New Build Jaguar

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:24 pm

Hi all - this is my first trip here so I thought I would introduce myself as a Jaguar / Jazzmaster afficiando with my new build Jaguar I just finished. It's a mix of Warmoth, Angela, GR, StewMac, and WD parts and it plays and sounds pretty cool. Also my first attempt at a good finish. Pretty pleased with the results

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:43 pm

That's very pretty- welcome aboard Fred.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:51 pm

That is really pretty, I'm not normally a fan of maple fretboards but that looks really cool. Can we get some closeups of the neck?

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:39 pm

Looks great man!

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:52 pm

Hello & That looks sweet & the neck looks like it should be interesting ( I real like maple necks). What's it sound like?

cobascis · Post by **cobascis** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:10 pm

Great looking guitar, there.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:26 pm

Nice GEE-TAR! Welcome to shortscale.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:34 pm

Always fancied trying a maple neck Jag, I bet it sounds great !! Looks cool too....

Welcome in !!!

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:37 pm

Actually isn't it 25 1/2" scale ??

Think I seen a you tube video of you playing it the other day ?

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:54 pm

Thanks for all the kind words. It is indeed a 24" scale Jaguar with a Warmoth neck & body. Will try for some closeups of the neck later this week. It sounds great but a little boxy with both pickups on. They are not out of phase b/c all is wired exactly per Fender specs with the exception of 250K pots in the lead circuit. I am not sure why the dual pickup sound is like this. I mean it sounds pretty good but I was expecting a little closer to the dual pickup Tele type of sound.

My guess is that it has to do with the 56K resistor in the tone circuit. I am not sure why that is there in the first place. One of Duncan's wiring diagrams eliminates it and the Jazzmaster does not have it either. Any thoughts out there about the sound? Pickups are AVRI Fender with wiring kit from Gregg Rogers. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!!

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:54 pm

othomas2 wrote:Actually isn't it 25 1/2" scale ??

Think I seen a you tube video of you playing it the other day ?

I wish, man!!! But it wasn't me

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:00 pm

lorez wrote:Hello & That looks sweet & the neck looks like it should be interesting ( I real like maple necks). What's it sound like?

I took a chance hoping it would not be TOO bright but it's not too bright at all esp with the 250 K pots in the lead circuit. It sounds very "surfy" and the twang from the bridge pickup is immense. I don't know if that is courtesy of the maple neck or not but I love it. Neck pickup is mellow & jazzy on the rhythm circuit and kind of "Stratty" on the neck position. Now if I could just figure out why the slight "boxiness" when they are both on.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:32 am

I think the boxy sound, provided it's definitely not a phase issue, might be a combination of the 250k pots [reducing the brightness] with the Jaguar's inherrent plinkiness over a Strat or Tele, hard to say without hearing it though. I've had a couple Teles and a Strat wired up just like one without the middle pickup, and I can't say the middle position on those has ever reminded me of both pickups on the Jag's lead circuit, though I've always considered the Jaguar way more "chimey" in that position than the others, not boxy... I've always put it down to the megapots or pickup design.

Very pretty guitar man, love the colour.

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:05 am

paul_ wrote:I think the boxy sound, provided it's definitely not a phase issue, might be a combination of the 250k pots [reducing the brightness] with the Jaguar's inherrent plinkiness over a Strat or Tele, hard to say without hearing it though. I've had a couple Teles and a Strat wired up just like one without the middle pickup, and I can't say the middle position on those has ever reminded me of both pickups on the Jag's lead circuit, though I've always considered the Jaguar way more "chimey" in that position than the others, not boxy... I've always put it down to the megapots or pickup design.

Very pretty guitar man, love the colour.

Thanks for the help - I ordered a set of 1 Meg pots to check this out. If I remember my old Peavey T-60 and it was phase, the sound would be kind of thin and wimpy in the middle position. This is just as powerful in the middle so it does not sound like phase but I will be checking that out in a couple of days when the pots get here.

MattK · Post by **MattK** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:37 am

Top notch Fred, welcome aboard.

George · Post by **George** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:41 am

FredJr wrote:
paul_ wrote:I think the boxy sound, provided it's definitely not a phase issue, might be a combination of the 250k pots [reducing the brightness] with the Jaguar's inherrent plinkiness over a Strat or Tele, hard to say without hearing it though. I've had a couple Teles and a Strat wired up just like one without the middle pickup, and I can't say the middle position on those has ever reminded me of both pickups on the Jag's lead circuit, though I've always considered the Jaguar way more "chimey" in that position than the others, not boxy... I've always put it down to the megapots or pickup design.

Very pretty guitar man, love the colour.
Thanks for the help - I ordered a set of 1 Meg pots to check this out. If I remember my old Peavey T-60 and it was phase, the sound would be kind of thin and wimpy in the middle position. This is just as powerful in the middle so it does not sound like phase but I will be checking that out in a couple of days when the pots get here.

what pickups you got in there? different brands can have different wiring or coloured wires so if you're mixing up it could be out of phase by default

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:46 am

George wrote:
FredJr wrote:
paul_ wrote:I think the boxy sound, provided it's definitely not a phase issue, might be a combination of the 250k pots [reducing the brightness] with the Jaguar's inherrent plinkiness over a Strat or Tele, hard to say without hearing it though. I've had a couple Teles and a Strat wired up just like one without the middle pickup, and I can't say the middle position on those has ever reminded me of both pickups on the Jag's lead circuit, though I've always considered the Jaguar way more "chimey" in that position than the others, not boxy... I've always put it down to the megapots or pickup design.

Very pretty guitar man, love the colour.
Thanks for the help - I ordered a set of 1 Meg pots to check this out. If I remember my old Peavey T-60 and it was phase, the sound would be kind of thin and wimpy in the middle position. This is just as powerful in the middle so it does not sound like phase but I will be checking that out in a couple of days when the pots get here.
what pickups you got in there? different brands can have different wiring or coloured wires so if you're mixing up it could be out of phase by default

Thank you for the suggestion. I have done the mixed pickup out of phase trick before but in the interest of simplicity & originality I went with Fender AVRI Jaguar pickups and followed the code: white hot neck, yellow hot bridge and blacks to brass. I seem to remember out of phase as being thin, tinny, boxy and rather "distant" or wimpy sounding.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:05 pm

Dig that maple fretboard on Jag. Well done.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:16 pm

welcome fred, love the body color. what amp are you playing thru?

FredJr · Post by **FredJr** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:32 pm

robert(original) wrote:welcome fred, love the body color. what amp are you playing thru?

I have a clone of a Fender Deluxe from the 1950s built for me by Donato Biceglia at www.dualstageamps.com - Donato is a young man who is an extremely talented amp/pedal builder. He built this clone in a case and chassis from a Peavey Classic 30. But that is all that remains of the Peavey. The rest is a point to point hand wired thing of electronic and tonal beauty. He put this amp thru an Eminence Red White and Blues if I remember correctly. I am at school right now & the amp & Jag are at home - can't wait to get there.

Thanks for asking - I can't say enough about Donato's work. He also built a hand wired fuzz - just beautiful