the time has come...

Robbmonster

After a few months of struggle, I have decided to part ways with my Jagmaster.

As much as I am in love with the shape, the playability, and especially the neck, the guitar simply does not give me the sound I want.

I could change pickups, but that is another problem: financial hard times. Moving house in one month, and need a bit of money to help with it. Something had to go, and the Jagmaster will be it.

I will sell it on ebay, so hopefully it will end up with someone who wants it and will appreciate it. It's a shame to sell, because it is by far the best guitar I have ever owned. It just doesn't work for me.

I am going to be replacing it with a Squier Cyclone, or - and this is extremely unlikely - if money suddenly gets good for me, a used CIJ Mustang. I can get a Mustang for only AUD$350 more than what it will cost me to buy a Cyclone. Still up in the air, but I will probably go for the Cyclone as I can pay it off gradually, and my playing ability doesn't warrant me owning a sweeeet Mustang.

As Mustang-Pete (I think) pointed out, I did have to go through some serious crap to get my Jagmaster, which makes the sale harder again. But I figure it is best for me to sell it now, while she is still perfect and under warranty.

tragictravisty

where are you gonna find a cyclone?

Robbmonster

tragictravisty said: where are you gonna find a cyclone?

There is a store in Melbourne that has some still in stock in their warehouse. All I have to do is order. Sadly this means I won't really be able to try before I buy. Well, I will be able to try the one guitar, but I won't be able to pick and choose.

If they order it in and I decide not to buy it, it's not big deal. If I ask them to order five so I can choose, and I don't buy. That might be a problem.

Sadly the only colour they have in stock is the black, but it will have to do.

Mustang-Pete

Sorry to hear that mate, I know you fought hard for the Jagmaster. But I hope the Cyclone hunt works out. Good luck with that.

Fran

What sound you after dude? The Jagmaster is as good as humbucker offsets get, i have one and sometimes prefer it over my Jags, JS's and Mustang.

If you can hang on to it, they are becomming difficult to get hold of and you will pick up a Squier Cyclone quite cheaply if you can find one. Mustangs are very thin sounding, be aware.

BanditGuitarist1

Mustangs are pretty thin sounding, although somehow when I lent my Dakota Red Stang to a friend he broke a pot wire and re soldered it and now it sounds soooo much fuller I don't really know what he did or how but it sounds spectacular now!

Robbmonster

Fran said: What sound you after dude? The Jagmaster is as good as humbucker offsets get, i have one and sometimes prefer it over my Jags, JS's and Mustang.
If you can hang on to it, they are becomming difficult to get hold of and you will pick up a Squier Cyclone quite cheaply if you can find one. Mustangs are very thin sounding, be aware.

I pretty much find the Jagmaster sound to be a bit warm and muddy, where I am after a bit more of a clean, slightly twangy sound. The thin Mustang sound would suit me well, as long as it is loud enough to cut through. I mosty play chord rythyms, almost no lead work to speak of.

Jagmasters are still readily available here (mine is a 2007 CIC, if it was a CIJ I wouldn't be selling it so quickly), but the Cyclone is discontinued. I found a store in Melbourne that still had 3 of them in the warehouse (they actually had Fender Cyclones too!) It's now on order.

At the end of the day, the Jagmaster sound doesn't suit how I want to play. I'm trying to model my sound on Talking Heads. I am moving house soon too, and the money from selling the Jagmaster will be very handy.

Mustang-Pete

Hey, that's not bad if you can get a Fender Cyclone off the shelf! But yeah, the Mustang's singles are piss weak and mine were (I don't know if this is common among Mustangs) really quite buzzy unless I had both pickups in phase.

Robbmonster

Mustang-Pete said: Hey, that's not bad if you can get a Fender Cyclone off the shelf! But yeah, the Mustang's singles are piss weak and mine were (I don't know if this is common among Mustangs) really quite buzzy unless I had both pickups in phase.

It's interesting how I found out about the Fender Cyclone being available...

I phoned up to ask about ordering a Squier Cyclone, and the young lady I spoke to told me they only came in black, all the blue was gone. I went in to the store a couple of days later to order, and the salesman was going through the list, and asked "what colour do you want?" I was surprised as heck, and asked if they have the blue. He said "sure do, Daphne Blue". I asked if he was sure he was looking at the right guitar. "Oh yeah, Fender Cyclone", he replies. "Oh, I was actually after the Squier", says I.

I expressed surprise that they had Fender Cyclones in stock, but the salesman didnt really givge a reply, as he was busy searching the database for the Squier version. Or maybe Cyclones are still easy to get in Australia and he thought I had no idea what I was talking about. Either way, I didn't give any thought to buying the Fender, as my playing (and my finances) still has not progressed to the point where I would feel comfortable owning a "genuine" Fender.

