Modding my Jaguar

Trotter

Have had this guitar for a good while now and whilst i've always loved the look of it, it has never really played, or sounded right for me personally. 

I'm very lucky in the fact that I was given this guitar by an incredible friend and as such it only seemed right to try and accumulate parts to replace the week links. 

I've been amassing the parts for a little while now and finally found some time on Friday to get to work. 

Friday night: 

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0659 1_zpshpihu2di.jpg

All parts were secondhand and supplied by the fine frequenters of this very parish: Pickups are a set of Lollar for Jaguar from @andrewaward

bridge is a staytrem from @jellybelly and the buzz stop is from @meltedbuzzbox. all superb to deal with, thank you again chaps!  

After a couple of hours, of, well mainly drinking red wine if i'm honest, the result was this:

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0662_zpskv0zzem1.jpg

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0663 1_zpsvkcsjuw0.jpg

I managed to plug it in for the first time briefly this afternoon and have to say that, unsurprisingly, the pickups sound fantastic. the bridge is a huge step up from standard, & much better than the mustang bridge that I had previous added. The buzz stop is great for increasing break angle which is really all I wanted it for. All in all very happy. 

Next things to do are to replace the pots as they are pretty poor (or better still all the wiring and switches with better quality ones, does anyone do a drop in loom for Jaguars?) and i'm still looking for a tort pick guard as well.

meltedbuzzbox

looks good sir. 

I wouldn't tort it though, it looks great as it is. I really like that daphne/sonic blue. 

The jap switches (I am guessing thats a jap model) are actually great, the sit taller than the switchcraft ones.

I personally prefer them. 

I wouldn't worry too much about replacing all the wiring (maybe the pots(maybe move to 500k)) 

Trotter

I know the tort guards are marmite on a guitar of this colour and I might well agree once I have one to try. I'd still like to try though  

Yep Jap this one. & looking at 500k pots now  

Someone had previously fitted what I guess was a strat pickup of some kind in the bridge position too but they had routed the body (by hand, very badly!) to make it fit.. poor thing. 

ICBM

You probably won't be able to buy a Jaguar loom, it's a massively complicated thing.

Just change the pots and the jack - the switches are actually quite decent, and with a MIJ ones you can rewire them to give both pickups in series instead of 'both off', which is a very useful extra sound, as well as avoiding the accidental-mute probably when in full thrash mode .

You will have to ream out the plate to take full-size US parts, and you'll need new knobs - those MIJ ones look nasty anyway, when you're familiar with the real ones. (Get plain-shaft pots, which the proper knobs fit on.)

The roller pots are fine, don't bother changing those either.

Trotter

Good shout on wiring to series. Makes a lot of sense.

Also agree on the knobs. I've got some genuine 60's jazzmaster ones around here somewhere which will go on when I find them!! (And replace the pots)

lasermonkey

That Jag is bloody gorgeous!

Trotter

Thanks

GavRichList

It is a lovely looking thing, despite the buzz stop making me want to cry little tears of hate.

Trotter

I know that again the buzz stops are controversial for some. I just wanted to see what difference it made, having owned 5 offsets now and never used one. Is it making a descernalbale difference/improvement? Not sure just yet, haven't played it in anger. To be fair it's a ten second job to remove if it's not for me.

jonnygreentrees

Trotter said:

Have had this guitar for a good while now and whilst i've always loved the look of it, it has never really played, or sounded right for me personally. 

I'm very lucky in the fact that I was given this guitar by an incredible friend and as such it only seemed right to try and accumulate parts to replace the week links. 

I've been amassing the parts for a little while now and finally found some time on Friday to get to work. 

Friday night: 

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0659 1_zpshpihu2di.jpg

All parts were secondhand and supplied by the fine frequenters of this very parish: Pickups are a set of Lollar for Jaguar from @andrewaward

bridge is a staytrem from @jellybelly and the buzz stop is from @meltedbuzzbox. all superb to deal with, thank you again chaps!  

After a couple of hours, of, well mainly drinking red wine if i'm honest, the result was this:

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0662_zpskv0zzem1.jpg

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/mtrotter82/IMG_0663 1_zpsvkcsjuw0.jpg

I managed to plug it in for the first time briefly this afternoon and have to say that, unsurprisingly, the pickups sound fantastic. the bridge is a huge step up from standard, & much better than the mustang bridge that I had previous added. The buzz stop is great for increasing break angle which is really all I wanted it for. All in all very happy. 

Next things to do are to replace the pots as they are pretty poor (or better still all the wiring and switches with better quality ones, does anyone do a drop in loom for Jaguars?) and i'm still looking for a tort pick guard as well.

I'm suprised you need a buzzstop with a Staytrem bridge, what's the reasoning for that? 

Trotter

@jonnygreentrees as stated above, purely because I have had loads of offsets now and never tried one. I wanted to make my own mind up about them.

Andyjr1515

That looks really nice.  I suspect it sounds great too!

Gassage

Trotter

Yup, that's all they are good for, for my style of playing @gassage