Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

[Mike9]

I had a set of Quarter Pound P90s for Jazzmaster and a double fat Strat guard hanging out on my bench for a while and one day got to thinking "sure would be a cool guitar" so . . . . I measured and measured some more then broke out some templates and tape and made a couple templates and here's the story -

The body is genuine Fender - it's light ash and weighs 3lb 3oz and very resonant. I had to do some routing for the bottom of the pickups to fit then shielded the cavities & the stock pickup wires with shielded cable. The neck is Warmoth short scale conversion with heel adjust truss. The bridge is a Wilkinson "Modern" two point and the tuners are Grover lockers. This thing sounds killer on every amp I've tried. Big, fat, ballsy tone and they really sing. I'm happy with the results.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

That's a great looking guitar and a cool idea!

(But Jazzmaster pickups aren't P-90s...)

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

By the way- how did you arrive at the positions for the pickups? Did you just use a standard Jazzmaster template?

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

hells yeah

(would the pickups not fit with the covers on them? it looks like you've mounted them way diff. than standard JM pickups too... are they UNDER the pickguard? did you drill through them or something? I can't really tell how they're mounted...

 

[Mike9]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

It was almost accidental - the pickups and gaurd were hanging out on my bench for a few days and I kept looking at them thinking it would be bomb to get them in a Strat. That's when I started measuring - with a little finess the coils just fit the routs in the guard - I taped them off and cut the top of the bobbins to fit a slightly enlarged humbucker rout. I rounded the bobbins by hand and drilled mounting holes alongside the coils. I had to do some routing in the body as well to accomodate the bottom of the bobbin as I didn't want to wrap and solder windings. I did solder on shielded cable for the hot and ground leads. There's still a slight buzz with high gain I have to track down - it's got me scratching my head a little. It shouldn't be there, but they are awefully powerful pickups and sound great. I made, or used stock templates for everything - LOL

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

...wow, that's a lot of work :laugh2:

looks good. You actually cut the bobbins... didn't know you could do that.

...anyway, I once contemplated something like that, but turnsout if you use a full sized JM pickup (with cover) it'll pretty much be outside of the pickguard...

Instead I just got a jazzmaster

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

ROCKIN dude. I really dig this look.

You just reinforced my GAS for a set of Phat Cats for my Warmoth...

-X

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

...JM pickups are VERY different from phat cats though...

but I don't know about quarter pounders.

 

[Mike9]

Re: Interesting Strat project with Jazzmaster P-90s

I was playing this after work yesterday and these pickups are amazing. Great tone across the spectrum - very sensitive to pick attack and they drive great and clean up nice.

They only thing I want to change is adding a Lawrence Q-filter to the tone circuit. I put one in my Dean Evo Deluxe and it makes the tone pot usable - chalk one up for Bill.

I have a "Stealth" Esquire in the works with Quarter Pound Tele neck and Strat pickup under the pickguard and five way switching. With 2/3rds of the pickguard removed from the bottom and the pickups right up against that they should be powerfull enough to read the strings. I'll have to remove the cover from the neck pup, but with a FiveTwo in the bridge it should be pretty schwing.