Jaguar HH thread # 2

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:58 pm

Go on then.. who voted 'shred it'?

Tomorrow i plan to swap it back over for a look and listen. I can't see them dragster pups being as good as the DiM's though, them boys are quality upgrades. I've had a few more hours playing it today and the clean sounds are the best i've heard from a guitar i've owned and i have had my fair share. Not fully convinced with the pearloid though.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:54 am

tortouse pg. do it.

DeadPenny · Post by **DeadPenny** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:02 am

get rid of the chrome knobs. if you dig the idea of knobs that aren't standard jag knobs... get some Gibson tophats with chrome inserts. like these...

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:26 pm

Made the swap today. Verdict: As suspected the dragsters are not even in the same league as the DiM's. They are'nt poor pickups by any means but just dont have the same tonal qualities clean or distorted. However the bridge pup seems more powerfull and responds better to heavy rythyms, but the neck 'bucker is the better voiced pup of the two.
The guitar still sounds fairly bright with jangle aplenty.
The guitar looks much better back in stock form imo, so i'm going back to my original plan of keeping it stock with the exception of fitting a '59 PAF in the bridge position.
The DiM's where very impressive and will obviously fit better my red Jag with them being singles.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:37 pm

Fair play for experimenting, and I;m glad you've found a solution for both guitars.

foofoo982 · Post by **foofoo982** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 5:49 am

I say keep it how it is if you like the current set up. Plus it's a bit different than a normal HH.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 7:42 am

foofoo982 wrote:I say keep it how it is if you like the current set up. Plus it's a bit different than a normal HH.

You have not been paying attention.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:06 am

DeadPenny wrote:get rid of the chrome knobs. if you dig the idea of knobs that aren't standard jag knobs... get some Gibson tophats with chrome inserts. like these...

haha i've had those on my jag for 9 years. got 'em off my g-400.

foofoo982 · Post by **foofoo982** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:35 pm

Mike wrote:
foofoo982 wrote:I say keep it how it is if you like the current set up. Plus it's a bit different than a normal HH.
You have not been paying attention.

Sorry, I had been up for 25 hours at that point and didn't see the second page.

Any recordings with the new guitar?

Post by **dots** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:01 pm

Fran wrote:I got my HH Jag today. This is an odd purchase, i bought the guitar NOT in stock shape but all the parts are supplied to put it back to stock.
First off it was an eBay sale from the US, i paid almost half the UK price and that is with the shipping included. The guitar is immaculate.

This thing plays wonderfull, i'm really suprised how different it feels to the normal Jag. The neck is very comfortable, without checking i'm sure the frets are larger. It feels much lighter too and resonates unplugged 10x better than the normal Jag.

Here's what the previous owner had done: removed the pups and scratchplate replacing them with a custom 'vintage cream' pearloid scratchplate (NEVER seen this colour before) then he fitted a DiM H3 single coil in the bridge and a DiM YJM single in the neck. Both vintage cream colour.
Just out of interest this pup combination is Malmsteens spec.
The neck sounds amazing clean and distorted, the bridge is a little thin sounding with distortion, the two combined seems to volume drop a little so i think they are wired 'out of phase'. LOADS of jangle, really mouth watering stuff (think Sugar meets the Byrds).

So, i intended to put this back to stock instantly but on playing it and the more i look at it i'm not sure... i've never liked 'pearloid' but this is different. (I deserve a good ole' flaming for that i know).

What do youse think?.. take a look and VOTE ngz.

if you're into the way it looks and sounds as-is, leave it. i don't think there's any question, really. i think it looks great! in fact, you got such a good deal, i think i need to watch ebay closer to see if i can snare one anywhere close to that cheap!

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:51 pm

dots wrote:if you're into the way it looks and sounds as-is, leave it. i don't think there's any question, really. i think it looks great! in fact, you got such a good deal, i think i need to watch ebay closer to see if i can snare one anywhere close to that cheap!

Thanks dots, i knew it was a good deal. All the stock is there plus over $100 worth of DiMarzio's.
The seller had a total feedback of 2 people so i think that may have put a few off. One thing i have learnt over the years is you people in the US are spoilt, the range of equipment you can get at cheap(er) prices is frustrating for a brit.. so i have started buying from over there.

