[SOLVED!] Jazzmaster Vs. Tele: Which One Is The Winner?

Considering the differences in preferences, it’s no surprise that the guitar community is at odds about the winder in Jazzmaster vs. Telecaster. You have difficulty choosing between the lines of guitars from Fender and need some help? Then there is a good chance that you would find this article useful. Down below is everything that you must consider regarding  Jazzmaster and Telecaster from specification to performance. 

Breakdown

Design

At a glance, Jazzmasters boast large bodies with rounded edges and a nice contour at the back. Because of that, models in the line usually prove comfortable to play with as you have a place to rest your arm. In addition, you should know that the large bodies of Jazzmasters mean they feature big fretboards. If you look for guitars that match your big hands, you won’t regret picking up Jazzmasters.

In the case of Telecaster, models in the line tend to be compact and weigh less than their Jazzmaster counterparts. Therefore, you don’t have to strain yourself to play Telecasters, especially during long gigs. However, you may need to change your posture a bit to be able to hold on to Telecasters comfortably. That is by no means a deal breaker though. 

Controls

In Jazzmasters, besides the three-way switch, volume, and tone knob, three additional switches sit at the top of the instrument. About Telecaster, models in the line each carry a three-way pickup selector, a volume knob and a tone knob. All of the controls help you manage rhythm/lead node changes, volume control and tone in the rhythm mode. Thus, you would have an easy time manipulating the guitars to your liking.

Noteworthily, Jazzmasters have a floating tremolo while Telecasters pack a fixed bridge. If you prefer using whammy bars, Jazzmaster should fit you well. 

Pickups

Known as “soapbar”, Jazzmasters’ pickups sometimes get mistaken for P90s. In reality, compared to P90s, the “soapbar” pickups have a flatter and wider construction which provides slightly sharper sounds. Regarding Telecaster, most of the models in the line integrate single-coil pickups but some also contain humbuckers.

Sounds

In play, Jazzmasters produces big, crunchy distorted sounds alongside the signature Fender jangle. That is why Jazzmasters give a good account of themselves once it comes to playing alternative, grunge, and punk. Also, as the name suggests, models in the line work well in jazz settings but many other hollow and semi-hollow guitars could provide superior sounds. Aside from that, the sounds of Jazzmasters don’t sustain quite as well as Telecasters.

Thanks to the signature Fender twang in their sounds, Telecasters become recognizable among many country guitarists. However, models in the lines could be put to good use outside of the country genre too. Possessing a nice-bottom end, the sounds of Telecasters efficiently and effectively match quite a few genres. You should still know Telecasters sound kind of thin, clean and not as set as Jazzmasters.

Jazzmaster Vs. Telecaster: Summary

	Fender Telecaster	Fender Jazzmaster
Body Shape	Tele-style	Jazzmaster
Body Wood	Alder	Alder
Neck Shape	Deep C	Deep C
Neck Wood	Maple	Maple
Neck Construction	Bolt-on	Bolt-on
Fretboard Material	Maple	Round-laminated Rosewood
Scale Length	25.5″	25.5″
Number Of Frets	22, Narrow Tall	21, Narrow Tall
Frets Material	Nickel Silver	Nickel Silver
Type of Bridge	Two-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Cold-rolled Steel Block	Jazzmaster/Jaguar Bridge with Panorama Tremolo
Tuning Machines	Fender Standard Die-cast	Fender Standard Die-cast
Pickups	3 x Fender V-Mod II Single-coil	Dual Fender V-Mod II Jazzmaster Single-coil
Pickup Selector	Five-way blade pickup switch	Two-way slide switch (rhythm/lead)3-way toggle switch
Controls	1 x master volume and 2 x tone (push/push add neck)	Two-way slide switch (rhythm/lead) and three-way toggle switch
Weight	8.5 lbs (3.85 kg)	8.5lbs (3.9 kg)

Conclusion

Fender is well-known for manufacturing high-quality guitars so regardless of your decision on Jazzmaster vs. Telecaster, you should be able to secure a solid instrument. Telecasters have excellent versatility but if you play genres such as grunge, alternative,… Jazzmasters won’t let you down. 

https://www.fender.com/articles/setup/best-guitar-for-beginners