Vista Jagmaster Colors and Pickguards

[ploppy]

that's a lovely guitar!

[DustyMurphy]

I have a '97 3TS with the tort guard and 24" neck. I'll post pics of it when I get my camera back. It's a great guitar, although I've been jonesing to do a refin. I saw a friend do a refin on a 3TS Strat to SeaFoam Green w/matching headstock and with "wear" spots on the forearm rest to make it look like it was worn through to reveal the burst like some of the late 50's through late 60's Custom Color refins that Fender did over flawed bodies. The wood under my burst isn't especially great, but at the same time, it's not too bad either and I'd hate to cover it. I'll still post pictures of it as it is now and later if I end up doing anything. I just recently saw the Strat so I have no real decision made yet.

[hotrodperlmutter]

leave it.

er way, does it have the bullet truss rod?

do it.

[DustyMurphy]

leave it.

er way, does it have the bullet truss rod?

do it.

It does have the bullet rod. I don't know if it'll see the airgun or not, honestly. I just saw the finish and thought "Wow, that looks cool." And when I bought the Jagmaster I bought it with designs on doing all kinds of mods to make an amazing stage guitar. I wanted coil taps, phase switches, treble bleed circuit, a four way switch for series and parallel selection, maybe an onboard compressor or chorus. However, to date, none of these mods have been done. And I thought maybe painting it would light a fire under my ass to start getting the electronic mods done. I don't have another sunburst right now that I would spray over, and I just thought that the refin Strat was great. I'd love to do it with a guitar, but all I have is my 74' Tele Deluxe and the Jagmaster in sunburst right now, and I couldn't ever bring myself to refinish the Deluxe. So I thought about respraying the Jagmaster. Maybe if I find a JagmasterII on the cheap someday, it'll be a definite refin.

I've still got a lot of time to decide. It's just a matter of what and when I decide to do it.

[hotrodperlmutter]

that sounds like a busy guitar, let alone the hands doing the mods. i'd definitely wait to find a bit more of a 'choppable guitar,' as in one i'd feel comfortable hacking up. not that your mods would hack it up, but at least buy another guard.

stop jerkin everyone around and poast pics!

i'm in kc btw.

[DustyMurphy]

That's exactly what's kept m from doing it, I've felt like it's a shame to jack up a perfectly good guitar with all these mods. I'd rather find one that's already started or in need of work of some kind or another to do the mods on.

If I don't get my camera back by tomorrow I'll shoot a couple of pictures with my cell phone.

Here's some of my collection that I took awhile back:


2002 CIJ Pink Paisley Telecaster


2001 Les Paul 1959 Reissue


2008 Rickenbacker 660/12 AFG


A 70's-era Hondo 12-string Dove.


70's Lawsuit-era Ibanez Doubleneck


2004 Gretsch 6120DSW


1999 Fender Classic 60's Strat in Burgundy Mist


Bass Boat Blue Sparkle Squier Vista series Super Sonic. I'm not 100% on the year for this one, I'll check in the morning and edit this post.


Hope those will tide you over until I can get some shots of the Jagmaster.

[DPhil]

OK,

Having a Ric and a Jagmaster, nice. That is my long term plan. Nice guitars in your collection.

I'm holding off on getting any more (I also have an inexpensive Explorer style ESP LTD) until I can really say I can play. Perhaps a 330 or 360 as a merit award...

D

[DustyMurphy]

