Lefty GAS pains

[Jaymo]

I've got a bad case of GAS. I could use your help.
I'm trying to decide between two basses and two guitars.
Being a lefty, my options are severely limited.
Not being talented enough to justify more expensive models, I'm even more limited in choices.
Squier CV Jazzmaster and Squer CV Telecaster.
I like them both. Can't decide between the two.
I want a pine body Tele. But, I also want a JM.
Opinions?

Also: Squier CV Pbass and Ibanez TMB100 Talman bass.
I'd love a nicer than my J Turser Pbass.
I'd also like to have an Ibanez Talman.
Again, opinions?

TIA

[tobijohn]

The CV Jazzmaster is on my short list but I've have been waiting in vain so far for a decently priced used one to show up. If I didn't have more than a half gross of pickup upgrades to do and even more repairs /projects, I'd have settled for a demo or b-stock model long ago. As it is, it won't kill me to wait a little longer.

As for the CV Tele, I can't say enough good things about. As a modding platform though, it sucks as there's nothing to do to make it any better.

I would normally say to just buy them both and get it over with (Sweetwater would probably cut you a little deal) but if that's still more than you want to spend, I'd normally advise heading over to Thomann's site and pick up their copies of both but unfortunately, the Jazzmaster version is currently out of stock. They do have the BSB tele in stock and while I don't have one yet (waiting for their Mustang copy to return so I can consolidate the shipping cost) I've heard nothing but good things about it.

They've also got a few Juniors that I can recommend (both single and double cut):

https://www.thomannmusic.com/lefthanded ... y%20Benton

They no longer offer the flat rate shipping but it's still a good deal. I ordered a couple last August and it was under $70. With UPS handling it now, it only took 3-4 days to get to me, and no Customs clearing angst either.

[fatjack]

I feel your pain my brother. We're in the same boat, as it were. As a lefty considering bass I was looking at those 2 myself. I was leaning towards the Talman bass in that I trust Ibanez quality and yes the talman is low on the rungs. I'd love to hear a bass player weigh in on those 2 myself. A pine tele would be nice but it's still a tele The JM could be interesting I'd go there.

[tobijohn]

Ah, I just now noticed that the HB Tele is ash, not pine like the CV....

[Rollin Hand]

I can't speak to the JM, but I have heard a CV Tele through a Blackstar running clean, and it sounded lovely. It helped that the guy playing it is better than I'll ever be, but the core tone was outstanding.

[BatUtilityBelt]

The CV 50's tele is in its own class for the value. I have more than one. It is a great guitar regardless of price.

I haven't tried the JM, even though I am a fan of offsets and JM pickups. I have not heard the masses appreciate the JM anywhere near as much as the CV tele, so like @tobijohn I am waiting for an awesome deal to come around. But I have plenty of offset guitars already, and don't so much need another white guitar, so those temper my interest.

If you do plan any mods, I added the 4th position mod to one of my CV 50's teles, and am very happy with that additional very beefy tone.

Addendum: Because I don't love white with a tortoise pickguard, one of the thoughts keeping me from buying the CV Jazzmaster is that if I bought it, the next year they would make it a metallic chrome red with a mint green pickguard. I would kick myself for already jumping for the white one. But the metallic chrome red - I'd pretty much pay retail for that.

[Mossman]

The correct answer is always: Telecaster

Always.

I have a CV '50s Tele and it's the greatest import guitar I've ever owned. When I got hip to the CV, I was actually in the market for a Fender '52 Reissue, but I hated the neck and I wasn't crazy about the way it sounded (that was mostly due to the '50s wiring, but still, the pickups didn't knock me out). I played a bunch of MIM and MIA Teles in the store, but they all felt and sounded kinda unremarkable to me. Not 'bad', but not super exciting, either. The last guitar I played was the '50s CV, and I wasn't even serious about it. I had heard all the rave reviews, and I was curious to see how good it actually was. I expected it to be an adequate mod platform, but I didn't expect it to knock my socks off as much as it did! It plays great and the stock pickups sound awesome! The only mod I did to it was to replace the 3-way switch with a 4-way, and I intend to keep this guitar (as-is) for the rest of my life. It's not a good guitar "for the money", it's a fantastic guitar, period.

I like the CV Jazzmaster as well, but it's not quite as magical as the '50s Tele. Besides, the Jazzmaster is kind of a "niche" guitar. If you don't have a Tele already, I'd go for that first, and save the JM for later.

[edit]

I just noticed in your profile that you have a Sawtooth Tele, but my recommendation still stands.

[Mossman]

BTW, if you want to watch a guy swap the stock pickups for a set of Custom Shop Texas Specials, and have it sound exactly the same, here you go...

[tobijohn]

BTW, if you want to watch a guy swap the stock pickups for a set of Custom Shop Texas Specials, and have it sound exactly the same, here you go...

I believe the stock pickups in the CV Tele are Toneriders. And as a FYI, in the not too distant future, I should have a spare set available. I have a second CV that I'm going to give the Esquire treatment to and I've got a SD STL-1B for the single pickup...

[BatUtilityBelt]

BTW, if you want to watch a guy swap the stock pickups for a set of Custom Shop Texas Specials, and have it sound exactly the same, here you go...

I agree, that was the result. If he wanted the thicker, fuller deeper tone he was talking about at the beginning, he should have just done the 4-way switch wiring.

