MIJ Hybrid Jaguar pickups

[V8o]

Hi all

So I love the look of the current MIJ hybrid Jaguar in Sherwood Green but hate the black pickguard + aged white pickups combo. Want to replace the pup covers with black ones.

Anyone know whether they're easily replaceable on this model, or would I have to mess around with resoldering the claws or repotting the pickups?

I've seen older MIJ Jags where the whole pickup + cover + claw assembly was potted as one, but since these are supposed to be American pickups, I've no idea what to expect (never got my hands on a US Jag).

Thanks!

[FIREBOT]

Funny thing about that guitar... i happened to be in Japan when those first came out and I bought one. All the pictures I saw on line had a black pickguard, but all the ones I saw in person, including the one I bought, had a white pickguard.

[V8o]

That is interesting... The few I've seen here in Australia (20 or 21 serial #s) all have black pickguards.

I wouldn't mind a white pickguard myself but seems a pain in the ass to figure out which aftermarket pickguards fit which MIJ models.

[ohm-men]

These look like normal sized Jaguar pickups.
So my educated guess is that any aftermarket Jaguar pickup will fit.
Specwise, MIJ/CIJ jaguar pickups do not differ much from US AVRI pick ups, only the claws on the US models seam a bit thicker.

I'm Curious to find out what exactly "Hybrid" means on this model or it's pickups....

I have swapped numerous pickups in MIJ/CIJ/Squier Jaguars and never encountered real problems. (Squier pickguard needed widening due to it's thinner claws) but apart from that they are just drop ins. Even the pu screw holes align perfectly.

Now, if you want to replace the guard, that's another thing as MIJ/CIJ guards are their own thing. US or Vintage will not fit.
There is aftermarket stuff that will fit when specified Japanese Jaguar on the product specs.
Or make your own guard from a blank. It's not that difficult and only a minimal amount of tools are required.

[FIREBOT]

I'm Curious to find out what exactly "Hybrid" means on this model or it's pickups....

Hibrid = vintage look and switching, US made V-Mod pickups, 9.5” radius, bigger frets, gloss headstock, but satin back-of-neck, and Gotoh vintage-style locking tuners. It’s a hybrid of (supposedly) the best of vintage and the best of modern.

It’s a pretty nice guitar... all CTS full size pots, switchcraft jack, amazing fit and finish... great color

[ohm-men]

I'm Curious to find out what exactly "Hybrid" means on this model or it's pickups....

Hibrid = vintage look and switching, US made V-Mod pickups, 9.5” radius, bigger frets, gloss headstock, but satin back-of-neck, and Gotoh vintage-style locking tuners. It’s a hybrid of (supposedly) the best of vintage and the best of modern.

It’s a pretty nice guitar... all CTS full size pots, switchcraft jack, amazing fit and finish... great color

Thanks for the info!

So, if we are talking "V-mod" Jaguar pickups, then you can swap 'em for any Jaguar size spec. pick up, so loads of options;
(To name a few, or the usual suspects )

- SD (Vintage, Hot, QP, Antiquity I or II)
- Fender (AVRI 62, 56, 1962 - 1975 vintage if you can find a set....)
- The wel known "Boutique" makers; Lollar, Novak, The Creamery, etc, etc...
- Any other jaguar pick up I left out!

All the above will fit your Jag without a problem.

[FIREBOT]

That is interesting... The few I've seen here in Australia (20 or 21 serial #s) all have black pickguards.

I wouldn't mind a white pickguard myself but seems a pain in the ass to figure out which aftermarket pickguards fit which MIJ models.

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I'm Curious to find out what exactly "Hybrid" means on this model or it's pickups....

Hibrid = vintage look and switching, US made V-Mod pickups, 9.5” radius, bigger frets, gloss headstock, but satin back-of-neck, and Gotoh vintage-style locking tuners. It’s a hybrid of (supposedly) the best of vintage and the best of modern.

It’s a pretty nice guitar... all CTS full size pots, switchcraft jack, amazing fit and finish... great color

Thanks for the info!

So, if we are talking "V-mod" Jaguar pickups, then you can swap 'em for any Jaguar size spec. pick up, so loads of options;
(To name a few, or the usual suspects )

- SD (Vintage, Hot, QP, Antiquity I or II)
- Fender (AVRI 62, 56, 1962 - 1975 vintage if you can find a set....)
- The wel known "Boutique" makers; Lollar, Novak, The Creamery, etc, etc...
- Any other jaguar pick up I left out!

All the above will fit your Jag without a problem.

I think he just wants black pickup covers, so if his/her pickups are standard pot spacing all we need to do is find them the pickup covers. I'll do some searching, brb.

[SmoggyTwinkles]

https://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/p ... over-Black

Well, those are $4 a piece, not sure about shipping.

You won't have to do anything with the claw or soldering. either it fits over the pickup properly or it doesn't, you'll just have to give it a try. You will have to unscrew the pickups to remove the old cover and put on the new ones.

[V8o]

You won't have to do anything with the claw or soldering. either it fits over the pickup properly or it doesn't, you'll just have to give it a try.

Thanks! That's what I was wondering. I'm not looking to replace the pickups entirely as I'm rather liking the V-mods so far. The low end is maybe a touch too present but that's what the strangle switch is there for. Definitely better than all the MIJ pickups I had tried before which tended to sound rather tinny.

All in all this is probably the best guitar I've owned in a good couple decades. The bridge has been very stable, the satin U-shape neck plays beautifully, the fretwork and factory setup were pretty much flawless, and it's just nice to get full size pots and classic wiring without the USA price tag. If they had put a threaded trem arm in this thing it would be perfect... Apart from the mishmash of plastic colours, that is - but looks like that will be an easy fix!

[V8o]

An update on this as the new pickup covers finally arrived. One of the original covers did have a thick layer of wax holding it very tightly against the claw, but other than that it was a very straightforward job. Here are the obligatory before and after shots:

[soul1]

An update on this as the new pickup covers finally arrived. One of the original covers did have a thick layer of wax holding it very tightly against the claw, but other than that it was a very straightforward job. Here are the obligatory before and after shots:

What are the stock pickups in these like? Are they pretty standard CIJ/MIJ Jag pickups, or are they hotter?

[V8o]

They're American-made V-mods. The bridge gets a little crunchy, sounds to me a tad hotter than a vintage Jag. The neck is a very clean sound, even though it gets pretty loud. With the low-cut switch engaged, I don't think I could tell the difference to a vintage neck.

CIJ/MIJ pickups always sounded a bit tinny to me (I'd hardly ever engage the low-cut on those). These ones are the other way around... you'll get very full mids when the low-cut is off, and a more well-rounded tone with it engaged - nice clear signature Fender treble but without sounding tinny. My one complaint is that the neck gets a bit TOO bassy when used on rhythm circuit.