Jet guitars - anyone tried one?

DiscoStu · December 2021

I like the look of some of these Jet guitars but being pretty new there aren't many reviews to go on. Anyone tried one for real, and do they live up to the hype (given the price)?

DrCornelius · December 2021

My son wanted a cheap Tele so we went to absolute music where they had a few : the T300 felt like a cheap guitar, badly cut nut , poor tuners , dry fretboard and frets that needed a polish . Tried the next one up - the roasted maple necked T350 and it was fantastic - I can’t remember what he paid (£250 ?) but it felt as good and played as well as some of the Mexican Fenders I’ve owned

DiscoStu · December 2021

DrCornelius said:

My son wanted a cheap Tele so we went to absolute music where they had a few : the T300 felt like a cheap guitar, badly cut nut , poor tuners , dry fretboard and frets that needed a polish . Tried the next one up - the roasted maple necked T350 and it was fantastic - I can’t remember what he paid (£250 ?) but it felt as good and played as well as some of the Mexican Fenders I’ve owned

It's the JT350 I was looking at - the black one with binding and the roasted maple neck. It looks great so good to know it played great too. Was the neck bare/lightly oiled? For me that is the whole point of roasted maple but some manufacturers stick a thick finish on them.

DrCornelius · December 2021

DiscoStu said:

DrCornelius said:

My son wanted a cheap Tele so we went to absolute music where they had a few : the T300 felt like a cheap guitar, badly cut nut , poor tuners , dry fretboard and frets that needed a polish . Tried the next one up - the roasted maple necked T350 and it was fantastic - I can’t remember what he paid (£250 ?) but it felt as good and played as well as some of the Mexican Fenders I’ve owned

It's the JT350 I was looking at - the black one with binding and the roasted maple neck. It looks great so good to know it played great too. Was the neck bare/lightly oiled? For me that is the whole point of roasted maple but some manufacturers stick a thick finish on them.

The neck was definitely the biggest selling point - felt very solid , comfy and smoothly unfinished

DiscoStu · December 2021

Sounds convincing!

KrisGee · December 2021

I had the JS 400 and it felt very so so. Uninspiring, extremely glossy neck and generic pickups. I liked the trem tho. Anyway, sent it back because...

...the 25 year old Korean Squier I bought few days before that was pretty amazing compared to the Jet and it cost me same money. Done a few mods to it and it kicks ass:

damodai · December 2021

I got a js-300 a few days before christmas , sea foam green and it looks very pretty , haven't found any issues with how its pu together yet . Plays nice too . Neck does feel very nice , Well worth the money.

flyingv · December 2021

Recently bought the JS 400 - Good to go straight out of the box - nice fit and finish, pickups sound very good - I’ve got another set of tuners ( Klusons ) coming, the originals feel cheap and are a bit sticky, but other than that? Excellent guitar for the money.

https://i.imgur.com/eIF3qUK.jpg

blueskunk · December 2021

Good to hear more views as pretty much all the reviews I have seen have been very good. The 300 in particular

Acev · August 2023

JET seem to be killing it, with the new models recently - that JS-700 Copper....want !

https://www.instagram.com/jet_guitars/

Winny_Pooh · August 2023

I bought a fazely phynica (same factory etc as Jet, it's either their or Bax's house brand) to leave at my parent's house as a holiday guitar. Its a very budget SUHR, looking at the design and neck feel (medium C flat radius)

Good: finish, neck shape, weight, trem, 2x control knobs.
Bad: pickups, tuners, nut, some high frets

I levelled the high frets and got action down to a medium low height, wont go lower than that.
Stock pickups are really bad. Replaced them with a bloodstone set, A5 mag singles and an A2 PAF. Pots and switch fine for now.

It sounds really good at the moment. Next to replace will probably be the crap nut as even when lubricated trem use is not that stable.

The price to the door delivered is crazy good.
And cost of the upgrades is worth it as the basic woodwork and build is generally better than £400 Squiers I've played.

Pic before new pickups:

Acev · August 2023

I have JS-400 and JS-800 - Actually stock pickups sound quite OK on 400. 800 already has much better pickups, so I didnt even replace those ones. They are tight and bright, good for 80s stuff.

GoFish · August 2023

I have a JS 450 I think? It's a pinky HSS Strat with a dark roasted neck. The bones on the guitar are excellent. The neck is the standout feature but the body is well weighted (light) and the nut and frets are ok too. The pickups are bad imo (hot n' harsh) and the pots are nearer to on/off than a steady taper. With the volume lowered the pickups are less offensive to my ears.

Stick some new pickups and hardware in and it'll be as good as an R8.

Seriously though, I'd strongly consider one with upgrades over a Squier or even a low end Mex.

earwighoney · August 2023

Winny_Pooh said:

I bought a fazely phynica (same factory etc as Jet, it's either their or Bax's house brand) to leave at my parent's house as a holiday guitar. Its a very budget SUHR, looking at the design and neck feel (medium C flat radius)

Good: finish, neck shape, weight, trem, 2x control knobs.
Bad: pickups, tuners, nut, some high frets

I levelled the high frets and got action down to a medium low height, wont go lower than that.
Stock pickups are really bad. Replaced them with a bloodstone set, A5 mag singles and an A2 PAF. Pots and switch fine for now.

