Well...I got snookered

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
Post Reply
User avatar
ShortyMedlock
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:26 am

Well...I got snookered

Post by ShortyMedlock » Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:15 pm

Soooo.... I have made a few posts about my Jaguar project.

I have collected many of the parts I need... a neck pickup, Mustang bridge, pickguard, wiring, chrome switch plates, vol/tone pots, locking tuners, 24" scale neck etc.

So now I am in the mockup stage having done some sanding and giving the body a good coat of primer. I mounted the neck this AM about 3 (could not sleep) But I'm troubled with the position of the bridge being very close to the rear pickup route... then tonite the lightbulb goes off... I have a Jazzmaster body NOT a Jaguar!

The pickup routes are much bigger and, when coupled with a 24" scale neck, the bridge posts are only about 1/4" away from the edge of the route. The pickguard is close but not perfect.

So now I have a decision to make... do I build a 24" scale Jazzmaster and build it out with all the traditional JM switches, pickups, etc? Or do I buy a 25 1/2" neck and go the EZ route?

I like the shorter scale... I can glue in a spacer block at the back of the lead pickup cavity to give the bridge mouints more meat to stay in place.

Might just get in touch with the Amazon seller that I bought the body from and see if I can get a REAL Jaguar body and save this one for the JM build I was going to do. I am one past the time that I can get a full refund.

Shoot...

User avatar
kdanie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4412
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
Location: On the road

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by kdanie » Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:01 am

You can't use a Jag neck on a JM body, the intonation will be off. You are stuck with the 25 1/5" scale with that body unless you plug & re-drill the bridge holes and route the neck pocket farther into the body. I used to have a drawing of the two bodies overlayed to show the differences but I can't find it, I'll keep looking.

ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!

User avatar
noisepunk
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 16807
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: glasgow, scotland
Contact:

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by noisepunk » Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:49 am

kdanie wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:01 am
You can't use a Jag neck on a JM body, the intonation will be off. You are stuck with the 25 1/5" scale with that body unless you plug & re-drill the bridge holes and route the neck pocket farther into the body.
if the neck fits somehow (which it sounds like it did), they'd only have to move the bridge, and possibly the bridge pickup cavity (i'm having a hard time envisioning which direction the bridge would need to go in this scenario).

it could be fun creating some kind of bastard hybrid–it would certainly be unique– but it would definitely be easier to just get the right neck, which doesn't rule out the hybrid idea: it could be a JM with jag pickups.

pictures might help.

User avatar
ohm-men
Expat
Expat
Posts: 4321
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:01 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by ohm-men » Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:16 am

It's up to you.

Pro's;

It's a cool experiment
You can put a pick up behind the bridge (you'll gonna have plenty of space there)

Con's;

I guess your bridge posts will end up in the Jm body's bridge pu rout
You'll gonna have a lot of string behind the bridge
I think you'll need a custom cut pickguard
You're likely to put a shim in the neck to compensate for the low string angle behind the bridge (and the need to use heavier strings)
Your neck won't sit where you want it. Don't forget that the main difference between the Jag and Jm body is the place where the neck pocket is cut. To compensate for the shorter scale, the neck pockets are not in the same position on the body of the jag, even though the length of both bodies is about the same....

Ideal;

Get a 25.5" scale neck
get a Jm guard cut for Jag pu's (or get a regular Jm guard + pu covers and put your jag pu's under them.
You can even put all the chrome there if you want. I think it has been done by at least one formite who put the Jag hardware on a Jm body and made the pickguard to fit....

I have a walnut thinline DIY Jazzmaster that has Jaguar pu's under the Jm pu covers.
There is still a bit of Jag sound left, even though the scale length is different. But especially the neck pu still has that specific Jag mellow jag'ness
(even though some say it's more in the Tele/strat terretory.... I tend to disagree.....My Jm sounds very different with the jag pu's then my Strat or my sons Tele)
I removed the claws on my Jag pu's, but you could leave 'm on and perhaps even but some slots in the Jm pu covers for them.
(I still kind of have the idea to do this at one point)

Or

Build both a Jag and a Jm and enjoy them both ;)

User avatar
ShortyMedlock
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:26 am

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by ShortyMedlock » Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:38 pm

The bridge needs to go 3/4" forward compared to a 25 1/2" scale which puts it very close to the rear pickup route. I can glue in a strip of wood that may reinforce that area. I would have to mount this bridge 24" from the nut to get the intonation correct.

The pickguard will also work IF I would glue in a thin strip of wood along the bottom of the route... one screw barely has enough meat to screw into.

What I don't know is how the switch plates will work. I have parts coming so I will figure this out this week.

It's not a big deal to swap necks and make it a regular JM. I could just keep all the Jag parts I have and use them on another build. Of course I would have to buy JM parts to replace them. Since I have been off of work since October due to medical reasons (knee replacement, two heart attacks one week apart and a shoulder replacement) I have a cash flow issue (plus I bought a VW Beetle to fix for my wife's DD). I am going back to work August 4th... I only work two days per week driving an 18 wheeler... got 50 1/2 years and over 5,000,000 miles on the road. The PT job lets me screw with my dirt stock car and guitars.

BTW my next musical project is using a vintage suitcase for a speaker cab for the 5 watt Ho
Chi Minh amp I have...

I am going to wait to see what the body builder has to say. I may just buy a Warmoth body already finished and get a Jag done then build out the Jazzmaster later.

Thanks for everyones input...

User avatar
ShortyMedlock
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:26 am

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by ShortyMedlock » Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:50 pm

Here are a few pix with the bridge just sitting on top of the body.

I could move the neck pocket back a bit which would allow me to move the bridge back and give me more wood to work with in front of the bridge. I hadn't thought of that earlier.

I also have to address some misalignment with the neck pocket. Seems the neck is slightly left of center compared to the tremelo... I will have to put a few strings on the guitar and see where it all lines up. I could move the trem a bit, too.

I guess these are the prices you pay for a budget body build...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

User avatar
ShortyMedlock
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:26 am

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by ShortyMedlock » Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:02 pm


User avatar
kdanie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4412
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
Location: On the road

Re: Well...I got snookered

Post by kdanie » Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:34 am

ShortyMedlock wrote:
Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:50 pm
Here are a few pix with the bridge just sitting on top of the body.

I could move the neck pocket back a bit which would allow me to move the bridge back and give me more wood to work with in front of the bridge. I hadn't thought of that earlier.

I also have to address some misalignment with the neck pocket. Seems the neck is slightly left of center compared to the tremelo... I will have to put a few strings on the guitar and see where it all lines up. I could move the trem a bit, too.

I guess these are the prices you pay for a budget body build...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151953470 ... ed-public/
That's how fender did it. The bridge is moved a little fwd, the neck is set back a little.

ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!

Post Reply