Need an opinion on Squier CV Jaguar

For help with setups and other technical issues.
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shoegaze_head
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Re: Need an opinion on Squier CV Jaguar

Post by shoegaze_head » Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:45 pm

Synchro wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:52 am
I’m waiting for parts to build a Jaguar using a Warmoth body and neck. The idea is to make the ultimate Jaguar for my tastes and to have it be as playable as this Squier. How’s that for irony; building a custom Jaguar and hoping that it turns out as good as a Squier? :)
Dang thats almost poetic in a way...

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Synchro
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Re: Need an opinion on Squier CV Jaguar

Post by Synchro » Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:41 am

shoegaze_head wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:45 pm
Synchro wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:52 am
I’m waiting for parts to build a Jaguar using a Warmoth body and neck. The idea is to make the ultimate Jaguar for my tastes and to have it be as playable as this Squier. How’s that for irony; building a custom Jaguar and hoping that it turns out as good as a Squier? :)
Dang thats almost poetic in a way...
It is.

When I bought the CV Jaguar, it was basically a way to scratch my Jaguar itch, without spending a lot of money. I’ve owned other Jaguars, but always had ended up disappointed and selling it. So then, I buy the least expensive Jaguar made and find myself smitten. So, I bought a replacement body, in a great sunburst finish. Then, I bought pots, switches, etc. and ordered a StayTrem bridge. Pretty soon, I was about $1,000 into this project, so I decided to double down, and ordered a birdseye-maple Warmoth neck with an ebony fingerboard and block inlays. While in the throes of enthusiasm, I ordered a set of D’Addario Planet Waves Auto-Trim machine heads. I have StewMac foam, with embedded springs, to mount the Pure Vintage pickups, which are ready and waiting for their new home in the Warmoth body. Add a string tree, neck plate and I have, essentially, all the parts for a completely new guitar.

This leaves only one question; will this $2,000 collection of parts end up as good as the Squier, which sells for less than 1/4 the price of the parts I have collected for my build project? Haven’t had the neck off of the Squier, but I suspect that the neck pocket may be ever so slightly slanted, providing a bit more string tension, pressing downward on the bridge. I keep a set of Stewart McDonald shims in .25 degree, .5 degree and 1.0 degree profiles, so I fully expect that I will be shimming the neck of this Jaguar build.

I’ve been playing, literally, since the mid ‘60s, and remember that Jaguars had a poor reputation because the strings tended to jump out of the bridge. There are, IMHO, two major factors in this, shallow grooves in the original Jaguar bridge design, and low downforce on the bridge. The Mustang bridge solves the first problem, elegantly, and inexpensively, which is why it’s been a staple of Jaguar mods, for many people. That StayTrem bridge is, for all intents and purposes, a sophisticated version of the Mustang bridge. It’s also notable that the OEM bridge on the CV Jaguar is basically a Mustang bridge, without height adjustment screws. It’s a great idea.

The downforce issue is a bit more complex, but can be reduced to simply the relatively flat nature of the string path on a Jaguar. One solution has been to move the tailpiece closer to the bridge. IMO, this is a pretty decent idea, and my search for a Jaguar began with several failed attempts to find one of these. I actually bought two, from eBay, only to have the order cancelled, because the dealers didn’t actually have any to sell, in spite of offering these for sale. Moving the tailpiece towards the bridge helps, but I suspect that it may be a higher friction solution. A greater neck angle raises the bridge, and has the same effect, but I think that there may be slightly less friction involved. I’d have to do a lot more calculation than I’d care to, in order to prove or disprove that.

What still amazes me, is that this budget-priced guitar has turned out to be an excellent instrument that plays as well and sounds as good as much more expensive guitars I own. Beyond that, if you flip the rhythm switch, it’s a very decent Jazz axe. Honest to goodness, if I wanted to record a an old-school Jazz track, like something Jim Hall would have done, I can get that sound from this sub $500 guitar. That is just crazy; but crazy good.
The artist formerly known as Synchro.

When Surf Guitar is outlawed, only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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