My first offset, from the UK

New to the board? Start a post to tell us about yourself and/or learn more about our other members.
Post Reply
User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Mon Sep 14, 2020 11:01 am

Hello,

After about a year of looking I've finally made the jump and bought my first Offset, so I thought I should join the forum. :) I'm from Berkshire in UK and just bought a 3 tone sunburst Fender Player Jaguar. My forum name is a little clue as to what my plans are for it: I'm going to modify it into a single (bridge) pickup guitar like an Esquire is to a Telecaster, so I'll start a thread in the appropriate section once I get started.

In the meantime hello fellow Offsetters. :)

User avatar
guitalias
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:04 pm

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by guitalias » Tue Sep 15, 2020 1:04 am

G'day

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:21 am

I've divided my time this week between doing little jobs on the new Jaguar and actually playing it. I've got an Esquire that I built up this summer and have refinished the neck, so it has been rubbed very smooth. The Jaguar felt quite rough in comparison despite the Esquire also having a MIM Fender neck. It just took a bit of 3M plastic 'not wire wool' pads to smooth the fingerboard and some fret rubbers to polish up the frets and a little work on the ends to smooth them...much better now and the oil I used has darkened the PF nicely so it looks richer too (and very similar to the Rosewood fingerboard on my Les Paul Junior).

I've put clear nitro lacquer on the threads of the saddle screws as they kept coming unscrewed while I was playing and altering the action. All nicely adjusted now and the intonation adjusted better too. I've just got to take my nut files to work as the first few frets are a little sharp which is usually a sign that the slots aren't deep enough. I won't change the nut (unless I mess it up and cut too deep, but I've done that before, so I'm wise to that now I hope ;D ). I've also screwed down the trem so that it will only go downwards now and a string break won't put the guitar out of tune: I don't really use the trem, but I like the looks of the trem models over the ones with TOM bridges and fixed tail pieces.

Just waiting for some spares to arrive so I can cut a new single pickup guard and wire up a spare control panel, so the original bits can be put to one side incase I ever want to put it back to standard. I've got some 11 gauge strings coming too because I'm finding the 10s on this a bit too floppy since I use 10s on my Esquire which has a longer scale of course.

User avatar
Bradley-Jazz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 794
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:00 pm
Location: Sheffield, UK

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:33 am

Hello and welcome!

Glad the guitar is going well. Most people around here would recommend at least 11s on a Jag - I have 11s on my Marr, didn't get on with 10s on it at all. I do use 10s on my teles and jazzmaster.

Go steady with the nut, and enjoy!
All the cheeses....

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:48 pm

Thanks Bradley.

I used to put 9s or 9.5s on my Fenders and 10s on my Gibsons, but when I built the Esquire it seemed to suit 10s and my fingers have got used to it, so when I swap from the Esquire to the Jaguar it feels much looser (obviously the shorter scale). If 11s feel good to play on it, then I'm sure they will help with some of the Jaguar's 'idiosyncrasies'.

I'm also trying some 10s with heavier bottom strings on my Les Paul Junior because I've got used to the heavier strings on the Esquire. At this rate I'll end up with 13s on my guitars. ;D

User avatar
gusman2x
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 562
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:47 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by gusman2x » Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:30 am

What oil did you use on the fretboard? I've tried a few on my PF board, and it only stays dark for a day or so.

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Wed Oct 07, 2020 2:17 pm

gusman2x wrote:
Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:30 am
What oil did you use on the fretboard? I've tried a few on my PF board, and it only stays dark for a day or so.
I used some Gibson fretboard oil that came in a kit I got as a present a few years ago.

Tonight I'm away in a hotel with work, so I brought my Jaguar with me so I could do a bit more work on the frets/fret ends and general set up. I've polished the fret tops as well as another treatment of oil after I gave the fingerboard another rub down with plastic 'wire wool' pads of various grades. It now feels really smooth and worn in, so it's now finally playing like I'd hoped it would when I bought it. Still haven't decided if I'll stick with the plan of making it into a single pick up guitar as I do like the middle and neck position sounds.

I'm trying out an American Original 60s Jazzmaster in sunburst on Friday afternoon: It's a B stock model with a slight chip on the back, but it's about £350 less than I can order a new one for now, so I can live with that. Just depends on how well I get on with it as it will have to be perfect in every other way as I don't expect to have to do the work I've done on my Player Jaguar.

I'll post back over the weekend to say how I got on. I'm also trying out with a new band on Friday night, so it's a busy weekend. :)

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:50 am

I spent two hours in the shop trying the AO60s Jazzmaster trying to like it and comparing it with some other more familiar Strats. Sadly I just didn't take to it, so it's gone back on the 'for sale' section again. I spent a lot of time working on the volume and tone controls as I'd seen on some videos how the Jazzmaster has 1 meg pots and that turning them down a little bit helps. I quite liked the rhythm setting, but it's too expensive a guitar to buy for a sound that I'd rarely use.

Hope I'm not bared from the forum (I've still got my Jaguar and that's playing really well and some great sounds from it). :)

Off to the audition in a little while, so fingers crossed that works out...

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Sun Oct 11, 2020 8:14 am

Well I passed the audition, so I'm officially in a band that gets paid for gigs, so I guess that makes me semi-pro since I have a day job (just as well in the current situation :( ).

Since I didn't end up buying the Jazzmaster I went ahead and ordered a Staytrem bridge for my Jaguar (I was thinking I'd order two if I got the Jazzmaster). I think I might cut the spare pickguard blank to suit two single coil Jaguar pick ups, only with a 3 way switch slot since it won't have a humbucker to 'tap'. I reckon I could do a neater job of it than the current one, which is quite 'wobbly' round the edges. I might give that a wet sand and polish when it's off though incase I fancy putting it back to standard. Then will see what single coil bridge pickup to get to go with the existing neck one, which I really like...maybe just try to get one of those secondhand?

User avatar
MrJagsquire
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:52 am

Re: My first offset, from the UK

Post by MrJagsquire » Sat Feb 06, 2021 3:09 am

Found out that I already have an Imgur account set up, so I'm now able to upload some pictures. I've got a build thread going, but at least to update this 'welcome' thread with a picture as my Jaguar was when I got it home. First thing I did was change the knobs, so this one shows it with the Telecaster chrome ones already fitted:

Image

More pictures over on my build thread once I get them uploaded:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=117158

Thanks for looking. :)

Post Reply