Question about swapping pickups on a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster

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leinad
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Question about swapping pickups on a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by leinad » Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:20 pm

Hello, apologies in advance if this has been answered before.

I'm planning on swapping out the pickups in my Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. It's otherwise stock except the trem (Fender original), bridge (Staytrem), and I've installed copper shielding throughout.

I have a set of Lollar P-90 Jazzmasters (bridge and neck) that I want to try instead of the stock P90s. With the guitar opened up I now realize the wiring seems a little different from some other JMs I've seen.

This might be a stupid question, but both the stock pickups don't seem to have their grounds connected to anything (!) Is this how it's supposed to be and/or am I missing something? :blush:

When I install the Lollars, where should I put the grounds for the neck and bridge pickup respectively? Can they both go to the master volume?

Thanks in advance!

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Lost In Autumn
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Re: Question about swapping pickups on a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by Lost In Autumn » Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:12 am

I wire the ground to the switch, which then goes to the master volume.

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leinad
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Re: Question about swapping pickups on a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by leinad » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:58 pm

Oh, now that I had a closer look at it I realize they're using a dual cable with an outer shielding that's the ground, where the bridge pickup grounds to the main switch and the neck pickup to the rhythm switch. Not sure why they're doing it this way but hey.

Overall the electronics look pretty makeshift, but I assume that's to be expected from a $600 guitar. :P

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Re: Question about swapping pickups on a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster

Post by 601210 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:23 pm

leinad wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:58 pm
Oh, now that I had a closer look at it I realize they're using a dual cable with an outer shielding that's the ground, where the bridge pickup grounds to the main switch and the neck pickup to the rhythm switch. Not sure why they're doing it this way but hey.

Overall the electronics look pretty makeshift, but I assume that's to be expected from a $600 guitar. :P
I'm guessing they ground the rhythm switch cause the neck pickup hot goes to the rhythm switch, and it doesn't make sense to use a shielded cable and have it split off in two completely different directions.

Fender have always done that in a wide variety of ways though. Some early schematics of both JMs and Jags show the grounds going to the brass shielding, even.

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