Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

For help with setups and other technical issues.
Post Reply
User avatar
SurfLove
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:58 pm
Location: Haymarket, VA

Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by SurfLove » Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:54 pm

Starting a project to swap out the stock pickups in my Vintera 60s Jaguar to a new set of Pure Vintage '65 Jaguar Pickups. Being new to offsets, and never having opened up a Jaguar (I've done Teles and Strats but never a Jag), I'd be interested in any advice anyone can offer before I start. I'm not the handiest solder person, but I am pretty sure I can pull this off.

At the same time, I'll be changing to a Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar USA 52mm Spacing (7.25" radius floating) Staytrem type Bridge, and a Fender AVRI USA Vintage Jazzmaster/Jaguar Tremolo with a Staytem Tremolo arm and collet. Any advice/tips for any of this is greatly appreciated!

User avatar
timtam
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2729
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:42 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by timtam » Wed Jan 20, 2021 5:42 pm

Although it's only pickups you're swapping in the electronics, work to a plan. Know what the wiring for your particular guitar looks like before opening up (diagram linked below). The Vintera 60s has its grounds wired in a very straightforward way, so the swap should be painless. Sometimes one decides to wire grounds in a more sensible or convenient way, but there's no need here. You have 3 different locations to deal with - lead circuit switch plate, rhythm control plate, and pickguard. You'll be soldering to switches on the two control plates. No need to touch anything on the main control plate.
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Orig ... 1_2019.pdf

Bridge and trem should be direct drop-in swaps. Measure your action before you start, so you can reproduce it easily. You can speed up the swap by measuring the height of the E/E string-saddle points (off the pickguard or wood surface) you have currently, and then dial the new bridge plate to the same ballpark (of course you will no longer have individual saddle height adjustment). Standard trem setup ...
https://offset.guitars/the-goodies/sett ... lo-system/

If you're really keen, make some recordings prior to the swap and then after, so you can more objectively tell how different things sound (use the same, original strings). I don't think we have a good sense of how similar the Vintera's "60s accurate" 7716133000/7716132000 MIM pickups are to Pure Vintage 65s.
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

User avatar
SurfLove
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:58 pm
Location: Haymarket, VA

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by SurfLove » Wed Jan 20, 2021 5:55 pm

Thanks so much timtam, this is all very useful. As you suggest I'm going to try and keep it as painless as possible and will try and replicate the same connections. Also considered measurements but your details are super helpful. A little apprehensive that the new bridge does not have individual saddle height adjustments but I'm assuming it won't make that much of a difference as long as I can get the E/E saddle points as close as possible as you suggest. I'm also going to measure the resistance for each set of P'Ups via my multimeter and was thinking of maybe recording before and after for comparison. Thanks again! I'll update results here as I go.

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by MrJagsquire » Sun Jan 24, 2021 2:36 pm

I just swapped out the standard Player series SH for a pair of Pure Vintage '65 that I bought used. I made a new loom to make it easier to reverse (I know what I'm like ;D ) I bought a spare chrome control panel and wired the new loom to new pots and tone cap/output jack. I've done away with any of the extra switches that Jaguars tend to have and just wired mine same as a Telecaster, with the selector switch at the top (I found the Player one got in my way as it's below the neck pickup and I kept hitting it).

Obviously some of the above won't apply to you coming from a Vintera model, but I'd still recommend making/buying a separate loom so you can swap it all over. FWIW I'm really pleased with the Pure Vintage '65s having listened to every video I could find comparing them with Vmod pickups and other options. I did actually like the Player neck pickup, but couldn't find another to put in the bridge. I didn't like the player humbucker in either full or tapped mode, so it had to be a single coil.

Sorry I can't post pictures on this site, but if you look for my user name on a place that talks about Strats then I've posted on there with pictures. ;)

User avatar
SurfLove
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:58 pm
Location: Haymarket, VA

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by SurfLove » Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:08 pm

Very cool, thanks for the input Mr Jagsquire, I'll try to locate you in the Start forum! To be honest, I'm not sure what a "loom" is ;D so I want to see this!

