Fender Pawn Shop Offset Special Electric Guitar, with Gig Bag
Part of the popular Pawn Shop series, the Offset Special features includes two JZHB humbuckers and a floating tremolo system.
Overall User Ratings (based on 2 ratings)
Submitted December 7, 2015 by John C in Littlerock, WA
"Cool Model, Same AoM Bridge Woes"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Nice model, glad to own it! Great color, unique design, fun to mess around on.
Few things:
- F-hole has unfinished paint/fluff -- take it to a luthier of ya care! xD
- Controls are in silly location. Should have been moved over 2 inches.
- Neck is noticeably thin, much more than a Stratocaster
- Bridge is a POS AoM -- that's the first thing you need to replace. Rattles, buzzes, wiggles, doesn't work well with JM vibrato system. All the Blacktop HH models have this same AoM nonsense. It's also the wrong radius -- 12" instead of 9.5". People recommend the StayTrem drop in replacement bridge and the M1 Mastery AoM replacement model
- make sure you buy a compression spring for your trem arm, it wiggles horribly without one. I had to cut the bottom third off the spring to make it fit
- still on the fence about the pickups. Great for hilarious sludge nonsense, but are super dark unless in the middle position. Definitely wound to a different kohm on the neck, they phase nicely in the middle position. Possibly too dark other than that, may replace with Fender 65 Vintage JM set or some Seymour Duncan JM set/mismatch
Fun guitar, bizarre, and glad to own it! :-)
Sound
The pickups could be nicer. There is a reason they weren't heavily advertised by Fender. They are a unique set, so there is some value in owning "Jazzmaster Humbuckers". Could easily be replaced by Fender 65 vintage set or some SD
The bridge is terrible and buzzes and wiggles and just sucks. All the AoM bridges from Fender are like this. People have recommended StayTrem drop in AoM replacement bridge and also M1 Masteey AoM model. I like the StayTrem's design (large round saddles with grooves for the strings), so I may order one of those after I save the $100 or so (UK product, exchange rate fluctuates)
Features
The vibrato is the same one on the classic player Jazzmaster -- nice build overall, make sure you insert a compression spring in the arm cavity. I had to cut 1/3 off the bottom off my spring to make it fit. No wiggle on the arm after that!
As I said earlier, bridge is an AoM POS and needs to be replaced by a third party 9.5" radius drop in replacement.
Ease of Use
It's a Fender guitar -- if you like Fender, you'll like this guitar. It plays awesome like Fenders typically do
Quality
Well made, some unfinished areas around the f hole. Fender always makes quality stuff, I can only choose to be picky. Overall good, you'll notice stuff if you want to
Value
This is a valuable guitar. It's discontinued and bizarre. Good buy.
Manufacturer Support
I didn't contact them.
The Wow Factor
Totally wow!
Musical Background:
20 years experience, guitar, bass drums, jam at home. Want pro band!
Musical Style:
Rock, boogie woogie, heavy, jazz, fusion, rockabilly, reggae, blues, pop, country, classical, bluegrass
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Submitted January 19, 2014 by a customer from verizon.net
"Offset pawnshop"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I was thrilled with this Mexican made Fender until I went to set it up then I discovered a mfg. defect The neck pocket was not produced with any angle and this is no American model so there is no micro tilt adjustment . Zzounds was great about it as always and sent a call tag right away and refunded immediately after it arrived there.. I then said no more tries on no American made and promptly ordered a new Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster 2012 leftover sealed from factory on a 12 pay plan It Is Awesome for a few dollars more a month
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