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I've got a Vintera 60s Jag I'm trying to decide what to do with.

At the moment I have a stock 60th Anniversary JM, an AV65 Jag with Creamery Alt 88 pickups in it, and a Vintera 60s JM with a WRHB. The Vintera Jag doesn't really stand out tonally, and I tend to reach for the others first. It's also my heaviest guitar (even heavier than my CV Bass VI). But I love the colour and it plays nicely.

So I'm wondering about an idea of how to kill two birds with one stone. If I had a swimming pool route dug out to hopefully reduce the weight a bit, that would give the option for pretty much any pickups I then feel like trying out. Instead of just relying on ones that are traditional Jag single coil sized.

Does that sound like a good idea? I have no idea how much a block of alder that size would weigh, to know if it would make a meaningful difference to the weight. I have a friend with a router but there's also always the risk of things going wrong. Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

So what do you think? Another option is to sell it and hope to find a lighter Jag (maybe a CAR Japanese one?) and put some Jag size P-90s or HBs in.

Downsman wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 15, 2024 2:57 pm

Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

Regardless of how well it's done, you will substantially lower any future resale value.

There aren't really many 'light' Jaguars unless you get lucky with a specific example. They just seem to be heavy by design.

andy_tchp wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:09 pm

Downsman wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 15, 2024 2:57 pm

Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

Regardless of how well it's done, you will substantially lower any future resale value.

There aren't really many 'light' Jaguars unless you get lucky with a specific example. They just seem to be heavy by design.

Not hoping for light, but closer to 8 1/2 instead of over 9lbs would be nice. I was thinking of humbuckers and after watching some Youtube videos of people routing Squier Jags for full size HBs, I thought you could potentially lose some weight by going for a full swimming pool route.

I had a Japanese Mustang for a while that was basswood and insanely light even compared to other Mustangs. So did wonder if an MIJ basswood Jag would be lighter as well.

+1 on it will probably lessen the value.
Also yes: it‘s an most amazing color!
I had the same and sold mine because it was the only one of my guitars that kept value more or less and I never really bonded with it.

I liked the pickups but the Pau Ferro was very light and boring (unlike the Classic Lacquer JM neck I had, which looked amazing). I would love to have a body like that again for a future project.

Other than that and to encourage you: one of my Jags has a swimming pool route and it is indeed on the lighter side (but also Poplar instead of Alder, so not really comparable.)
Currently I have Surf90s in it. And had HB sized Firebird Pickups and PV65s in it before. Might want to try Lipsticks next.

Also: it is your guitar and if you intend to keep it - just do with it as it pleases you!

A swimming pool route will only marginally make it lighter. Maybe half a pound? Plus the humbuckers you'd add after are heftier than a pair of Jag pickups so any weight loss would be negligible.
Add to that the loss in resale value. I'd sell it and buy an other guitar.

I'd sell it and find a guitar that's already lighter, and even better also already been messed with so you can get it a bit cheaper. I'd then throw a super distortion in the bridge and a p90 in the neck probably.

So I've been talked out of routing it. Not every idea is a good one.

At the moment the only guitar I have with humbuckers is the JM with the Creamery WRHBs. I could probably live with the Jag's weight if it had a distinctive enough tone. Guess it's time to search for HBs that fit the regular Jag route. Would be cool to find one that at least gets close to a classic LP PAF sound.

There are a couple of threads around on alternative pickups for Jags if you search a bit, f.e. viewtopic.php?t=117162 . Some of those of course require routing to fit anyways, but probably not all of them.

I have no direct experience of the pickups, but from what I gather they're pretty vintage-sounding, if not the cleanest of the stock pickups. There's definitely other alternatives that will fit the same route, depending on what you're going for.

Well, I've just hopefully sorted out the weight issue. Incoming CIJ Jaguar in CAR that the seller weighed as 3.25kg. Nearly two pounds lighter than mine. I've wanted a CAR Jag again since I foolishly sold my Squier VM Jag. I'll see how it plays and then decide what to do about pickup options. Still taking routing off the table, though.