Setting up my Fender Jag-Stang

[@gregwolk5240]

Great video, Alex! As usual, these tech videos are very informative for me and I appreciate you doing them. Thanks!

[@alexrcowan]

No problem Greg! I’ll probably do more of these sorts of vids in the future too!

[@onemanandhiscow]

This is still my most used guitar and appreciate hearing your setup process thankyou

[@mrselfdestruct1096]

The hex nuts are actually 6mm btw.

[@meadish]

Cheers for the video, always good to see what other people do in order to get new ideas. When setting the pickup height, I use a different method I got from Lindy Fralin - once the basic setup is finished, with neck relief, nut slots, frets, string height from the fret board, intonation, yada yada, I hook the guitar up to an amp, then the first thing I do is to make sure the string is far enough away for the magnet poles not to pull on the strings causing wolf notes (unclean warbling, most common when the pickups are close to Alnico 5 magnets). Once all the warble is gone, I use my ear to adjust the bass and treble sides as far down as I think works best. Using a fixed measurement does not seem to make sense for me, since individual pickups will have differing output and EQ profiles, which equates to their own sweet spot (although we all have subjective tone preferences). Then again, there are always many ways to skin a cat, so if your method works for you, feel free to disregard my ramblings.

[@alexrcowan]

Mea Dish yeah you can do it entirely by ear. I prefer to for pickup height to a general height depending on string gauge (more specifically the strings longitudinal waves or oscillation pattern) and fretboard radius. The brass feeler gauges allow me to rough that in. From there I make adjustments based on ear. Generally following my method gets me roughly where I need to be very quickly

[@zackmano]

Great video man 🤘🏼 Just one critique tho, I think you're supposed to string through the front of the "cigar" and run them underneath it and over the bridge. But seriously great video and I learned a few things 👍🏼🤘🏼🙏🏼

[@alexrcowan]

Thanks mate! Yep you’d be correct for a mustang in its standard configuration. However, my JagStang has a flipped and locked cigar tube, coupled with a tuneomatic bridge with increased break angle. This makes it possible to string straight through the cigar tube, and also makes restringing easier since you don’t have to thread around the cigar tube, and the vibrato is locked and non-functional. Hope this makes sense!

[@zackmano]

@@alexrcowan Touche my brother! 🙌🏼 Wow, really underestimated you on that one 🤣 I do understand and thanks for explaining that. I have a '96 but I don't have the balls to try those mods on it lol. Plus I kinda like the wacky Dynamic Vibrato setup as it is and I love messing with it. But I definitely can understand wanting to lock this one down and it sounds like you did an amazing job 🤘🏼🙏🏼

[@alexrcowan]

@@zackmano haha no it’s a common misunderstanding with flipped and locked tailpieces. Yeah if you like how the vibrato works, then don’t mess with it! No point trying to fix what ain’t broke for you!

[@kewlbug]

Dang I wish I knew about neck shims when I tried to flip the tail years ago. I play my jazzmaster now a days.

[@BC_J0MBI]

Finally someone with info on a jag-stang! What model bridge did you use and what size washers for the trem? I've always hated the bridge/ trem on the jag-stang but never knew what to do with it.

[@alexrcowan]

J0MBI haha yes, the jagstang needs some myth debunking! I used a Gotoh 510BN height adjustable saddle bridge. Can’t remember the exact size but I’m pretty sure the diameter for the threaded section was a 7mm hex nut

[@josephwytkamp5114]

Hey Alex!!! good to see you again man!! You should make a video of what gear you have at the start of this year or somethin like that, just a quicky, anyway, great video!! good to see you again : )

[@alexrcowan]

Joseph Wytkamp hey Joseph! Thanks man! Yeah I totally will do a gear update. I’m super excited to show everyone my Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp setup. Only problem is it has needed multiple repairs, hopefully will finally be done next week! Then I can really start getting back into it this year with the videos!

[@josephwytkamp5114]

@@alexrcowan Sweet man! I'm just as excited as you are : )

[@GByePorkPieHat]

Very informative content. Especially the sections regarding action setup. Thank you muchly! I have one question, however. If you do not use/favor using the vibrato arm, why not switch to a stop tailpiece?

