Upgrade JV Squier- is this insane?
Joe B.
reissue, butterscotch with one-piece maple neck, black pickguard. It is in
quite nice condition with a few dings but not much evidence of actual wear
otherwise. I haven't taken it apart to check the components yet. It sounds
quite nice with what should be Fender pickups from the same period, but I
much prefer to use noiseless Kinman or Lawrence pickups on this type of
guitar. The thing that I really like, apart from the look and the fact that
it is unusual, is the neck- it feels really good to play on. Better than any
other guitar I've got. It seems a little thinner but not flat- it is a very
subtle difference and AFAICS the measurements are the same as my other
Japanese Tele from 96. But they feel very different. I gather subtle neck
differences can account for a big difference in feel. Also its the only
all-maple neck guitar I've got- but I don't think its just that. It FEELS
different even not taking the fingerboard into account. So- instead of
keeping it in its case and hoping it becomes more valuable over time, and
getting it out to play occasionally, what I'm considering is making a few
reversible changes. IE- very carefully swapping out the electronics and
pickups, wrapping the original bits up, labelling them and putting them in a
box, and replacing with Bill Lawrence pickups and new wiring on a new control
plate with 4-way switch and Callaham domed Broadcaster knobs. I wouldn't do
this myself- I'd be getting a pro to do it, and do it without making any new
holes or enlarging existing ones, and not doing any actual cutting, routing,
or changing it in any way. Obviously the connections would need to be
unsoldered in a couple of places to remove the electronics but that's all.
That's it. My question is- is this insane? it's not just (becoming) a vintage
guitar- its also relatively rare. Shouldn't I just sell it and get a more
common Japanese maple-necked Tele and do what i want with that? It wouldn't
have the same neck, and that's the thing that hooks me in to doing something-
carefully- to make the most of this one. So tell me- am I nuts, or is this
rational behaviour?
--
Joe B. (remove composer for email)
David
"Joe B." <jo...@mozartclara.co.uk> wrote in message
news:0001HW.BD529CBD...@news.claranews.com...
original parts I don't see a problem. It's not like you're making those mods
to an original 52.
BRUCE MORRIS
perfectly nice piece of wood that probably just needs some electronic guts?
BTW consider a Callaham bridge when you order those Broadcaster knobs, I
just got one of his vintage Tele bridges in the mail and it's a beautiful
thing. Hoping to have time to slap it on before the weekend actually.
"David" <jackrabb...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:d9OdnfItqft...@comcast.com...
Joe B.
(in message <9L9Xc.9536$VY.9246@trndny09>):
> Agreed. Why spend more money on a guitar to sink parts into when you have a
> perfectly nice piece of wood that probably just needs some electronic guts?
> BTW consider a Callaham bridge when you order those Broadcaster knobs, I
> just got one of his vintage Tele bridges in the mail and it's a beautiful
> thing. Hoping to have time to slap it on before the weekend actually.
This is where it starts to get tricky. With the Squier JV series- these were
pretty much the first Japanese-made Fenders (if you don't count the Fender JV
series) so they are "historically significant", its the bridge plate that has
the serial number stamped onto it, which starts with JV, which is what
identifies this as a (relatively) rare guitar and one "of special interest"
or whatever. I can take that bridge off off and replace it with a Callaham
bridge, but then I'm turning a collectable guitar into a kit of rare-ish
parts in a box! If I take it that far, it would make as much sense to try to
get a neck made for me that feels the same, and then build a guitar from all
the right bits from the start, including a Callaham bridge. Which I might do
anyway... In fact I actually HAVE a Callaham vintage tele bridge waitng for a
guitar (long story) and so i might explore this route seriously as well.
LesPaulCustom
Hi Joe,
I've got two '82 JV teles the same as yours and they are both the best
playing AND SOUNDING teles that I've ever had. I
I've had Joe Bardens, Kinmans, and Fralins in other teles and nothing else
was close to as good as these two. The Fralins were the next best.
I would do whatever you need to do to hang on to it. You won't find another
guitar (unless you get a real '52 $$$$$$) that plays like these.
If you sell it, it will haunt you.
Best of luck. If you don't like the new electronics you can always put the
stock pickups back in.
LPC
BRUCE MORRIS
post and decided to check my Tele, also an MIJ, and turns out mine ALSO has
the S# on the bridge plate!! The bridge on mine happens to be one of the
less attractive points on the whole instrument (sweat rusted all to hell;
you can barely READ the number) so I think I'm still gonna go through with
the replacement... but now I won't be tossing the original bridge!! Not
that I seriously think the 86ish Fender MIJ (S# starts with an A) will
become a serious collector's item or anything, but you just never know I
guess. Hey, think that original bridge can be de-rusted without destroying
the stamp?
"Joe B." <jo...@mozartclara.co.uk> wrote in message
news:0001HW.BD52EA96...@news.claranews.com...
Joe B.
