Jaguar advice

[Downsman]

I've got a Vintera 60s Jag I'm trying to decide what to do with.

At the moment I have a stock 60th Anniversary JM, an AV65 Jag with Creamery Alt 88 pickups in it, and a Vintera 60s JM with a WRHB. The Vintera Jag doesn't really stand out tonally, and I tend to reach for the others first. It's also my heaviest guitar (even heavier than my CV Bass VI). But I love the colour and it plays nicely.

So I'm wondering about an idea of how to kill two birds with one stone. If I had a swimming pool route dug out to hopefully reduce the weight a bit, that would give the option for pretty much any pickups I then feel like trying out. Instead of just relying on ones that are traditional Jag single coil sized.

Does that sound like a good idea? I have no idea how much a block of alder that size would weigh, to know if it would make a meaningful difference to the weight. I have a friend with a router but there's also always the risk of things going wrong. Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

So what do you think? Another option is to sell it and hope to find a lighter Jag (maybe a CAR Japanese one?) and put some Jag size P-90s or HBs in.

[andy_tchp]

Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

Regardless of how well it's done, you will substantially lower any future resale value.

There aren't really many 'light' Jaguars unless you get lucky with a specific example. They just seem to be heavy by design.

[Downsman]

Assuming the route is done well do you think it would impact the value if I later sold it?

Regardless of how well it's done, you will substantially lower any future resale value.

There aren't really many 'light' Jaguars unless you get lucky with a specific example. They just seem to be heavy by design.

Not hoping for light, but closer to 8 1/2 instead of over 9lbs would be nice. I was thinking of humbuckers and after watching some Youtube videos of people routing Squier Jags for full size HBs, I thought you could potentially lose some weight by going for a full swimming pool route.

I had a Japanese Mustang for a while that was basswood and insanely light even compared to other Mustangs. So did wonder if an MIJ basswood Jag would be lighter as well.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

+1 on it will probably lessen the value.
Also yes: it‘s an most amazing color!
I had the same and sold mine because it was the only one of my guitars that kept value more or less and I never really bonded with it.

I liked the pickups but the Pau Ferro was very light and boring (unlike the Classic Lacquer JM neck I had, which looked amazing). I would love to have a body like that again for a future project.

Other than that and to encourage you: one of my Jags has a swimming pool route and it is indeed on the lighter side (but also Poplar instead of Alder, so not really comparable.)
Currently I have Surf90s in it. And had HB sized Firebird Pickups and PV65s in it before. Might want to try Lipsticks next.

Also: it is your guitar and if you intend to keep it - just do with it as it pleases you!

[Steadyriot.]

A swimming pool route will only marginally make it lighter. Maybe half a pound? Plus the humbuckers you'd add after are heftier than a pair of Jag pickups so any weight loss would be negligible.
Add to that the loss in resale value. I'd sell it and buy an other guitar.

[F15hface]

I'd sell it and find a guitar that's already lighter, and even better also already been messed with so you can get it a bit cheaper. I'd then throw a super distortion in the bridge and a p90 in the neck probably.

[Downsman]

So I've been talked out of routing it. Not every idea is a good one.

At the moment the only guitar I have with humbuckers is the JM with the Creamery WRHBs. I could probably live with the Jag's weight if it had a distinctive enough tone. Guess it's time to search for HBs that fit the regular Jag route. Would be cool to find one that at least gets close to a classic LP PAF sound.

[bodhi]

There are a couple of threads around on alternative pickups for Jags if you search a bit, f.e. viewtopic.php?t=117162 . Some of those of course require routing to fit anyways, but probably not all of them.

I have no direct experience of the pickups, but from what I gather they're pretty vintage-sounding, if not the cleanest of the stock pickups. There's definitely other alternatives that will fit the same route, depending on what you're going for.

[Downsman]

Well, I've just hopefully sorted out the weight issue. Incoming CIJ Jaguar in CAR that the seller weighed as 3.25kg. Nearly two pounds lighter than mine. I've wanted a CAR Jag again since I foolishly sold my Squier VM Jag. I'll see how it plays and then decide what to do about pickup options. Still taking routing off the table, though.