[Mossman]

I believe the stock pickups in the CV Tele are Toneriders. And as a FYI, in the not too distant future, I should have a spare set available. I have a second CV that I'm going to give the Esquire treatment to and I've got a SD STL-1B for the single pickup...

I share that belief 100%, though there's no empirical evidence for it... The proof for me is that whenever anybody (myself included) directly asks them if the CV pickups are Toneriders, they either give a cagey response, or none at all. If they weren't Toneriders, there's nothing to stop them from saying: "no, we don't supply those pickups". They wouldn't need to dance around the subject or ignore you.

I don't think they're using Toneriders in the Indonesian ones, though. When they were made in China, the butterscotch one had A5 pickups and the vintage blonde had A3s. Now the specs say: "Fender-Designed Alnico Single-Coils" for both guitars. I haven't heard anyone say the Indonesian CV '50s sound any different from the Chinese ones, though. Nor could I tell the difference in any of the comparison videos I've seen.

[Mossman]

BTW, if you want to watch a guy swap the stock pickups for a set of Custom Shop Texas Specials, and have it sound exactly the same, here you go...

I agree, that was the result. If he wanted the thicker, fuller deeper tone he was talking about at the beginning, he should have just done the 4-way switch wiring.

Yep-yep... It's my secret weapon. I think all Teles (with traditional single-coils, that is) should have a 4-way switch. Then you can rule the world.

[Mossman]

I almost forgot there was a bass component to the question... I think the CV P-basses can't be beat. I came VERY close to buying the '70s CV a few years ago. That bass sounded so good, I could never stop playing it whenever I picked one up in a store. I decided to build a P-bass instead, and I like it better ( ), but if I hadn't, that Squier would be my regular P, and I'd be more than happy with it stock.

I know I probably sound like a Squier fanboy with my recommendations, but I'm really not. The Classic Vibes are just genuinely good guitars.

I've never played a Talman, so I can't really say anything about them, except that they're not for me, aesthetically. But a lot of people seem to like them, so feel free to disregard my opinion.

[Jaymo]

Yeah, I don't love the fact that the JM only comes in white. I'm not a huge fan of white or black guitars.
I'd rather have a candy apple red or some shade of blue.

I'd love to have one of the Squier PJ basses. Every time one comes up at auction, it goes for more than I feel comfortable spending on a used Squier that I can't try out before buying.

I'm dying for a lefty JM. Just not a white one.
And, I have to admit that pine body CV tele really speaks to me. It says, "Buy me. Play me. LOOOOOOOVE me."

[Jaymo]

Unfortunately, I can't find any lefties in the stores.
I guess I'm going to have to order one online.
That pine body is still calling to me.
Maybe I'll get the CV Tele AND PBass.

So how does the CV PBass compare to the Jay Turser PBass?

The correct answer is always: Telecaster

Always.

I have a CV '50s Tele and it's the greatest import guitar I've ever owned. When I got hip to the CV, I was actually in the market for a Fender '52 Reissue, but I hated the neck and I wasn't crazy about the way it sounded (that was mostly due to the '50s wiring, but still, the pickups didn't knock me out). I played a bunch of MIM and MIA Teles in the store, but they all felt and sounded kinda unremarkable to me. Not 'bad', but not super exciting, either. The last guitar I played was the '50s CV, and I wasn't even serious about it. I had heard all the rave reviews, and I was curious to see how good it actually was. I expected it to be an adequate mod platform, but I didn't expect it to knock my socks off as much as it did! It plays great and the stock pickups sound awesome! The only mod I did to it was to replace the 3-way switch with a 4-way, and I intend to keep this guitar (as-is) for the rest of my life. It's not a good guitar "for the money", it's a fantastic guitar, period.

I like the CV Jazzmaster as well, but it's not quite as magical as the '50s Tele. Besides, the Jazzmaster is kind of a "niche" guitar. If you don't have a Tele already, I'd go for that first, and save the JM for later.

[edit]

I just noticed in your profile that you have a Sawtooth Tele, but my recommendation still stands.

[tobijohn]

Unfortunately, I can't find any lefties in the stores.
I guess I'm going to have to order one online.
That pine body is still calling to me.
Maybe I'll get the CV Tele AND PBass.

I'm thinking of selling my spare CV 50s Tele and using something else for the Esquire project, haven't made up my mind yet though...

[Jaymo]

Could you PM me a price and shipping for Zip code 30281?

Unfortunately, I can't find any lefties in the stores.
I guess I'm going to have to order one online.
That pine body is still calling to me.
Maybe I'll get the CV Tele AND PBass.

I'm thinking of selling my spare CV 50s Tele and using something else for the Esquire project, haven't made up my mind yet though...

[tobijohn]

Could you PM me a price and shipping for Zip code 30281?

Once I decide what I'm going to do, definitely, There was another one of mine you were interested in at one point but I can't recall which one it was...

[Jaymo]

Could you PM me a price and shipping for Zip code 30281?

Once I decide what I'm going to do, definitely, There was another one of mine you were interested in at one point but I can't recall which one it was...

Lefty Yamaha. AES620

[tobijohn]

Lefty Yamaha. Single of double cut.

Ah right, the AES-620, just last night I was looking at the edge of it that's visible from behind the bedroom door:

[Jaymo]

Lefty Yamaha. Single of double cut.

Ah right, the AES-620, just last night I was looking at the edge of it that's visible from behind the bedroom door:

Yep. That's the one. Gorgeous. Not normally a fan of black guitars. Black flame looks sweet, though.