(in message <WHcXc.55206$3O2.12999@trndny07>):
> Definite point. Incidentally thanks for the heads-up on that, I read your
> post and decided to check my Tele, also an MIJ, and turns out mine ALSO has
> the S# on the bridge plate!! The bridge on mine happens to be one of the
> less attractive points on the whole instrument (sweat rusted all to hell;
> you can barely READ the number) so I think I'm still gonna go through with
> the replacement... but now I won't be tossing the original bridge!! Not
> that I seriously think the 86ish Fender MIJ (S# starts with an A) will
> become a serious collector's item or anything, but you just never know I
> guess.
If it was made in 85-86- this is an "early MIJ Fender" and as such it could
be argued it needs to be treated as if it were a bit special! From what I've
been reading on the net, the early-to-mid 80s Japanese Fenders are just
starting to be considered as "young vintage instruments" and collectable
items in their own right.
>Hey, think that original bridge can be de-rusted without destroying
> the stamp?
I think this would something to approach with a little caution. It would be
nice if there were a way to lift the rust off and if it hasn't eaten up the
serial number stamping then that would be a happy outcome. I've never cleaned
up a bridge that rusted though. Dan Erlewine in his books goes through the
best ways of cleaning of old bridges. And of course there is the Telecaster
Forum which has a Tele-tech section and knowledgeable people to answer such
questions;
and of course:
Joe B.
(in message <68aXc.100782$Np3.4...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>):
> Hi Joe,
>
> I've got two '82 JV teles the same as yours and they are both the best
> playing AND SOUNDING teles that I've ever had. I
> I've had Joe Bardens, Kinmans, and Fralins in other teles and nothing else
> was close to as good as these two. The Fralins were the next best.
> I would do whatever you need to do to hang on to it. You won't find another
> guitar (unless you get a real '52 $$$$$$) that plays like these.
> If you sell it, it will haunt you.
>
> Best of luck. If you don't like the new electronics you can always put the
> stock pickups back in.
>
> LPC
Embarassing admission time!
I've only had this guitar for a couple of weeks and I only just put new
strings on it last night. What a difference. The previous strings must have
been pretty old and were largely deadening the sound, but I didn't pick up on
that until after the change. This guitar now sounds really good. Apart from
the hum there is no need to change the pickups! Even the neck pickup sounds
good, and this guitar is really usable exactly as it is. It goes against the
grain to leave a guitar in stock condition but this one does seem to deserve
it. I'll have to see how it feels and plays over time, but as for now I'm not
going to make any quick changes.
I think I need to put a sign up on my wall that says' "Remember - new strings
sound better".
LesPaulCustom
Thats great news Joe. I agree that the neck pickup sounds great on these.
Very strat like, and not weak and muddly like most. In fact, I've taken to
using it instead of my strats most of the time.
Play on,
LPC
Joe B.
(in message <x5rXc.101267$Np3.4...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>):
>> I think I need to put a sign up on my wall that says' "Remember - new
.> strings sound better".
>>
>> Joe B.
>
> Thats great news Joe. I agree that the neck pickup sounds great on these.
> Very strat like, and not weak and muddly like most. In fact, I've taken to
> using it instead of my strats most of the time.
>
> Play on,
>
> LPC
>
LPC, thanks for your responses. Very timely! Out of curiosity, a couple of
questions:
Are the necks on yours like mine, ie quite small in the hand (I can't
describe it any other way) for a Fender and are they notable for being good
necks in any other respect? Every time I put my hand on mine I think "Mmmm,
that's a very nice small neck". And I don't even LIKE small necks- well I
thought I didn't- obviously I must do really.
Do you find the small radius neck is a problem for string bending? Mine isn't
bad but it buzzes in a couple of places when bending. The action is low on
mine, as I like it, but it may be just a touch too low for the fingerboard.
And have you found any differences other than totally superficial between the
two guitars?
LesPaulCustom
Hi again Joe,
Yes, I think the early tele's (and the faithful repros - like these) have a
slightly narrower neck. I've only played one real 50's tele, and while it
felt just as nice to play as these reissues, it didn't sound as nice. The
pickups on it were a bit too weak for me. Perhaps it's just the natural
decay of the magnets. If you do a lot of bending, you might find that the
original vintage sized frets are a bit smallish until you get used to them.
Takes a lot less downward pressure, but it can be done cleanly and
effortlessly once you get the hang of it (unless you mitts are huge I
guess). My hands are at least average size if not larger and I have no
trouble now. I used to use huge frets (I have Dunlop 6100s on one of my two
favourite strats and medium jumbos on the other).
Between the two teles, the neck feels the same. One is a bit heavier than
the other, and I think one (the lighter one) sounds a little bit better -
not much though, and perhaps I only think that because it's the first one I
got and I fell in love with it. Neither of them hum very much at all for
single coils. I bring them both to my gigs and switch back and forth when
one needs tuning without any changes in settings for volume or tone. No
noticeable difference. One is an early one (low serial number - that is the
lighter one) and one is several thousand later, but they are both '82s.
They impress the hell out of me and everyone that tries them. I've had lots
of pros sit in and use one at gigs, and those that haven't played one before
are astounded. Hang on to it. If you need to change the pickups or the frets
do so, but the rest should stay. You'll grow to love it. After you get
comfortable with playing it and its tone, head down to your favourite music
store and play every tele they'll let you. You won't find one that comes
close.
