Please tell me about early model Jag pickups?

[Marc]

What is different about the early model Jaguar pickups. They have flat pole pieces and no staggering but how are they different sound-wise between the mid 60's version. I have always owned later model Jaguars. Three '65s, a '66 which sounded similar. I also owned a '68 which were very shrill and nasty sounding, microphonic too. I used some SD reissues when I owned the '68 and popped them back in when I sold it.

Could anyone tell me about the changes in years?

[fuzzjunkie]

The old Jim Shine site had some technical details. I don’t know if any are in the OSG Library though.

I have had a ‘62, a ‘63 and a ‘64, and played a few 90s reissues. The ‘62 is a June transitional semi-slab board and the pickups are smoother and darker than any of the others. It’s the only one I kept and that’s the main reason why, because it’s a sunburst and I prefer custom colors and ‘63 and ‘64 were Surf Green and Olympic White.

I chose tone over looks, but I don’t know if all ‘62s are darker sounding as mine is the only one I have played.

[solfege]

Wayback machine version of the Jim Shine site.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170302002 ... istory.htm

Relevant bits:

Pickups:

The pickups follow Stratocaster pickups in materials, but are different in a couple obvious ways. The magnets protrude from the bottom, and the wire eyelets are in the side rather than on a lip extension. There is a sawblade like frame around each pickup. This was made with the intention to concentrate the magnetic field for a punchy tone, not for shielding as the Urban Legend suggests. Originally the two shorter teeth are meant to go under the two plain strings (wound G strings were the norm in 1962), but they left the factory all over the place.

1962-1963 The winding wire is Formvar potted in wax. The pole pieces of the magnets protrude, but are all an even height.

1963-late 1964 The pole pieces are changed to staggered. Mid 1964 we see yellow date ink stamps.

Late 1964-very early 1965 Light gray bobbins replace black. Dates are often yellow stamps and can even be found on the still black top bobbin. More often than not the dates are written in pencil

1965-1967 Gray fiber ranging from light to medium gray, dated and initialed with a black marker.

1968-1974 Darker gray fiber. Dates are now stamped with a rubber stamp. Because of dwindling demand, as you move in to the 70's, much older dates are found on the pickups. Winding wire is changed to Polysol. Hookup wire is changed from cloth to vinyl.

[Embenny]

Yes, the '62-'63 flat-poles pickups are wound hotter and sound darker. Flat-poled pickups in general have a bit of a fuller tone than staggered, as established in the world of strat pickups by all the side by side pickup comparisons. Those early Jag pickups were also wound hotter on average.

I own one '62 and three '64-'66 jags, and the '62 sticks out as thicker and warmer than the others. I chased that dragon for quite a while before I landed that guitar (a refin), and the pickups lived up to the reputation. Meatier than what most people think of when they think "vintage jaguar."

[fuzzjunkie]

Yes, the '62-'63 flat-poles pickups are wound hotter and sound darker. Flat-poled pickups in general have a bit of a fuller tone than staggered, as established in the world of strat pickups by all the side by side pickup comparisons. Those early Jag pickups were also wound hotter on average.

I own one '62 and three '64-'66 jags, and the '62 sticks out as thicker and warmer than the others. I chased that dragon for quite a while before I landed that guitar (a refin), and the pickups lived up to the reputation. Meatier than what most people think of when they think "vintage jaguar."

Yes, warmer and thicker is a better description than smoother, that I said above. The ‘63 I had was October neck date and had the staggered poles. The ‘64 was February and also the staggered poles, while the June ‘62, of course, has flat poles.

[Marc]

Thanks that explains it for me.

Jim Shine...he used to be very active in the community. I seem to remember he got into muscle cars and I assume his interests eventually changed.