Cobain Jaguar Rhythm Circuit Question

[Mike S]

So question for other owners of the KC Jaguar (not sure how I never noticed this before). The only change I've made to the guitar is that I added the bass cut switch in the traditional configuration. I've recently noticed that both pickups are engaged when I turn on the rhythm circuit, that the bass cut still works, and that the signal gets completely cutoff if I turn down the lead pickup volume. Is this just how the guitar is wired normally or did my guy mess something up when he wired the bass cut?

[timtam]

The Cobain jag is wired rather strangely. Kurt bought it already modded that way IIRC. The Fender switching / wiring diagram is linked here, which shows exactly how the stock Cobain controls should work ...
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=110958&hilit=cobain

The rhythm circuit functions similarly to the vintage circuit, that is it only affects the neck pickup. But the lead circuit has two volumes, Volume 1 and Volume 2 - one for each HB - on the main control plate, before they reach the pickup selector toggle.

And then the other odd thing is that both lead and rhythm circuits go through the Tone 1 pot on the main control plate, last thing before reaching the output jack.

So except for the Tone 1 pot, the two circuits are completely isolated. There should be no interaction.

Without ever having done it, it seems to me that the most obvious place to put the strangle switch back in - most similar to the vintage circuit - would be in the line between the middle tab of the pickup selector toggle and its connection to the rhythm / lead switch.

The interactions you describe suggest it went in elsewhere and/or something else was altered. But the Cobain is a complex circuit by guitar standards, quite different to the standard vintage jag circuit (which is also complex). I had to draw out a schematic from the wiring diagram to figure out what the stock Cobain circuit was doing.

[Mike S]

After exploring it more and realizing that I have to start playing this thing as much as I do my Strat and Mustang, I'm thinking that this happy accident is actually useable.
With Rhythm Circuit engaged:
-If toggle is switch is on the neck pickup, it works the way it's supposed to, except that the bass cut switch still works. With the Bass cut on, things start to get really dark and thin, sort of close to WRHB territory, but not quite.

-If toggle switch is on both or the bridge pickup, both pickups are on. The bass cut still works; the sound is very dark but without the same kind of hollow-body vibe as you get from just the neck pickup. Also, the bridge volume pot cuts off the sound if it's rolled all the way down. I would say that it sounds like the neck pickup on a Telecaster and with the bass cut engaged, it sounds like the old Telecaster "dark circuit" from the 50's

[Mike S]

So I ultimately decided to get it fixed. Easy job, but my guy is still mystified by some of the bizarre things about this guitar, like that rolling the lead circuit tone all the way down or either of the volumes when both pickups are on completely kills the sound regardless of weather there's a bass cut switch wired in or not.