GF Jagmaster mods

[Lucamo]

*warning, this post will be link abundant and filled with silly questions. Thanks for your patience.*


Hey guys. So I got a chinese Jagmaster from 2009.

Girlfriend basically gave it to me cause I bought her a camera. She will still use it, but she figures I've been eyeing it for mods for some time, so it is mine to molest and destroy.
But. I am a turd, so I will be doing some small mods for now.

1. First up. I want Kluson or Fender F Style 70s tuners. I found them both at this site, do you think they will fit the stock jagmaster tuner holes?

2. Also, is there anywhere cheapther than these for Mustang knobs, it is 3.95 for one knob, I'd need two.

3. The Trem on the jagmaster feels stiff. I am not used to Strats at all, but it feels much more difficult and rattly than the CV strat trems I have tried for a few minutes. Would it be worth buying a GFS Trem for 40 bucks, or even just a GFS Stainless steel trem block to add more weight to the whole system and more sustain? They are around 25 bucks. ORRR would locking the trem increase sustain or bottum end at all? Is it a difficult procedure?

4. Furthermore... is there anyway I could attain a finish like this one my neck, with a self applied spray can of some sort? Or is that something that can only be done in factories? I'd be willing to do it myself this summer if I could buy like one can and do it in my backyard. I have no idea what one would call this tint... but it is my favourite


5. Does anyone here have experience with GFS cheapo humbuckers? Experiences with the humbucker sized WRHB clones? I am a fan of mellow humbuckers, too many of GFS humbucker's seem to be suited for high gain.

Thanks for all your help, sorry for ramble of questions!

[Mages]

1. First up. I want Kluson or Fender F Style 70s tuners. I found them both at this site, do you think they will fit the stock jagmaster tuner holes?

it will fit in the holes but they will be spaced apart too far and won't cover up any of the screw holes and generally just look like crap. the stock tuners work fine I would just leave them.

2. Also, is there anywhere cheapther than these for Mustang knobs, it is 3.95 for one knob, I'd need two.

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/guitarknobs_j.htm

3. The Trem on the jagmaster feels stiff. I am not used to Strats at all, but it feels much more difficult and rattly than the CV strat trems I have tried for a few minutes. Would it be worth buying a GFS Trem for 40 bucks, or even just a GFS Stainless steel trem block to add more weight to the whole system and more sustain? They are around 25 bucks. ORRR would locking the trem increase sustain or bottum end at all? Is it a difficult procedure?

sounds like the trem needs to be setup. take one of the springs off and/or adjust the screws holding the spring claw. yes, the GFS big block trem will sound better. I think it increases volume overall.

4. Furthermore... is there anyway I could attain a finish like this one my neck, with a self applied spray can of some sort? Or is that something that can only be done in factories? I'd be willing to do it myself this summer if I could buy like one can and do it in my backyard.

I dunno about tinting, maybe some of our finish gurus can help you with that one. in my experience though, spraying guitar necks is relatively simple.

5. Does anyone here have experience with GFS cheapo humbuckers? Experiences with the humbucker sized WRHB clones? I am a fan of mellow humbuckers, too many of GFS humbucker's seem to be suited for high gain.

I don't have any experience with their humbuckers., I usually just get brand name stuff for cheap on eBay. but I have other GFS pickups that I really like, I wouldn't hesitate going for some of the their PAF style humbuckers if I was after that sound.

[Lucamo]

Thanks Mages.

So if I bought the bushing from 10.5 mm tuner holes to vintage and bout Kluson or old Fender F tuners they would fit but be very far apart? I just hate the look of the stock tuners, and they are rattly and loose.

Thanks for knob link!

TREM! Would it be worth it to just buy a big block from GFS and add it to my Trem? I read somewhere there trems are just cheap chinese ones anyways, which is the one on stock...

[Mages]

I think the steel block is worth it yeah.

as for the tuners I understand wanting klusons, they are good tuners as are the schaller made F tuners. I personally don't really like installing tuners that the neck wasn't drilled for. you end up with sloppily aligned tuners or all these extra screw holes and it just looks ugly. if I really wanted to upgrade the tuners I would look for some schallers that have the same footprint as the originals.

[Lucamo]

Thanks man.

Saw I decide to lock the tuner, which I might due as I don't get on with strat trems.
Would locking it benefit from a new block? Or is locking a tuner a bad idea?

Basically will the small block leave a locked tuner sounding thing, and would a new bigger block add to sustain and all that?

[Mages]

locking a tuner? lol um, you mean locking the bridge, like clapton style, shoving a wood block in there or something? you can try that out if you want. I think just putting all five springs on the trem and screwing everything all the way down is probably the best way to "lock" it though. either way, yeah I think the steel block will still improve the sound. my impressions of the steel block is this: it's hard to compare actual sustain before and after but I can say that to me it sounded acoustically louder after I installed the steel bridge block. speculatively, I think what it does is absorb less of the acoustic energy from strings letting them vibrate more on their own, so yeah I think that would improve signal output and sustain. but what I really can say is that I actually observed an acoustic volume increase.

[Lucamo]

Oh shit I mean Trem yeah, thanks.

Okay so just add alot of springs and tighten all the screws. I'ma try that. Gonna order a block soon.

[Shaguar]

0.80$ for knobs:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=562

[SGJarrod]

I like the GFS Mean 90's I got, Also talk to HotRod.... he had the WRHB in one of his guitars, I do not think he was a fan...