What kind of amplifier are you playing through?
Cheers,
LPC
Joe B.
(in message <CavXc.101398$Np3.4...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>):
> Hi again Joe,
>
> Yes, I think the early tele's (and the faithful repros - like these) have a
> slightly narrower neck. I've only played one real 50's tele, and while it
> felt just as nice to play as these reissues, it didn't sound as nice. The
> pickups on it were a bit too weak for me. Perhaps it's just the natural
> decay of the magnets. If you do a lot of bending, you might find that the
> original vintage sized frets are a bit smallish until you get used to them.
> Takes a lot less downward pressure, but it can be done cleanly and
> effortlessly once you get the hang of it (unless you mitts are huge I
> guess). My hands are at least average size if not larger and I have no
> trouble now. I used to use huge frets (I have Dunlop 6100s on one of my two
> favourite strats and medium jumbos on the other).
>
> Between the two teles, the neck feels the same. One is a bit heavier than
> the other, and I think one (the lighter one) sounds a little bit better -
> not much though, and perhaps I only think that because it's the first one I
> got and I fell in love with it. Neither of them hum very much at all for
> single coils. I bring them both to my gigs and switch back and forth when
> one needs tuning without any changes in settings for volume or tone. No
> noticeable difference. One is an early one (low serial number - that is the
> lighter one) and one is several thousand later, but they are both '82s.
I think mine is an early one too, its in the five hundreds.
> They impress the hell out of me and everyone that tries them. I've had lots
> of pros sit in and use one at gigs, and those that haven't played one before
> are astounded. Hang on to it. If you need to change the pickups or the frets
> do so, but the rest should stay. You'll grow to love it. After you get
> comfortable with playing it and its tone, head down to your favourite music
> store and play every tele they'll let you. You won't find one that comes
> close.
>
> What kind of amplifier are you playing through?
>
> Cheers,
>
> LPC
Well this is purely "for my own amusement" currently while I'm trying to
improve my playing -its a Fender Champ 12. It sounds great with everythng I
plug into it, which so far since I resumed playing recently is this Squier JV
Tele, a Mexican Standard Strat with Kinman Woodstocks and my 96 MIJ Tele with
Bill Lawrence 280TN and 290TLE- (that's like an colossal iron fist in a
velvet glove but it still manages to sound like a Tele). That guitar BTW
sounded atrocious when I got it- the MIJ pickups were very shrill and
icepicky and (long list of worst Tele pickup characteristics) but now its
living up to its inherent potential! Oh and a British Gordon-Smith GS2 which
is an all mahogany set neck 2-humbucker guitar so you can guess what that
sounds like. And my most recent find, an 86 MIJ Strat, which is waiting now
for Lawrence pickups. All sound great through this amp. The Champ is great
for playing clean at neighbour-friendly volume levels but I will need to get
myself something that can sound dirty and overloaded yet do it at low volume
and with a headphone option, and I'm thinking of a Tech 21 Trademark 10.
One amp I wish I still had from way back is a British Selmer Litle Giant. It
was an early 1960s valve amp about the size of an old-fashioned valve (tube)
radio, with only a couple of valves and a very neat master volume - it had
one volume, one tone and that was it. The mains switch was on the volume
control! It was designed in such a way that I could turn the guitar up and it
would distort beautifully but I could turn it down on the amp's own volume-
just like a sophisticated modern amp. But it was a design accident I suppose
because when it was designed I doubt anybody ever intentionally used
distortion. Ideal for practising quietly yet with realistic distortion
sounds. I'd love to find a small amp that has that same basic ability- and I
hope the Tech 21 will come someway near to that. I also miss my old Vox
AC30TB.... But this Champ 12 does very well.
LesPaulCustom
Hi Joe,
The Champ 12 is indeed a nice sounding amp. I had one myself until about six
months ago. It went (with a JV Squier strat - an '82 as well) on a trade for
a new Les Paul Custom. There was nothing wrong with either of them, I just
had too much Fender stuff - both amps and guitars. I still have too much I
guess, but at least now I've got a couple of Les Pauls (my '72 1954 reissue
is my fav) and a couple of Marshalls (a Silver Jubilee and a JCM 800) to
balance out my guitar universe.
People on alt.guitar.amps always slag the Champ 12 for poor build
construction. I'm an amp tech. (in my spare time) and never had to touch
anything in mine for all the years I had it. Believe me, I would have been
in there if the slightest thing started to sound funny, but it never did.
Worked great. These days my main practice amp is a '65 Vibro Champ when I
need low volumes (which is not that often, I have a dedicated music room in
the house). I usually play through a '65 Super Reverb (best amp I have) or a
'65 Deluxe Reverb (close second) with the JV Teles. If I'm "Les Pauling" it
I play through one of the Marshalls.
I've also been playing a nice sounding copy of a National steel guitar
lately. Lots of blues and slide. Must be going through one of those phases.
All the best,
LPC