This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Wed Oct 05, 2022 7:51 am

I’m still pretty new to the Jaguar wiring circuits and I’ve got a Kurt Cobain model which I’m told is a little different than the standard Jaguar circuit. I didn’t like the dark sound of the original tone capacitor so I have replaced it with a .022 which of course is pretty standard for humbuckers I think. But now my two circuits, with the neck pickup selected in lead mode, sound too much the same. I’m going to change the tone pot to a 1meg and I’m trying to decide what value the capacitor should be on it. I ordered a kit of Orange Drop capacitor’s that has several different values in it. Could I make a temporary setup with alligator clips and try different value’s? Or for you that are very much more experienced at this, is this a dumb idea? Do any of you have an idea of what I should use to get a less bright sound without being as dark as it was? Anyway, I’m planning on doing some more interesting mods like coil splitting and maybe a phase switch. Other than that I’m absolutely in love with this instrument! I had to do a neck relief adjustment and this is the first time that I’ve ever done it on a guitar with the adjustment at the butt of the neck. I had to remove it twice! 🤨

.

timtam · Post by **timtam** » Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:07 pm

In general, the frequency response in the first half of a tone control's range when dialling down is due to the pot, not the cap. So unless you dial down that far often, changing a cap is not likely to change the tone control's response that much, if at all. You can see here that the frequency response curves in that higher pot range are basically overlapped, ie regardless of the the cap value ...
https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/threa ... capacitors

As I mentioned in your other thread, the Cobain jag's strange circuit means that tone control #1 is always in circuit. So when the rhythm circuit is selected, there are two tone controls in circuit ! I don't know any of the original guitar's history with Kurt to know if, or how, he used those circuits/controls. Or if those circuit mods were already there when he bought the guitar (I understand the guitar's provenance has now been traced) ... maybe he just used the controls as he found them ??

Schematics (not wiring diagrams) are always the means to understand how a guitar circuit actually works. You can compare the Cobain schematic I posted in your other thread ... viewtopic.php?f=7&t=123677&start=15#p1745786 ... to the standard jag circuit below to see where the significant differences lie (starting with the pickups of course) ....

The dark sound of the (same) rhythm circuit in both guitars is largely due to the 50k pot. A lot of people obviously decide that they just don't have much use for the jag's rhythm circuit (while some do find good use for it). I don't have any experience with the DiMarzio DP103 in the neck, but it's a PAF-style HB, so presumably not hotter/darker per se, as HBs go. OTOH the DP100 in the neck is overwound/hotter/darker. With 1meg pots already in its circuit, your ability to brighten its frequency response is somewhat limited.
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/vintag ... rsary-neck
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/high-p ... distortion

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:34 pm

Wow! You are absolutely the most helpful person I’ve talked to about my Jaguar! I ordered 2, 1meg mini pots. I think I’ll put one in there and see what I get. I received my order of caps today so I really have a great selection to choose from. I may just go back with the original value cap to start with and see how I like it with the new pot. I’m very pleased with the lead circuit and I love the sound of the SD in the bridge. I am also happy with the neck pickup. This is my first experience with Dimarzios. I have always used Duncans for some reason. I like them a lot though. I really want to thank you for giving me so much of your time and effort! I really do appreciate it. If it wasn’t for your diagrams, links, and information I would never have gotten anywhere!

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Fri Oct 07, 2022 3:50 pm

Alrighty then! I just replaced the 50k mini pot in my rhythm circuit to a 1meg mini pot. I also am trying a 0.33uf capacitor for the tone. I like it! I can get some nice mellow tone’s from the control that sounds good clean or distorted. A good bluesy sound and more. Buuut! It’s acting odd. When I turn the tone control all the way down, the volume drops to almost nothing but a faint high tone! At about 3/4 of the way down the volume start’s dropping. Until that point it act’s normally. As you turn it down the highs start to cut as normal. I have been using a soldering iron for many years and I have a nice accurate solder station. So I don’t think that I burned anything and I’ve triple checked very carefully the wiring and it is right and nothing is touching anything that it’s not supposed to. I put heat shrink on the cap leg’s for insulation. The pot turns smoothly with no rough spots. Does anyone have any idea what’s going on?

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Fri Oct 07, 2022 5:23 pm

Never mind. The cap was just way too big! I tried a couple more different ones and settled on a 0.022uf cap. It’s working just fine now. I still really don’t see any point of a rhythm circuit. Not for what I play. I would rather rip all that out and put in a nice coil split for both pickups and maybe a phase switch. I would get a lot more use out of that. Thanks to you all!

timtam · Post by **timtam** » Fri Oct 07, 2022 6:13 pm

You could try the dial-a-split replacement as used on several other HH offsets if you don't think you'll use the rhythm circuit much as is ...
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Orig ... 4_2019.pdf
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Orig ... Manual.pdf

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 6:16 am

Those are very good options! I will definitely check them out further. Thank you very much, my friend! Okay, I have taken some time now and examined the links that you sent me. This is very exciting! I think this is exactly what I’m looking for! Look out Jag, here I come!

