JAG-STANG Prototype - Reverse Engineering

[BTL]

So much great work here! Now that you have so much data, including a scan of the new production Jag-Stang body, How much is left to know?

I'm curious to see and hear how it all comes together. Will there be an updated post with files and links that sums up everything you've learned about Blue 1.0?

[aelling]

aelling: Thank you so much to you and your dad for your massive help.

Now that your scan is already available to download, it makes things easy to any other competition mustang owner who would like to check this profile against their necks to see how they compare...
The more information we can gather, the better the insight would be for the assessment.

Please guys, do chime in, there's strength and knowledge in numbers.

No problem, happy to help. You guys have done awesome work already digging up plenty of previously unknown specs so, I'm looking forward to see what else you got.

[JSett]

So much great work here! Now that you have so much data, including a scan of the new production Jag-Stang body, How much is left to know?

I'm curious to see and hear how it all comes together. Will there be a post with files and links that sums up everything you've learned about Blue 1.0?

I am curious as to the end-game here. Like, is it just for ultimate 'Teh Kurtz' knowledge or are you going to build a replica or...?

[BTL]

I am curious as to the end-game here. Like, is it just for ultimate 'Teh Kurtz' knowledge or are you going to build a replica or...?

Speaking for myself, I had hoped to see and potentially to buy a Fender Custom Shop replica of Blue 1.0. Since that has been confirmed as not happening, I settled for an early MIM reissue and I'm just as curious as you regarding what's next.

[Amon 7.L]

So much great work here! Now that you have so much data, including a scan of the new production Jag-Stang body, How much is left to know?

I'm curious to see and hear how it all comes together. Will there be an updated post with files and links that sums up everything you've learned about Blue 1.0?

Thanks for your kind words and for scanning your new production Jag-stang body!
Left to know: The specs of Vintage competition '69-'71 Mustangs neck to cross our current data.

Without going into much detail for now as we're processing the data, we're now encountering incongruences between specs that we're trying to sort out and/or find explanation.

Once we've done with the neck, we'll surely compile a definitive wrap-up in some way.
Either via hyper-links to the crucial chapters or a dedicated thread. We'll see...

aelling: Thank you so much to you and your dad for your massive help.

Now that your scan is already available to download, it makes things easy to any other competition mustang owner who would like to check this profile against their necks to see how they compare...
The more information we can gather, the better the insight would be for the assessment.

Please guys, do chime in, there's strength and knowledge in numbers.

No problem, happy to help. You guys have done awesome work already digging up plenty of previously unknown specs so, I'm looking forward to see what else you got.

Much appreciated aelling, stick around!

I am curious as to the end-game here. Like, is it just for ultimate 'Teh Kurtz' knowledge or are you going to build a replica or...?

Speaking for myself, I had hoped to see and potentially to buy a Fender Custom Shop replica of Blue 1.0. Since that has been confirmed as not happening, I settled for an early MIM reissue and I'm just as curious as you regarding what's next.

@johnnysomersett:
Brad summed it up.
Many of us were interested in a possible Fender Prototype Reissue which never happened;
As described at the very first page of the thread, I just wanted to build my own replica, little did I know we would have end up in this crazy journey.
Personally, curiosity about the actual story behind this instrument is what kept me interested.

[AcrylicSuperman]

So much great work here! Now that you have so much data, including a scan of the new production Jag-Stang body, How much is left to know?

I'm curious to see and hear how it all comes together. Will there be a post with files and links that sums up everything you've learned about Blue 1.0?

I am curious as to the end-game here. Like, is it just for ultimate 'Teh Kurtz' knowledge or are you going to build a replica or...?

To answer your question from my perspective:

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a Nirvana fan. I grew up on the I-5 corridor just like they did. How could I not be? I've even met a few of them and jammed with some in my travels. The first time I ever saw the Jagstang prototype, I fell in love with the way it looked, and while I never owned one of the original runs, a friend of mine did and I never could get along with it. It just sounded disappointing to me. Currently, I can't afford the reissue, even when it dropped on sale for half price over labor day. But despite each RI, all three of them were disappointing. None of them were the guitar I fell in love with.

Music passion aside, I also have a passion for history. As a matter of fact, on my down time, I hunt for things that have gone missing throughout history. Treasures and artifacts. I also have an extensive, though incomplete, database on Fender instruments, their diagrams and what changes were made around which years. When I started working on the Jagstang, I initially took the specs off the internet and from Fender. Right until some things popped out that didn't seem to be correct. Keep in mind, only two of these were made. Kurt received one, the other that should have been an exact twin is just gone. With Red supposed to be cut right off the same CNC and template, it doesn't remotely have the same shape, and Kurt didn't request changes. The only answer was that what we knew and what we were told about the instrument is wrong. So more than anything, I wanted to preserve the instrument for future generations. I know that a lot of false information had permeated the internet for 30 years. There is always going to be someone repeating that information. It may never go away. But I still want the truth to be out there for anyone that cares enough to look deep enough.

So far, our data has primarily been on the body aspect of the guitar. We haven't really touched on the neck much at all. The neck is the final piece of the puzzle.