I was looking at SD at DiM prices the other day, as an example i can get a SD 'seth lover' PAF new from the states at around $69. They are nearly double that in the uk.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:23 pm

I am actually not normally a big black fan, and I don't like Fender headstocks to be black EVAR. But this is where the Queen of spades shoots the moon with all hearts and spades and makes it not only acceptable, but perfect. I like both teh stock and modified. That is a keeper guitar.

Oh. Could you post pics now that you have made the changes? What exactly are the differences between that and a regular Jag besides the pups? (I know that's significant). I hate to admit it, but there's something very appealing about a stock Fender with TWO HBs. I have owned a jagstang and a fat strat, but this is in its own class.

BONER RE-JIZ 07!

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:36 pm

DGNR8 wrote:I am actually not normally a big black fan, and I don't like Fender headstocks to be black EVAR. But this is where the Queen of spades shoots the moon with all hearts and spades and makes it not only acceptable, but perfect. I like both teh stock and modified. That is a keeper guitar.

Oh. Could you post pics now that you have made the changes? What exactly are the differences between that and a regular Jag besides the pups? (I know that's significant). I hate to admit it, but there's something very appealing about a stock Fender with TWO HBs. I have owned a jagstang and a fat strat, but this is in its own class.

BONER RE-JIZ 07!

Right then.. MORE changes have taken place. Sorry DGNR8 but i dont have any stock photo's but believe me this guitar DOES look good in stock form.
Firstly to answer your question, the differences besides the pups are the TOM type bridge with tailpiece, chrome knobs and without checking specs the fingerboard radius seems flatter. This may be what was giving me the illusion that the frets where slightly larger. There is also a skunk stripe down the back of the neck. All the controls are the the same.

Secondly, i could not live with the stock sound after hearing the DiMarzio's. But did'nt like the gay pearloid either.. so i used my old tort sp off the sunburst Jag and got them spunking DiM's back in there. Sounds great and i love tort on black. Here's the pics....

Post by **Mike** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:10 pm

Ok that looks pissing gorgeous.

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:39 pm

Aye. Looking good!

Post by **Mike** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:41 pm

Bring that shit in August.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:48 pm

Oh yeah. That's nice.

There seems to be several of these for sale on ebay right now for $400-500 USD. Why are they so inexpensive, compared to other Jags? You'd think they'd be even more with HBs.

Are you happy without a whammy? So to get ehe sound you like, all you had to do was strap in another scratch plate with single coils and rewire. Are they 500k pots or 250s?

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:55 am

fran wins at jags. his other jag has the nicest japanese burst ever sprayed, and this one has the only colour scheme to involve a black body that i'm down with on fenders.

oh yeah and he's got that red one too. whoa.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:12 am

Black and tort rules. That look so good.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:30 pm

Now we've finally got some daylight in the house here is a better picture..

Thanks for all the comments.

As for the questions, i think the HH models may be cheaper perhaps because the design has'nt sold as well as Fender predicted, if this model would have been available back in Kurdtz day it would have sold effortlessly. Ultimately people like things to be traditional so the standard Jag will always be seen as the proper Jag and of course people feel they are getting more for their money with the tremelo system and may overlook the advantages/disadvantages of trems and non trem guitars.
I'll be honest, them humbuckers are not great but neither are they bad. Anyone that respects tone, valve amps and diversity will want to upgrade.

I glanced at the pots and i think they are 250k's but not positive, the rewire is simple. You have a 'hot' and 'ground' on each control plate.
The hardest part is finding screws the right length to hold the pups down, the routes are deeper than normal to accomodate humbucker pup screws and foam needs to be added to get the correct height.
I dont miss the whammy at all because i'm not a regular user, plus the TOM seems to contribute towards sustain.
All in all i am very happy with this purchase, like paul pointed out i'm a bit spoilt for choice now though.

Jaguar HH thread # 2

DEW WATT?

Re: Jaguar HH thread # 2

Re: Jaguar HH thread # 2