My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
Novae
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:34 am

My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Novae » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:02 am

I've dreamed about this for a while now. Everything is stock except the pickups and knobs and also the 3 switches in the lead circuit were swapped. I went for the Curtis Novak Lipstick Jag vintage low output ones. Here's a pic the luthier took outside his shop.

Image576gw547hr5g7 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr

Unfortunately the neck pickup is faulty and is much lower output it's supposed to be. The pickups were advertised as 3.4k for the neck and 4.0k for the bridge. The neck pickup reading was 2.27k. It sounds quite dark but it works and i can use it since i love using the rhythm circuit with the stock pickups for that really dark tone. The bridge pickup is fine and sounds lovely. It's just a bummer that i'm not sure if that neck pickup is truly supposed to sound the way it sounds right now. It bothers me. I'm still waiting for a response from Curtis himself regarding this. Hopefully i'll either get a partial refund or a new pickup, but we'll see.

Here's my thread when the pickups were installed and the problems began: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=119675

I love this guitar to death, even in this state... :? :-*
Last edited by Novae on Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:24 am, edited 3 times in total.

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Pacafeliz » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:04 am

Pics not showing.

Want.
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

User avatar
Novae
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:34 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Novae » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:05 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:04 am
Pics not showing.

Want.
I'm trying to figure out how i posted pics with Flickr last time haha.

Edit: Figured it out!

Singlebladepickup
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2831
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 4:12 am
Location: U.S. of fuckin' A.

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Singlebladepickup » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:26 am

Wow, that looks spectacular. The knobs too. Bummer about pickups, interested in how they compare to regular jag pickups
Last edited by Singlebladepickup on Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Embenny » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:27 am

Gorgeous. Bummer about the neck pickup. Something is wrong though. In no way should a lipstick sound dark, and 2.27k means either it was wired wrong or something is physically wrong. Are you measuring at the output jack or at the pickup leads themselves? Measuring the leads would eliminate a wiring error as the culprit.

I've heard Curtis is difficult to get a hold of lately, but maybe try calling instead of e-mail. I've bought four sets of pickups from him over the years and the one time I had an issue (a goldfoil cover that had become ungrounded during shipping) he was great about suggesting a way for me to fix it and volunteered to take it back if I couldn't.

His Jaguar lipsticks are awesome (the closest to a true Danelectro design of any non-Dano-shaped retrofit on the market) and you deserve to be hearing it at its best!
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Pacafeliz » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:29 am

Hot. Very much! :-*

But a mint/parchment/cream guard would make it 110% hotter ;D
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Embenny » Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:39 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:29 am
Hot. Very much! :-*

But a mint/parchment/cream guard would make it 110% hotter ;D
I didn't want to be a broken record as a tort naysayer, but 100% this. The one bit of credit I'll give Vintera tort is that it's far more attractive than other Fender lines for some reason, but OTM deserves mint/parchment.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
Novae
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:34 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Novae » Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:18 am

mbene085 wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:27 am
Gorgeous. Bummer about the neck pickup. Something is wrong though. In no way should a lipstick sound dark, and 2.27k means either it was wired wrong or something is physically wrong. Are you measuring at the output jack or at the pickup leads themselves? Measuring the leads would eliminate a wiring error as the culprit.

I've heard Curtis is difficult to get a hold of lately, but maybe try calling instead of e-mail. I've bought four sets of pickups from him over the years and the one time I had an issue (a goldfoil cover that had become ungrounded during shipping) he was great about suggesting a way for me to fix it and volunteered to take it back if I couldn't.

His Jaguar lipsticks are awesome (the closest to a true Danelectro design of any non-Dano-shaped retrofit on the market) and you deserve to be hearing it at its best!
I'm in Finland so calling him would be quite expensive for me. Returning stuff etc. will also be very pricey for me. The luthier measured the pickup directly at the base at the solder joints or something. He sent me a pic of him doing it so i have it as proof when i contact Novak the next time. Unfortunately, now the bridge pickup cut out nearly completely. It has some output but it's basically mute when clean/overdrive and only with distortion i'm hearing sound anymore. I'm worried about these pickups now. I'm not sure if it's wiring or what since the guy who fixed it up went over the solder joints and stuff. Too much bad luck this year with repairs and mods. I'm going to let him measure the bridge if it doesn't somehow come back to life. This is getting ridiculous...

User avatar
Novae
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:34 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Novae » Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:37 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:29 am
Hot. Very much! :-*

But a mint/parchment/cream guard would make it 110% hotter ;D
I bought a mint guard which did not fit. I tried it on the best i could and i hated it. I love the stock tort. Almost everyone is changing the guard, but i love this combo the most.

User avatar
smjenkins
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:45 am
Location: The Emerald Fucking City

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by smjenkins » Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:03 am

My takeaway is that while you can't put lipstick on a pig, you can put lipsticks on a jag. :D

But seriously, that looks so good. Mint would take it to 11.

I'd love to hear sound clips when you can post them.

User avatar
Novae
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:34 am

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Novae » Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:25 am

Bridge pickup died... This guitar is CURSED. :'(

PS: Curtis responded! He gave me a list of things to go through first before we start sending stuff overseas to fix/replace anything. Time for my 4th or 5th trip to a luthier/tech ::)

User avatar
marqueemoon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 7343
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:37 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:31 pm

Wow. That is really bad luck.

Nice looking guitar though.

User avatar
jakeisjake
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 6682
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:39 am
Location: i am the OGRE kukukachu, vermont
Contact:

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by jakeisjake » Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:18 pm

I would like to hear those pickups!
If I was a byrd, I'd be mighty sore every time they shut the door and I don't think I'd sing...

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by Maggieo » Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:43 am

Novae wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:37 am
Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:29 am
Hot. Very much! :-*

But a mint/parchment/cream guard would make it 110% hotter ;D
I bought a mint guard which did not fit. I tried it on the best i could and i hated it. I love the stock tort. Almost everyone is changing the guard, but i love this combo the most.
::whispers:: spitfire tort...
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

User avatar
MayTheFuzzBeWithYou
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2407
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2017 12:28 am
Location: Linz, Austria

Re: My Jaguar Has Lipsticks Now!

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Thu Jul 15, 2021 10:10 am

Looking good! :w00t:
I always wondered why Curtis' Lipsticks for Jag are so rare on here... as his concept is great! So thank you for changing this!
Lipsticks would be a nice addition to my Thinline Jag if I only could get brushed ones like on the Dead on 67 Baritone I once had (nothing wrong with the chrome ones - but in my case I'd need to match the brushed plates and Mastery).

Did you try the Mint guard with the stock pickups/covers? with parchment or at least not so yellowed ones it would work (at least for me - but I went with black in the end). These Vinteras are great guitars! :-*

Post Reply