had to do the same thing on my Fender strat, it's a common thing with the gotoh. A quick easy job too if you have a good file 👍
@@stevecassidyguitar that help me alot man! I really appreciate it! Thanks!
@@zinhosalaverry8294 No worries mate - Good luck! 😀👍
Was that stock footage of Flock of Seagals at the end of the neck joint bit? 😜
Well spotted mate!🤓👌
One of ny favourite Guitarists of all time 😁👌
What I don't like about my Jet.
The fret ends.
Can't see the dots very well against the toasted neck, especially at a gig
Machine heads - replaced
Rest is very good to spot on.
Good point about the dot markers 👍
The issue here is the inconsistency in the different shades of roasted maple Jet have put out. I have a pupil who has the exact same Jet as the one in this vid and his neck is waaaay darker than mine. Very difficult to see the dots on his. But mines is fine - for me 👍
I will send you an email Steve when I get some proper time, send you a few pics. I went for the vintage yellow, proper nicotine yellow lol, back to the 70s job. I like it in 80% of light conditions. It's the best Strat I have but it doesn't sound as good as my Harley Benton P90 Les Paul.@@stevecassidyguitar
@@Ogma3bandcamp Sounds very interesting! 😃👍
I argue the headstock question: if you Play in a limited space, a smaller headstock prevents, that you accidentally hit a wall, furniture or the cymbal. I struggle with each doorframe of a Train or the underground, when travelling with a gigbag. That's why the silversky for me has the best headstock of a strat-shaped object.
I already converted my harley Benton ja Kit into a 3l 3r headstock configuration. I might butcher another headstock, because i have found the strat-shaped-object of my liking.
I totally agree Re the PRS headstock being more functional too - I think it's a better design for the string break angle too. But I prefer the classic look of the Fender
Could always go headless 😜
Headless guitars address this issue 😊
I really like the jet, hey what about the TBX fender tone control? is it worth it?
I don't believe I've tried that mate. I have a "no load delta" tone pot on my US strat (I think that's what it's called anyway) but can't say I've tried the TBX.
Officially on the radar now - cheers 😃👍
I don't believe I've tried that mate. I have a "no load delta" tone pot on my US strat (I think that's what it's called anyway) but can't say I've tried the TBX.
Officially on the radar now - cheers 😃👍
Hey, Steve! I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but it seems like your mic is distorting a lot when you're playing the guitars. Maybe it could be some compression that happens in CZcams, but I suggest you look into that and see if you can record guitars less hot. The sound is clearly distorted when you play, especially with overdrive.
Nope - Nothing to dow ith CZcams Audio compressions - It was completely my fault. I failed miserably recording the signals too hot to my fone and had loads of clipping. Lessons learned. But I did record loads of clips on that same day that took me several hours and multiple takes so I just kept them as/is. My bad 🙈
@@stevecassidyguitar Sh*t happens. We learn as you go along, and I've seen other of your videos (as you might have noticed) on which the sound was fine.
Also, my Jet JS-300 actually came today! I was surprised when the DHL guy rang the bell. Lucky I was working from home haha! I changed the strings to an 11-50 set, and it's actually very playable with no other setup done. I might try to lower the strings slightly and check the intonation, but I will most likely keep the guitar. It sounds different from my Shijie STE, the pickups on the Jet actually sound more like classic Strat pickups. But the neck is noticably thicker on the Shijie and that guitar is also heavier, not in Les Paul territory, but close. I think I really like the thicker neck of the Shijie, but the Jet isn't uncomfortable at all.
@@nedim_guitar Nice one mate! HNGD! 🥳 Yeah In in hindsight I kinda wrote off the Jet single coils a bit too hastily. Had that "Ceramic = inferior" mindset 🙈 But they're actually quite decent 😎👍
Still not a fan of the Humbucker on the JS400 tho 😜
The only reason i got js300 over js400 is the side jack. It’s just not a strat for me :)
I get ya 😎👍 I like the traditional look too.
If I wanted it all - I could add a boat jack plate to the JS400 in the traditional position and fill the side hole.
Would look messy to do the opposite with the 300 though 😅
I have the 300 too - Class Guitars! Great choice mate 😎👌
Fair you gave the headstock point to Fender.
