Long-Awaited Review: THE JAGUAR X!!!

[ludobag1]

fantastic work and fantastic guitar
that gave me idéa for my 12 strings
no i don't say that

[Stereordinary]

Two words: brush plating. E.g. http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's super bad ass. Definitely gotta go that route on the next one.

I think it's probably high time for Paul to make another stainless steel plate order anyway, given the fact that I've seen a few posts looking for custom stuff lately. Paul?

Yeah, I know I gotta get on that. It's not easy, but the demand is definitely there. Maybe next month.

[SignoftheDragon]

[MT]

Are there any sound clips of this object of beauty?

[Stereordinary]

Not yet. Tracking number says Steve will have it tomorrow.

[mongoose]

Not yet. Tracking number says Steve will have it tomorrow.

AN-TI-CI-PA-TION...

Are there any sound clips of this object of beauty?

There WILL be clips, oh yes!

[ohm-men]

OMG.....Brilliant, superb in every, just every way!!!!
Yeah!

[Stereordinary]

Oops! Almost forgot that I took this photo as I was packing it up.

[mongoose]

OK folks, finally review time. I'll be posting video clips eventually, so stay tuned.

First, two points to take note of:

1.) Paul (stereordinary) does impeccable work.

2.) Leo Fender and Fender R&D certainly did their homework when designing the EXII (yes, it arrived after the CBS purchase, but was on the drawing board much earlier).

When the guitar arrived, it was virtually unplayable. Between the gentle touch of the USPS and temperature/humidity fluctuations incurred during the trip from Oregon to Indiana; the neck had bowed badly. No problem, though- unlike some guys who consider the truss rod to be a sacred and untouchable artifact, I adjust them on all my instruments frequently. BUT- the blocky string tree (NOS EXII part from Angela Instruments) was blocking access to the bullet adjuster. DOH! I had to loosen the strings and unscrew the thing to access the truss rod. Couldn't be helped though- the spot Paul chose for the tree was the only one that made sense. For future adjustments, I had my brother cut an allen wrench so that the "business end" was short enough to work without any interference from the tree.



So with the neck straightened out, I tuned up. Unfortunately, owing to the acute angle that the strings had to travel to get from the nut to the tuners, there was considerable friction which made tuning a challenge. Again, let me stress that this was NOT a result of any construction/design shortcomings by Paul. On the contrary, I dare say no one could have done a better job. It just illustrates the care and planning that Fender put into their EXII headstock design. That "hockey stick" was well thought out and practical! I had Paul re-purpose a headstock that was perfectly designed to offer straight string pull for SIX STRINGS, and the result was somewhat compromised. Still, a bit of DR. DUCK'S BIG-BENDS NUT SAUCE helped get things slippy and moving.

I should mention that Fender was spot-on in making the EXII necks so damn wide. Things on this guitar get pretty tight down at the nut, and would have been a real hindrance to me had I not cut my teeth on a Rickenbacker back in the early 90's (since long gone). Food for thought.

I'll also make mention of the amazing detail that Paul put into the bridge, on which he actually HAND-RADIUSED the saddles to match the fretboard! Beautiful and elegant...

Now to test the electronics. MASSIVE 60-cycle hum that disappears when the control plate (but not strings or tailpiece) is touched. Bad ground. Paul grounded the circuit to one of the bridge posts, and it must've come loose after the jarring USPS trip. Easy enough to rectify, but will require removing the strings and such. I came up with temporary fix, just until I'm ready to restring. I took a piece of copper sheet (thanks to my GF who makes jewelry) and ran a small strip of it from the control plate to the bridge plate.



Apparently this kind of thing isn't all that uncommon, as Stevie Ray Vaughan actually had a MIJ Strat 12-string with an external ground wire (can't find a pic at the moment).

With the hum problem rectified, I played a bit. Running through my JC-120, the sound was somewhat thin and lifeless. Odd, as this tends to be very bright amp, and I'm a big fan of Jazzmaster pickups. Then I remembered that Roger McGuinn relied on massive compression to get "his sound", first via an onboard compressor circuit in his Rickenbacker, and more recently with a JANGLEBOX compressor pedal. Jangleboxes are pretty pricey, and I'm pretty non-wealthy- so I tried this little $29 item:



Holy smokes, what a difference! Instantly, my Jag X became the toast of 1965. Shocking what a difference this cheap pedal made, and at an even more shocking price. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I've ordered a second to use as a boost pedal as well.

I've since used the Jag X at a band rehearsal, and it was great. Exactly the sound and almost exactly the feel I was hoping for. My band mates were all compelled to comment, and they usually don't say much of anything! I'm extremely thankful to Paul for his efforts.




So in conclusion, I really dig this guitar. It's far from perfect, and I will certainly do some things different next time (namely starting with a custom-built neck), but it proves that my idea for a 24"-scale 12 string (or 10 in this case) is indeed a viable one. Oh, and that Paul Rhoney RULES!

[wardpike]

This project is just fantastic! And you've ended up with a drool-worthy new model idea to boot. I hope Fender is paying attention.

[mongoose]

This project is just fantastic! And you've ended up with a drool-worthy new model idea to boot. I hope Fender is paying attention.

No chance! It isn't a STRATOCASTER!

[MattK]

Just a thought about the string guide on the headstock - I had bad problems using a Mustang bridge on my VI project because the strings had to make a 90 degree turn coming through the bar. I used a Dremel with a small abrasive bit to "curve" the ends of the string channels and make a much lesser angle, which fixed things. With your string guide you could use a similar technique to ease the "entry angle" from the nut side. Just as long as you have a way of clamping it tight, I don't want it to get flung across the room. Maybe you could screw it down to a workbench or something. Some hardware stores sell abrasive cord which might allow you to run right through the string holes.

[knpknpknp]

I'm not sure if I just missed the post about this, but what happened to the four gold foils? I have one of these pickups on a frankensteined shortscale and it is a wonderful sounding pickup. I was really looking forward to hearing how four of these would sound!

[mongoose]

I'm not sure if I just missed the post about this, but what happened to the four gold foils? I have one of these pickups on a frankensteined shortscale and it is a wonderful sounding pickup. I was really looking forward to hearing how four of these would sound!

The Teiscos proved to be painfully microphonic, so we passed on those for this project. Paul is still in possession of the Teisco-loaded black guard, and I believe it is his intention to wax-pot the pickups, build a new Jag(?) body and neck, and offer it up as THE TEISCOUAR!

[the older brother]

It looks really great! Congrats! Good choice with going with the JM pups.


And a 12 string (or 10 string in this case) NEEDS compression. I use a White Finger with mine.

You could use a regular Jaguar rythm plate and put an onboard compressor in it....