HH Classic Player Jag?

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:48 pm

I've been mostly looking at Jazzmasters lately, since they have an overall fuller sound than a Jag, but I've also been entertaining the idea of getting a versatile humbucking guitar like the Parker P-series. The HH Jags kinda combine the two a bit(though I don't get the Piezo on the Parkers).

I remember seeing the look of the HH white Jag in a shop here and it was a beautiful looking guitar.

I'm curious as to how "good" it sounds. I generally prefer the sound of Single Coils over Humbuckers, but thicker single coils like a Jazzmaster or the higher output single coils you get on the regular CP Jag. There aren't many demos on Youtube, but I was impressed that it did actually manage to sound a bit like a Jag - what's cool is the coil split fader, which helps get around the problem of a pure coil split being thin sounding.

I can barely afford the guitar even second hand, but I do need a good new guitar that'll stay in tune, etc.(which I hope the CPs do), so I can't really afford to swap out pickups, at least not at first.

Would I be better off getting the regular CP Jag? I know it's anal but I don't think they look as nice, the sunburst/tort is a bit busy for me and the CAR a bit plain, the Olympic white is perfect. I don't want to get a J instrument as I'd specifically want the hotter/fuller pickups of the CP. However, from what I can tell the CP Jag HH has ridiculously hot pickups so they'd probably sound good coil split.

Otherwise I just might go with the Jazzmaster and make the best of it(wire the mid position to be in series so I get some humbucking action).

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:27 pm

I've got the singles version of the Jag CP and it's pretty marvelous really and I'm a fan. If anything I find the bare bobbins of the HB version visually upsetting however a recent mod I've seen is two metal covered WRHBS mounted in a sunburst tort HH and it looks EXACTLY how I'd want a duel HB Jag to look. Lovely.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:42 pm

I was convinced I wanted the white CP Jaguar HH, so I found a Guitar Center and played two of them. I liked the Coil Split idea on each pickup, unfortunately the stock Enforcer pickups don't sound that great coil split or in full humbucker mode. I think you will need to swap out the pickups, but you need to play it yourself. You might like the pickups.

The guitar should stay in tune as long as it's setup properly. If it doesn't take it to a tech who can get it setup for you.

All the CP Jaguars and Jazzmasters have hotter pickups, so you could lower the volume knob or consider a pickup swap. AVRI Jaguar pickups are very affordable ($40 each I think) and offer wonderful tone. You can also find Stock jazzmaster pups for good prices as well.

You might also consider the Blacktop Jazzmaster that has the JM pickup and the HB in the bridge. It's also very affordable.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:58 pm

Dave wrote:I've got the singles version of the Jag CP and it's pretty marvelous really and I'm a fan. If anything I find the bare bobbins of the HB version visually upsetting however a recent mod I've seen is two metal covered WRHBS mounted in a sunburst tort HH and it looks EXACTLY how I'd want a duel HB Jag to look. Lovely.

Is this the one you mean? Best sounding CP Jag HH i have heard. Though I believe he is mistaken about the pickups. The CP Jag HH comes with Enforcer Pickups while the Mustang Special comes with Mini Wide Range Enforcer pickups. It's not just an Enforcer with a cover.

[youtube][/youtube]

Tweedhead · Post by **Tweedhead** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:55 pm

I've had this for a little over a year now and, for a while,
I was satisfied with the sound of the pickups after I put flat
wound strings on it to mellow the sound. Lately, however,
I've grown to dislike how the more treble range sounds.
It's hard to describe, but there's a chunky, mechanical ringing
to the sound. So I've bought jazzmaster '62 reissue pickups
to swap out soon. It's a fantastic guitar though, plays great.
The Olympic white one has the killswitch if you want teh kurtz.
I'm thinking about getting the electronics reverted back to the
original wiring with the lead & rhythm circuits. The neck, frets
and fret board are all great for me though. Can't go wrong
with the guitar in my opinion.

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:56 pm

taylornutt wrote:
Dave wrote:I've got the singles version of the Jag CP and it's pretty marvelous really and I'm a fan. If anything I find the bare bobbins of the HB version visually upsetting however a recent mod I've seen is two metal covered WRHBS mounted in a sunburst tort HH and it looks EXACTLY how I'd want a duel HB Jag to look. Lovely.
Is this the one you mean? Best sounding CP Jag HH i have heard. Though I believe he is mistaken about the pickups. The CP Jag HH comes with Enforcer Pickups while the Mustang Special comes with Mini Wide Range Enforcer pickups. It's not just an Enforcer with a cover.

[youtube][/youtube]

That's a cool distorted sound, what's he using to get it?

Having second thoughts if the pickups are kinda bad. I would have imagined since they're very high output they would have worked well for a coil split.

Also, how heavy is it? I tried the Blacktop JM and it was too heavy for me, The Classic Player was a tiny bit lighter so just within tolerance. I have a bad left shoulder so heavy guitars are a worry for me. I'm wondering if a shorter scale might help with that though as my arm would be on average at a less awkward angle.

Would it be possible to get a humbucker that was actually two Jag pickups stuck together? Like the way you can get P-Rails etc. Or even better, something that sounds like a JM pickup. I know JM pickups are bigger, but if there was something pretty close, though I imagine it would be difficult to stack 2 JM pickups in a small space.