You should give another point to Jet for the positioning of the output jack. I hate how it's placed on traditional Strats. If I ever design a guitar it will be hidden somewhere in the back close to the strap pins.
Tbh there is one Fender line of products I prefer over better or similar specced half priced guitars and that are the MiM Player Pluses. For me that's where you get the 'genuine' Fender feeling without blowing the bank. Qualitywise they are not better or worse, the just feel very fenderish but modern.
For me the 'ultimate' (bang for the buck) Strat one can get is a MiM Charvel. And they also have the Fender headstock, which is a big win. Of course you have to like the, and the tradiotional Strat layout and only version without a Floyd comes with the Dinky body, which is kind of weird.
Btw. I'm positive I can send you the 'neck documentation' in the next few days, I finally started... I also began with my next project, which includes reshaping of another neck... I fell like if I get that skill close to perfect I can buy whatever budget guitar I want and just make it fit. Next step really would be to build a guitar from scratch. I'd love to.
Sounds like a great plan with the neck carving crash course! Good on ya mate. 😃👍
As for the Jack sockets... I Have a Charvel DK22 that has the perfect Jack socket location on the back - I think you'd like it 😁👌
If I was ever to buy another Fender, it would be a used Elite series strat (discontinued) One of the best series Fender ever made imo 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitarThe DK22 is a master piece.
Btw. I finally mailed you the 'story.'
5:55 How big are Steven Segal's hands?? How big is he? That Strat looks like a toy hahaha!
He's way bigger than he was in the 80's anyway 😂
I prefer the original Jet Pickguard
You're wrong!!! 🧐
Nah! 😜 It's all good mate - different strokes for different folks 😎👍
The “resale” value is graded incorrectly.
If the £700 Fender is resold for £500 and the £320-ish Jet is resold for £200, then the Fender loses you £80 more than the Fender.
Yup - That would be correct going by the prices you suggested. I think ya mean Fender loses £80 more than the Jet, but I got ya 👍
Almost anything is better than a player stratocaster, had one briefly & couldn’t get rid of it fast enough, what a lifeless dead guitar
This is the experience I had with the PRS Silver Sky SE. Not so much the Fender player, but I do think they're overpriced. But to be fair... I'm an old man and I like to complain about the prices of all kinds of stuff 😜👍
Great to see the Jet has won, which when compared to an overpriced Fender was not too difficult.
I am now Fender free, hurray good riddance to all those baseball bat necks that made my hands ache.
The big question is, will i buy a Jet, err no, not until they offer at least a 12" radius slim neck.
For now my Harley Benton Fusion 2 does all i need and it came with locking tuners, no upgrades required
well perhaps the pickups someday.
Hope you are keeping well Steve.
Congrats on your successful Fender purge! 😃👍
All good here thanks - currently on the train to BirmingNAMM 😜
Hope you're all good 😃🙏
Enjoy the train ride and don't spen too much at the show.
@@stevecassidyguitar
@@Barbarapape Cheers Barbara! 😃👍
I've gave myself a budget of ZERO. So we'll see how that goes 😁🤞
You can't get much less than Zero!
I am sure something will tempt you, even it is only some edible picks
with no strings attached!@@stevecassidyguitar
I have a sunburst body and i would like cream pick guard instead of white it defo looks better, is it possible to spray it another colour (spray meant for plastic of course) ?
What guitar body is it you've got mate? (Make/model) Ya might be able to pick one up that fits for around £15. Depending on if it's compatible. I have heard of people spraying pickguards before, but I have no experience with it soz 😬
@@stevecassidyguitar it's just a budget strat (RockJam) for learning, so i haven't got a clue what guard might fit. Hence i might try a spray lol
@@bighes100 You might get lucky if ya search for a "cream strat 11 hole pickguard" - If it's amazon make sure you can return it, just in case it doesn't line up 👍
It's crazy that not too long ago the Mexican strat was the gold standard for affordable gigging guitars. How times have changed.
If I was in the market for a strat unless Jet comes out with some crazy new colors I might still spring for the Fender. Granted it would be off of the used market. Strats tend not to stay in my collection long so the added resale value is a plus to me.
If I was doing a mod project the Jet would be appealing if I didn't pick up a totally acceptable Aria strat neck and body for £25. I want to do something weird with it - on/off/phase switches for every pickup and something dumber with the pickup choice 3 P90's or minihum +two single coils right next togther like the Squier contemporary
Oooft!!! £25!?!? 🤯 Nice!
