I've had my Jaguar Classic Player Special HH for a couple of years now, and it has slowly become my favorite guitar. I love the SRV tones I get from the neck pup blended all the way to single coil and the Nirvana tones I get from the bridge pup running in 80% HB mode.
I'm using Gibson Brite Wire #9's on mine and haven't looked back. The last time I did a string change, I only had #9's available. Gave 'em a try and liked how easy bending became.
I had my tech add a capacitor to the tone pot about a year ago, but didn't like it, so I clipped it off. Now I'm back to the stock factory tone.
No complaints except for the volume pot - if I turn it down, I loose a lot sparkle in my tone, so I always keep it dimed. Otherwise, a great modern twist on a classic guitar.
Last edited by Armchair Bronco on Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
The white one is one of the prettiest guitars I have seen. I obsessed about it for a while and went and test drove some at e guitar store. I was not as impressed with the coil tapping as I hoped and didn't like the neck, though I liked others. Ultimately, I bought an AVRI Jaguar because I am not a HB guy and coil tapped HBs don't sound as good as single coils. I may give it another try one day, when I make peace with hum buckers.
Its just about the most ideal guitar for me, but in retrospect I would have gotten the HH special cause I don't use a whammy bar much and I could just put prails in it with the triple shots and have awesome splitting that way while still have the rhythm circuit which I do actually like the sound of.
But yeah I like what I got. The neck is a bit beefy though. That's a problem for my doll hands
My other guitar is an SG Classic, and that thing has a REALLY beefy neck. So for me that Jaguar CP Special HH has a very comfy neck by comparison. I also have small hands.
I agree that a blended single coil doesn't sound as pure as a dedicated one, but I still think the neck pup on my Jag sounds very SRV-like. The Adjust-O-Matic bridge is also a great modern addition.
I don't use the tremolo as much as I do the Bigsby B5 on my SG Classic, but I've been slowly learning to use it for flavoring, especially on rockabilly covers.
The action is still higher than I'd like, but I've already lowered the bridge as much as I can, so the next stop is to get the neck shimmed.
Well I plan on...eventually... having the blending rollers taking out and replaced with mustang switches so that I do finally put Prails in it I can have the p90, rail, and series bucker sounds available via teh 3 way mustang switches.
Mite b cool
So yeah. Still wish I had the rhythm circuit though
The one minor mod I'd like to make is to replace the lower control plate (with 3 switches) with a version that has one switch for the low cut and a 3-way toggle switch for the pups.
Haven't found anything available Stateside. Wonder if I could order one from Japan?
Armchair Bronco wrote:The one minor mod I'd like to make is to replace the lower control plate (with 3 switches) with a version that has one switch for the low cut and a 3-way toggle switch for the pups.
Haven't found anything available Stateside. Wonder if I could order one from Japan?
A guy over on Offsetguitars makes those plates. It's a pretty easy mod if you've got a soldering iron.
Armchair Bronco wrote:Anyone else out there own a Jag CP Special HH?
I've had my Jaguar Classic Player Special HH for a couple of years now, and it has slowly become my favorite guitar. I love the SRV tones I get from the neck pup blended all the way to single coil and the Nirvana tones I get from the bridge pup running in 80% HB mode.
I'm using Gibson Brite Wire #9's on mine and haven't looked back. The last time I did a string change, I only had #9's available. Gave 'em a try and liked how easy bending became.
I had my tech add a capacitor to the tone pot about a year ago, but didn't like it, so I clipped it off. Now I'm back to the stock factory tone.
No complaints except for the volume pot - if I turn it down, I loose a lot sparkle in my tone, so I always keep it dimed. Otherwise, a great modern twist on a classic guitar.
They're pretty darn slinky, that's for sure. I'll probably strap on some 10's once I've ordered another box of Gibson Brite wires. But I was surprised how good the 9's sounded and how well the guitar stayed in tune even after use the trem.
Yeah, sounds prettty slinky for a short scale, but mind you this is coming from the 14s-in-standard guy so
With a shortscale such as a jag, a general rule of thumb, in many people's opinion is to have a gauge heavier than what you would use on a longscale guitar. That being said, heavier strings will definitely help tuning stability.
i've found that mine is probably my main go to guitar when playing live shows..
i rotated the kill switch so that down is on.. because i have a tendency to hit it when up was on and kill my guitar during a bridge or some other rhythm part.
the 9.5 radius on the neck i find a bit chunky.. i prefer the vintage thinner necks..
i swapped the tom out for a mustang bridge, despite the radius difference, no real issues, except my low e likes to pop out when i'm playing.. but i think that has more to do with break angle/super low action (as my high e gets stuck under the humbuckers from time to time..)
i've found 11s work quite well on it for me (in standard tuning) i had 13s on it for a while, but i was getting a buzz from somewhere that disappeared when i went back to 11s.
i find i generally have my bridge pickup engaged, but blended for more single coil, and when i need "gnar tonez" i go neck pup 100& hum
making the mod to the 3 way toggle would probably be my next step..
but all in all i'm happy with it.. compared to the RI jag i was expecting i'd miss the rhythm switch, however it turns out.. not so much.