User avatar
timtam
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2729
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:42 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by timtam » Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:49 pm

wiring "loom" = wiring "harness" = all the wires ;) .... often also including all the switches, pots, caps etc.
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

User avatar
SurfLove
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:58 pm
Location: Haymarket, VA

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by SurfLove » Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:02 pm

Ah ok I see, wasn't familiar with the term Thanks timtam!

User avatar
mylona
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:26 am

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by mylona » Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:44 am

Are the E to E pole spacings on the Vintera and 65 pickups the same? I know Fender Jag pickups vary. With the Staytrem 52mm bridge to get good string alignment you need a 51 or 51.5mm pole spacing pickup.

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by MrJagsquire » Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:46 am

I don't know about Vintera, but I'm using a Staytrem bridge on my Jaguar with PV65s on it as per my earlier post. I don't have any issues with the spacing, but I could try to find a photo that gives you a better idea.

EDIT: This isn't square on, so maybe doesn't show it as well, but it's all I've got for now:

Image

User avatar
lastlol
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1034
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:41 am
Location: A mote of dust

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by lastlol » Sat Jan 22, 2022 3:20 am

If Jaguar Vintera pickups are built like Jazzmaster Vintera ones, no need to change them for PV65. The Vintera Jazzmaster pickups are exactly the same than the PV65, and sound the same.

User avatar
timtam
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2729
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:42 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by timtam » Sat Jan 22, 2022 7:20 am

lastlol wrote:
Sat Jan 22, 2022 3:20 am
If Jaguar Vintera pickups are built like Jazzmaster Vintera ones, no need to change them for PV65. The Vintera Jazzmaster pickups are exactly the same than the PV65, and sound the same.
Yes, with the pickup specs for the Vinteras' DCR and magnet grade listed in their service manual PDFs, everything seems to point to the Vintera 60s pickups being MIM copies of the MIA Pure Vintage 65's (AV65) - for both the Vintera 60s jag and the JM. The magnets on all (MIM/MIA) are Alnico 5, and the DCRs for all are spec-ed at 6.8 K.ohms (+/- 10%). We only have inductance specs for the PV65's (3.8H for the jag PV65s and 3.2H for the JM PV65's).
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

User avatar
mastermorya
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 624
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:27 am

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by mastermorya » Mon Feb 07, 2022 2:26 pm

Has anybody listened to, much less recorded the Vintera jag pickups and the PV65 pickups? I've heard varying things about how the Jazzmaster ones are dissimilar, others claim they are the same because the specs are the same. But I'd love to *hear* an example or comparison of each.

User avatar
mastermorya
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 624
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:27 am

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by mastermorya » Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:56 am

SurfLove wrote:
Wed Jan 20, 2021 3:54 pm
Starting a project to swap out the stock pickups in my Vintera 60s Jaguar to a new set of Pure Vintage '65 Jaguar Pickups. Being new to offsets, and never having opened up a Jaguar (I've done Teles and Strats but never a Jag), I'd be interested in any advice anyone can offer before I start. I'm not the handiest solder person, but I am pretty sure I can pull this off.

At the same time, I'll be changing to a Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar USA 52mm Spacing (7.25" radius floating) Staytrem type Bridge, and a Fender AVRI USA Vintage Jazzmaster/Jaguar Tremolo with a Staytem Tremolo arm and collet. Any advice/tips for any of this is greatly appreciated!
Hey there--what difference in sound have you noticed between the stock Vintera 60's pickups and the PV65 ones?

User avatar
lastlol
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1034
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:41 am
Location: A mote of dust

Re: Swapping stock 60s Vintera Jag pickups for Pure Vintage '65s and other upgrades

Post by lastlol » Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:14 am

Concerning the Jazzmaster pickups, I've had a Vintera Jazzmaster and an AV65 at the same time, and they sounded pretty damn close. I'm 99% sure they are the same pickups. Or that they are built with the very same specs. The Vintera ones were very, very good, and didn't need to be changed at all. I highly doubt that Fender would use different magnets or different wire to make the Vintera ones.
As for the Jaguar ones, I don't know.

Post Reply