Still not as cheap as a Spyder pig tho 😜
Yes please to new Jet colours!
And I've also been keen on the Squier contemporary pickup configuration 👍
Really fancied the Sky burst Squier strat 😁
I must be getting old as it seems like yesterday they were like £450-500!
@@markdoolan3424 I know right!? 🤯
I must be getting old too 😐
@@stevecassidyguitar The aria came with all the other parts too but they're not really worth salvaging
@@clairbeeguitar ach well.... Stil ... l £25 🥳👌
The Fender just seems so old and outdated compared to the Jet guitar. I've never owned or even tried an american build Strat. But I love my Jet JS-450.... And my Squier Strats 👍😬
It seems the more old and outdated a Fender model is - the more they sell 😆
I am lucky enough to have a USA Fender strat, but it barely gets played these days 😬 Partly because I need to change the faulty switch 🙈 but more because I'm playing the Jet all the time 😁
The JS450 is a class axe mate - I'd have kept mine if it was lighter
@@stevecassidyguitar my JS450 Weighs 3,3 kg, or 7,2 pounds. It kind of hits the sweet spot.
Have fun at the guitar show! 🤘
I have not long had a Jet 400 and to be honest, my Fender American Stratocaster hasn't seen the light of day since. Such a great guitar for a ridiculous price
@@darrenhamilton5859 Pretty much the exact same story here mate! Crazy times 🤯
I just got home from a gig tonight, took 3 guitars as I'm reviewing 2 of them. The Jet, an Ibanez AZes, and a Squier Sonic HSS strat. The Jet smoked em all - night and day 😎👌
That's a novel idea Steve, to mod an affordable guitar like the Jet 😂 with the roasted neck! My question is, how is the guitar body? I returned a Jet Js400 because the body was not impressive at all and was flawed. My Squiers have much better bodies and fit and finish also and that includes Affinity strats. I played a fender 2023 USA Professional and a 2020 Player strat and the player was leaps above the USA model, go figure! Im not sure how you do it Mr colored glasses lol (joke)Your videos are always AMAZING mate! The Jet sounded muddy compared to the fender which is weird as the pups are the same, maybe the difference was the humbucker? I'm interested in your opinion on this issue.
Good question mate! This was my 2nd JS400 in LPB, I had to return the first one as it had lacquer cracks at the neck pocket 😬
But other than that.... I prefer the contours of the Jet body - mainly the neck heel joint 👌 What was the flaw with body of yours?
And.... To be totally honest.... I made an error with the audio recording of the guitars on this vid 😬 Most of the playing parts were clipping 🙈
I recorded these at the same time as the stock Jet Vs player a couple of months ago. Lessons learned.
Interestingly, I did like the sound of the Fender Humbucker more in the recording than I did in the room 🤔🤷♂️
@@stevecassidyguitar there was a small chunk of wood missing near the big horn on the outside of the body and they just painted over it instead of dropping some wood filler and sanding it first so it was quite the eye sore. The neck on the Jet was flawless however. Enjoyed your video as usual! Cheers! 🤘
@@dragan4658 Thank ya mate 😃🙏
But .. that's not too great to hear about your Jet. They should have at least gave you a big B stock discount on that one 👎
@@stevecassidyguitar you're right the gesture would have been nice but I most likely would have said no. They didn't even offer to send out another one. Furthermore the guy even said it's not like it's an expensive guitar so there will be issues as its a budget guitar. That's a lot of crock lol. Don't advertise B stock as A grade. It was a no hassle return and refund however and they paid return shipping which was commendable.
@@dragan4658 ok last question.... Where did you buy It from? Just out of curiosity
Hi Steve ! I am from Canada, Québec City ,
I recently bought a Jet 450, I upgraded with two Tex-mex single coils and a GFS Dream180 humbucker! I now want to change the potentiometer!
What do you recommend to me?
250k or 500k! And for the potentiometer and resistor?
How can I find a connection diagram for this assembly!
Hello to ya mate! 😀👍
Congrats on the JS 450 and the mods 😁👍
I'm not 100% wat the pots are as my tech supplied them - I was after push/push but got push/pull.
I'm also considering upgrading the wiring/electronics in mine again - So I'm in the same boat as you mate.
