Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
- DeathJag
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Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
It has been a dream of mine to hear my fingers playing a vintage guitar through vintage pickups. Ever since I got Johnny's amazing 1965 Jag, I have been searching for period-correct pickups.
A person just parted out two of '65 jag pickups and I won one, but lost out on the other one. The one I got reads 6.3k and has staggered poles and a red wire. Weirdly I put in on the bridge without popping off the cover and looking for a date code (what is wrong with me!). Haven't listened yet but I'm about to practice.
All the jag diagrams mention a yellow and white wire, nothing about a red wire. Any thoughts?
Thank you OSG!
Dan
A person just parted out two of '65 jag pickups and I won one, but lost out on the other one. The one I got reads 6.3k and has staggered poles and a red wire. Weirdly I put in on the bridge without popping off the cover and looking for a date code (what is wrong with me!). Haven't listened yet but I'm about to practice.
All the jag diagrams mention a yellow and white wire, nothing about a red wire. Any thoughts?
Thank you OSG!
Dan
- DeathJag
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
And I'll just answer my own question here! Hope this helps someone besides just me. Neck is yellow and bridge is red.
- JSett
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
The bridge pickup in my '67 had red & black wires....
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- DeathJag
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
Cool thanks! That's consistent. I think I found a '65 neck pickup which makes it all period-correct except for the bridge. Thanks to your '67 bridge I'm not super crazy about getting a '65 bridge.johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:40 pmThe bridge pickup in my '67 had red & black wires....
- JSett
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
Yeah, indeed the vintage bridges are just as fucking shitty and useless as any other stock one. Staytrem, Mustang or Mastery 4 lyf
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- DeathJag
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
Actually I'm getting along pretty well with that '67 bridge!
- Highnumbers
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
Yes, typically the bridge position has red & black wires, while the neck position has yellow & black.
The reason for this is to differentiate the pickups on the assembly line because Jaguar (and Jazzmaster) pickups are reverse-wound, reverse-polarity from each other (RWRP). That way they are hum-canceling in the middle position without being out-of-phase.
If you test the polarity of the magnets, one should be south-pole up and the other north-pole up. This makes buying individual Jaguar pickups tricky, because you need to confirm the position and polarity.
The reason for this is to differentiate the pickups on the assembly line because Jaguar (and Jazzmaster) pickups are reverse-wound, reverse-polarity from each other (RWRP). That way they are hum-canceling in the middle position without being out-of-phase.
If you test the polarity of the magnets, one should be south-pole up and the other north-pole up. This makes buying individual Jaguar pickups tricky, because you need to confirm the position and polarity.
- DeathJag
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
Ah! Dang! So that test is as easy as holding a magnet over the poles and seeing which way it tugs? I noticed the black wires are always toward the floor and the colors facing up towards the rhythm circuit. I did notice the claws are reversed from each other. I think I guessed correctly because the hum is gone with both pickups on.Highnumbers wrote: ↑Mon Sep 19, 2022 1:56 pmYes, typically the bridge position has red & black wires, while the neck position has yellow & black.
The reason for this is to differentiate the pickups on the assembly line because Jaguar (and Jazzmaster) pickups are reverse-wound, reverse-polarity from each other (RWRP). That way they are hum-canceling in the middle position without being out-of-phase.
If you test the polarity of the magnets, one should be south-pole up and the other north-pole up. This makes buying individual Jaguar pickups tricky, because you need to confirm the position and polarity.
I won that '65 neck pickup and should have that installed this weekend. Yay!
- blacktiger
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Re: Old jag pickup wire colors, did they change?
I’ve never had a single problem with a vintage JM/Jag bridge (TBH, I’ve never had much of a problem with reissue ones either). I think all the gunk that works its way into them over the decades works the same as using Loctite…
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