If ur wanting GFS I would go for their Vintage 59 or Classic 2 Alinco II vintage wound...they would be the smoothest sounding

[SKC Willie]

several things to add. I have a set of the WHRBs in my epiphone dot. I really disliked them at first but they're growing on me. The aren't are jangly as a real WHRB or RI but they sound okay. I'd say they bring out the mids a little more than a normal bucker.

also, blocking a strat trem isn't hard. I just did it in my SX tele deluxe thing. I used a two by four, shaped it with sandpaper and handsaws, glued the block in and the bridge has been sound ever since. I did this with a piece of 2x4 I had laying around. Really, if you've got a couple of hours it makes for a fun little project that helps with wood working skills.

Also, finishing a neck is easy. I don't know if the neck on that jagmaster is glossy but if it is, you can rub some brown shoe polish in there and it will tint it just a little bit. I did about 3 or 4 coats of kiwi shoe polish on my tele neck and it tinted just a little bit, so it wasn't so pale. I did use clear krylon (3$ a bottle), I sprayed 3 or 4 coats a day, and let dry over night. Sanded with 600 grit and sprayed 3 0r 4 more coats on. I did this three or four days. The last day, I sanded from 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grit and polished the hell out of the neck by hand. I got a really smooth and glossy finish. I thought it was super easy because I laid the neck down flat, so it was easy to get a nice even coat on there.

Basically, all of these things are do able, but if you're new to it, expect it not to work the first time and give yourself time to work on it. You keep that in mind and you'll have a fun/successful project.

[hotrodperlmutter]

WRHB. WRHB. Wide Range Hum Bucker.

let's refrain from calling the GFS 'Split Humbuckers' anything but that.

and they're not bad, robbie (portugalwillie) described them pretty accurately. i had one in the neck with the stock vista tone 'bucker in my vista jagmaster, and the two sounded poorly together.

robbie's dot sounds pretty great with them, and sounds like a gibson should i think.

on another note: i think MikeG did the same to his chinese jagmaster, using pickups purchased from the UK, but i'd bet money they're identical.

EDIT: here.

[Lucamo]

on another note: i think MikeG did the same to his chinese jagmaster, using pickups purchased from the UK, but i'd bet money they're identical.

EDIT: here.

Those Twangmasters seem to be humbucker sized, maybe just slight modification is needed.

EDIT: I like the aethetic of pickup rings... it would make no sense, and not work to install them on the jagmaster correct?

[Lucamo]

Also, finishing a neck is easy. I don't know if the neck on that jagmaster is glossy but if it is, you can rub some brown shoe polish in there and it will tint it just a little bit. I did about 3 or 4 coats of kiwi shoe polish on my tele neck and it tinted just a little bit, so it wasn't so pale. I did use clear krylon (3$ a bottle), I sprayed 3 or 4 coats a day, and let dry over night. Sanded with 600 grit and sprayed 3 0r 4 more coats on. I did this three or four days. The last day, I sanded from 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grit and polished the hell out of the neck by hand. I got a really smooth and glossy finish. I thought it was super easy because I laid the neck down flat, so it was easy to get a nice even coat on there.

Hmmm. I was considering buying the RE-ranch vintage amber tint, meant to recreate the tint in guitar necks, and their clear coat, 15 bucks each for a can. They also have detailed descriptions on their site.

But your stating I can just tint it over the gloss already there, and then clear coat again. I realized I don't care much for changing the colour, I just like glossier necks, so maybe I will just do a few clear coats over it, and spray the rest over the Mustang body you sold me. ALSO

The Jagmaster neck is more glossy then the Musicmaster neck you sold me, but no where near as clossy as a classic vibe neck or a MIJ mustang, does that explain things? Would this require stripping using your method with shoe polish?

[Lucamo]

Okay. So it has been decided.

As of right now I get on with the neck pickup, and not the bridge.
So I'm gonna remove the bridge and make this a one pickup machine.

It will look something like this:


Yes I did that on paint... and yes it will look that bad because I will use black spray paint.
I also want to down the road tint the neck so thats how it will look tinted.

Black or white neck pickup?

[SKC Willie]

bahhh. I don't see an advantage to taking a pickup out. Even if you don't use it, why not have it in there?


If you want the neck more glossy, I would say you're going to need to strip it and refinish. If it is already glossy enough, just take some shoe polish and buff that stuff into the neck and after 3-4 coats, it should give it a nice amber tint. I would do some testing on the butt of the neck first, just to make sure it doesn't turn the finish straight brown. I've never heard of it happening, but better safe than sorry.

[Lucamo]

Yeah I want it more glossy...

I'm not really gonna take it out, just put tape over the hole.

[Asher]

Do a stealth pickup (underneath the pickguard)

[Lucamo]

Totally would if I wasn't inept at life.

I am still yet to ever wire a pickup by myself......

[MikeG]

Yep, the 'vintage split' humbuckers I bought from Axes r Us are made in the same factory as the GFS ones.

They're nothing like real WRHBs in terms of construction, but they look nice and sound a lot better than the stock pickups. I also changed the pots to 1meg ones.

The Jagmaster is in pieces at the moment after refinishing it. I'll be putting a Mean 90 in the bridge, and the humbucker at the neck. Blocking up the trem too.

In short, an awful lot of effort just to make the guitar reliable. But I bought it for a shockingly low price, and it's been a fun way to better my skills.

[Viljami]

Totally would if I wasn't inept at life.

new sig.