As for the Mustang pickups, The weakness doesn't really bother me, as I don't gig. But excess noise is never welcome. My telecaster used to have bad grounding before it was fixed, and even my Jagmaster (humbuckers) buzzes a bit when I am not touching the strings.

I actually whipped out the Jagmaster tonight and had a pluck around on it. Second thoughts about selling it. While it isn't the sound I prefer, I plan to do some home recording next year, and I just might want to have that different sound in my arsenal. Problem is, if I keep the Jagmaster, when I get my Cyclone and my '51 (which I have been waiting for for over a month) I will have 4 guitars! That may not seem like many to some, but for someone with my upbringing and lifestyle it is terribly indulgent. Still, I have worked hard for them...

Sorry about the long post. I was given a lot to think about tonight...

Mustang-Pete

Don't worry about the long post 😉

And I reckon you deserve all those guitars, like you said, you've had to work a hell of a hard for every one of them.

Robbmonster

Mustang-Pete said: Don't worry about the long post 😉
And I reckon you deserve all those guitars, like you said, you've had to work a hell of a hard for every one of them.

I'm just holding out hope that getting the Cyclone happens without a hitch. So far I have had problems with all 3 guitars I own.

Of the problems with the tele were caused by me, and it worked out better than I hope for, but still...

Fran

Fran said: What sound you after dude? The Jagmaster is as good as humbucker offsets get, i have one and sometimes prefer it over my Jags, JS's and Mustang.
If you can hang on to it, they are becomming difficult to get hold of and you will pick up a Squier Cyclone quite cheaply if you can find one. Mustangs are very thin sounding, be aware.

You cant find Jagmasters here and from my experience i'd say it is a better guitar than the Squier Cyclone (which is still humbucker in the bridge).

How about fitting a new humbucker with a split coil option and upgrading the tone cap to an orange drop to give more clarity?

Robbmonster

Fran said: You cant find Jagmasters here and from my experience i'd say it is a better guitar than the Squier Cyclone (which is still humbucker in the bridge).
How about fitting a new humbucker with a split coil option and upgrading the tone cap to an orange drop to give more clarity?

I have thought about upgrading a few components, but I know so little about hardware that it could be a disatrous excercise. In any event, it would have to wait until money is better.

Right now, I have to weigh up whether I will be happier with the guitar, or with the AUD$300 - 400 that I could get selling it. I think I would be happier with the guitar. I think I will hesitate with the sale, and if the money is needed when it come time for me to move house, the guitar will be sacrificed then.

Ironic that you mention the humbucker in the Cyclone. I didn't mind it too much, and I LOVE the humbucker in the 51. I do like the idea of a good coil split pickup (opinions seem to be divided on the 51), so that is something I will definitely think about. Heck, if push came to shove, I would even drop a pair of singles into the Jagmaster and get a new stratchplate made. Literally, the only things I do not like about the guitar are the way it sounds, and its reluctance to stay in tune.

Strange that they cannot be found in the UK, as they are abundant here. But then again, try to buy a brand new Mustang here and see how much luck you have 😉

Mustang-Pete

Fran is lieing. Ok, so I've never seen one in a shop, but you can order a CIC one off most any music website (i.e. dolphinmusic.com, dv247.com etc etc). They're dead cheap too, in the UK anyway.

Fran

Mustang-Pete said: Fran is lieing. Ok, so I've never seen one in a shop, but you can order a CIC one off most any music website (i.e. dolphinmusic.com, dv247.com etc etc). They're dead cheap too, in the UK anyway.

I'll check that out. They hardly ever come on ebay lately and i've never seen one in a store.

Mustang-Pete

Mustang-Pete said: Fran is lieing. Ok, so I've never seen one in a shop, but you can order a CIC one off most any music website (i.e. dolphinmusic.com, dv247.com etc etc). They're dead cheap too, in the UK anyway.

http://www.dv247.com/search/0/0/Product ... gmaster/1/

Try that.

Robbmonster

Mustang-Pete said: Fran is lieing. Ok, so I've never seen one in a shop, but you can order a CIC one off most any music website (i.e. dolphinmusic.com, dv247.com etc etc). They're dead cheap too, in the UK anyway.

Funny you mention ebay, Fran. ebay Australia has only one Jagmaster listed at the moment. Which was another reason I thought it was a good time to sell...

Fran

Okay, they have them on gak.com and dolphinmusic... fair enough. Still, ebay seems dry so yeah, it could be a good time to sell.

tragictravisty

rob id suggest to stop buying new guitars and get a new amp and new pickups. if youre looking for new sounds, your amp is EXTREMELY limited. (trust me, i have one)

Robbmonster

tragictravisty said: rob id suggest to stop buying new guitars and get a new amp and new pickups. if youre looking for new sounds, your amp is EXTREMELY limited. (trust me, i have one)

Yup, I can't argue with that 😀