I just want something kind of unique sounding to be honest. Jazzmasters are possibly my favourite sounding guitar but can be a bit mellow so the sharper sound of a Jag is appealing too. Spending some time on OSG kinda put me off Jazzmasters a little and made them seem boring.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:07 pm

What about one of these? It is a Jaguar with humbuckers, traditional Jaguar wiring, and great Japanese neck with 7.25" neck radius. I don't like these pickups but you might and they can be found easily for $500 or less used.

[youtube][/youtube]

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:11 pm

Really need a Trem on this guitar

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:14 pm

Medicine Melancholy wrote:Really need a Trem on this guitar

That's good to know.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:31 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

Tweedhead · Post by **Tweedhead** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:32 pm

White Jag CP has the good ol' trem system ^_^

stratphobic · Post by **stratphobic** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:32 pm

taylornutt wrote:What about one of these? It is a Jaguar with humbuckers, traditional Jaguar wiring, and great Japanese neck with 7.25" neck radius. I don't like these pickups but you might and they can be found easily for $500 or less used.

i got my CP jag for $500 shipped still brand new and never played.

aen · Post by **aen** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:21 pm

[youtube][/youtube]

Had one for a while. HUmbuckers were pretty dark, single mode was awfully quiet, but the feel was sooooo goooood. Rock solid trem action, too!
I recommend it to anyone who likes humbukka sounds. If you prefer single coil, the SS version is perfect.

Medicine Melancholy · Post by **Medicine Melancholy** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:10 pm

aen wrote:[youtube][/youtube]

Had one for a while. HUmbuckers were pretty dark, single mode was awfully quiet, but the feel was sooooo goooood. Rock solid trem action, too!
I recommend it to anyone who likes humbukka sounds. If you prefer single coil, the SS version is perfect.

I like how you do a single coil version of your voice at the start.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:27 pm

The only real thing that bugs the shit out of me with the CP stuff is 9.5 radius yet noone can be bothered to make a 9.5 TOM to go with it. Sure you can file the saddles but it seems like Fender could at least make one given they rarely do 12 or 14 radius. Uneven string heights annoy me as i'm a stickler for low action. My wee hands can't abide anything else. It also makes swapping in a roller bridge only a partial success. Tom and roller Tom at 9.5 please - it's not THAT big a thing to ask.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:29 pm

Dave wrote:The only real thing that bugs the shit out of me with the CP stuff is 9.5 radius yet noone can be bothered to make a 9.5 TOM to go with it. Sure you can file the saddles but it seems like Fender could at least make one given they rarely do 12 or 14 radius. Uneven string heights annoy me as i'm a stickler for low action. My wee hands can't abide anything else. It also makes swapping in a roller bridge only a partial success. Tom and roller Tom at 9.5 please - it's not THAT big a thing to ask.

I thought the Adjust-o-matics on the CPs were Fenders 9.5" version of the TOM?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:47 pm

SGJarrod wrote:
Dave wrote:The only real thing that bugs the shit out of me with the CP stuff is 9.5 radius yet noone can be bothered to make a 9.5 TOM to go with it. Sure you can file the saddles but it seems like Fender could at least make one given they rarely do 12 or 14 radius. Uneven string heights annoy me as i'm a stickler for low action. My wee hands can't abide anything else. It also makes swapping in a roller bridge only a partial success. Tom and roller Tom at 9.5 please - it's not THAT big a thing to ask.
I thought the Adjust-o-matics on the CPs were Fenders 9.5" version of the TOM?

Mine is exactly the same as a tonepros 12 incher. I wondered why the outter strings action was always higher and eyeballing them in line the two bridge radii are the same for sure.

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:01 am

I never noticed radius wrongitude, and I almost always notice that stuff. MABE YR JAG GOT HAX?

Medicine Melancholy · Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:27 am

What's the weight like on these out of interest? JMs can be heavy but apparently the Jazzmasters are just under 8. Are the Jags the same? Sometimes they can be heavier again. Which seems kind of weird, since the shorter scale makes them more suited for smaller people who's frame can carry less weight. Not an issue for me of course, and my fingers seem to be just about not huge enough to use one comfortably.

If I can get one of these cheap enough I may get it and swap the pickups. They seem to be in less demand than a JM so I may get one cheap second hand. May sell a pedal or two to fund pickups. What should I get though? I'll need something high output obviously. I'd like something that actually sounds like a jaguar or jazzmaster or Mustang coilsplit.

I took a look for Wide Range pickups and they were pretty expensive... is there a cheaper alternative?

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbucker-S ... _c_26.html

GFS have a lot of stuff, but I dunno. I might just end up liking the pickups in there.

poorhillbilly · Post by **poorhillbilly** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:26 am

Tweedhead wrote:

I've had this for a little over a year now and, for a while,
I was satisfied with the sound of the pickups after I put flat
wound strings on it to mellow the sound. Lately, however,
I've grown to dislike how the more treble range sounds.
It's hard to describe, but there's a chunky, mechanical ringing
to the sound. So I've bought jazzmaster '62 reissue pickups
to swap out soon. It's a fantastic guitar though, plays great.
The Olympic white one has the killswitch if you want teh kurtz.
I'm thinking about getting the electronics reverted back to the
original wiring with the lead & rhythm circuits. The neck, frets
and fret board are all great for me though. Can't go wrong
with the guitar in my opinion.

I am going to buy this guitar now

HH Classic Player Jag?

HH Classic Player Jag?

Re: HH Classic Player Jag?