Jaguar dilemma

[tuj]

Hey guys:

So I want a Jaguar with a PAF neck and a Super Distortion bridge. I also want tuning stability and either a hard-tail or a way to lock off the trem.

Looks like I've got a few options:

-Kurt Cobain NOS Fender Jaguar. I have nothing against the artist model guitars. These are retailing at $1200 which seems a bit steep to me consider I believe they are MIM? But it has everything else, including the locking button on the trem. Question: Do all vintage Jag's have that? If I could get over the price and the MIM part, this seems like the quickest solution.

-MIJ Jaguar. I've got a MIJ Jaguar HH that pretty much ticks all the boxes (hardtail, hum buckers), but I'd have to change the pickups + its halfway across the country right now anyway... So the idea is score another MIJ Jaguar with the Vintage trem and block it off with washers (I've heard that's how it's done?), throw on new tuners and drop in the new pickups and be good to go. Yeah it's more work, but probably cheaper in the long run + the MIJ guitars I've always felt like had better quality than the MIM ones.

What say you, fellow fuzz heads?

[mathias]

Warmoth body with proper bridge and pickup routes + neck off Reverb might get you there cheaper, just an idea.

[fever606]

If you're going to modify an otherwise-perfectly-good Jaguar, just get one of the Squier VMs. Quality is great, it'll be cheaper than the MIJ by enough to pay for the pickups, it'll have the correct vibrato position (versus the Mexican ones - even though you are not gonna use it)... Swap out the vibrato for an AVRI one (with the locking button) and you'll still come out ahead of what you would pay for a Japanese Jag before doing any mods to it...

[backwardsvoyager]

Aren't you gonna need to route for HB's with the squier though?

It sounds like you want a blacktop jag HH to then upgrade the pickups and tuners on. Simple enough and not too expensive. If you can find the HH body to mix with a 24" neck of choice that'd be even better.
Unless you want to play behind the bridge, for convenience sake a hardtail is gonna be a lot better idea than a blocked trem.

I mean the Kurt Cobain one does tick the right boxes for sure but you could mock up something with the specs you want for half that much money, $1200 is steep as hell, you're paying hundreds extra for a silly relic job and whatever portion of sales going to his estate or whatever.

[fever606]

Aren't you gonna need to route for HB's with the squier though?

Yeah, same as you would have to with the MIJ one...

Now that you mention it, though, the Blacktop isn't a bad option for what the OP wants to do...

[backwardsvoyager]

Aren't you gonna need to route for HB's with the squier though?

Yeah, same as you would have to with the MIJ one...

Now that you mention it, though, the Blacktop isn't a bad option for what the OP wants to do...

I mean at least body-wise the blacktop is probably the best option, MIJ jags are generally better quality but the body won't make much/any difference so paying more for a MIJ that needs more mods doesn't make as much sense IMO.

But i mean is it difficult to get this HH Jag you already have? Cos buying and installing a new set of pickups is kind of not a big deal compared to everything else here, they're pretty great guitars. It sounds like you already have what you need minus the pickups and maybe some locking tuners.

[antennafarm]

warmoth body + neck. that's what i'm working right now and i'm very happy with it (cadillac green!)

[tuj]

I'm really thinking about the warmoth body option... I can get a Golden Age trem with the locking button from StewMac. I really can't justify 1200 for a MIM guitar, that is driving me crazy. If it was a US or Japanese guitar, I think I would do it, but not MIM even if this is supposed to be one of the better MIM instruments.

[Ghost Hip]

For what its worth my MIM TVL Jazzy is awesome and has me satisfied. I've played the KC Jags and they're pretty awesome, especially the "relic'd" one. It just looked and felt solid.

[tuj]

gah! Ok so here's where I'm at:

-Ruling out the KC Jag because its just too expensive.

-Ruling out mod'ing the Jag HH I have because, well, I've always kind of liked the low output HB's that Fender put in it.

-Found a 2004 CIJ Jag that has all the upgrades, just needs new tuners and a trem with a locking button. Pretty good price.

-Still looking really closely at a Warmoth body + neck + all the other goodies.

[Jero]

Aren't you gonna need to route for HB's with the squier though?

I have a HH Squier Jag no mods needed

[tuj]

ok guys, I have decided: I am going Warmoth.

Now, I need to know something before I get started: can I just bolt a Warmoth neck onto the body and expect a decent action, or do I need to fit/shim/sand?

[Decibill]

Maybe, maybe not. The neck will fit fine and it will play, but how well is something you wont know until you assemble and play it. Also depends on what components (bridge, strings, etc..) you use and how you "want" it to play.

[tuj]

ok guys, I just ordered all my stuff! This is gonna be FUN!

swamp ash body with quilt maple top - blue dye finish
CBS big headstock maple neck, Indian rosewood fretboard
white-black-white pickguard
Dimarzio PAF Master neck humbucker
Dimarzio Super Distortion bridge humbucker
Golden Age bridge and trem w/ locking button
Schaller locking tuners
Orange drop caps
Alpha pots
Switchcraft switches and jack

Ladies and Gentlemen (mostly), I see no reason why this guitar should not fucking rock.

[tuj]

some questions:

1. how good are the Warmoth necks? Do they need any treatment/leveling? I got a showcase neck.

2. does anyone do custom headstock decals? This baby ain't no Fender! - answered, I found a place in the UK...

3. Tips from you guys who've done this before?