Trem question

Richie

I've been scanning through the interweb looking for more ways in which I can upgrade my Jaguar, and had a thought while on guitarpartsresource.com. they sell the complete trem systems for both CIJ and AV Jaguars/ Jazzmasters. They also sell the separate CIJ and AV trem arms and the bushings that they fit into (i.e. the AV one has a screw thread). D'you reckon I could swap the bushing in my CIJ one for the AV bushing so I'll have the screw-in trem arm instead of the japanese slot-in one?

Obviously this isn't going to improve the stability of the trem and isn't the only difference between the 2 systems, but it's an upgrade nonetheless, and a damn site cheaper than going full whack on the entire trem system.

Will also be getting a buzzstop when I get round to this.

Fran

The swap should be straight forward if they supply the 'nut' for the bushing. Otherwise i believe the thread may be different, i know AV and CIJ are anyway.

The best way to improve your CIJ would be the electronics in my opinion.

Get some antiquity pick ups and look into upgrading the pots, wiring and maybe some shielding.

The trem is pretty decent and i dont think you would see much improvement by changing it.

Richie

Fran said: The best way to improve your CIJ would be the electronics in my opinion.
Get some antiquity pick ups and look into upgrading the pots, wiring and maybe some shielding.

Done all that. 😆

Well, not quite. I've swapped the ####e stock pots (which for some reason were all mini pots, even on the lead circuit 😕 ) for CGEs, swapped all the capacitors for Orange Drops, have swapped the bridge pickup for a Red Lace Sensor, have ordered an SD Antiquity for the neck which hasn't arrived yet (I posted up about them a couple of weeks ago I think), and will be swapping all the actual wire for proper cloth-covered stuff and putting Switchcraft switches in at some point soon. Also want to get a tortoise-shell pickguard and a buzzstop. Hopefully the buzzstop will improve the trem stability.

Well thanks Fran, I'll probably look into getting the cavities shielded as well as the above. That hadn't really occured to me before. I may still look into making that mod to the trem though, it's a right pain in the arse having the arm flapping about everywhere.

Oh yeah, I've mentioned a few times about using a Lace Sensor in a Jaguar, just want to point something out to anyone who might be intrigued by the idea. If you value your clean tone, don't bother. I only really got it 'cause it was

Fran

That shielding will help especially if your switching to cloth wire.

I tried a Lace pickup a few years ago and my conclusion was like yours.. it was an improvement but not the answer.

You can try tightening the collet that the arm goes into, i've forgotten how you do this but i'm sure it becomes obvious once you get the trem out.

Buzzstops are okay, they look a bit ugly though. Can you tell me in more depth why you want the buzzstop/?

Richie

Oh yeah, that was somwthing else I forgot to mention, I swapped the bridge for a Gotoh TOM bridge. It solved most of the problems I had with the stock bridge, but, basically, it still buzzes. Although it stops temporarily if I fiddle with the strings a bit on the saddles. I figure more downforce should fix this, so the buzzstop seems kind of logical. And as I say hopefully it should make the trem slightly more stable.

I should probably point out also that I rounded the saddles off slightly with a file so's the trem wouldn't keep taking it out of tune, which has worked quite well I think.

Spitfire

Adding a buzzstop causes a new problem with the bridge, the extra down and side force pushes it forward on its posts messing up the intonation. The best answer is to wrap the posts in tape but then you lose the rocking motion when using the trem. The upside is that the buzzstop fixes all the other gripes with the stock bridge and trem.

Richie

Yet another of my own threads that I'm resurrecting here. 😆

I ordered the AV bushing and trem arm and, I'm pleased to say, it works, the bushings thread into the mechanism exactly the same as the CIJ ones. This is by far the simplest mod I've made to my guitar so far and lo and behold, the trem arm no longer flollops about or falls out. And it looks better 'cause the arm's got the proper curvature and stuff that the CIJ ones don't have.

So FYI everyone with a CIJ Jaguar, you can now have, in something of a roundabout sense, an AV trem for

Fran

Bravo. 😁