2017 Squier Affinity HH Jazzmaster

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:06 am

I got a white one off of eBay because it checks off a lot of my modding lists.

Alder body.
White.
Dual Humbuckers.
No Rhythm Section.
Hardtail Bridge.
String Through Body.

My plans are to put a white pickguard on this guitar and add a Super Distortion pickup and a Santa Ana pickup in the neck. Also going to put tele knobs on it and 1meg pots. It has no brand saddles on the bridge. The body seems to be a bit over 1.5". Here are some pictures.

20170220_164829 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_164835_HDR by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_164847 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_164904 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_165030 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_165019 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_165201_HDR by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_165211 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170220_165218 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:38 am

Just got to play around with it and I really like the stock pickups. I will likely keep them after all. I do want to get a white guard made for it and some telecaster knobs, but it is solid.

I have a demo uploading. It should be live soon.

[youtube][/youtube]

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:57 am

By the way, it is less bassy than my phone makes it sound. It is just a cell microphone. It sounds beautiful in person even with my playing which is saying a lot.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:18 am

Some more info on at least this one. The pots feel nice and solid, not sloppy or loose like I expected. The toggle has no static between switching which I figured it might with a $200 guitar. The fret ends are nice and free of sharp ends. There doesn't seem to be any issue with frets being level. With open chords, I experienced no buzzing. Tuners feel solid and not sloppy. Really impressed with the build quality. I found no flaws in the paint either. In my VM Jaguar, there were little black flecks in the finish where black dust or something had fallen in the clear coat and been buffed over. Not on this guitar. I am pretty shocked. (In a good way.)

PV-1955 · Post by **PV-1955** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:08 am

That looks excellent! Thanks for sharing your feedback and the great pics. Happy new JM Day!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:19 am

That's pretty cool for $200. Good to know they don't suck, look forward to your finished project.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:29 am

Thanks! I am waiting to hear back from the guy on pickguard costs. Can't wait to get the guard off and get better looks at the inside.

PV-1955 · Post by **PV-1955** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:31 am

HNB wrote:Thanks! I am waiting to hear back from the guy on pickguard costs. Can't wait to get the guard off and get better looks at the inside.

I'm interested to know how much these new Affinity JM's weigh. Have you weighed it yet?

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:46 am

No, but with a swimming pool rout and thinner body, probably less than a normal Jazzy.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:42 am

Congrats! Nice score.

Darth Stang · Post by **Darth Stang** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:46 am

Dude we need to stage an intervention. You sold a hiflier for six hundry and bought this piece of crap for 2 hundry? You have to stop buying these landfill guitars. Consolidate man.

SAVEStheDAY · Post by **SAVEStheDAY** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:37 pm

I love the idea of this guitar, and now that I've seen your review I think I'd love the actual guitar too. I might have to get one of these. About a week ago I was actually close to clicking the buy button online, but I got a VMJM to mod instead.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:15 pm

Darth Stang wrote:Dude we need to stage an intervention. You sold a hiflier for six hundry and bought this piece of crap for 2 hundry? You have to stop buying these landfill guitars. Consolidate man.

I sold four guitars, so I am consolidating. I didn't sell the hi-flier to get this guitar. I sold the four guitars to pay for several hundred dollars worth of dentist bills for my daughter, wife, and myself and to get something nice for my wife's birthday/valentine's day. I had enough leftover after the bills and shipping costs to grab this and my new amp.

By the way, this isn't a landfill guitar. Owning as many guitars as I have over the years has helped me spot crap guitars and this one is not crap. The cost of a guitar doesn't always equate to how nice a guitar plays and works for the person playing it. The newer Squiers are great values. They are usually $1,000 less than the US ones and often built very well.

The truth is, I don't feel comfortable playing a $2,000-3000+ guitar. I worry about damaging it or something so I just let them sit in the case to be safe. That has just felt wrong to me, so I have sold a lot of my vintage guitars and more expensive ones for guitars like this that I can sand up, bump in to things, and just have fun with and not worry that I am going to wreck something that is very expensive.

Don't worry though, I still have plenty of expensive guitars in my guitar room upstairs......

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:33 pm

Darth Stang wrote:You sold a hiflier for six hundry and bought this piece of crap for 2 hundry? You have to stop buying these landfill guitars. Consolidate man.

YOU SOLD A HI FLIER
STOP BUYIND LANDFILL GUITARS

THIS DUDE

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 1:04 am

I don't get why people are upset I sold my hi-flier. I still have my custom one and I like it enough I don't feel like I needed the Univox one. I still have the Univox Les Paul style one with the exact same pickups the hi-flier had.

20141024_225411 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20141027_193833 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 3:29 am

Whatever. I sold a Rickenbacker and play a Chinese Gretsch now. WTR's been through a bazillion guitars. It's just fucking stuff, you win some you lose some. You don't take it with you so just have fun with it. Not like there's a prize for having the most expensive guitar.

PV-1955 · Post by **PV-1955** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 3:53 am

I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a white one. It really looks like a fun modding platform. I have this 2011 Vintage Modified JM Special in BSB that has an absolutely killer neck but that I wish they had made the body like this new Affinity (as far as having string through body, regular hardtail bridge and output jack on pickguard) If I do get the white Affinty JM, I'll probably swap necks for a bit.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 3:18 pm

Nice! I like the neck on mine. I will likely just stain it and put some tung oil on it.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Wed Feb 22, 2017 5:52 pm

HNB wrote:I don't get why people are upset I sold my hi-flier. I still have my custom one and I like it enough I don't feel like I needed the Univox one. I still have the Univox Les Paul style one with the exact same pickups the hi-flier had.

20141024_225411 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20141027_193833 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

I like the LP more than the high flyer well done on keeping the correct one...

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 1:43 am

Got the guitar taken apart. (I want to get a white pickguard made.) I also wanted to stain the neck so it was less pale. Here are pictures. I know some people wanted more gut shots.

Neck pocket.

20170222_161240 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Heel Stamp (October 1st 2016)

20170222_161249 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Loaded pickguard.

20170222_161747 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Closer picture of a pickup. They seem to be wrapped with electrical tape vs ribbon.

20170222_161806 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170222_162743 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Pots and jack. (Pots are A500k for tone and B500k volume.)

20170222_161829 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170222_162728 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Toggle looks ok.

20170222_161855_HDR by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Swimming pool rout.

20170222_161954 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170222_161959 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Neck pictures before and after stain. I used the Minwax stain below.

20170222_170454 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170222_164033 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr