Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

the guy who invented fire

the guy who invented fire

Fuzzy. Guitars
I have heard all kinds of opinions on these guitars. If you own one or you have owned one please tell me what you think of it, and what you have done to it (if anything) to make it the way you like it!

Thanks
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

My best buddy AJ has one. I told him to call every store in a 50 mile radius and then go play every Jimmie Vaughn he could find and then buy the best one and he did. And he got a great guitar. Great neck, IMO, like a '56 or '57 Strat. Nice big frets and a flatter fretboard though.

We replaced all of the electronics and the pickups. The Tex Mex pickups are excellant "budget" pickups but we replaced them with Duncan SSL-1's and a Fralin SP -43.

Made this guitar into a totally professional instrument.

I've compared it many times to my Strats with Duncan Surfer and Fralin Vintage Hots and every time I feel like AJ's Jimmie Vaughn with the SSL-1's sounds just as good.

lew
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

Lewguitar said:
My best buddy AJ has one.

We replaced all of the electronics and the pickups.

lew
Click to expand...

Lew, can you please elaborate on what you found electronics-wise in your AJ's Jimmie Vaughan strat. 250K tone/volume pots? What changes electronics wise did you make while you changed the pups? Not including the pups, how much of additional investment would those changes be for my Olympic white Jimmie Vaughan.

Would ordering a $50 prewired pickgard take care of those modifications?

I have one on the way. It's probably way more guitar than I deserve.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

I found a cheap 5 way switch, plastic coated wire and Tex-Mex pickups that sounded very good but which were not the equal of the Duncans I replaced them with.

I'm sure the original pots were 250K...so are the new ones, only we went with 250K CTS and a .02 Sprague Orange Drop cap.

I replaced the pickguard too and went with two controls: master volume and master tone.

I used a Schaller 5 Way Mega Switch:

1. neck
2. neck and middle
3. neck and bridge
4. middle and bridge
5. bridge
 
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Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

isn't this guitar's body made out of poplar???

how is that wood compared to alder?

well this part is kind of off topic... but i heard poplar trees polute the air. i saw it in my popular science magazine once. hahahahahaha :smack:
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

seanguynj said:
isn't this guitar's body made out of poplar???

how is that wood compared to alder?

:smack:
Click to expand...

No the Fender.com specifications say alder.

and I read that when grass is mowed/cut grass releases pollutants. so you can't mow any more either.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

I think the older ones you will find used are basswood or poplar. New ones are allegedly alder. ;)

The neck is the highlight on that guitar in that it has that wonderful soft V to it. My absolute favorite strat neck. Lew is right, pups aint' too shabby. There is that one weird thing he does with the middle pup being hot (no tone control?) or something. Didn't care for the idea too much.

I've got my strat wired with a master volume, master tone, and a blend pot to blend in the neck with the bridge in all positions. Works great and you can control how much bridge you want to add to the neck or vice versus.

Best tone on that set up seems to be when I blend all three pups together and get this really cool 2, 4 quack thing going.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

the older ones were either poplar or alder...the new ones are alder and it makes a huge difference...I put 2 head to head the alder one sounded much fuller and had more sustain as well as a much stronger bottom end.

Mine is a 2004 and has CTS pots, a high quality 5 way, and a cheep cap, also it does have plastic wire.

It is the best Strat for the money Fender has right now, hands down.

The pickups are fantastic...for stock pickups, but good Duncans would be better.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

I am playing mine through a Reverend HellHound. This thing sounds great. I like it. I can only imagine how much better it would sound with APS-2's, Texas Hots or Surfers in it.

I'll play it this way for a while before making any changes but I think that I'll very happy with this guitar and it pups. So far I like the wide open middle.

It will do the Georgia Satellites sound perfectly. This is my first strat and already with just dinging around I keep hearing Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Clapton sound trying to sing from this guitar. I think I am indeed turning into a strat guy. This going to be good.

Thanks to all who turned me on to this guitar from the forum. you guys were definitely influential in my decision to get this Jimmie Vaughan Strat.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

Guitar Toad said:
I am playing mine through a Reverend HellHound. This thing sounds great. I like it. I can only imagine how much better it would sound with APS-2's, Texas Hots or Surfers in it.

I'll play it this way for a while before making any changes but I think that I'll very happy with this guitar and it pups. So far I like the wide open middle.

It will do the Georgia Satellites sound perfectly. This is my first strat and already with just dinging around I keep hearing Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Clapton sound trying to sing from this guitar. I think I am indeed turning into a strat guy. This going to be good.

Thanks to all who turned me on to this guitar from the forum. you guys were definitely influential in my decision to get this Jimmie Vaughan Strat.
Click to expand...


Im with you bro...I love mine, and as soon as I get some killer pickups in it im sure it will get even better!!!
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

My pickguard is going to have to be changed. It's the 1-ply. Seems pretty flimsy. It leaves open gaps between the body. not huge but it's gonna have to go. It may be a good excuse to go ahead and change the neck or middle Pup.
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

Hey Guitar Toad i am from Missouri too, but from the area they call the Garden of Eden od the SHow Me State, the Ozarks. There is a very good guitar player in your fair city His name is Mike and goes by MikeS on the net.

I have a 60s Vintage Players Strats that to me is a cut above the Robert Cray and Jimmy Vaughn. All three a great Strats and you could find one of each that was better than the other.

I found a great VP Strat, Texas Specials, cloth wire, tight neck pocketm great fat "C" neck carve as big as a Crays, me jumbo frets on a great rosewood fretboard. The pickup cutout is the old SSS type and is full shielded. The tuners are vintage style and staggered like those on the new Eric Johnson. Medium weight body, great sustain,especially for a Strat and American hardware. I went with 5 springs on the tremolo. It has features you could only get on a Custom Shop inclluding the color-it is a faded Sonic Blue. It sat on the wall at the store for a year and I kept my eye on it. Waited and waited and was rewarded with a great deal on a great guitar. The middle and bridge share a tone control. Makes the bridge very useable; the Texas Special bridge pickup helps there too. I love my 60s VP Strat.


Brent
 
Re: Jimmy Vaughan Strat...

I am still enjoying my Jimmie Vaughan Strat. It's a very nice guitar. The stock Tex Mex pickups are very nice, but I'm sure it will be better with a full set of Seymour Duncan Pickups.
 
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