Stock AO60s Mods
- RedRabbit
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Stock AO60s Mods
Hi Folks,
Decided finally on some mods for my stock AO60s JM. Bought it brandy new when they were first announced and have a good three years of play time into it.
Found a pair of Novak JM-V and JM-Fat for a song (without covers) and plan to install soon.
Also have a staytrem bridge and new pickguard on order.
Would like some advice from people…
1. Should I wire up the new pickguard complete with new electronics or transfer the existing electronics?
2. Thoughts on oil caps on the reinstallation? Emerson, Sozo and the like?
3. Is the mastery vibrato worth it?
4. Anything else I’m not considering?
Thanks!
Decided finally on some mods for my stock AO60s JM. Bought it brandy new when they were first announced and have a good three years of play time into it.
Found a pair of Novak JM-V and JM-Fat for a song (without covers) and plan to install soon.
Also have a staytrem bridge and new pickguard on order.
Would like some advice from people…
1. Should I wire up the new pickguard complete with new electronics or transfer the existing electronics?
2. Thoughts on oil caps on the reinstallation? Emerson, Sozo and the like?
3. Is the mastery vibrato worth it?
4. Anything else I’m not considering?
Thanks!
- ChrisDesign
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
1. If the pots are the right value and don’t make a scratchy sound then reuse them.
2: a capacitor is a capacitor. Paper and oil, orange drip, and cheap disks all do the same thing and sound the same. Paper and oil won’t last a lifetime though, so I go for whatever you have. The capacitor your guitar came with is perfect, supposing it’s the right value..
3. The mastery bridge is great, but so is staytrem
4. A good setup is worth more than expensive parts.
2: a capacitor is a capacitor. Paper and oil, orange drip, and cheap disks all do the same thing and sound the same. Paper and oil won’t last a lifetime though, so I go for whatever you have. The capacitor your guitar came with is perfect, supposing it’s the right value..
3. The mastery bridge is great, but so is staytrem
4. A good setup is worth more than expensive parts.
Last edited by ChrisDesign on Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain
- adamrobertt
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
1) The new pickguard is really a personal choice. Jazzmaster pickups aren't mounted to the guard, so it's just the pots and harness.RedRabbit wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:06 amHi Folks,
Decided finally on some mods for my stock AO60s JM. Bought it brandy new when they were first announced and have a good three years of play time into it.
Found a pair of Novak JM-V and JM-Fat for a song (without covers) and plan to install soon.
Also have a staytrem bridge and new pickguard on order.
Would like some advice from people…
1. Should I wire up the new pickguard complete with new electronics or transfer the existing electronics?
2. Thoughts on oil caps on the reinstallation? Emerson, Sozo and the like?
3. Is the mastery vibrato worth it?
4. Anything else I’m not considering?
Thanks!
2) Meh. I'm skeptical about capacitors. I don't think it matters, personally.
3) The Mastery vibrato is a very nice piece of kit, but the stock unit on that model which I believe is the USA made one, should be totally fine and the upgrade to a Mastery will be a very small one.
4) Depending on how much the guitar has been played you might be due for a fret level and polish and probably a good setup.
- JSett
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
Paper in oil caps are classic snake-oil nonsense, don't buy into the hype (or listen to that Puisheen bellend). Anyone who says they can hear any audible difference is suffering from confirmation bias, in my honest opinion.
Just stick in an Orange Drop and be done with it
The Mastery Vibrato is lovely but, as already stated, only a minor upgrade on a good USA unit. I have one on my Jazzmaster and it's great but I have been more than happy with my current and vintage USA ones as well
If your electronics are still all good I don't see any need to change them, they're already good quality. Just take the opportunity to clean and lubricate the pots and switches while you have it's trousers down and you're good to go.
Just stick in an Orange Drop and be done with it
The Mastery Vibrato is lovely but, as already stated, only a minor upgrade on a good USA unit. I have one on my Jazzmaster and it's great but I have been more than happy with my current and vintage USA ones as well
If your electronics are still all good I don't see any need to change them, they're already good quality. Just take the opportunity to clean and lubricate the pots and switches while you have it's trousers down and you're good to go.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- ChrisDesign
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
Saying paper in oil is snake oil, while promoting Orange Drop ♂️johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:09 pmPaper in oil caps are classic snake-oil nonsense, don't buy into the hype (or listen to that Puisheen bellend). Anyone who says they can hear any audible difference is suffering from confirmation bias, in my honest opinion.