Poor guitar!

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 9:03 am

I just watched an interesting video on you tube. This guy, a professional of course, was thinking about splitting the pickups on his Cobain Jaguar but he says that the only problem with that is the Dimarzio PAF in the neck is already a low output humbucker and that splitting it would make the output just too weak. He suggests a partial split. Now I’m not sure what that is yet because I haven’t finished the video yet mainly because I don’t think I want something like that. So I’m thinking about splitting the bridge pickup first and think more about the neck pickup. Then again I may just leave it alone and enjoy it as is. I know that I could always replace the neck pickup for something hotter but I like the one that’s in it. I’m more of a bridge position player anyway. I play mostly all kinds of rock but I also like blues a lot. I’m just a walking paradox! Here’s the video. [url="https://www.google.com/search?q=wiring+ ... UTF-8#ip=1"]

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 4:11 pm

Okay, I just finished my mod’s on my once Kurt Cobain Jaguar. It is now wired exactly like the Ventura and the Classic Player Special Jaguar! Exactly! I have a master volume and tone and the upper controls are a kill slide switch and 2 coil split controls! And I, so far, love it! What a nice variety of sounds. Before I make my final judgment on it, I’m going to play it for a little while. It has pretty much the same sound as it did with everything full so what’s not to like. I’m going to get a standard control plate for the volume and tone controls. It was one heck of a job, I will tell you that! I’m about ready for bed!

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 6:26 am

New photo’s photo’s of the Alan Cargile Artist Series Jaguar!

Jaguar

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:52 pm

Wow! There was something about my tone that I didn’t like and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Everything is working great that I have changed. But my pickup’s especially the bridge sounded a little brittle or harsh so I went to the internet and started to research it. After all I have seen and read this is what I thought would help. I came across an article about different tone capacitor wiring’s and I rewired my volume and tone control’s with 50’s wiring. And I also changed the 1meg volume control to a 500k. Annnd, I put in a treble bleed circuit on it. It sounds absolutely wonderful! The sound is almost vowel like some with the bridge and more with the neck pickups. The clean tone’s are gorgeous. Now I’m mostly an over driven amp kinda guy and the dirty sound from this instrument is nothing short of incredible! I played it for a couple of hour’s just listening to my guitar! The neck has a great blues sound that I really like and the bridge is, well, meaty and when I turn up the gain I believe it would melt plastic! But seriously, it really does sound great In my humble opinion I just don’t think that these humbuckers in this guitar work well with the 1meg volume pot. The tone control is all about the capacitor and doesn’t matter so much and this new wiring has really changed thing’s. I’m going to try and post the link to the diagram that I used.

https://www.google.com/search?q=50s+wir ... 2E0f4S2TzM"]50’s Wiring

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:07 pm

I ordered a new Fender Panorama tremolo for my Jaguar. It just arrived today! After I pick up my grandson from school I’m going to install this bad boy! I also received a $25.00 capacitor that I ordered from Mojotone. It better sound good! That sucker is huge! I guess that’s because of all of that tone that’s inside there.

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:47 am

Well, after wrestling with my Jag tremolo for months now I have come to realize that I’m just NOT a tremolo person! I removed the Panorama tremolo and reinstalled the American tremolo on it and I tightened the screw all the fricken way! Now I have, for all practical purposes, a hardtail Jaguar and I love it! There, I said it! I love it and I’m not ashamed! Tuning is absolutely stable now with the Gotoh locking machines and my “hardtail “ bridge! Man I feel better getting that off my chest!

DeathJag · Post by **DeathJag** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:26 am

Is that because the tuning was not stable?

Alanbama · Post by **Alanbama** » Fri Dec 16, 2022 1:40 pm

I don’t really think so. The Gotoh locking machines on it are supposed to be some of the best! They seem very stable. It’s got to be me! I had a limited edition Fender Strat that was a very quality guitar and I couldn’t keep it in tune either. I ended up decking it. It’s just got to be something in my technique! I have watched a lot of videos on setup and maintenance of tremelos but no matter what strings I use or how well that I feel it’s setup, I end up having to tune constantly! I am at end of my patience with them. I may try again sometime but for now I’ve had enough!

OffsetGuitars.com

This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod?

Re: Is This Even Considered A Mod

Re: This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Re: This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Re: This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Re: This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!

Re: This Is Definitely Considered A Mod!