Jaguar not fat sounding enough

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:22 pm

Hi,

Ive been playing my Fender Jaguar '66 reissue everyday since I got it around a month ago.
Im playing through a Marshall half stack, and when driven the jaguar doesnt seem to have the same 'oomph' as my SG does.

Im guessing its the single coils, but even playing with the EQ and gain on the amp, it still isnt doing it for me.
I've started to use an old Boss multi effects pedal, using the function where it makes single coils sound more like humbuckers,
but that just seems to make it sound too muddy.

Any ideas to help?

Post by **Doog** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:24 pm

Sounds like you want some beefier pickups. The Seymour Duncan 'Quarter Pound For Jaguar' pickup will give you a far fatter sound suitable for ROCKKKKK without resorting to singlecoil-sized humbuckers.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:24 pm

Wrong guitar, scro.
Basically everything about this guitar is working against your fat desire.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:29 pm

jaguars, from my understanding, aren't beefy fat sg sounding guitars.
except the classic players, those are a different story.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:35 pm

I don't want it to sound exaclty like my SG, I just want it sound like its got a massive pair of nuts

I'll only swap out the stock p-ups as a last resort, all my guitars are stock, except a fishman acoustic pickup in my SG.

Maybe one of the Seymour Duncan pickup boosters would be good?

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:38 pm

well, considering your jaguar is a cij/mij jaguar.
you're best/cheapest option is to just swap the pickups out.
stock pickups on japanese jaguars are very thin sounding.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:38 pm

Some sort of booster or eq sounds in order.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:39 pm

If you REALLY don't want to swap the pickups, you could start by changing the 1 meg pots to 500k but that's going to be as much, if not more work than replacing a pickup and it's going to be equivalently character changing.

It might not sound very good, either.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:39 pm

Russian muff was doing a great job at making my Jag not sound like a Jaguar.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:41 pm

sounds like cij pickups to me. notoriously weak and thin sounding.
seymour duncans or avri pickups are sensible replacements.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:45 pm

or if you can get your hands on a pair of MIM jaguar pickups.
they're incredible.

Post by **Doog** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:45 pm

Don't bother messing around with boosters and stuff, those pickups just aren't good; 'turd/polish' and all that.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:52 pm

Considering the CIJ nature of those pickups, a swap really IS the most viable option.
Anything else is likely to be a waste of your time and money. If I can give you a tip, steer clear of Seymour Duncan SJag (Hot for Jaguar) As I've found they only accentuate the qualities you're trying to attenuate.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:52 pm

laterallateral wrote:Russian muff was doing a great job at making my Jag not sound like a Jaguar.

+1.

If you want more dimension in general though, do what Doog said. I had this battle for years, ended up using different guitars in the end.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:04 pm

Fran wrote:
laterallateral wrote:Russian muff was doing a great job at making my Jag not sound like a Jaguar.
+1.

If you want more dimension in general though, do what Doog said. I had this battle for years, ended up using different guitars in the end.

true story.
i generally use an Eq/Boost pedal (dr. scientist's - the cleanness), and a russian big muff with my jag hh or my tele, as i want to get twang from the jag (keep it on the tele) but also add some gigantic Balls to both.

Armchair Bronco · Post by **Armchair Bronco** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:10 pm

Fatter strings will help. Throw some #12's on that bad boy and it'll fatten right up!

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:11 pm

Do what Doog said. The stock CIJ/MIJ pickups are a pile of wank.
Or buy a Les Paul.

clarkbar · Post by **clarkbar** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:13 pm

duncan hot rail mini humbuckers work pretty well in my mustang and give it a fatter sound (closer to sg but still different). no routing necessary also. also worth checking out the jaguar HH baritone. (the black one)

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:48 pm

Armchair Bronco wrote:Fatter strings will help. Throw some #12's on that bad boy and it'll fatten right up!

Yeah that'll work...

Justin J wrote:sounds like cij pickups to me. notoriously weak and thin sounding.
seymour duncans or avri pickups are sensible replacements.

+1

1/4 for Jaguar or one of them strat sized humbuckers.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:57 pm

Thanks for the tips

I think I'll try one of the single-coil sized humbuckers, I can always swap it back if it sounds pants haha.

Is there any particularly good ones? I've seen one where it was literally a mini-humbucker, small poles and stuff. The hotrails look quite cool too!