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FDP Forum / Fender Guitars: Jaguars & Jazzmasters / The Loyal Order of the Big Cat
(This message was last edited by PJPJ at 12:25 AM, Jul 8th, 2008)
(This message was last edited by SPudnik at 11:51 PM, Nov 16th, 2009)
(This message was last edited by barry.b at 12:18 AM, Nov 17th, 2009)
FDP Forum / Fender Guitars: Jaguars & Jazzmasters / The Loyal Order of the Big Cat
Previous 20 Messages
PJPJ
AustraliaJul 8th, 2008 12:24 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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"Which moved me to say: Man, I like that setup and there's no irreversible wood mods involved. ..."
Amen.
I've had the Les Trem on for a few months now and am very thankful I took the time, money and effort.
Some more on setup, if you're interested:
The kit I received was pretty well supplied with alternative parts which had to do with the size of the tailpiece studs and differently sized spacers for the spring (I used the tallest one).
The setup was largely a matter of getting the right balance between string tension and ease of motion. Watch the angle between the tailpiece and bridge as it has bearing on how you use the trem and string tension. Also, keep the arm and range of the spring as tight as you can stand for playing as the spring is not the toughest and the strings are pretty low tension for bass-like strings. It took me a few nights getting this right but once I did I had something I prefered to a Bigsby (I hope never to string a Bigsby with baritone strings again in my life!)
I've kept mine E-E as I play both twangy lines and bass parts with it. If you do this with the Les Trem you will have to file the low E and A slots. After a little experimentation, I have settled on the specific strings Fender brought out for this model. You could also use the set D'Addario made for the Bass VI. However, Fender's own Bass VI strings won't work with either the stock tailpiece or the trem as the ball ends and the winding there are too thick. I'm going to stock up on the Jag Baritone strings as I don't even think prayer will keep them available for too long.
The bending range is small and really only works with downward motion (I prefer manual upward bends anyway) but what it adds in flavouring and nuance is priceless. Tuning stability is pretty impressive. Whenever I'd take my Gretsch bari to a gig in a hard bass case, the Bigsby arm could not move far enough to avoid keeping the strings bent in a constant divebomb until it was taken out of the case. This one just pushes aside (you can even remove it altogether, if you need to).
I'm happy to post info about this as I could find nothing else at all publicly available about it and it's such a good mod for this guitar.
On the big cat itself, it's the best thing short of a Bass VI I can imagine. My Chinese Gretsch baritone was not useless by any stretch of the imagination but the pickups were lifeless and I could never quite get it set up just how I liked it. This CIJ Jag, by contrast, looks great, plays easily and goes from a razor sharp twang to a chunky White Album bass with the flick of a switch. I even use the strangle switch in a couple of songs :)+)
Oh, btw, the black roller bridge you see in the pics didn't come with the trem. It was left over from a less successful project.
PJ
BenderR
Contributing Member
*
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGAug 6th, 2008 11:51 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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PJPJ said:
"My Chinese Gretsch baritone was not useless by any stretch of the imagination but the pickups were lifeless and I could never quite get it set up just how I liked it."
I'm a Gretsch freak, I own 5 of them, but their bari never really did much for me. I probably wouldn't mind one of their Tennessean-styled basses but not their baritone.
PJPJ
AustraliaAug 12th, 2008 09:03 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I love Gretschs for their sound, playability and sheer style. I bought the Gretsch baritone for these reasons but also because it was the cheapest alternative to going for a Bass VI or Jag Bari. Again, while it wasn't the worst out there it is so completely eclipsed by the Jag that I realised I should have just saved up and bought one of those in the first place. The stuff my outfit plays is brilliantly served by the Jag switching, too, so I'm wondering whether it's the better choice between it and a Bass VI.
BenderR
Contributing Member
*
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGAug 16th, 2008 11:55 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I agree PJPJ. I know of at least one fellow that went from a VI to a Jag Bari. I've given this a lot of thought. I could probably swing a custom shop Bass VI if I sold the Jag, but I don't really want to sell the Jag.
PJPJ
AustraliaAug 18th, 2008 05:24 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Going from a VI to a Big Cat is interesting to me as I'd assume that if you had the holy grail of a VI you'd just rest in the warm assurance that you had a classic that was the envy of your friends and enemies alike. Must be the slightly reduced scale and the electrics as you'd be giving up a middle pickup and a native vibrato system (I know they aren't popular with their owners on the VI). I've enver played a Bass VI, I've only heard them on recordings in a mix. Thus I don't know what the various combinations of pickups sound like. All I know is that the Jag (especially with the Les Trem added) sounds like pretty much every recording of a VI I've heard and the bass circuit sounds like a real Fender bass. And, it's supremely playable. Holy Grail be danged, I've found my baritone guitar.
Also, you might want to hang on to your Jag Bari. There have been reissues of the Bass VI I wouldn't hold my breath for a Jag Baritone Custom reissue. That's real Fender history you're plugging in there.
