Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
- mr.plastic_soul
- PAT PEND
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:48 pm
- Location: Carlsbad, CA
- Contact:
Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
I've been really jonesin' for a Jazzy BUT... I utterly love the feel of my VM Jaguars.
I have two: one in Surf Green which is totally stock (save for a black pickguard upgrade and an Ubik sticker - Philip K Dick anybody?) and the other is Olympic White with custom Buddha jag pickups (in black) and a white pearl pickguard. The Buddha pickups sound so fabulous that it's made using the stock VM Jag a less than exciting prospect.
Ergo why not combine my desire for a Jazzy with my wonderful feeling, yet anemic sounding, unused VM Jag?!?
I've scoured this forum for examples of this being done. Many crow that "It won't sound like a Jazzy anymore!" or "The scale-length will make the pickups sound too dark!"... etc etc, but I'm down to have something that's not quite Jag and not quite Jazzy!
I'm not a woodworker or mechanical person of any kind, so re-routing the pickup cavities is beyond my capabilities. Lo and behold, I come across Curtis Novak JMX-JAG "No Mod" pickups. Check em out here if you don't know what I'm referencing: http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/JMx-Jag.shtml
[Images below are from Curtis Novak's website. I am using them as reference and do not claim to own them in any way]
Has anyone had any experience with these? Thoughts?!? It seems like the answer to my prayers, and at a very reasonable price!
Another question: how to go about modifying my pickguard? Remember I am not good at this stuff, nor have I the tools to make it happen... if I tried, it would be ugly
I was thinking I could send it back to the guy in Austin (who is a member of this website) who made my white pearl pickguard, to reroute for Jazzy pickups. But would he need a template to line things up properly? Or is that something that could easily be done by an experienced pickguard maker?
Thanks for any responses!
I have two: one in Surf Green which is totally stock (save for a black pickguard upgrade and an Ubik sticker - Philip K Dick anybody?) and the other is Olympic White with custom Buddha jag pickups (in black) and a white pearl pickguard. The Buddha pickups sound so fabulous that it's made using the stock VM Jag a less than exciting prospect.
Ergo why not combine my desire for a Jazzy with my wonderful feeling, yet anemic sounding, unused VM Jag?!?
I've scoured this forum for examples of this being done. Many crow that "It won't sound like a Jazzy anymore!" or "The scale-length will make the pickups sound too dark!"... etc etc, but I'm down to have something that's not quite Jag and not quite Jazzy!
I'm not a woodworker or mechanical person of any kind, so re-routing the pickup cavities is beyond my capabilities. Lo and behold, I come across Curtis Novak JMX-JAG "No Mod" pickups. Check em out here if you don't know what I'm referencing: http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/JMx-Jag.shtml
[Images below are from Curtis Novak's website. I am using them as reference and do not claim to own them in any way]
Has anyone had any experience with these? Thoughts?!? It seems like the answer to my prayers, and at a very reasonable price!
Another question: how to go about modifying my pickguard? Remember I am not good at this stuff, nor have I the tools to make it happen... if I tried, it would be ugly
I was thinking I could send it back to the guy in Austin (who is a member of this website) who made my white pearl pickguard, to reroute for Jazzy pickups. But would he need a template to line things up properly? Or is that something that could easily be done by an experienced pickguard maker?
Thanks for any responses!
- theworkoffire
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4143
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:59 am
- Location: Punching the future in the face, London
- Contact:
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
I think Curtis has an arrangement with Pickguardian for supplying the guards - they're the people to cantact.
I'm up to something similar with my current Jag build, but with a straightforward Novak JM neck:
I'm up to something similar with my current Jag build, but with a straightforward Novak JM neck:
- tylerforyou
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 711
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:43 pm
- Location: Afromanville, KY
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
That pickguard is the tits. We need a thread on that!
- mr.plastic_soul
- PAT PEND
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:48 pm
- Location: Carlsbad, CA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
Yeah, I did see that he recommended that arrangement, but the link is dead. I was thinking of emailing them for a template, or I suppose I could send it to them to modify...
BTW, the skateboard deck pickguard is totally groovy! It looks very much like my friend Nick's work. He owns and operates a company called Prisma Guitars that builds custom guitars from skateboard decks.
BTW, the skateboard deck pickguard is totally groovy! It looks very much like my friend Nick's work. He owns and operates a company called Prisma Guitars that builds custom guitars from skateboard decks.
- theworkoffire
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4143
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:59 am
- Location: Punching the future in the face, London
- Contact:
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=98100&start=45#p1428826tylerforyou wrote:That pickguard is the tits. We need a thread on that!
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
I don't know how they sound, but Curtis knows how to wind a great pickup. I'd definitely use 1meg pots, and I've always wondered how those would sound, but all my jags have pickups in them that I am extremely happy with, so I haven't been motivated to gut any of them to find out.
I don't know if they're still available (and I have no affiliation with the seller), but someone was selling a set of JMX-JAG pickups together with a white pickguard for an awesome price on the board a while ago. It seems that the pickups were still available when last bumped a little while ago: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... &p=1365060. Even if you didn't want a white pickguard, you could use it as a template for whoever to make a pearl one if that's your preference.
I don't know if they're still available (and I have no affiliation with the seller), but someone was selling a set of JMX-JAG pickups together with a white pickguard for an awesome price on the board a while ago. It seems that the pickups were still available when last bumped a little while ago: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... &p=1365060. Even if you didn't want a white pickguard, you could use it as a template for whoever to make a pearl one if that's your preference.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- mr.plastic_soul
- PAT PEND
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:48 pm
- Location: Carlsbad, CA
- Contact:
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
Unfortunately, it won't allow me access to that thread...
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: Anyone tried Curtis Novak's JMX-JAG Pickups?
Oh, just saw your post count. Check the FAQ for the classifieds section - I think it requires 50 posts and a message to a mod to gain access.mr.plastic_soul wrote:Unfortunately, it won't allow me access to that thread...
The artist formerly known as mbene085.