Apologies I couldn't be more help - I'm a soldering nightmare, so I have a tech do it all 🙈
Good luck with the project!
As for wiring diagrams - there's modders groups on facebook with loadsa cool wiring diagrams and then there's places like the Seymour Duncan forums etc 👍
I wished you would buy the JS400 with the purple flame just so I could see the matching hat and glasses for that vid. I have a player series tele and the same Jet as yours in lake placid blue. I find that the Jet neck is not as chunky as the player series neck. Was suppose to be modding my Jet this month but the tumble dryer decided to pack in, so no mods until next month 😢😢😢
Nightmare mate! 😬 Tumble dryers just don't give a hoot about our Gas eh?
Speaking of which.... I'm still gassin for the Purple Jet 👹
@@stevecassidyguitar I really think you should buy it mate or you think Jet guitars would send you one to do a review on. You are a great ambassador of JET guitars. Seen you put the old gladiator vid up again of the the most beautiful Jet ever. Brings me right back to my early teenage years, hell of a lot of toilet roll used back then lol
@@derekjohnson5720 Would love Jet to send me one - not got my hopes up tho 😬 Will see them tomorrow as they have a booth at Birmingham guitar show 😁
😂🤣😂🤣😂 At the gladiators reminiscing 🤣
@@stevecassidyguitar hopefully you get to see the jet jt 600. I'm dying to see a vid of that. Well have a fab day tomorrow pal and I look forward to seeing your coverage of Birmingham.
@@derekjohnson5720 Oh yeah... The JT600 looks proper classy 😎👌
Cheers mate 😃
Will try and film some stuff 👍
i must have missed the end of the video where you trade or sell them? Fender gets 29 points and Jet negative 2.
Yeah that sounds about right 😂👍
Fender Humbucker was far superior to the GFS.
Ya know... I completely failed at the audio recordings in this vid 😬 I had quite a bit of clipping especially on the gain tones 🙈 (Lessons learned). But, when I was editing this - I did like the Fender humbucker a lot more in the recording than I did in the room.
It's all subjective, but I'd probably have to agree with you based on this recording.
Cheers mate 😀👍
I, like you, believe that the less sliding resistance on a string the better. Eg. resistance of the string sliding on the nut. You like graph tech and I think it is better than plastic and some bone. Why don't you like a zero fret? With polished metal like stainless how can you get less resistance? Not to mention ease of adjustment. Just sayin.
Very good point mate 👍
I don't dislike zero frets. But not had much experience with them as they're not too common on production models these days. But I'm definitely not against en 😃👍
@@stevecassidyguitar
I use them and like them for several reasons. They are nondestructive and fit into the
Sorry prematurely sent the first reply. You can buy a zero fret retrofit for many guitars from zero glide. I'm not associated with them but I use their product. It is nondestructive and fits in the nut slot with some minor adjustments (not to the guitar). If you don't like it just take it out and put the nut back in. It comes with special fret wires of different heights. Once you have installed the main part you just loosen the strings and slide one out and the other in until you like the string height. For me that is one higher fret than the one that buzzes. So much easier, more accurate, and more functional than cutting nuts. If you've cut guitar nuts you know how many you can screw up before you get an acceptable one. I haven't seen this topic covered by other electric guitar reviewers. I thought it might give you a unique and easy topic to cover that others aren't.
@@jvberk3518 Wow mate! Thanks for this - I was not aware of this product. Just had a look on the website and it looks very impressive. I'd love to try one out! 😃👍
My only issue is they one have a Bone option. Unfortunately I don't use bone for ethical reasons.
But ... I think I might contact the company and ask if they'd consider making an alternative material in future.
Thanks again mate for pointing me in the direction of this 😎👌
@@stevecassidyguitar
The parent company is gold tone instruments. They make other guitar gizmos. The bone is just used as a holder of the Fret and guides the string. The string rests on the Fret. So they might be able to make that out of anything that is firm. I'm sure they're using CNC. Also, they ship nickel frets. But I understand you can get stainless steel. Let me know what you find out. I share your ethics just not your commitment. I would gladly switch to another substance.
I was very close to buying a Jet 600. Good sound and quality. Hesitated because of the name. Will buy a Yamaha or Ibanez, no mods. If the instrument works then why waste time and money changing it?