I got an absolute gem with mine. Mine has one of the best cut nuts I've come across and superb fretwork and it's light as a feather. The only issue I have come across is a difficult one to describe. They filled the side of the necks where the frets went in, and one of them (12th fret bass side) has fallen out. The tuners aren't great though. I was going to post up a thread asking for recommendations at some point.

I've ordered pots, switches to change to 500k and I have a few spare pickups I will mod the guitar to a strat in the neck and a HB in the bridge. No middle pickup.

Acev · August 2023

This one looks awesome:

Image: https://jetguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/JS-700-CPR-HS-01.jpg

Bobsher · August 2023

Just bought a fazely phynica 920 second hand for £90, superb quality roasted neck locking tuners Wilkinson hardware etc. Amazed at what is available these days as entry level. Back in the 80s when I first started on the journey the choice at entry level was either the squire strat, though I remember buying a Wayne's World squire which was excellent and the Yamaha 112v.

grungebob · August 2023

I’ve had the JT350 telecaster one with a neck humbucker. Was a very nice guitar , great neck and fretwork and the nut was well cut. The neck humbucker was actually nice but the bridge one was a bit meh. The volume and tone controls were on/off nothing in between.

guitarjack66 · August 2023

I have the T version and the S versions, JT 400 and 300 I believe? I prefer the strat type better as its very easy to play. The tele version needs a tweak,action still a bit high, so I shy away from it despite it being excellent. I'm sure experienced players would mod it but for 170 quid apiece they are excellent value.

Alun · August 2023

The ones I’ve played have been very nice - about what’d you’d expect from the hardware and pickups but the necks were the part that really punched above their weight. Nicely set up too, at least in the shop I was in. Compared to a Fender Player Strat and the fret job was definitely better, but the Fender had it beat on tone by some distance. Seemed like great guitars for the money but their headstock logo is hideous, haha.

Acev · August 2023

I upgraded the pickups and pots on JS-400 - now it sounds as good as any Fender up to 1000 gpb mark and the total cost was about 350-ish.

DrBob · August 2023

Picked up a JS-300 for £70 secondhand on FB marketplace as a decoy guitar to keep youngest child away from my guitars but in fact it is legit decent. Probably will stick some better pickups in it as some point but it plays great

guitarjack66 · August 2023

Alun said:

The ones I’ve played have been very nice - about what’d you’d expect from the hardware and pickups but the necks were the part that really punched above their weight. Nicely set up too, at least in the shop I was in. Compared to a Fender Player Strat and the fret job was definitely better, but the Fender had it beat on tone by some distance. Seemed like great guitars for the money but their headstock logo is hideous, haha.

I honestly don't see the 'ugly headstock' myself. Not that I care too much but it seems fine.

DrBob · August 2023

guitarjack66 said:

Alun said:

The ones I’ve played have been very nice - about what’d you’d expect from the hardware and pickups but the necks were the part that really punched above their weight. Nicely set up too, at least in the shop I was in. Compared to a Fender Player Strat and the fret job was definitely better, but the Fender had it beat on tone by some distance. Seemed like great guitars for the money but their headstock logo is hideous, haha.

I honestly don't see the 'ugly headstock' myself. Not that I care too much but it seems fine.

Me neither but that said part of the reason my one was only £70’used was the previous owner found the logo so unpleasant he got rid of it

Acev · August 2023

I also think its fine -it does not have to be black boring logo always

Acev · September 2023

JET released some limited models - I hope some of those land in the UK.

https://www.instagram.com/jet_guitars/

guitargeek62 · September 2023

Oooh, that FR Tele is lush!

Image: https://scontent-man2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/376280745_17982261119392840_2344139176427863297_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s1080x1080_sh0.08&_nc_ht=scontent-man2-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=104&_nc_ohc=Hs2JI96HtmoAX-5DrpO&edm=ACWDqb8AAAAA&ccb=7-5&ig_cache_key=MzE5MjM2OTU4NDA5NDEyODg0OA%3D%3D.2-ccb7-5&oh=00_AfBefkG2PYDYcJwqgBtReXicnefh39jJYTHtfsnxgvqMSA&oe=650A1947&_nc_sid=ee9879

blueskunk · September 2023

great guitars !

Mines got a set of fender pickups and fender wiring in. Quality little Strat

DiscoStu · September 2023

Those new ones look pretty tasty. I'm still a sucker for the black 350 Tele with tort guard

Sarge · September 2023

I've got the Fazley version of the JS400? HSS strat, but swapped the neck for a Jet branded js400 neck as it was the gloss I really wanted.
Neck and middle pickups swapped out for a pair of Maida Vale a3 and a4 single coils.
Stock humbucker can stay for now as I don't venture there too often.
This is the strat I've wanted since I mistakenly sold a Westone Concord 8 years ago.
love it.

grungebob · September 2023

DiscoStu said:

Those new ones look pretty tasty. I'm still a sucker for the black 350 Tele with tort guard

I had that one. It was ace. The neck humbucker was so thick and meaty.

DiscoStu · September 2023

grungebob said:

DiscoStu said:

Those new ones look pretty tasty. I'm still a sucker for the black 350 Tele with tort guard

I had that one. It was ace. The neck humbucker was so thick and meaty.

Why did you get rid?

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Jet guitars - anyone tried one?

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