Having said all of that, I do intend to build a replica of the instrument. More than one really, all of which will be for personal use. I would like to record an album with one of them. I don't know that I want my first one to be blue. Everyone wants a Blue replica. I'm leaning toward Dakota Red for my first one, or Olympic White and Tortoise like the third, unmade Jagstang was meant to be. I guess I'll cross that road when I come to it.

But the important thing for me is that this rare, and in my eyes, beautiful instrument is properly preserved and given the proper respect in Fender's history that it deserves.

I'm sure we will find a way to compile all proper specs when we are finally done.

[sal paradise]

And then write a book? Please

[AcrylicSuperman]

And then write a book? Please

Haha. I don't know if I have it in me to write a book, but maybe Amon and I can put our heads together and create a PDF or something on our findings and the specs and create a short but detailed mini book or something that everyone can copy, save, and pass around.

We'll figure something out.

[threewordname]

I would still love to see a Jagstang with the weird Mercury headstock that is in the original drawing

[FenderGuy312]

This thread is truly amazing! Thanks so much for putting it all together!

[AcrylicSuperman]

This thread is truly amazing! Thanks so much for putting it all together!

Thank you. We appreciate it! Glad you've enjoyed it.

[Amon 7.L]

This thread is truly amazing! Thanks so much for putting it all together!

Thanks for your kind words, you're most welcome!

I would still love to see a Jagstang with the weird Mercury headstock that is in the original drawing

Faithful enough?

[AcrylicSuperman]

Wanted to give everyone reading a quick update.

As you all know, the Competition Mustang was sent to auction this year. We were granted measurments from the MoPop museum before this move occurred, but we have some questions about how properly these measurements were taken.

Our hope of getting the Jagstang neck right has rested in two places. Fender and the buyer of the competition mustang. I'm sure some of you know who the buyer is but some of you may not. The buyer was Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team. And this isn't his first Kurt Cobain guitar. He purchased the MTV Unplugged Martin as well. As such, the Mustang is now part of the Irsay Collection and will still be put on display for those that would like to see it.

Through Larry Hall, vice president of the Indianapolis Colts, and through Jim Irsay's approval, we have been granted persmission to obtain the measurements and profile of this guitar. We just have to wait a few weeks.


So what does this mean? It means our reasearch is slowly coming to an end and I admit, the is a little bittersweet to swallow. We have focused and accomplished so much in this project, but we focused so much on the body. We haven't had much fortune in regards to the neck until now.

What you need to understand is that without the Blue prototype, we'll never accurately have the real Jagstang neck. Larry's mustang that the neck was based upon is out in the wild somewhere. The only other neck we have access to is Kurt's competition neck. This neck was handed to Larry and was expressed to be, at the time, his favorite neck. But he could not give it up due to In Utero sessions quickly approaching. We have one distinct measurement from Larry's neck. With these results, considering Larry referred to the mustang necks as twins, we have to assume they were relatively close. So our plan is to provide a hybrid of the two necks which will be as close as we can ever hope to achieve at this current time. But the neck should be incredibly close to the real thing that was on the blue prototype.

Having said all of this, I want to give our gratitude to Jim Irsay and Larry Hall for their generosity in providing us with this information. The jagstang research would be in Limbo if not for them and I can't express how much of a big deal this is, not just for Amon and I, but for all of you, each of you that cares that this guitar gets preserved or wants to have an accurate Jagstang for yourself.

I ask that from now until we get these measurements in hand, that our American followers turn on a Colts game every week. Collectively, our viewership will be a drop in the bucket. But together, let's show Jim and the Colts some support for supporting us, for supporting the truth, and helping preserve such an iconic and important instrument to all of us, Nirvana fans and fender historians alike.

-AcrylicSuperman

[Speedo]

Hi, first i want to thanks you for all these interesting "reverse engineering" Job.
I founded this post last year when i was about to buy last reissue of Jag-Stang.
It totally changed my way of mind, and instead of buy a Jagstang i decided to build my own body.
I did a new draw based on your v07/ production model / warmoth.
- I don't have too much tools, and i feel i can't build a neck, so i buyed used one from a friend.
It's not totally finish, but here is my version:









The whole story from scratch is here (in french) https://www.guitariste.com/forums/le-co ... 20913.html
Thanks again for your great job , and of course AcrylicSuperman too.

[AcrylicSuperman]

Hi, first i want to thanks you for all these interesting "reverse engineering" Job.
I founded this post last year when i was about to buy last reissue of Jag-Stang.
It totally changed my way of of mind, and instead of buy a Jagstang i decided to build my own body.
I did a new draw based on your v07/ production model / warmoth.
- don't have too much tools, and i feel i can't build a neck, so i buyed used one from a friend.
It's not totally finish, but here is my version:









The whole story from scratch is here (in french) https://www.guitariste.com/forums/le-co ... 20913.html
Thanks again for your great job , and of course AcrylicSuperman too.

Beautiful Jagstang! I'm glad we could help inspire you to build a personal jagstang. That makes what I do worth it.

I will definitely check out your build as soon as I get some down time tonight!