192 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009 www.premierguitar.com
“Sure, we
have those
in stock.”
Chuck Levin’s
WASHINGTON MUSIC CENTER
11151 Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton, Maryland 301-946-8808 www.chucklevins.com
Going through my teens and early 20s listening to and reading about Sonic Youth, I never
would’ve figured in a million years that they’d
have their own signature guitars. Not surprisingly, most of the people I know have had the
same reaction. The band is notorious for their
DIY approach to their tools—namely, their
guitars and effects pedals. Both Lee Ranaldo
and Thurston Moore have waved the flag of
the Fender Jazzmaster for decades now, while
also constantly trying to reinvent it by modifying the ones in their collections.
The end result, combined with an unorthodox
approach to guitar playing and song writ-
ing, has been the illustrious Sonic Youth, a
group that has made its mark in history as
one of the most distinctive rock bands of all
time. The out-of-the-box approach has never
been in their repertoire. Thus, when Fender
announced a pair of signature Jazzmasters (or
“Jazzblasters,” as Ranaldo’s and Moore’s per-
sonal guitars are so aptly named), I was really
excited to get a hold of them and put them
through their paces. I certainly didn’t expect
the stripped-down approach Fender took, but
after much jamming and experimenting,
I find I’m as impressed with their capabilities
as I am with their sparse accoutrements.
If Looks Could Kill
Finished in a striking deep transparent blue,
the Lee Ranaldo Jazzmaster is the humbucker-equipped instrument of the pair. The finish is
sealed in a satin nitrocellulose lacquer, which
allows the detailed grain of the alder body to
shine through in a very striking fashion. The
Thurston Moore Jazzmaster shares many of the
same traits as the Lee Ranaldo model, except
that it has a transparent forest green finish (and
a few other differences I’ll cover later). Visually,
the guitars are very distinct from the other
Jazzmaster models Fender has offered. All of
the complex roller knobs have been removed,
leaving a lone Volume knob and a 3-way pickup
selector switch, which is mounted to a classy
black anodized aluminum pickguard. Following
suit with the body textures, the necks are non-glossy (sure to please players with a faster touch)
and are capped off with black satin headstocks.
Lean, But Very Mean
After looking the guitars over, what surprised
me most was how simple and reduced to
essentials they are. For a band that’s legendary for ripping out electronics and putting
in odd circuits and wiring, the Sonic Youth
Signature Jazzmasters are shockingly uncomplicated. However, I found after searching for
some photos of their vintage Jazzmasters that
they’ve experimented with this setup before.
I found several pictures of beaten and well-worn models that they’ve modified with a very
similar wiring scheme. Still, I was a little disappointed that the traditional Jazzmaster layout
wasn’t offered, because those extra controls
provide some very dynamic tones that only the
Jazzmaster is capable of. After plugging them
in, however, my doubts faded and I realized
they were quickly becoming my new favorite
Fender production models.
Thurston Moore Jazzmaster
Quite a few players out there understand that
a well-built electric guitar will resonate well
without being plugged in. From striking a
note to chording, an electric guitar with solid
construction will transfer noticeable vibrations,
indicating good coupling and tight manufacture. The Thurston Moore model surprised
me in this way; its unplugged response felt
very nice. Jazzmaster’s aren’t really known for
their sustain, but if this model is any indicator,
Sonic Youth
Signature Jazzmasters
