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Squier Jaguar Short Scale Club Part 3

#1,561
ZenG said:
Looking to put some UltraLite tuners on it just because...
Click to expand...

I recently took my Gotoh Res-o-lite tuners off my Jag and put the originals back on. I didn't really want to do it but I was getting work done on an old Warmoth fretless. The work cost $500 :eek:(Aussie dollars, and I don't mind now as it's the nicest neck i've ever felt on any instrument by a long shot....couldn't be happier) and I figured if i'm spending that money on a gorgeous birdseye maple neck then it deserved some high quality tuners rather than the tired old things that were on it.

The Gotoh's didn't make a huge difference to the Jag, but they certainly made a difference and I can't convince the wife that another set of $160 tuners is money well spent on a bass that hardly gets played anymore. The poor Jag has been neglected since I got my Godin last year. The Godin has been neglected since I got the parts Franken P (Warmoth neck with MIJ P bass body) a few months ago and they've ALL been neglected completely since last Saturday when I picked up my Warmoth/Blacktop Jazz franken fretless. :laugh:

Here's the Gotoh's on the fretless.
 

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#1,562
darkwasthenight said:
Further Adventures In Soldering

3.0 consists of the dummy switch, a single volume for the P and an on/off switch for the J. This gives me: solo J straight to jack, J mixed with P using the volume pot for balance, solo P with a volume control, and an override which gives me P straight to jack regardless of any other settings. Only tried it briefly but I have practice tonight and a gig tomorrow so looking forward to getting used to it.
Click to expand...

Further, Further Adventures In Soldering

Turns out I'm still a dummy; I might just wire this thing with P straight to jack at this point.

Jokes aside, this worked pretty well but I think I'm finding my main problem is with the mini switches. They're too fiddly to be using as pickup selectors in the heat of battle. The J On/Off works OK because I don't need to be hitting that often, it's set and forget, but the main circuit switch needs to be larger. I'm going to see what ludicrous clunky switches I can dig out from Maplins this weekend that might fit in the plate.

One of the more interesting discoveries is that when running in parallel the J pickup is now extremely dominant. I'm fuzzy on pickup impedance issues but I believe this is something to do with that being wired straight to jack while the P has a 250k volume control. I quite like the mix and volume drop I get and with the circuit switch being able to go between a full out P attack and a grindy cleaner sound is a nice effect at times.

I'm going to do a few more shows with it like this before I decide how to go, but I do have a horrible idea beginning to form regarding a stereo rig with individual On/Off switches and two outputs running into a Source Audio Aftershock set to stereo inputs with two different drives. Possibilities, possibilities.
 
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#1,563
Just bought myself a Squier Jag SS. So much easier for me to play as I'm a shorty.

Out of the box sounds great and honestly can't fault the quality except the stock strings sound bleugh. I've ordered some EMG Geezer pups and D'Addario Nickel 105s. While it's apart I'll disassemble and repaint it, maybe blue, maybe not.
Couple of questions.
This is the first bass I've modded. Should I change the bridge? Comparing it to my Jazz bridge it looks a bit dinky. I've no idea if the Jazz bridge is standard but it looks much more solid than the folded plate Jag SS bridge.


BAG said:
I recently took my Gotoh Res-o-lite tuners off my Jag and put the originals back on. I didn't really want to do it but I was getting work done on an old Warmoth fretless. The work cost $500 :eek:(Aussie dollars, and I don't mind now as it's the nicest neck i've ever felt on any instrument by a long shot....couldn't be happier) and I figured if i'm spending that money on a gorgeous birdseye maple neck then it deserved some high quality tuners rather than the tired old things that were on it.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking of changing out the tuners too. Worth it? And if so, why?
 
#1,564
ben_duck said:
Just bought myself a Squier Jag SS. So much easier for me to play as I'm a shorty.
I'm thinking of changing out the tuners too. Worth it? And if so, why?
Click to expand...

If you've got some neck dive the lighter tuners will reduce it. Also, the 28:1 tuning ratio of the Gotoh Res-O-Lites made accurate tuning a bit easier. Considering that here in Oz the Jag cost me approx $290 and the Gotoh's cost $160 (more than half the cost) the improvement wasn't drastic enough in hindsight. If the Jag was still my main bass I'd say that it was worth it, but seeing as it hardly gets played now using those tuners on a much higher quality neck made more sense to me.