I had to wait for YEARS for that Rickenbacker. I guess they make just a few 660/12's, aside from the Mandolin and the 381/12 it's the least produced model. 330 and 360 six strings are the most common. Or at least that's the way I understood it. Mine was a color of the year model in Amber Fireglo (Fireglo with a yellowed clear coat to make it appear "vintage"), and I actually ordered it double blind, at the time I ordered it it was only for a "color of the year" model. I had it on good authority through the various rumor mills that it was going to be an aged Fireglo and I knew no matter what color it was, based on Rickenbacker's other COY finishes I'd like the color. But then it took 3 years and some change (a lot closer to four years than three) to get it. They had a HUGE backlog at the factory and only did AFG in random bursts (no pun intended) and even then what was coming were the most common models. I raised a lot of fuss over my wait, but I finally got it. There were several 660/12s that came out before mine too. Mine was actually from the last set of AFG 660s they made. My hope with this guitar would be a modern and more easily playable version of Tom Petty's guitar from the cover of Damn The Torpedoes. Which it is. People familiar with the album always mention it when they see the guitar. And it really gives the appearance of being a guitar that was kept in the case for 30 or 40 years. Nice and aged, GREAT action, wonderful guitar. If you're aiming for a 12-string instead of a 6-string I recommend that you try them out somewhere before purchasing them. The 330 and 360 12-string guitars have 12-strings on a 6-string neck and it is VERY cramped. I could barely do the 360/12. If I had one it would be strictly rhythm and I would have a hard time with a LOT of chords on it too. And I love a shorter/smaller neck. The 330/12 was better but the 660/12 has the biggest neck. Both in scale and shape. It was similar to a Les Paul, but thinner and faster. I LOVE the neck on this one. I went around and tried as many as I could before I decided on the 660. I was aiming for a 360/12 (I already have a black 330/6 I got in rough shape at a pawn shop that I loved.) but it was just too small. The 660's also have a full neck width inlay, although Rickenbacker has switched back to that as the standard since I ordered my guitar. Another thing is the pickups, everything except the 660 and the Reissues have the modern "hi-gain" pups instead. Just something to think about. I'd have just ordered the 360 based on looks and Beatles/Petty/Byrds association if somebody hadn't warned me, so I always warn people when they tell me that they're interested in a Ric. The quality is SUPER high on them too. I can't speak enough about the fit and finish. I'm disappointed that they had a price hike recently, I was planning on 370/12 and only using the extra G string like McGuinn's Martin sig acoustic. I've heard he's done this live before but could find no real evidence to back that up.

If there's any help/advice I can give on Rickenbackers, be sure to let me know, I'll give you any advice I can.

[DustyMurphy]

Also, I don't know if you've priced Rics, but you might start saving now. That's what I did, I had about $800 saved at the time I placed my order and I was actually able to get the full amount saved well before I got the guitar so I could pay it off immediately. (I only got mine last November after ordering in late spring 2005) Aside from the Gretsch, it was the first REALLY expensive guitar I ever owned. (And I got an AMAZING deal on the Gretsch. It was when they were wanting to release them with Chet's name again and Musician's Friend clearance them out and I had a 25% any one item coupon because of some problems I'd had with the company. I couldn't have gotten it at that time without that deal.) But just be aware they're more than they were a couple of years ago and the price has gone up, especially because of grey market sales where guys get on the waiting less and charge above the MSRP, much less street price, on eBay. So people are willing to pay more than they were. But they're really holding they're value well, and you can get a good deal if you don't mind a lightly used one. Especially now that they don't have a COY option. They were an upcharge at the factory and are still have a higher value than the base colors of Jetglo (Black), Fireglo (Sunburst), Mapleglo (Natural), and Midnight Blue. I think the BlueBurst finish which was the 2005 COY is an especially nice looking finish too.

[DPhil]

Lots of good info, thanks.

Is a Ric considered to be a short scale guitar?

My target would be any good used 6 string , 330 type Ric. I am not picky about color, except maybe I would avoid natural wood.

I found a used black Ric 330 at the Guitar Center next to the office building where I work a few years ago. It was $700 and completely flawless. Based on new prices north of $1200 I have seen, that was a good price and I should have bought it then.

On the other hand, I think the bucks I put into lessons over the past 3 years are worth it and I will hold off and get a Ric and a decent amp in the future. I actually really love my Jagmaster because it fits my smaller hands, so I do not feel deprived for now. The Ric also seemed to fit really well. BTW, whatever complaints some people have about the pickups on a Jagmaster, it sounds terrific through my instructor's '72 Fender Twin, even to my undertrained ears.

Do you use your Ric for lead work, or do you consider it a rythym guitar? I have seen someone locally here in Maryland use a Ric for lead work, but I think he may have modified the pickups.

D