Jagmaster neck w/duo project.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:27 pm

So i'm trying to decide if i completely shit the bed on all of this... i had cooterfinger make me a duo body. I then ordered a Squier Jagmaster neck for it. The neck is from the newest version of the Jagmaster (2012 i think...). I've been reading all up on this neck and some people are saying that it is a conversion neck and wont work with a Duo body. Other people are saying that its not a conversion neck and will work just fine on a duo body. It fits in the neck pocket perfectly with the Duo body i have all the screw holes line up perfectly. I'm going to put a tornado bridge on this and drill holes for string thru body. I do not have the bridge yet but this is what i did....

I measured the entire length from the nut to where the bridge is going to go, and its 24" from the nut to the muddle of the bridge screw pattern (where the saddles will most likely rest)....

Next i measures exactly 12" from the nut to the 12th fret as seen here...

It also measures exactly 12" from the 12th fret to where the bridge saddles will be sitting as seen here.

So with all these details is this thing going to intonate properly? or am i fucked? If its the same distance between the nut and 12th fret as it is between the 12th fret and bridge is that legit? As a test i took the exact same measurements from my PS Mustang and they are the same.. It does have 22 frets and my Jagmaster neck has 21. I've 14 days to return this neck if it isnt. I'm hoping to get the bridge later this week, drill the holes and string it up and see if everything is kosher before i refinish the head stock.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:38 pm

I also measured my PS mustang from the end of the neck pocket to where the saddles sit and did the same on the Duo body... they are pretty much identical.. about 7"

Zack · Post by **Zack** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:09 pm

That sounds like 24" scale to me, although I could be wrong. Either way you'll probably be messing with the bridge to get it set up & all that, so best thing to do is wait for the bridge to arrive.

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:21 pm

21 frets = conversion neck. 22 frets = old school 24" scale.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:24 pm

cur wrote:21 frets = conversion neck. 22 frets = old school 24" scale.

With the measurements i gave though, will i be okay you think?

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:36 pm

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32649

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtop ... 9444edf70c

Probably not, but the duo bridges have a little more wiggle room I think. Do you have the bridge?

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:40 pm

It's actually a tornado bridge that i'm getting. It should be here later this week.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:56 pm

After reading those articles i'm still confused... The Jagmaster neck i have is 17 1/4 in nut to heel. My PS Mustang neck is 17 6/8 nut to heel... So does that mean id have to move my saddles 1/2' forward to cover the difference? The thing that is throwing me off here is when i measured nut to 12th fret and 12th fret to bridge position, both necks had the same dimensions... Is the issue that the Jag neck has different fret spacing to account for the 21 frets minus the 22? I lined both necks up next to each other and the Jag neck frets line up perfectly with the PS Mustang neck. The only difference is one less fret on the jag. Does the body on the PS mustang and bridge placement make up for that 1/2' difference between the two necks?

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:26 pm

probably move saddles 1/2 back. neck will be deeper in pocket.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:48 pm

So i could skip all this bullshit by returning the Jagmaster neck that i bought and exchanging it for a Squier VM Jaguar neck, which is a 24" neck with 22 frets...

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:21 pm

I assume it is a yes. It makes sense that it would... gonna go that route. Thanks for the help everyone!

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:22 am

Mattsican wrote:I assume it is a yes. It makes sense that it would... gonna go that route. Thanks for the help everyone!

Uhh, I think those might also be conversion necks too. I have no idea though, I just have a Jagmaster neck. I'm pretty sure that they make an approximate 24" scale on a normally 25.5" guitar.

Why don't you just measure the bridge differently? You can make it happen with the parts you have. If you will it dude, it is no dream.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:29 am

cur wrote:21 frets = conversion neck. 22 frets = old school 24" scale.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:10 pm

Why did they ever make such weird sizes like the Jagmaster? Why not just a normal 24?

markarkark · Post by **markarkark** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:25 pm

on the plus side your new guitar body looks like a fine piece of work! it's basically only the shippings/customs thing that's putting me off asking for one of these.

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:38 pm

When you get the bridge in strap the thing together and string it up. Use and acoustic tuner and see if you can get it to intonate.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:24 pm

Punkacc9 wrote:Why did they ever make such weird sizes like the Jagmaster? Why not just a normal 24?

$$$

The original Jagmasters in the '90s Vista Series used traditional 24" scale with glossy lacquer, vintage radius and everything, because they had Japanese Fender Jaguar necks. This was a limited run using Fender Japan parts from the get-go, but because back then you had to spend about $600 on a Japanese Fender and then $100 more on new pickups/bridge for it to get the same results otherwise (i.e. rock-ready Jaguar/Jazzmaster type guitar like the grungey big boys), they became pretty popular with their target market.

The guitar became the only Vista to live on as a regular Squier (meaning built by them, in the same places they make Affinity Strats and whathaveyou) with a 25.5" Strat neck/CBS headstock because it was way cheaper to do that way, but when later changed back to 24" scale they used the bodies and bridge position of the 25.5" models with a new 21 fret conversion neck so they didn't have to change anything on the production of the bodies and pickguards, while doing away with a couple of finish options for them as well.

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:59 am

markarkark wrote:on the plus side your new guitar body looks like a fine piece of work! it's basically only the shippings/customs thing that's putting me off asking for one of these.

Yeah he cooterfinger did a great job on it. I'm about to head out to a friends house who has drill press so we can drill some string thru holes and ferrules now that i have my bridge. I ended up just returning the Jagmaster neck and have a Jaguar neck on the way. I didn't want to mess with hoping it would intonate and all the shady if's and maybe's. I'll probably start a thread on the build with lots of pictures... and questions.. haha.

cur · Post by **cur** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:08 am

Where do you go to grab a jagmaster neck, then just return it for a proper jag neck?

Mattsican · Post by **Mattsican** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:10 am

cur wrote:Where do you go to grab a jagmaster neck, then just return it for a proper jag neck?

Ebay, "Stratosphere"... They're kinda 2 bit but the only place i could find a neck sub 200 bucks. $139+shipping. Turns out the Jagmaster neck was the same price as the Jaguar neck. From what i gather they are pretty much a guitar chop shop. At least they have a 14 day return policy.