It's not a waste of either time or money - to me. The mods were just a matter of preference. You can't go wrong with Ibanez or Yamaha though 😎👍
@@stevecassidyguitar Your Jet sounds fantastic and it is good platform for modding.
@@MarkErikEE Thank ya kindly mate 😃🙏
That was the main reason for the mods - plays great too. Tis my no.1 gigging guitar too 😃👍
To me, the most important part of a Strat is the neck. Everything else can be replaced, but if the neck isn't great, the guitar isn't great IMO. So I'm very surprised that you think the Jet neck is as good as (and maybe slightly better) than the Fender. If that's the case, I see no reason to buy a Fender.
Agreed! Not just a strat, but any guitar for me - it's all about the neck 😀👍
I think it's very unlikely (never say never) that i'd ever buy another NEW fender.
fender=balance jet=whatevere you want except balance
Ok... are you talking physical balance as in neck/dive etc? or balance of sound? or something else? 🤔
@@stevecassidyguitar sound and tone of course😁
@@vs_830 Of course 👍
I'm first to admit, I had a bit of a disaster with the recordings here 🙈 Recorded both guitars signals too hot and got clipping. My bad, mistakes made, lessons learned 🙈
But, just to clarify... are you saying no matter what pickups you put in the Jet, it's impossible to acheive a balanced sound and tone yeah?
@@stevecassidyguitar no matter - good pickup do not "improve" the sound it can detect more sound details produced by the instrument good and bad ones like microphone picks singer's voice but not improving it
Tone wood only matters when comparing acoustic instruments. Electric is a signal chain from pickup to speaker. The wood doesn’t matter at all.
Usually ya can find me sitting on the fence for most issues. But not this...
I agree with ya😁👍
I always find it amusing when you see some of these high end Ibanezezez for example that have like 9 different woods - coz tone 🙈
"Oh yeah... I can really hear that 1cm strip of Purple heart" 😜
I wonder if you use Alder or Ash on a Gibson SG .........Aren't you gonna get a less warm sound ? I'm sure Mahogany brings something to the tone , as it does on accoustic guitars maybe not as much but still recognizable ....More sustain too ...
@@sirzembla4512 It's the debate that can last a lifetime 😜 I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong... But I would like to see what you suggested put to the test...
Say.. an All Mahogany Vs an All Alder (bodied) SG - everything else the same, pickups etc - then hear a blind test - see if we can tell the difference. Would be interesting. 😀👍
On acoustic Guitars - I agree, I think it does make a big difference to the tone.
In terms of the sustain of an SG vs say.. a strat, i'd expect other factors to also contribute to the sustain; the shorter scale length, string tension, Set neck construction, TOM bridge etc...
But what do I know? I'm just a guy guessing on the internets 😂🤷♂
@@stevecassidyguitar Of course a test would be necessary , well it's a million views here one lol ......
I don't know why i forgot the set neck construction , which always adds sustain , thank you ....
Maybe i'm wrong but i think an all Mahogany and an all Basswood SG with all the same electronics etc would sound really different , of course it must be tested , i think a Basswood Sg would sound almost like a Lespaul with P90s ....
Anyway this could be a 5 millions views videos here on CZcams ,hhhhhhhm ......
Of course , i'm not sure , i don't know why it seems logical to me ....
@@sirzembla4512 You might be right 🤷♂It's fun to speculate either way - I do it all the time 😂👍
You really want a lot of views? Raise the question, does body material effect the sound of the guitar? I can almost certainly say, it doesn't and I can even show the test done. Take everything away but the pickups, strings bridge and nut and it'll sound the same. Play back the sounds of with and without and your views will hit the roof 😂 me 🤔 thinks. The ranman!
Great shout mate. I agree - I'm not sold on tonewood.
Seen a YT vid of a guy testing a pickup in various different ways - sounded the same to me 🤷♂️
@@stevecassidyguitar , look for the one that is strapped to two tables, 😆 cheers mate!
@@ranman58635 That's the very one I seen mate 😃👍
Soz - tried to add more detail before, but I'm currently on the train to Birmingham and WiFi keeps dropping out
@@stevecassidyguitar ah, cool, I hear ya, safe travels. Do you wear the glasses off camera?
@@ranman58635 Nah.... But I'll be in full "character" this weekend 🥸😂