SPudnik
Contributing Member
Parsec 351 R, VA
Bass VI - - - a what?Aug 19th, 2008 09:24 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Well, I don't know about the VI being a Holy Grail but my tagline used to be "Bass VI: Instrument of Destiny".
:)
'Just replaced the strings after 3 and a half years - of heavy usage. !
For me, it's more the configuration than having to be a Fender. But I'm more than glad that I got what I wanted... In Dec it'll be 10 years, and I'm just getting started.
The thing has far exceeded my expectations.
BenderR
Contributing Member
*
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGAug 27th, 2008 11:01 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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For me it's been a bit of a Holy Grail for a long, long time. I still want one.
Tele295
Contributing Member
*******
Tiger Town
Haunted ampNov 7th, 2008 05:09 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Speaking of Gretsch, has anyone ever played a Spectra Sonic? I like the humcancelling aspect of the TV Jones pickups. Still haven't solved the problem of the buzz in my Bass VI or Danelectro
BenderR
Contributing Member
*
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGNov 8th, 2008 09:09 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I've hear nothing but good about them and TV Jones pickups are greatly admired by most Gretsch fans. The Spectrasonic is now marketed directly by TV Jones.
rawrOOO
brooklyn, nyJan 2nd, 2009 12:05 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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i want to put in a gibson style 3 way switch. but nothing ive found will fit!
this is for pickup selectors on the lower control plate. id like to keep the choke switch, it's useful in recording. so i need a 3 way switch that'll fit in that spot, hopefully something like this, although i have no idea where they found it:
http://www.fenderjaguar.net/images/gallery/elias/2.jpg
or if they routed to get it in there...but
WHERE DO I FIND SUCH A THING?!?!?
i feel like ive been fruitlessly looking forever, please help! i am desperate
but yeah, i hate the switches on the lower control plate. i hate them. HATE THEM. they keep breaking either right before a show, during a show, on tour, whatever. so i keep opening them up and rebuilding the switches...i cant deal with them anymore. i refuse to. i leaned over right before my new years show to move a cable out of the way, i must have smooshed the choke switch with my leg or something - bang, no low end for the whole show. it sucked! i had to boost it at the amp, my tone was all weird, i hated it
i never use the rhythm circuit anymore either. i would but that switch broke big time a while ago. i disconnected it from the circuit altogether, so now my big cat just uses the lower, "lead" circuit. i decided to wait until i figure out what to replace all those dopey slider switches with to get the "rhythm" circuit happening again.
if anyone can help me find that 3 way switch id be really really grateful!!
BenderR
Contributing Member
**
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGJan 5th, 2009 01:24 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I've seen a manufactured control plate that has 1 slide switch and a spot for a three way but I have no idea where it was from. There is (was?) a guy in France making some repro parts for offsets and it might have been one of his.
crispy goodness
Contributing Member
***
Carolina Norte'
maple syrup beats kwality, every time...Mar 10th, 2009 07:31 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Just wanted to mention I finally used my Big Cat on a recording NOT playing some twangy lead part, NOT imitating a six-string bass, but PLAYING JAZZ CHORDS during a bridge of a song I just finished. I wanted to have a guitar part that a series of descending 9th chords, from C down to A, but a reg'lar guitar won't go that low. I thought about detuning a guitar, when I looked across the room--well DUH! Any more obvious, and the rascal would've bit me.
As a chord monster the Big Cat sounds great. And HUGE.
--Crispy
BenderR
Contributing Member
**
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGMar 10th, 2009 10:53 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Very cool! Someday the world is going to discover these gadgets and they won't be able to make enough of them to fill the demand. In the meantime the few, the proud, the Loyal Order of the Big Cat knows. :)
Ronnie Wibbley
UKJun 28th, 2009 11:13 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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... and still playing here, although I still haven't found that Duane Eddy tribute band...
SPudnik
Contributing Member
Parsec 351 R, VA
Bass VI - - - a what?Jul 17th, 2009 07:46 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Where is BenderR ????????
BenderR
Contributing Member
**
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGOct 30th, 2009 07:09 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Spudnik said: "Where is BenderR ????????"
Sorry, I was in exile. Hey, I finally got my Bass VI about a month ago. It's pretty durned kewl!
barry.b
australiaNov 2nd, 2009 09:47 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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BenderR said:
"Hey, I finally got my Bass VI about a month ago."
wot? they still come up? can I ask how you did it?
just to give me hope, y'know, GAS and all that ...
thanx
barry.b
SPudnik
Contributing Member
Parsec 351 R, VA
Bass VI - - - a what?Nov 16th, 2009 11:50 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I think Mr. BenderR got one of the last custom shop VIs. But it took what, a year after ordering?
Hey BenderR - did the Bass VI cause this exile?
:)
barry.b
australiaNov 17th, 2009 12:08 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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BenderR
Tucson, AZ USA
MBJ: KC-LOBC: DSG: SCGFeb 7th, 2010 04:16 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Probably. :) Mine was one of the last unless you are willing to pay "Masterbuilt" prices . . . which I am not.
Previous 20 Messages
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