jaguar upgrades

amkrisis

I'm thinking 'bout upgrading my MIJ jaguar.

Mustang bridge (obviously) will absolutely be on the list, but i'm also thinking pickups. I need warmer clear pickups (less trebly), any suggestions? Is a MIJ 'bathtub routed' or is it fit to the jag pickup specs. I have never done anyting similar so i'd like to keep it simple.

What are my options?

SD Jaguar ones?

Can i use humbuckers in strat size? which ones?

I'm also thinking about changinge the pickguard, it currently has a tortoise one, what do you think would look nice on a vintage white jag?

Hope you guys can give me some advice!

Thank you

lamp

I just replaced the bridge pickup on my CIJ Jag with a SD Quarter-Pound for Jaguar and I really like the tone. A lot warmer, more sustain, distorts very nicely.

timhulio

I've always liked mint pickguards on olympic white, but for vintage white you've only really got some sort of tort guard (the japanese ones are typically too red) or black for that seventies look.

amkrisis

back to pickups

Are the bridge strat pickups (tilted sideways) the same size as the neck ones? Because the Jag ones are not tilted sideways and therefor the same size. (i haven't got a strat near me to actualy mesure it)

The Seymour Duncan website only shows one size for each type of pickups so i'm guesing bridge and neck are the same dimentions?

By the way ...

Where is a good place to buy a mustang bridge online in europe?

I only found one on Musik Productiv and its from a brand called 'boston' has anyone tried one of these?

lamp

I got my mustang bridge from here:

http://www.axesrus.com/axehardware.htm

And yes, strat bridge and neck pickups are the same size.

PenPen

Personally, I'd just replace the saddles in the stock bridge with the Graph Tech ones. It will come out to be just like the Mustang bridge but with nice graphite/teflon saddles.

Have a listen to the sounds on the Seymour Duncan website of all three pickups they have for the Jag to find one you like. The QP for Jag has a nice warm sound to it.

eupat

i put a black pg on my MIJ jaguar (olympic white)

and i love it !

amkrisis

PenPen said: Personally, I'd just replace the saddles in the stock bridge with the Graph Tech ones. It will come out to be just like the Mustang bridge but with nice graphite/teflon saddles.

Good point! Probably even better then a mustang bridge i guess!

Acording to the GraphTech website in need the following:

Model # PS-8108-00

Can't find them in stores in Europe though, i'll email a few to check if they can order it...

I also read that lace sensor's are good, i was thinkgin a blue in neck and silver in bridge ...

johnniespring

what are the upgrades?

amkrisis

ordered the folowing:

- Lace Sensor Blue (neck)

- Lace Sensor Silver (bridge)

- GraphTech StringSaver Saddles

- Buzzstopper

- Bridge cover (only for the visuals)

johnniespring

how are any of those upgrades?

PenPen

They address and fix shortcomings in the stock Jaguar hardware? Except for the pickups. That is purely subjective, I'm really happy with the stock pups, but I'm going to be getting those graph tech saddles myself to address the screwed up saddles in the stock bridge. I heard the saddles are not as bad in the US version, but I have a Jap version and the saddles do seriously suck. Both E strings slip constantly now matter how I adjust it.

Aug

strum with the wrist....not your shoulder.

johnniespring

PenPen said: They address and fix shortcomings in the stock Jaguar hardware? Except for the pickups. That is purely subjective, I'm really happy with the stock pups, but I'm going to be getting those graph tech saddles myself to address the screwed up saddles in the stock bridge. I heard the saddles are not as bad in the US version, but I have a Jap version and the saddles do seriously suck. Both E strings slip constantly now matter how I adjust it.

i know that if you hit the strings very hard the string moves on the low E saddle. they don't slip on their own. the problem with the graphtec saddles is that they are non-conductive which means that if you use them and your guitar is grounded through the bridge posts then it will no longer be grounded.

timhulio

amkrisis said: ordered the folowing:

Lace Sensor Blue (neck)

Lace Sensor Silver (bridge)

GraphTech StringSaver Saddles

Buzzstopper

Bridge cover (only for the visuals)

Okay, listen.

1. No-one needs both mustang-style saddles and a buzzstop. Leave the buzzstop off, or you shag grannies.

2. Your neck pickup is hotter than your bridge pup. Considerably. These will not sound good together in these positions, in fact the levels won't balance at all.

PenPen

johnniespring said:
i know that if you hit the strings very hard the string moves on the low E saddle. they don't slip on their own. the problem with the graphtec saddles is that they are non-conductive which means that if you use them and your guitar is grounded through the bridge posts then it will no longer be grounded.

I don't play hard. I use my wrist, sometimes the elbow. That isn't the problem. I go for a bend on either one, or sometimes I don't have to do much of anything and those two always slip. The other strings don't move at all.

I hadn't heard or read anything about the lack of grounding with the Graph Tech saddles. I have emailed their support people to find out for certain. I can't imagine them putting out a product that causes the strings to become ungrounded unless there was a painless resolution to it. As soon as I hear back from them I'll post their response to the question.

johnniespring

the resolution is to drill a hole from the trem cavity to the control cavity, stick a wire through, strip the end of the wire and wedge it uner the trem plate and then solder the other end to the back of one of your pots.

Aug

johnniespring said: the resolution is to drill a hole from the trem cavity to the control cavity, stick a wire through, strip the end of the wire and wedge it uner the trem plate and then solder the other end to the back of one of your pots.

there it is.

PenPen

Looka like you're right, Boron Polytrinate and teflon are both electrical insulators. Grounding the tailpiece would be the only solution I can think of. Not like thats really tough to do, but they probably should put something up on their webpage that the saddles are insulators.

You wouldn't have to go through quite that much trouble, just solder a wire to the copper grounding plate under the pick guard and run the wire to the tailpiece. I still think the effort would be worth it, to me at least.

johnniespring

PenPen said:
You wouldn't have to go through quite that much trouble, just solder a wire to the copper grounding plate under the pick guard and run the wire to the tailpiece. I still think the effort would be worth it, to me at least.

errr.... yes you would have to go to all that trouble cos the copper grounding plate is not linked to the strings. the strings are linked to ground via the bridge posts. the saddles break that link. the original jags and the AVs are grounded through the trem (if i recall correctly) so the saddles are fine with them, just not the jap jags.