Your suggestion of pickups for a Jagstang?

[andrew00]

Heya, a few years ago I picked up a Fender Jagstang as part of the Nevermind 30th anniversary reissue. As a leftie, the range of short scale options is limited. I really enjoyed it, but had some things I didn't like (pickups, lack of body contour, intonation etc). I was talking to my local tech and we ended up having fun making a partscaster Mustang with some hot single coils in, giving a nice Syd Barrett spikey quality, with the parts taken from the Jagstang.

This led me somewhat down the rabbit hole of tweaking guitars, I added a mastery, various options in the wiring of the Mustang to give other options (3 way pickup selector, series/parallel switchable modes etc).

I had picked up a Rickenbacker 330 a while ago and didn't really gel with it, ironically due to the size as I'm a big short scale fan now, so had thought of making a Jaguar with the same short scale and more as a rhythm guitar, but I've lately actually been enjoying the Rick more for what it is, so am probably going to keep it, replacing the current high gains with toasters.

So I thought I'd go back to my Jagstang, and basically use this as a template to create something new, and I was wondering what you could suggest would be some fun pickup or wiring combos for me. Currently it's routed for humbuckers in the bridge and a single coil in the neck as per the 2021 reissue.

I'm thinking of stipping the paint and getting my tech to paint it a black sparkle or something ridiculous lol, I've no idea how hard the polyester finish it comes in is to strip but a google suggests it's actually not too bad? I've seen some of the mad ways people have refinished their mustang and jagstangs and I want in lol.

I currently have - Mustang with two hot single coils, a Rickenbacker 330 with high gains, soon to be toasters. This gives a good range of tones. The question is what could be interesting as a 3rd set of options?

Perhaps lipsticks, gold foils, p90s or a humbucker? I used to have a strat so was considering some sort of split option with strat wiring alongside a 5 way switch to give strat style middle positions. I also have an old childhood Epiphone les paul that I'd forgotten about for years that I'm going to give some love to so that'll do that sound.

Basically, what do you think would be an interesting set of options to shove into this unexpected frankenstein of a guitar?

[threewordname]

The original design was inspired in part by Japanese made catalog guitars. You could go that route and put in gold foils, or the square pole teisco pickups

[AcrylicSuperman]

Since the Jagstang has such an atomic age sort of look, maybe some model 2000 dynasonics that were made for Martin.

https://reverb.com/item/1893108-60-s-ma ... -f-55-f-65

I'm not sure of anyone who makes these but there is bound to be a replica of them somewhere.

[andy_tchp]

I'm thinking of stipping the paint and getting my tech to paint it a black sparkle or something ridiculous lol, I've no idea how hard the polyester finish it comes in is to strip but a google suggests it's actually not too bad?

I don't think anyone who has actually stripped a polyester finished guitar (you'll only ever do it once) considers it 'not too bad'.

Absolute pig of a job, you will damage the body in some way, and it will take you weeks.

Just scuff the original finish and paint directly over it.

[theremintheme]

I strongly second what the guy above me is saying. A factory made guitar is a perfect flat surface. No need to strip it back unless you want it to BE bare wood. And there is a strong chance the wood underneath doesn't look that good - guitar manufacturers will save the good looking wood for transparent finishes.

As for pickups, only your imagination is the limit. What I like may not be at all what you like. That being said, I would consider a Filtertron or Wide Range humbucker in the bridge position, and a Jaguar single coil in the neck position, because I happen to really like those sounds.

[F15hface]

Lace sensors would be cool, certainly very 90s.
I’m currently thinking about putting Kinman jag pickups in my 97 Jagstang if they’ll fit.