Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
- jibbity
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Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
I've been trying to figure out exactly how the controls on the Squier Contemporary Jaguar work. The pickup toggle is, well, a pickup toggle; I haven't tested it but I imagine it works just like every other one in the world.
The coil split and series/parallel though... different people will tell you what they do differently, and unless I've missed it Fender doesn't really say either. I'm pretty sure that the switch that takes the rhythm circuit switch position on a standard Jag is the series/parallel, and the other (where the volume wheel would be) is coil split, with the backwards/bridge position being the split and the forward position being humbucking. Or at least that's what my ears are telling me. My multimeter, however, is telling me that my ears are very bad at this.
The good news is that I have faith in both my ears and my knowledge in electronics being just terrible.
I was hoping that someone here may have come across a good rundown of the wiring of this new Jag. Failing that, I'm including the measurements I've taken from my own. They don't really make sense to me (the math for the resistances just don't check out, plus they don't match what my ears are telling me,) but that could simply me being boneheaded.
Worst case I can try to trace through the individual wires or just accept things as they are and just go with what my ears say (I... can't actually do that. It will drive me nuts not knowing.)
The coil split and series/parallel though... different people will tell you what they do differently, and unless I've missed it Fender doesn't really say either. I'm pretty sure that the switch that takes the rhythm circuit switch position on a standard Jag is the series/parallel, and the other (where the volume wheel would be) is coil split, with the backwards/bridge position being the split and the forward position being humbucking. Or at least that's what my ears are telling me. My multimeter, however, is telling me that my ears are very bad at this.
The good news is that I have faith in both my ears and my knowledge in electronics being just terrible.
I was hoping that someone here may have come across a good rundown of the wiring of this new Jag. Failing that, I'm including the measurements I've taken from my own. They don't really make sense to me (the math for the resistances just don't check out, plus they don't match what my ears are telling me,) but that could simply me being boneheaded.
Worst case I can try to trace through the individual wires or just accept things as they are and just go with what my ears say (I... can't actually do that. It will drive me nuts not knowing.)
- Futuron
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
Finally got around to checking this myself. My measurements are roughly the same as yours.
The switching still doesn't quite make sense to me, but everything I know about total resistance calculations tells me that (with my neck pickup values)
Up + Back = 2R (10k) = full humbucker (ie in series)
Down + Back = R (5k) = single coil (ie split)
Up/Down + Forward = R/2 (2.5k) = both coils in parallel
and if I really think about it, that's what I've been hearing. But I'll give it another listen to make sure.
The switching still doesn't quite make sense to me, but everything I know about total resistance calculations tells me that (with my neck pickup values)
Up + Back = 2R (10k) = full humbucker (ie in series)
Down + Back = R (5k) = single coil (ie split)
Up/Down + Forward = R/2 (2.5k) = both coils in parallel
and if I really think about it, that's what I've been hearing. But I'll give it another listen to make sure.
- Pacafeliz
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
I'll check mine too. Thought I had figured it out, but wasn't too sure and forgot about it, since it's only stashed away somewhere...
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.
- phdr_hroch
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
Hi, from what I found and your values are supporting my theory it should be like this:
Switch 1 (humbucker up, coil split down, unless ....)
Switch 2 (in forward position it changes both humbuckers into parallel mode - humbuckers are series by default .... Switch 1 then doesnt work - I dont think I hear a different sound when I change Switch 1)
And the resistor math works and sound too.
So starting from Switch 1 Up, Switch 2 backwards -> humbuckers (all in kOhm, basic resistor rules)
Neck 9.5
Bridge 13.9
Middle = 1 / (1 / 9.5 + 1 / 13.9) = 5.62 ~= 5.8 -> two parallel humbuckers
Then Switch 1 Down (coil split), Switch 2 backwards -> single coils (assuming both coils in humbucker have the same resistance, so the hum canceling works)
Neck 9.5 / 2 = 4.75 ~= 4.8
Bridge 13.8 / 2 = 6.9 ~= 7
Middle 1 / (1 / 4.8 + 1 / 7) = 2.85 ~= 2.9 -> two parralel single coils (the hum kinda throws me off on this one, that means the pickups are same polarity same winding and I dont think it is the thin phase out sound)
So then we use the Switch 2 in forward position, the sound changes to something like Stratocaster in 2 or 4 positions and I dont think I hear change when switching the Switch 1 at all So we take both single coils together in parallel:
Neck 1 / (1 / 4.8 + 1 / 4. = 2.4 (checks)
Bridge = 1 / (1 / 7 + 1 / 7) = 3.5 ~= 3.6
Middle = 1 / ( 1 / 2.4 + 1 / 3.6) = 1.44 ~= 1.5 (all 4 coils in parallel):
Hum checks and I find it logical to make, when you engage Switch 2 to forward position, it will use different path that omits Switch 1. So judging by the math Switch 2 works on pickups parallel / series ,not on middle position. And if you use series (humbucker pickup), then you output will rise (adding), in series the output will average. And the volume leves are only higher on Switch 1 up, Switch 2 backwards. Only weird thing is that hum in coil split in middle position, switch 2 backwards, but then you realize that those two humbuckers are reversed (as it should be), and that the coils split works on both pickups the same way (it is easier to make), so you either get inner or outer coils in split. Judging by the metal test on pickups they are outer coils, but it is in metal casing, hard to be sure and I dont feel like digging deeper.
