danglybanger
ReelItInologist
Yes. This aims for the vault 
Not that even 10% of the guitar owning population has even HEARD of these things or seen a real one, but IMO there are more untruths and general inexperience concerning this guitar and its setup than any other, so hopefully someday, even after I'm gone (), people can point to this thread and be directed on how to get a stable guitar that stays in tune, lol. Guitars from the Jag and Mustang branches typically sound and feel very different from each other, but as they're often lumped into the same category and DO have similarities, they'll be considered together.
Starting with the most initially bewildering part of encountering these guitars...
JAG/JM SWITCHING
-On a jag, the 3 switches on the lower bout control pickups. the two closer to the neck control neck and bridge pickup (pup is on when switch is flipped up), while the switch nearest the bridge is a bright switch. On a JM, you get a big dumb 3 way toggle and no bright switch
-The rhythm presets (neck pickup with individual volume and tone controls, with lower pot values) can be selected by flipping the switch on the top bout up. When in this mode, the bottom 3 switches have no effect.
MUSTANG SWITCHING
-each pickup is off when its respective switch is centered. Flipping the switch either way, left or right, turns that pickup on. When both switches are facing the same direction (both left or both right), the pickups are in phase with each other. Flipping the switches in opposite (that is both out or both in) gets you the out of phase tone.
Bridges and trems are typically the second place where people encounter problems with these guitars...
BRIDGES
-the bridge, first of all SHOULD NOT have the posts taped, and should be the stock bridge or a roller bridge if you want the guitar to stay in tune at all. (with trem use)
-The bridge's intonation should be set with the bridge centered, with equal distance between the front and back of the cups. When the trem is used, the bridge should move forwards and backwards slightly, and come back to center. On an RI bridge, the posts are adjustable with tiny allen wrenches, on vintage axes you have to take it off and twist the poles.
-This setup is best achieved (on Jag and JM bridges) by putting the bridge as low to the body as possible, 2mm maybe, enough that it can rock (may be a bit more difficult and require shimming of the neck if the original mute is in use), and adjusting the SADDLES up for the action. Un/Shimming the neck may be necessary to make this happen.
-On a Mustang bridge, make sure the neck is shimmed properly to allow for the above to happen once again.
-Jag/JM bridges won't rattle at all when the saddles are "locked" in the high up position that should be necessary with the above setup. If you find that strings are slipping out under heavy pick attack, just file the grooves in the threads down, take it to a tech if you don't trust yourself with doing this smoothly. Also, Jap bridges have screws that are entirely too long and may need to be cut to prevent them interfering with the strings. The threaded saddles are nice as they allow adjustable spacing...
-DO NOT use a buzzstop if you want to use the trem. They typically push the bridge forward with use, not allowing it to rock, and give another point of resistance for the strings to catch on. A proper, good jag should resonate fine, and stay in tune as well as a locking trem (though don't expect as much range :laugh2
-DON'T remove the string that someone shoved between the bridge cups and control plate :laugh2:
Not that even 10% of the guitar owning population has even HEARD of these things or seen a real one, but IMO there are more untruths and general inexperience concerning this guitar and its setup than any other, so hopefully someday, even after I'm gone (
), people can point to this thread and be directed on how to get a stable guitar that stays in tune, lol. Guitars from the Jag and Mustang branches typically sound and feel very different from each other, but as they're often lumped into the same category and DO have similarities, they'll be considered together.Starting with the most initially bewildering part of encountering these guitars...
JAG/JM SWITCHING
-On a jag, the 3 switches on the lower bout control pickups. the two closer to the neck control neck and bridge pickup (pup is on when switch is flipped up), while the switch nearest the bridge is a bright switch. On a JM, you get a big dumb 3 way toggle and no bright switch
-The rhythm presets (neck pickup with individual volume and tone controls, with lower pot values) can be selected by flipping the switch on the top bout up. When in this mode, the bottom 3 switches have no effect.
MUSTANG SWITCHING
-each pickup is off when its respective switch is centered. Flipping the switch either way, left or right, turns that pickup on. When both switches are facing the same direction (both left or both right), the pickups are in phase with each other. Flipping the switches in opposite (that is both out or both in) gets you the out of phase tone.
Bridges and trems are typically the second place where people encounter problems with these guitars...
BRIDGES
-the bridge, first of all SHOULD NOT have the posts taped, and should be the stock bridge or a roller bridge if you want the guitar to stay in tune at all. (with trem use)
-The bridge's intonation should be set with the bridge centered, with equal distance between the front and back of the cups. When the trem is used, the bridge should move forwards and backwards slightly, and come back to center. On an RI bridge, the posts are adjustable with tiny allen wrenches, on vintage axes you have to take it off and twist the poles.
-This setup is best achieved (on Jag and JM bridges) by putting the bridge as low to the body as possible, 2mm maybe, enough that it can rock (may be a bit more difficult and require shimming of the neck if the original mute is in use), and adjusting the SADDLES up for the action. Un/Shimming the neck may be necessary to make this happen.
-On a Mustang bridge, make sure the neck is shimmed properly to allow for the above to happen once again.
-Jag/JM bridges won't rattle at all when the saddles are "locked" in the high up position that should be necessary with the above setup. If you find that strings are slipping out under heavy pick attack, just file the grooves in the threads down, take it to a tech if you don't trust yourself with doing this smoothly. Also, Jap bridges have screws that are entirely too long and may need to be cut to prevent them interfering with the strings. The threaded saddles are nice as they allow adjustable spacing...
-DO NOT use a buzzstop if you want to use the trem. They typically push the bridge forward with use, not allowing it to rock, and give another point of resistance for the strings to catch on. A proper, good jag should resonate fine, and stay in tune as well as a locking trem (though don't expect as much range :laugh2
-DON'T remove the string that someone shoved between the bridge cups and control plate :laugh2:
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Let's let this float around a bit and we'll vault it, add feedback or other suggestions, I don't think pics are really necessary but hell I might just add them anyway