Just stick in an Orange Drop and be done with it
The Mastery Vibrato is lovely but, as already stated, only a minor upgrade on a good USA unit. I have one on my Jazzmaster and it's great but I have been more than happy with my current and vintage USA ones as well
If your electronics are still all good I don't see any need to change them, they're already good quality. Just take the opportunity to clean and lubricate the pots and switches while you have it's trousers down and you're good to go.
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain
- JSett
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
Yep. Orange drops are cheap, reliable and ubiquitous - and proven to do just fine. Spending many times over the price for a fancy paper in oil that will degrade over time is indeed, in my experience, snake-oilChrisDesign wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:24 am
Saying paper in oil is snake oil, while promoting Orange Drop ♂️
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- RedRabbit
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
Thanks for the replies! Confirmed my thinking…
- ChrisDesign
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
I agree. However, flat ceramic disk capacitors work as well as orange drop, but are even cheaper.johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:53 amYep. Orange drops are cheap, reliable and ubiquitous - and proven to do just fine. Spending many times over the price for a fancy paper in oil that will degrade over time is indeed, in my experience, snake-oilChrisDesign wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:24 am
Saying paper in oil is snake oil, while promoting Orange Drop ♂️
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain
- JSett
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
Very true.ChrisDesign wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 10:23 pmI agree. However, flat ceramic disk capacitors work as well as orange drop, but are even cheaper.johnnysomersett wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:53 amYep. Orange drops are cheap, reliable and ubiquitous - and proven to do just fine. Spending many times over the price for a fancy paper in oil that will degrade over time is indeed, in my experience, snake-oilChrisDesign wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:24 am
Saying paper in oil is snake oil, while promoting Orange Drop ♂️
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- Maker
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
This
- wooderson
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
I didn't like the feel of the Mastery when I had one, it was stiffer. The floppy arm is annoying but a Staytrem collet and arm is like a third the price of a Mastery, or half if you also buy a new Fender vibrato unit in case you have trouble installing it on your existing unit for some reason.
- mikeymike
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
I would agree - something about the mastery felt off to me, although I think some might interpret "stiffer" as "smoother" based on what you want/expect, but I'm happy with an AVRI.wooderson wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:20 pmI didn't like the feel of the Mastery when I had one, it was stiffer. The floppy arm is annoying but a Staytrem collet and arm is like a third the price of a Mastery, or half if you also buy a new Fender vibrato unit in case you have trouble installing it on your existing unit for some reason.
- hexes
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
i’m in the camp of no the mastery vibrato is NOT worth it. I greatly prefer a fender and utilized the lock button as designed if a string broke during a live set. i don’t have issues with e strings hitting the vibrato screws either on fenders. my mastery arm falls away rapidly; I need to see if i can adjust the tension. i like my arms to stay put.
I bought a great guitar with mastery vibrato already, but I wouldn’t upgrade a fender with one.
I bought a great guitar with mastery vibrato already, but I wouldn’t upgrade a fender with one.
- Embenny
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
I think the USA Fender hardware is top notch, no need to replace anything, really.
The Staytrem arm is a personal preference thing and not very pricey so I can see some people going for that, but frankly nothing else on an AV65 or AO needs to be touched unless it's purely a matter of personal taste. Certainly not a matter of "getting things up to snuff" like you might do with an MIJ, in terms of hardware.
I've owned a Mastery vibrato or two, and they're nice, but something I'd only ever consider for a new build, and even then, only if it seemed vastly preferable in terms of appearance or function for that project.
Electronics in an AO are also top notch. Nobody will ever hear a capacitor's material construction in any context. Ever.
Well, that's not true. If you were tapping them together and recording it as some sort of ASMR performance, I'd imagine that they'd have a different tone to them.
The Staytrem arm is a personal preference thing and not very pricey so I can see some people going for that, but frankly nothing else on an AV65 or AO needs to be touched unless it's purely a matter of personal taste. Certainly not a matter of "getting things up to snuff" like you might do with an MIJ, in terms of hardware.
I've owned a Mastery vibrato or two, and they're nice, but something I'd only ever consider for a new build, and even then, only if it seemed vastly preferable in terms of appearance or function for that project.
Electronics in an AO are also top notch. Nobody will ever hear a capacitor's material construction in any context. Ever.
Well, that's not true. If you were tapping them together and recording it as some sort of ASMR performance, I'd imagine that they'd have a different tone to them.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- Zeus
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Re: Stock AO60s Mods
I guess I’ll be the outlier and say I strongly prefer the Mastery vibrato over the stock Fender AV/AO unit (though I like the Staytrem for bridges).