FENDER JIM ROOT JAZZMASTER V4

IT’S A JAZZMASTER, JIM, BUT ‘KNOT AS WE KNOW IT – IT’S THE LATEST MINIMALIST METAL MACHINE FOR JIM ROOT AND IT’S FIERCE. REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.

There is no gray area when it comes to Slipknot guitarist Jim Root’s vision for his signature models from Fender. It’s literally black and white. Finishes aside, there’s equally no gray area in each instrument’s concept. If anything, his signature instruments clearly sport the bare minimum to get the job done, and

Root undoubtedly loves using Fender’s iconic shapes without any of the bells and whistles associated with their original formulas.

His latest signature model shows off a more elevated look with block inlays and open-coil pickups, but still remains as stripped down as his other guitars and is designed to deliver in-your-face tone with brute force. With classic offset contours, a dense body shape and a spartan control layout, the V4 seriously makes you appreciate how capable this artist model is for metal.

Uncomplicated and unpretentious, the guitar features a mahogany slab body, contoured neck heel, maple neck with a slim C-shaped profile, a bound ebony fingerboard with a 12-inch radius, 22 jumbo frets and block position inlays, EMG Jim Root Signature Daemonum open-coil active humbucking pickups, single volume control knob and three-way pickup switch, hard-tail string‑through‑body bridge, and Fender locking tuners.

The super-flat 12-inch radius removes any chance of fretting out when bending sky-high notes. The minimalist aesthetic continues through to the controls, with just a single volume control and a three-way pickup selector switch – a far cry from your regular Jazzmaster. A set of locking tuners helps keep everything stable.

The V4 is a well-balanced guitar with sleek belly and forearm contours that accommodate a comfortable playing experience. There’s also nothing fiddly; the volume knob is right where you need it to be for exacting output control, and you won’t knock into the selector switch if you thrash around.

Fender’s carved neck heel smoothly cups the palm of your hand when you find yourself shredding past the 14th fret, and I’m amused by the large luminlay fluorescent side dots that really emphasise where you are on the neck if it ever seems unclear.

There’s no mistaking the Jim Root Jazzmaster V4 as a guitar made to precisely execute drop tunings and all forms of metal brutality. I had the guitar in standard and Drop B tunings, and it’s abundantly clear the active EMG Daemonum pickups complement the guitar’s aggressive leanings with percussive clarity and raw power.

The bridge and neck pickups exhibit full-bodied tone with a crisp and throaty midrange that excels with high-gain distortion and down-tunings with heavier string gauges. It’s an unbridled growl that remains taut for muscular riffing, and that’s exactly what I’d expect from this no-nonsense Jazzmaster.