Yes, I'm Finally Recording Thinline Jag Clips - Need Input

ellengtrgrl · Post by **ellengtrgrl** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:22 am

Hi Everybody,

It's been a while (like a good month or so), since I last posted. At that time, I had picked up one of the limited edition Thinline Jaguars. I promised that I'd record some tracks of the guitar. Well, life intervened. Work got crazy (to the point that I was too burned out to even do much playing, much less recording stuff). Then, I ran into recording issues (I've changed computers, since I last recorded, and I was stymied by a complete lack of mic input [I'd never had this problem with Audacity in the past] - well, it turned out to be a stupid facepalm issue [a bad mic connector]). Well, now that's all squred away.

I'm still kind of burned out from work, but as long as I have the gumption/energy at the present time, I might as well burn some tracks. I just have one issue. Like my first Jag (back in 1990), this Jag, has a fair amount of coupling between the shielding claws, and the pickup coils - especially when I play at high gain (hey, what can I say, it's the metalhead player in me

), squeal. How do I know it's coupling between the claws and the pickups? All I have to do, is touch the shielding claw of the pickup that's live, and it stops. Grrr! My MIM CP Jag, and my 66 CIJ Jag Reissue didn't have this problem! While I could do a pickup change (not necessarily a bad idea - I'd prefer hotter pickups), I doubt that'll fix the problem (it didn't with my first Jag). So, do any of you have ideas about what I can do to eliminate this problem? If I could, I'd prefer not to be so drastic as to remove the shielding claws (IMO, they do affect the Jag's sound, and are a significant part of its sound), or epoxy them to the pickups.

I have to eat a VERY late supper (I got home late from work, and I had to do laundry). Irregardless of whether or not, I get any responses while I'm eating, I will record some tracks, and try to deal with the sqealing at high gain. Oh, BTW, here's a pic I took of my Jag, that does it more justice, than the one I took ages ago.

ellengtrgrl · Post by **ellengtrgrl** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:37 am

OK, I'm done recording a sound clip of my Thinline Jag. Some listening notes:

1. Recording gear used - Audacity recording software, with an old semi-cheap Realistic knock-off of a Shure SM58 (I wish I hadn't given away my REAL SM58 back in 2002

)

2. Amp - early 90s Peavey Solo Series Bandit 112 (the Solo Series Peaveys are very early versions of Peavey's Transtube amps). The sound may be a bit dark to some people - I do NOT like bright sounding guitar.

3. No effects were used on the guitar. It was recorded dry.

4. The volume and tone controls were left wide open (I didn't want to color the guitar's basic sound too much - other than via the amp).

5. The recording has 3 sections: clean; medium gain; and high gain. Time-wise, I started off playing clean, getting dirtier sounding, as I progressed section-wise.

6. Within each section, are 5 subsections. They are the sounds of the different pickup combinations. I proceeded with the pickup combinations in this order: Neck Pickup; Rhythm Circuit; Both Pickups; Bridge Pickup; Bridge Pickup and Strangle Switch (except in the high gain section - I forgot to do it [oh well, it would have been too bright for my tastes anyway!

])

7. The track was recorded on the fly as an improvisation (complete with a few clunkers). This was due to time constraints, and also due to the fact that Soundclick (where I have my account for posting audio files), makes it a hassle to post covers.

Well, here's the sound clip:

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11763840

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:15 am

Guitar sounds great! I came across one of these at a local guitar center recently and really enjoyed playing it. A very unique sounding jag.

Sorry, not sure what to make of this coupling issue you're having...

DasBeef · Post by **DasBeef** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:03 am

Can't help with issues, but your guitar looks and sounds amazing. Bit jelly. So many guitar wants, limited funds.

ellengtrgrl · Post by **ellengtrgrl** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:10 pm

Thanks guys! Sorry about the clunkers in the clip. But it was late (going on 10 PM, and I'd been up since 4:30 AM), when I finally got things done. I may try bending the shielding claws away from the pickups a little, to see if it decouples them from the pickups. Thankfully the problem is nowhere near as bad, as it was with my first Jag. Even with a pickup change to Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds, that guitar used to sqeal like a pig at at all but the lowest gain and volume settings (and even then I often had to roll the tone control down to zero). If you listen closely, you can hear a few instances, where the guitar starts to squeal (I was trying to decide with to play next, and/or palm muting while chunking out chords).

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:36 pm

Now that I have owned my Coronado II for a while, I can only imagine how fun this guitar must be to play.

I actually like how my Coronado II induces the feedback and I am trying learn to use it.

mastermorya · Post by **mastermorya** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:26 pm

Agree, the demo sounds great. I tried to play one of these in a Guitar Center, and it was set up for shit. I told the guys working there that they should have someone spend 10 minutes to set it up properly if they want anyone to buy it. Two months later, and it is still sitting there, set up so poorly that this $1700 guitar is literally unplayable. GG, GC.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:00 pm

I will have to listen. I am curious. I am also pretty burnt right now. Hell week. But if it rains all weekend I may do some soldering.

ellengtrgrl · Post by **ellengtrgrl** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 2:10 am

Thanks again guys!

DGNR8 wrote:I will have to listen. I am curious. I am also pretty burnt right now. Hell week. But if it rains all weekend I may do some soldering.

I know the feeling. I ended up having to go into to work yesterday morning for a few hours. As a result of not enough sleep (I'm usually up for work before 5 AM), I wound up sleeping 12 hours last night!

What kind of soldering were you going to do (just curious - I have a bit of an electronics background courtesy of electronics coursework in college, and a ham radio license I've had for a long time [I have a couple of vintage tube-type ham radios, that I've started, and need to finish restoring, when I have the time and energy])?

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:07 pm

I finally got to play one of these guitars at Guitar Center.

That Thinline Jaguar is the definition of trebliness. Cranking up the Bridge pickup along with the feedbacking of a hollowbody guitar was quite interesting.

It was a lot heavier than I thought it would be and the neck is much chunkier than my AVRI Jaguar. I did miss the contours/tummy cut.

Really cool guitar though.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:06 pm

I need to finish a few guitars that need soldering. Very basic stuff. The hardest part is threading the harness through the archtop. I made some progress with my ES-125 this past weekend.