Fender Jaguar Earth Hole

[Howlin_Wolf!]

Hi,

Did pre CBS Fender Jaguars always have an earth hole from the control cavity to the tremolo cavity or did they use the bent string to thimble method for a while? If so, does anyone know when the changeover occurred? I thought earth holes appeared during 1962, I’ve just noticed my early ‘63 has no hole (pots are 6309). Body otherwise looks right.

Thanks,

Adam

[Zork]

"Earth Hole" is a good name for a Psych/Doom/Stoner band.

[Howlin_Wolf!]

Ha thanks.

[sookwinder]

while anything could have happened and mostly likely did at fender in the 50s and 60s, I do not ever recall seeing a Jaguar (pre or post CBS without the hole. Remember the jaguar design piggybacked on the JM design, so0 the best designs for earthing the trem unit would have already been looked at. Plus the strat also had the hole through to the back spring cut out as well as a methodology to assist with earthing the trem unit..

[Embenny]

"Earth Hole" is a good name for a Psych/Doom/Stoner band.

Wasn't that a 90's band, I Mother Earth Hole?

[Howlin_Wolf!]

while anything could have happened and mostly likely did at fender in the 50s and 60s, I do not ever recall seeing a Jaguar (pre or post CBS without the hole. Remember the jaguar design piggybacked on the JM design, so0 the best designs for earthing the trem unit would have already been looked at. Plus the strat also had the hole through to the back spring cut out as well as a methodology to assist with earthing the trem unit..

JM’s didn’t get the ‘earth hole’ until some point during late ‘62 so I was just wondering if Jaguars followed the same development trend with earlier bodies. I’ve had a scout today and I’ve seen pics of a few ‘62’s that have the wire to bridge thimble method whereas ‘63 onward tend not to having the earth hole route present. I would think that one method would negate the other? Just wondering as I have two ‘63’s - the early ‘63 has no hole whereas the later ‘63 does. Both are grounded fine. Would be great to see what others think on here and I appreciate the advice thank you.

[sookwinder]

but doesn't the bridge thimble wire earth (additionally earth) the aluminium guard shield and not specifically for the trem unit.

[Howlin_Wolf!]

I’ve had a look on all current and sold listings on Reverb for Jaguars between 1962 and 1964. It appears most will have a bent string running from the left thimble to the bridge pickup cavity which will make contact with the aluminium shielding. What I am describing is a second, often thicker unshielded wire running from the right thimble into the control cavity. I imagine this grounds the bridge to tremolo via the strings. This second wire is present on all the 1962 examples where there are pictures available of the cavities. This wire is also seen into 1963 but less examples. There is no second wire in ‘64 or beyond. Going back to my original query, I can find only one picture where it is possible to see the control cavity at the right angle but it is inconclusive as to whether there is an earth hole. I think this would require owners of ‘62 models to take a look in the control cavity to see if this second wire was in place due to a lack of earth hole or if it was a second earth/ground method in use alongside it.

On the subject of JM’s, I believe they used the bridge thimble method up until ‘62/‘63 which coincided with the change from tub shielding?

What’s your thoughts? I haven’t scanned through the vintage section here to see if there is more evidence of this one way or the other and only have two ‘63’s of my own to reference against.

[Howlin_Wolf!]

PS the second wire from the right thimble travels downward towards the control cavity and does not come in contact with the aluminium shield under the guard.

[gringopig]

I have a slab board Jaguar from early 1962 and 2 from '65. I can say there there is no wire going through to the trem cavity on the '62 as there are on the '65's (and a '66). The wire (more of a guitar string) comes from the control cavity, sandwiched between the metal and the body and goes to the treble thimble. There is another similar wire coming from the bass thimble to the shield. There is no wire attached to the brass shielding plates.

It's all original and this is how the early ones were done. Consequently, there is a bit of hum when not touching the strings and I need to make some sort of direct connection of the shield to the control cavity as at present, the contact is through the bridge.

The '65's have a routed hole for a wire coming from the control plate and squashed under the trem plate nearest to the treble side.

[Howlin_Wolf!]

That’s great, thanks gringopig!

[invisible man]

"Earth Hole" is a good name for a Psych/Doom/Stoner band.

Wasn't that a 90's band, I Mother Earth Hole?

I thought this thread was going to have Dylan Carlson & Courtney Love content