Anyways the guitar is very versatile in my opinion. It has 2 humbuckers sound, it can sound like jaguar in coil split or in parallel mode like strat in positions 2 and 4. That middle position with hum is kinda like Telecaster middle (but Telecasters are RWRP wound nowadays without hum). I think its nice and I love that guitar. And I think it can be modded easily and make those switches do something else (maybe Quadbucker ? both humbuckers in series, but the it could be too muddy), those switches are much convinient than push/pulls.
But at the end, I did not look into wires, so I can be wrong
Switch 1 (humbucker up, coil split down, unless ....)
Switch 2 (in forward position it changes both humbuckers into parallel mode - humbuckers are series by default .... Switch 1 then doesnt work - I dont think I hear a different sound when I change Switch 1)
And the resistor math works and sound too.
So starting from Switch 1 Up, Switch 2 backwards -> humbuckers (all in kOhm, basic resistor rules)
Neck 9.5
Bridge 13.9
Middle = 1 / (1 / 9.5 + 1 / 13.9) = 5.62 ~= 5.8 -> two parallel humbuckers
Then Switch 1 Down (coil split), Switch 2 backwards -> single coils (assuming both coils in humbucker have the same resistance, so the hum canceling works)
Neck 9.5 / 2 = 4.75 ~= 4.8
Bridge 13.8 / 2 = 6.9 ~= 7
Middle 1 / (1 / 4.8 + 1 / 7) = 2.85 ~= 2.9 -> two parralel single coils (the hum kinda throws me off on this one, that means the pickups are same polarity same winding and I dont think it is the thin phase out sound)
So then we use the Switch 2 in forward position, the sound changes to something like Stratocaster in 2 or 4 positions and I dont think I hear change when switching the Switch 1 at all So we take both single coils together in parallel:
Neck 1 / (1 / 4.8 + 1 / 4. = 2.4 (checks)
Bridge = 1 / (1 / 7 + 1 / 7) = 3.5 ~= 3.6
Middle = 1 / ( 1 / 2.4 + 1 / 3.6) = 1.44 ~= 1.5 (all 4 coils in parallel):
Hum checks and I find it logical to make, when you engage Switch 2 to forward position, it will use different path that omits Switch 1. So judging by the math Switch 2 works on pickups parallel / series ,not on middle position. And if you use series (humbucker pickup), then you output will rise (adding), in series the output will average. And the volume leves are only higher on Switch 1 up, Switch 2 backwards. Only weird thing is that hum in coil split in middle position, switch 2 backwards, but then you realize that those two humbuckers are reversed (as it should be), and that the coils split works on both pickups the same way (it is easier to make), so you either get inner or outer coils in split. Judging by the metal test on pickups they are outer coils, but it is in metal casing, hard to be sure and I dont feel like digging deeper.
Anyways the guitar is very versatile in my opinion. It has 2 humbuckers sound, it can sound like jaguar in coil split or in parallel mode like strat in positions 2 and 4. That middle position with hum is kinda like Telecaster middle (but Telecasters are RWRP wound nowadays without hum). I think its nice and I love that guitar. And I think it can be modded easily and make those switches do something else (maybe Quadbucker ? both humbuckers in series, but the it could be too muddy), those switches are much convinient than push/pulls.
But at the end, I did not look into wires, so I can be wrong
- RetroLord
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- carnagePill
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
nice finding, i have to replace the "coils inside the pu parallel" switch. but it's a chinese one and cannot find it online
- timtam
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
Yes, that's a complex looking switch with an attached PCB ...carnagePill wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:37 amnice finding, i have to replace the "coils inside the pu parallel" switch. but it's a chinese one and cannot find it online
https://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=122328
If Fender won't sell you the switch, and since there's no published wiring diagram (AFAIK), you'd need to trace the origins of the wires to the switch to figure out what type of switch it is and how it's switching those wires (eg whether the PCB is applying any routing other than direct to the switch tabs). It may be a 3PDT or 4PDT (definitely bigger than the DPDT coil split switch above it).
"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.
- MattK
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Re: Squier Contemporary Jaguar HH Wiring
Ooh this is exciting to me - my second daughter is turning 18 in January so I offered her a choice of MIJ vintage guitars like my older daughter chose. After some hesitation it turned out that she doesn’t want vintage at all, and we ended up choosing one of these instead. Took me a minute to get my head around it but she knows what she wants. Got a great deal on it but it’s on a long back order. I’ll clip and save the diagrams for when she inevitably wants to mod it.