Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

[zachaction]

Okay, please feel free to tell me this is a stupid idea.

I have a Fender Jaguar Classic HH, so it has humbuckers instead of the traditional Jag single-coils. My "primary" guitar is a Hagstrom with P-rails and Triple Shots, and I have a Squier Mustang that has Duncan Pearly Gates with added switches for coil splitting and series/parallel. So between those two guitars, I have a lot of tonal options. I was considering selling the Jaguar, but now I'm considering modifying it instead.

Because it has humbuckers, it doesn't have the lead/rhythm circuit that a traditional Jag has. As a result, the dials at the top are used for coil-splitting, dialing back the humbucker to blend with single-coil. It's cool, but with the other guitars, don't really need that option... and I'm considering putting in Antiquity humbuckers, which are useless to split (right?). So I'm considering rewiring it to typical Jaguar/Jazzmaster control scheme, with Duncan Antiquities.

I know the Antiquity humbuckers "typically" go into Les Pauls with their standard volume/tone controls, so I'm just not sure of the validity/usefulness of this proposal. I believe the Jags/Jazzmasters have all 1meg pots. Would that be fine for the Antiquities? Would the humbuckers benefit at all from the rhythm circuit? Does this make any sense at all? Help!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

With humbuckers, you might find it more useful to convert the "rythmn circuit" to a thin switch of sorts. Install 500k roller pots and hard wire a small capacitor in series with the switch, so that way when you switch circuits, instead of getting a darker tone, you get a bass cut.

You could also experiment with putting a smaller capacitor on the upper bout tone control.

 

[zachaction]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

Interesting. That would certainly keep with the spirit of this guitar's original wiring, with its bass cut switch. Any idea what capacitor value would be good?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

I've always used a .0022uf cap as a good general starting point and move to a smaller value (a .001uf works well too) for a more dramatic cut. I've never felt the need to use a larger value than .022uf.

 

[zachaction]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

Sounds good to me. I just don't know what else I could possibly do with those dials, and I think you're right... it'd be fairly useful. Thanks! I'll post an update when I get around to doing it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

You can order Antiquities with 4 conductors, so you can split them. It is worth it if you dig that sound (it is worth it to me, too). As far as pots, I'd go 500k, not 1meg. It doesn't sound like you require a traditional Jaguar tone there.

 

[zachaction]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

You can order Antiquities with 4 conductors, so you can split them. It is worth it if you dig that sound (it is worth it to me, too). As far as pots, I'd go 500k, not 1meg. It doesn't sound like you require a traditional Jaguar tone there.

Do you have Antiquities that split? I'm reading mixed things about their coil split effectiveness. If it would sound good, it'd be the easiest to wire since that's how the Jag is currently set up anyway.

And in the event that I do go that route, what do you think about using the 50k pots that are already in the Jag and were already being used for coil split? I ask because it seems that 500k pots to fit a Jaguar roller seem to be pretty difficult to come by.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquities in a Jaguar HH with a complete rewire... crazy?

I have used Antiquities that split, but don't currently own that guitar anymore. They are clean and clear, and sort of Stratty but not quacky, like most split humbuckers. I don't think any humbuckers would sound great with a 50k pot, but you got what you got, and use it until you can find a company that makes a 500k.