I've finally settled on the pickups I want to use for my soon-to-happen Jagmaster mod project.
I'm going to use GuitarFetish components all around: an HB-sized Mean 90 Alnico P90 pickup in the neck and one of the new Vintage Extra Hot (VEH) 11.2K zebra humbuckers in the bridge. I'll go for a Gibson BFG-type configuration, but with a push/pull coil tap for the humbucker. I'm also getting two 500K volume & tone pots, a new 3-way switch, and a new jack.
I have the trem blocked with a piece of hardwood, but I'd really like to cut something to fit the trem cavity and get rid of the springs altogether. I'd like to replace the bridge, but I can't find anyone who carries 9.5" radius TOM-style bridges or wrap-around bridges. New eye candy will be a couple of black Fender Jazz Bass knobs like the ones on my Tiny Terror.
Here's what I have to work with, although in the 2+ years since I bought it, my Jag's white pickguard had aged to a very light yellow.
I'm also thinking that maybe I'll just completely steal the BFG circuit and add a kill switch and a second dedicated volume pot (so I'll have 3 pots: 2 volume and 1 shared tone pot). It also looks like I can fit a Dogeared P90 in the neck with only modest changes to the existing pickguard cutout.
I just had a similar upgrade done to my son's Ibanez GAX-70 using GFS parts: 2 new humbuckers, 4 new 500K pots (2 of which were push/pulls), new 3-way switch, and new jack.
I was pretty impressed with the quality of these components considering the price I paid -- GFS parts are a very good value overall.
The 3-way switch was really solid feeling and utterly quiet.
BacchusPaul wrote:Squier jacks = complete shite. It's a well known and established fact.
I never know if I'm getting slammed around here. The cynic in me is thinking that "a jack is a freakin' jack" and that it was pointless replacing it.
I suppose that may be so. But I wasn't going to let a $3.00 jack be the weak link on this low-budget mod, so I figured "WTF? I'll get a new jack, too."
If I've committed a terrible faux paux, well...there's nuttin' I can do about it now...
BacchusPaul wrote:Squier jacks = complete shite. It's a well known and established fact.
I never know if I'm getting slammed around here. The cynic in me is thinking that "a jack is a freakin' jack" and that it was pointless replacing it.
I suppose that may be so. But I wasn't going to let a $3.00 jack be the weak link on this low-budget mod, so I figured "WTF? I'll get a new jack, too."
If I've committed a terrible faux paux, well...there's nuttin' I can do about it now...