They don't make a huge difference in tuning or neck dive, but they do make a difference which was more noticeable when I played someone else's stock Jag. Only you can say whether it is worth it. I wouldn't bother again looking at it from an economic perspective.
 
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#1,565
BAG said:
If you've got some neck dive the lighter tuners will reduce it. Also, the 28:1 tuning ratio of the Gotoh Res-O-Lites made accurate tuning a bit easier. Considering that here in Oz the Jag cost me approx $290 and the Gotoh's cost $160 (more than half the cost) the improvement wasn't drastic enough in hindsight. If the Jag was still my main bass I'd say that it was worth it, but seeing as it hardly gets played now using those tuners on a much higher quality neck made more sense to me.

They don't make a huge difference in tuning or neck dive, but they do make a difference which was more noticeable when I played someone else's stock Jag. Only you can say whether it is worth it. I wouldn't bother again looking at it from an economic perspective.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm also in Oz. bass cost me a bit over $300 and yeah the tuners are half the value of the bass.
I really enjoy playing this bass. Will ptobably pull the trigger on those tuners and a bridge.
 
#1,566
As stated by @BAG changes by modding the Jag SS will be incremental. Changing the bridge will help. I put a Schaller on mine and am still pleased with the results. Slightly more tone and sustain but not drastic. If you aren't sure and have a spare high mass bridge I'd recommend it. I think changing strings, swapping out the pups first like you're planning and go from there is best.
 
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#1,567
If you pair up a high mass bridge with light tuners you'd most likely get rid of any neck dive at all. I do like the Gotoh's for their weight and accurate tuning, plus unlike Hipshot's you won't see any holes in the back of the headstock after putting them on. I did have to angle them slightly to avoid the G tuner hanging of the end of the headstock a little.
 
#1,569
Hi, I'm Rick and I own the black one. Here is a picture of it minus a string. Why does this heavy guitar need so many stings???

IMG_0793.jpg



Over the past 2 weeks I have read all three "incarnations" of this thread and I'm now caught up. Thank you to all the helpful people on here! I have learned so much.
I'm doing some modifications and I'm looking for a black control plate. I have done a Google search and searched eBay. The only place I have found them is eBay.
But when I look through the various sellers' feedback, the plates are said to be of "not so great" quality and uneven finish.

1) Do you think I should just paint the one I have? And what do you think the best process for that would be for durability? Just primer and black Rust-Oleum?
or 2) Does anyone know of a seller of a good quality black control plate at a reasonable price?

Lastly, I want to paint the white middle ply around the 3-ply pick guard. Any tips on the best way to do that without it looking like crap? I'm good at making things look like crap. I don't need help in that area :)

Thank you, kind souls.
 
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#1,571
Another Rick said:
....

1) Do you think I should just paint the one I have? And what do you think the best process for that would be for durability? Just primer and black Rust-Oleum?
or 2) Does anyone know of a seller of a good quality black control plate at a reasonable price?

Lastly, I want to paint the white middle ply around the 3-ply pick guard. Any tips on the best way to do that without it looking like crap? I'm good at making things look like crap. I don't need help in that area :)

Thank you, kind souls.
Click to expand...

A thorough cleaning, primer, and paint would work. It won't be durable without a clear coat though.
Might as well do the screws, input nut, and bridge too if you're going for the totally blacked out look.

Personally, I'd leave it be though. I like the chrome accent pieces.

For the middle ply, I'd just use a waterproof, permanent magic marker.
 
#1,576
ZenG said:
I was thinking maybe the DP-126 set.....:)

But I also am thinking about a Dimarzio "mix 'n' match" as well. Like a certain Dimarzio P set and then mate it to a certain other Dimarzio J pup, depending on the characteristics of each.

Shouldn't be any problems doing that, right?
Click to expand...
Shouldn't think so but I'm not technical enough to be certain....

I e-mailed Dimarzio before I went ahead with my mod because I wanted to change the pots while I was at it....

I got a prompt and helpful reply...

Might be an idea to drop them a line before you go ahead and buy anything....:thumbsup:
 
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