Buildup of a 1963 Fender Jaguar By Doug Lesho 12/2004 Revised 2/2006

DAY 2

I started this day out by cleaning the pickups, before heading out to the hardware store. I selected this particular set based on their healthy output, both are over 6.5k. I quickly abandoned my idea of leaving these pickups connected to the shield, they were just too awkward to work with that way. Anyone who has ever messed with an old Jag will probably imagine what these pickups looked like.Typical, they had paint overspray all over the claws and cover, the rotten gooey "spring" foam all over, and cut and taped leads. I started on the neck pickup by carefully separating the cover from the claw. The bobbins are usually tight in the cover, and this pickup was no exception. I was tempted to wedge a small screwdriver between them, but one must be very careful not to slip and gouge the windings. I thought better of that idea and instead just wiggled the claw and cover around patiently until they finally separated. The cover looked awful. I used regular old toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean it up. (I learned this trick on a previous Jag, but this time I did not use my wife's toothbrush). That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Check out the shadow left by the claw due to 41 years of natural aging.

After pulling the cloth lead up through the hole, I heated up the solder connection from the bottom side and pulled the lead through. Next, I threaded the new lead through the hole, leaving much slack before making the turn back down to the connection. I again heated the joint and poked the conductor through. After a brief cooling period, I pulled the slack back down through the first hole.This is very easy to do, and I can't believe how many people just splice and tape the pickup leads instead of effecting a proper repair!  After applying a coat of automotive wax to the claw, I reassembled the pickup. Holding my breath, I checked it with the meter. It read a healthy 6.88k.  I then performed the duplicate procedure on the bridge pickup. It read 6.87k, these pickups are almost matched identically.

Comparison shots of a dirty and clean pickup. The difference was much more dramatic in person!

Now I was off to the store. I bought 2 new soldering iron tips, a small sheet of .032 aluminum, a sponge, and a new roll of solder.

The sheet was way more than I needed for the few glazier points I needed to fabricate, however this was the smallest sheet I could find. It was only a couple bucks and will probably come in handy for something down the road. A pair of tin snips and voila! I had more glaziers than I could ever hope for.

A glazier point installed in the cavity, securing the brass shield as intended. Note the finish checking and the "nail hole".

I installed the glaziers in their original location(s) using the same ball peen and drift that came in handy yesterday. Once you find the spot, they go in very easily with minimal tapping. I like to drive them in just a bit further than they originally were, to ensure they are tight. Once in place, a blob of solder ensures they stay put. The solder attaches to the brass and pools over and around the glazier, which is driven into the body. The last thing you want is a glazier rattling around inside your guitar.

It's a good idea to tape off the rim of each cavity with masking tape. This helps to avoid burns and/or chips to the finish. No matter how many times I tell myself I'm going to be careful, I always end up touching the sides with the iron sooner or later. Masking tape is good and cheap insurance.

You can use the spot of solder that secures a glazier to also connect the ground wires. Leo sometimes did it this way, who are we to argue? Note the masking tape on the cavity edges.

The pickup cavity shielding will be secured with the pickup screws, therefore it does not need any glaziers. All of the shielding gets connected together by the black ground wires, through the cavity wiring holes. This will ensure a good shield and minimal hum. Speaking of grounding, I almost forgot about the mysterious little unshielded wire that many Jaguars have coming up from the bridge pickup cavity.  Not always present, it's designed to ground the pickguard shield. One end is connected to the brass shield, and the aluminum pickguard shield just sits on top of it once installed. I didn't  have one, so I had to make one.

The ground wires with the terminal ends are used to ground the chrome control plates. They attach to one of the slide switch screws.

Now it's time to start the actual circuit wiring. I began by applying the new spring foam that I got from Bass Parts Resource. They are listed as a Jazz Bass part, but work perfectly. They are self-adhesive foam blocks that fit perfectly between the pickup mount holes without any alteration. I set out my control plates, switches and pots and got a cool damp sponge ready. Dabbing the soldering tip on the sponge between connections will help keep it clean. Clean means hot. There's nothing more frustrating than placing the tip on a lug and having to wait a couple of hours for the solder to melt.

I made this little guy from one leg of an unused capacitor that was laying about. Here it is installed (right). This often missing gem will complete the shielding circuit. Check your Jaguar to see if you have one, they really do make a difference!

After routing the red lead from the bridge pickup into the 3-switch cavity, I mounted the pickup. At this point, I also started to mount the neck pickup. As the screws were about halfway down, I remembered that the plethora of wires from the rhythm circuit had to run through the neck pickup cavity. So I removed the neck pickup and turned my attention to the roller plate and made the appropriate connections. Then I pulled the wires through into the neck pickup cavity and into their respective locations.

These original pickup mounting screws are very difficult to find. Luckily, I had two complete sets of four to choose from.

The pretty little colored wires are all routed nicely and neatly to their final destinations.

The main circuit pots and jack are prone to loosening. I ensured that the star washers were on the shaft under the plate and secured tightly with a 1/2" socket.

The rhythm circuit control plate and  pickups are installed.

I followed in suit connecting the main circuit and the 3-switch panel. After all the connections were made, I installed the plates and the main control knobs.

The pots are an original matched set from the 37th week of 1963. The other leg from the cannibalized capacitor from above made a nice bridge between them, just as original.

With anticipation, I then dragged out my trusty little solid-state Champion 110. It's a good little amp to use for testing, there are very few variables.To test if the circuits are correct, I performed a "tap test" on the pickups using a small flat screwdriver. First, I configured the switches for the main circuit, bridge pickup only. With a gentle tap on the pickup poles, it sure enough transferred

through to the amp. Next I tried the neck pickup. Again, it worked like a champ (pun intended!). Next I tried both pickups on, to a favorable reaction. Finally, I switched it over to the rhythm circuit and verified that only the neck pickup was working. I rotated the volume pots on and off for both circuits and verified they were working. Everything was perfect!  And what's more, this Jag was relatively quiet, no snap, crackle or pop. I am very pleased!   Knowing that I had this typing to do, I went ahead and cleaned up for the day. Tomorrow I will file and fit the shrunken pickguard, clean the bridge and saddles, and do the final assembly, set-up, and polishing. I can hardly wait!

OffsetGuitars.com Forums / Day One / Day Two / Day Three