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Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
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Playability
70
Sound
74
Build
62
Value
69
Score
69
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Playability
70
Sound
75
Build
64
Value
65
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Reasons to Get
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster over Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Release Year
2023 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Vintage
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups
HHH vs SS
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Bigsby Tremolo vs Tremolo
Intense vibrato with a solid arm
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 7.25'' (184.2mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
69 vs 65
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster over Gold Foil Jazzmaster

Type of Frets
Vintage vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Pickups
SS vs HHH
Beautiful cleans
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Bigsby Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
7.25'' (184.2mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker vs Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker vs Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
21
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 70 compared to the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster is the better choice.

The Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2023 Gold Foil series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jazzmaster Bridge with Mustang Saddles with Bigsby®-Licensed B50 Vibrato bridge
  • '60s C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Narrow Tall frets
  • Vintage-Style with White Buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Overview

  • From Fender's 2020 Artist series
  • Troy Van Leeuwen Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jazzmaster Bridge with Nickel-Plated Brass Mustang Saddles and Tremolo bridge
  • LEEUWEN C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Vintage frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 8.05lbs (3.7kgs) and 8.6lbs (3.9kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster has an HHH configuration while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has SS pickups.

A triple Humbucker (HHH) can be intimidating at first, but it's one of the combinations that offer the most tone versatility. You'll be able to have from a lot of output for Hard Rock genres, to warm and clean sounds that are more common in Jazz.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's switch options
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 74
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 75

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster compares to the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Mexico.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Synthetic Bone nuts. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's are Vintage-Style with White Buttons while the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's are Vintage-Style

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 62
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 64

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Nut Width
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.1mm (0.004'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster and Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Neck Profile
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's neck profile
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Neck Profile
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster and the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's Fingerboard radius
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Fingerboard Radius
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Frets Size
Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster's Frets Size
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Frets Size
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Frets Size

The Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster's Vintage frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster vs Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
General Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2023 2020
Configuration: HHH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Gold Foil Artist
Colors: Red Burst Orange, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Alder
Bridge: Jazzmaster Bridge with Mustang Saddles with Bigsby®-Licensed B50 Vibrato Jazzmaster Bridge with Nickel-Plated Brass Mustang Saddles and Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style with White Buttons Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Ebony Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: White Pearloid Block Black Block
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: '60s C LEEUWEN C
Frets: 21 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 21 Vintage Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 7.25"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Gold Foil Mini-Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1