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Anyone have experience with the Novak JMX-JAG pickups? They're a thin Jazzmaster pickup designed to "drop in" a Jaguar without any routing... basically the pickup sits on top of the body, with the poles hanging into the body route. They look a bit pricey, but it's an interesting way to experiment with Jazzmaster pickups in a shortscale without altering the body.

Any thoughts?

Does the jazzmaster pickguard fit the jaguar?

I can vouch for Novak's workmanship and service - sure, they're pricier than off-the-shelf big brand units but they're good quality and they're made individually for each customer. Novak is knowledgable and helpful too.

I've not tried that particular model though, sadly. My Jazzmaster's fitted with a standard JM-V in the neck for an old-school mid 60s tone but has a JM-FAT in the bridge position, which gives it a bit more fullness and balance. The JM-FAT is taller than the standard version though (as in, it has taller polepieces like Strats and CIJ Jazzmaster pickups, but has the true JM broad winding), so I'm not sure if this new design would physically fit.

The only other variable would be how much Pickguardian charge for the custom pickguard.

riotshield wrote:Does the jazzmaster pickguard fit the jaguar?

Pretty sure it doesn't... the bridge is further from the neck pocket on the Jazzmaster, and they are a slightly different shape overall. Screws wouldn't line up for sure.
Almost definitely need a custom guard for this sort of thing.

Concretebadger wrote:I can vouch for Novak's workmanship and service - sure, they're pricier than off-the-shelf big brand units but they're good quality and they're made individually for each customer. Novak is knowledgable and helpful too.

I've not tried that particular model though, sadly. My Jazzmaster's fitted with a standard JM-V in the neck for an old-school mid 60s tone but has a JM-FAT in the bridge position, which gives it a bit more fullness and balance. The JM-FAT is taller than the standard version though (as in, it has taller polepieces like Strats and CIJ Jazzmaster pickups, but has the true JM broad winding), so I'm not sure if this new design would physically fit.

The only other variable would be how much Pickguardian charge for the custom pickguard.

Yeah, they also don't have the side mounted mounting screws, using a non-dog-eared P-90 style 'screws through the bobbin' mount. Probably not much in the way of height adjustment neither, what with the body wood in the way and all.

You could just modify your existing pickguard to fit the Jazzmaster pups. I love those pickups because it would save you so much body work and would be reversible if you wanted to put it back to stock.

I have not personally bought Novak pickups, but I email him a question about them and he responded immediately to my question. You don't often get the main guy responding directly to you.

He is on my list for consideration when I purchase my Jazzmaster pups.

I don't have those JMX pickups, but i do have his JM-V and JM-90 in my Jaguar. I believe they're the same thing, just with a different way of mounting so yeah, they sound great.

It will still sound like a Jaguar but with a little more... body (I suppose thats as good a way as any to describe it?) like a JM. It's my main guitar atm:



So yeah, if thats the kind of thing you're after they're well worth the price. I think if you dislike them Curtis was swap them for another pickup without any fuss?