Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

[yauckt]

Hello All,

First post here, I hope you can help me.

I designed a new wiring mod for my jaguar and i'd like to know if it's ok or if i'm going nowhere.

Here is what i have :

A MIM fender jagaur with an hotrail in bridge position.

Here is what i designed :



Here's what it supposed to do :

It's just a revamp of the lead circuit. Rythm circuit is not altered by this mod.
1. The first switch (on the top) is acting like a on/off selector for the neck pickup.
2. The second switch (in the middle) is also acting like a on/off selector for the bridge pickup.
The main differences is that, when both switches are turned off, It's not off anymore but makes both pickup to works in series, not in parrallel (when both switches are on).
3. This is where i'm not sure : the 3rd switch (originally the bass cut selector) will now be used as a coil splitter for the hotrail. When switch is on, it will act like a humbucker, when switch is off, it would split the humbucker to only works with one coil.

My questions are :

- Does this wiring makes sense? Will it work?
- Do i have to wire the hotrail wires in another way?

Any suggestions/ideas/complaints/... ?

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Any chance of a sound clip for when you do this?

this would be interesting to hear

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Any chance of a sound clip for when you do this?

this would be interesting to hear

Sure ! Hope i will get some help first to ensure this mod is OK.

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

I can only think of this:

1. Upper on - neck
2. Middle on - bridge full
3. Middle & Upper on - both pickups parallel
4. Upper & middle off - all 3 coils are in series, but both coils in hot rail is reversed.
5. Bottom on - splits coils in the hot rail. if middle is on the coil A is active. if middle is off the coil B is active.

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

I can only think of this:

1. Upper on - neck
2. Middle on - bridge full
3. Middle & Upper on - both pickups parallel
4. Upper & middle off - all 3 coils are in series, but both coils in hot rail is reversed.
5. Bottom on - splits coils in the hot rail. if middle is on the coil A is active. if middle is off the coil B is active.

You mean with the wiring i designed here? If yes, what do i need to modify to reach my goal?

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

You mean with the wiring i designed here? If yes, what do i need to modify to reach my goal?

No, I mean mine schematic. It is your goal, but when upper & middle switches are off - both coils in hot rail pickup in series, but phase reversed. If somebody can prevent this, let them to draw their version.

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Oh, you put a schematic, i can't see it (yeah, at job, most of the image hosting websites are blocked).

Thanks for clarification then. Will check this when back home.

The hotrail wiring is really where i have trouble. I'm not sure exactly wich wire do what or not. I haven't found a clear explanation on the website. There's of course wiring instruction but none of the schematics shows the exact meaning of the wires.

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

as always, black + white coil A, red + green coil B

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

yes ! just find it also. Then something is wrong with my hotrail wiring. I have to adapt the color. Is there one coil reversed? If yes, wich one?

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

both. look at the picture someday
there is no other way to do what you wish without extra switches.

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

I checked this carefully. Looks pretty nice!

Just a clarification about the phase reversal on the 3rd switch. Is it mandatory to work this way (i mean with the phase reversal), what would happen if i wire this switch in serie like in this diagram (the bottom switch, the two other ones are used for phase reversal purpose).

I assume then that the problem is that both coils of the hotrail are reversed. What would be the theorical solution? That the single coil is also reversed?

 

[Artie]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

I'll look this over more closely when I get home from work tonight, but your split switch is overly complex. Just do this:

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

del

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

I'll look this over more closely when I get home from work tonight, but your split switch is overly complex. Just do this:

Thanks Artie,

This looks indeed much simplier than mine. With your wiring, can you confirm that i would be able to do my initial goal? What about phases on your diagram? Is there 'known' issues already where i will get some out-of-phase fuzzy sound in any given position?

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Yeah, it will work too. It's the same.

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Well, thank you both, If i have time, i will probably get my iron ready tonight and do my first test

Just to be sure, the wire i highlighted in red has to be soldered on the 4 red dots it's passing through, right?

Will keep you posted with the results !

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Right.

 

[Silentium]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Will keep you posted with the results !

With photos please )

 

[yauckt]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Alrigth, I got the time yesterday to do some soldering and apply ArtieToo's diagram.

First : let's remove the jack plate. Wow, no ground on the jack output? And what is this capacitor on the tone pot?




Second : let's remove the lead switches. it's tight, I won't be able to do solder something there...




To remove the pickguard, you also have to remove the bridge, tricky...




It's now better, i can work !




I'm also done with the jack plate :




Ok, let's now test it !

Plugged the guitar, OK i have sound ! Rythm mode is still working. Now switching to lead mode. All positions gives sound but there's some phase issue on some positions.

Here's what it gives. (Notations are U = up, D = Down. first is the neck pickup, second is bridge pickup, third is coil split (should be up to be used a single coil).

DDD : working more than OK, killer sound !
DDU : out of phase

DUD : ok
DUU : ok (coil split is working nicely)

UDD : sounds ok
UDU : sounds ok also but different than UDD wich should normally not be as the hotrail should be OFF. mystery.

UUD : unsure if it's ok or not (maybe a phase problem?)
UUU : same, and i'm not even sure it's different than UUD


So there's probably a phase problem somewhere. Didn't got time yet to change anything. Any feedback welcome !

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Fender Jaguar wiring mod with an hotrail.

Possible phase relationship issues depend upon;
1) The electrical phase relationship between the HR and the single coil
2) The magnetic polarity relationship between the HR and the single coil
3) Which coil of the HR remains in circuit after coil splitting.

You may need to correct this by swapping the conductors for each coil of the HR over.

The jack socket is grounded through the metal control plate. The pickups are grounded via the pot chassis and, then, the metal control plate.

The tone control capacitor value is unusual because the Fender Jaguar is unusual. IMO, the 1 Meg pots are a disaster BUT they are essential to the Jag sound. (I have a Seymourised CIJ. I use it to make strange plinky Surf noises and P. J. Harvey style rhythm guitar tones.)