Please help me, for I am an idiot (1966 Jaguar content)
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 12:48 pm
Hello. I bought this 1966 Jaguar in 2017. I think I posted about it then.
It's mostly original (one changed strap button screw) and is in what I consider to be pretty fantastic shape for the year (guard is starting to warp a little bit, some pitting on the neck plate, typical checking/edge wear/what have you, a scrape or two on the logo-- but nothing catastrophic, and it looks, if I may, cool as hell). Aesthetically, dots & binding is Extremely My Thing. The burst is perfect. It's no lightweight, but it weighs less than a Jag could weigh (> 8.5 < 9). I basically love it.
Now, I'll offer the caveat before I continue that when things like wires and magnets enter the conversation, I become a complete buffoon. I can typically do an okay job of playing the guitar-- certainly not much more than okay, but still-- and can do my own setup work and all that. But pickups and electronics? Amplifiers? Impedance, inductance, henries, etc.? Nope. Hopeless dullard.
Another of my many flaws (stopped going to therapy, so thanks in advance for stepping in, OSG) is that I am simply unwilling to deal with any problems that come up in my life. When I bought this guitar five years ago, it didn't sound right (and I think I have sufficient context to establish what "right" is). So, rather than Actually Dealing With It like a big boy, it became relegated to the back of one of what is, somewhat shamefully, several guitar closets in my house.
A few weeks ago, motivated by both an interest in finally getting this thing up and running and-- in the spirit of full disclosure-- the dizzying market for vintage offsets right now (I paid what I'd call a decent price for a used AVRI at the time), I finally took this to a credible tech for a once-over. My concerns are that the pickups a) are weak (he measured at 5.00 and 5.49k - certainly not the weakest vintage Jag pickups in the world, but not, like, EMGs), b) are microphonic as anything, and c) sound out of phase in the middle position (which was, and remains, my biggest concern). He said there are no phase issues and everything is wired as it should be. I have no reason to believe the previous owner messed with it much and I trust my tech. So.
Here's a sound sample, if you'll forgive my absolutely dogshit playing (it's for illustrative purposes, not Shred Cred). Guitar(s) straight into interface, using a clean Marshall model in GarageBand. I have "narrated" what you're hearing, but it's neck/bridge/middle/middle with the strangle switch clean, then neck/bridge/middle with the fuzz side of a Keeley Loomer; it's contextualized somewhat in the back third by a CP Jazzmaster (The Classic Player Apologist has logged on) with no settings changed (and yes, I know it clips toward the end). You can hear how microphonic the pickups are as I have helpfully tapped on things (control plate, pickups). What you cannot hear is the incessant howling that would be occurring if I were plugged into an amp with any amount of volume and/or gain.
So... mostly just wondering: what's my best move here? I would like this to be a usable guitar, and I feel it deserves a fate better than being taken out of its case every few years and stared at, whether that fate is with me or someone else. I don't think swapping pickups is really the right choice, even in the short term. I see Lindy Fralin offers rewinding at what appears to be an extremely reasonable rate and every Fralin pickup I've heard or played has been exceptional. I know he repots as well. I'm assuming a rewind would resolve the strength/output issue, but would it correct (what I'm hearing as) the phase problem? Or, if I do wind up selling-- kind of a daunting prospect, to be honest, and I don't exactly live in the middle of a hot local vintage guitar market-- is it best to leave the guitar as original as possible, even with the wonky pickups?
Help a stupid, stupid man, OSG. A man who is paralyzed by the thought of making any kind of decision. Please.
It's mostly original (one changed strap button screw) and is in what I consider to be pretty fantastic shape for the year (guard is starting to warp a little bit, some pitting on the neck plate, typical checking/edge wear/what have you, a scrape or two on the logo-- but nothing catastrophic, and it looks, if I may, cool as hell). Aesthetically, dots & binding is Extremely My Thing. The burst is perfect. It's no lightweight, but it weighs less than a Jag could weigh (> 8.5 < 9). I basically love it.
Now, I'll offer the caveat before I continue that when things like wires and magnets enter the conversation, I become a complete buffoon. I can typically do an okay job of playing the guitar-- certainly not much more than okay, but still-- and can do my own setup work and all that. But pickups and electronics? Amplifiers? Impedance, inductance, henries, etc.? Nope. Hopeless dullard.
Another of my many flaws (stopped going to therapy, so thanks in advance for stepping in, OSG) is that I am simply unwilling to deal with any problems that come up in my life. When I bought this guitar five years ago, it didn't sound right (and I think I have sufficient context to establish what "right" is). So, rather than Actually Dealing With It like a big boy, it became relegated to the back of one of what is, somewhat shamefully, several guitar closets in my house.
A few weeks ago, motivated by both an interest in finally getting this thing up and running and-- in the spirit of full disclosure-- the dizzying market for vintage offsets right now (I paid what I'd call a decent price for a used AVRI at the time), I finally took this to a credible tech for a once-over. My concerns are that the pickups a) are weak (he measured at 5.00 and 5.49k - certainly not the weakest vintage Jag pickups in the world, but not, like, EMGs), b) are microphonic as anything, and c) sound out of phase in the middle position (which was, and remains, my biggest concern). He said there are no phase issues and everything is wired as it should be. I have no reason to believe the previous owner messed with it much and I trust my tech. So.
Here's a sound sample, if you'll forgive my absolutely dogshit playing (it's for illustrative purposes, not Shred Cred). Guitar(s) straight into interface, using a clean Marshall model in GarageBand. I have "narrated" what you're hearing, but it's neck/bridge/middle/middle with the strangle switch clean, then neck/bridge/middle with the fuzz side of a Keeley Loomer; it's contextualized somewhat in the back third by a CP Jazzmaster (The Classic Player Apologist has logged on) with no settings changed (and yes, I know it clips toward the end). You can hear how microphonic the pickups are as I have helpfully tapped on things (control plate, pickups). What you cannot hear is the incessant howling that would be occurring if I were plugged into an amp with any amount of volume and/or gain.
So... mostly just wondering: what's my best move here? I would like this to be a usable guitar, and I feel it deserves a fate better than being taken out of its case every few years and stared at, whether that fate is with me or someone else. I don't think swapping pickups is really the right choice, even in the short term. I see Lindy Fralin offers rewinding at what appears to be an extremely reasonable rate and every Fralin pickup I've heard or played has been exceptional. I know he repots as well. I'm assuming a rewind would resolve the strength/output issue, but would it correct (what I'm hearing as) the phase problem? Or, if I do wind up selling-- kind of a daunting prospect, to be honest, and I don't exactly live in the middle of a hot local vintage guitar market-- is it best to leave the guitar as original as possible, even with the wonky pickups?
Help a stupid, stupid man, OSG. A man who is paralyzed by the thought of making any kind of decision. Please.