I've been fighting with minor to moderate carpal/cubital tunnel syndrome for the last ~decade or thereabouts, and having spent that time playing guitar instead of addressing the issue is finally catching up to me. So I thought I'd best start being proactive with it, and decided it's time to dip back into the short scale world.
I've always liked Jaguars, and have owned a number of MiM (CP HH and CP Special) and MiJ/CiJ ones in the past that I'd foolishly sold for one reason or another and would inevitably regret. So, when this Jaguar came up in my local Kijiji listings, I jumped on it. I ended up swapping my rat-fucked DRRI for it. Great amp, love the form factor and the sound, but my AC30 always calls me back so it wasn't too much of a loss.
When I met the guy to make the exchange I was able to get a better look at the guitar. Turns out this was the same Classic Player Special I'd moved to help fund a AO Strat I was eying at the onset of the pandemic. It was in damn-near the same condition as when I sold it, save for one glaring addition that threw me off when I saw the ad. Some chucklehead added a (poorly done) fake US serial number to the back of the headstock. I dunno if someone just got insecure about the MiM logo or tried to pull a fast one on somebody, but it baffles me all the same. Either way, it's just as solid a guitar as I recall and the shorter scale is immensely more friendly to my junk hands than my full scale guitars.
So, what with the weird serial number and my crappy physiology, I don't think I'll be moving this guitar and as such I'm going to turn this into a mod platform. I've got a few ideas, and I know there are a wealth of mods that folks have already done. The only thing that really bothers me is the trem placement (surprise surprise), so I'm playing with the idea of stripping it, filling it, and converting it to more vintage-correct appointments in the future. Also considering getting a body from Great Lakes Custom Colours, but then we're dealing with a Ship of Theseus thing (which I'm not opposed to). First thing to be changed is the tort pickguard when I sit down to set it up this weekend. I still have the original mint guard from the first time I owned it, and just never got around to changing 3+ years ago.
So let me know what you guys think. What mods worked for you? What mods didn't? Am I crazy for getting a guitar with a hack serial number? Pictures below!