[@globalnova]

It IS now a stop piece. :)

[@tenntonnhammer]

Do you think you could take the bridgeplate to a machine shop and have them make you one that is drilled for the gotoh bridge and a stop tailpiece? What was the cost to have the neck re radius and refretted with jumbo frets? I think it'd be cool to deactive the switches and remove the tone knob and put a toggle switch in.

[@XxStonedImmaculatexX]

I used a nut/washer with the stock posts too but the plate wouldnt sit flush because they would hit the bottom. I tried other washers too that were too small and wouldnt really tighten the posts. I’m using different hex nuts now but I’m gonna see if I can find the right washers to be able to use the stock posts.

[@itsliketryingtofitapowerst1860]

My dad has one but he dont play guitar anymore. Ive been playing for about 3 or 4 years, and its such a bad guitar imo that its amazing. I like guitars that you have to battle to play, you just get so much more out of them.

[@gratefuldeadukulelelessons680]

If you have to battle it, it isn’t setup properly. The jags tang plays like a dream, take yours to a tech and get a proper setup.

[@itsliketryingtofitapowerst1860]

@@gratefuldeadukulelelessons680 good point haha my dad got it second hand in 97 and hasnt been setup for 24 years, with heavy playing. Weve always used 13s as well

[@dillfish0528]

@@itsliketryingtofitapowerst1860 thats mental lmao

[@ShoreyJr]

@@itsliketryingtofitapowerst1860 Shim the neck pocket, increase the bridge height and you're golden.

[@prof.aggrospeed4315]

Hey! Great vid! I was wondering, is the Gotoh bridge you use can be set for 7.25 radius? So far i used standard Gotoh 12 radius that i had to file to get to 7.25, but i would rather use this model. Thank you.

[@dylankim8613]

Don't apologize for metric system you are a true aussie mate, ily

[@craig2468ful]

I have the exact same jag stang and love Playing it as I’m a big nirvana fan . But thank you so much this is an awesome video 👍🏻 ps hello from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 hope all is well mate

[@alexrcowan]

Thanks for the kind words Craig! Really glad you liked the video!

[@KurtCobain2021]

nice video, btw: how did you installed the bridge stud? I want to install the TB59, but do you have the internal wiring can show to public?

[@gonzalozech]

Hello Alex, do you know where I can get plans for building this guitar?

[@anthonyfarias3632]

Why the SD TB4 over the SH4? Does one fit better than the other?

[@beany]

Hi Alex. You're Jag-Stang is very green. Mine is as well! Definitely not Sonic Blue. I'm trying to work out why a few are like this. What year .etc is this one? Mine is CIJ 1997

[@alexrcowan]

beany hi! Mine is a CIJ 1998 model. Basically these guitars started as sonic blue but over time with exposure to light they have faded to more of a green

[@jq.guitars]

I find that 1997 Jag-Stangs for whatever reason are greener than other years. I own a 97, even under the pickguard it's green. I think it's because in 97, Fender Japan transitioned from FujiGen to Tokai factory, and Tokai Factory didnt have the right Sonic Blue, resulting in these being more of a Seafoam Green

[@bushcry1]

@@alexrcowan I was going to question the color because I onky heard they were released either Sonic Blue or Fiesta Red. I think it looks better in Green as it has aged....

[@XxStonedImmaculatexX]

I just got an idea. I want to use the stock bridge but instead of wrapping electric tape around the posts, what do you think if I use cork instead? I was thinking maybe cut out a piece of cork to fit into the stock bushings and then push the posts into it. You think that would work just as good or better than the electric tape?

[@GenaGuitar]

How it sound now?

[@GenaGuitar]

Hi, You did a lot about this guitar, why are you did not replace stock tuners?

[@caivsivlivs]

nice jag stang

[@YourFavouriteColor]

I suppose it doesn't matter if you're not using the trem, but you're supposed to run the string through the hole backwards then go under the cigar and then into the saddle such that the strings "wrap" around. even in the case of a hard tail, I think that traditional method still effects break angle and tension.

[@alexrcowan]

I’ve done another video locking the trem still using the wrap around method. It’s not necessary in this case with a ToM bridge which sits higher than normal stang bridges, and a good stewmac shim. There’s more than enough break angle here without having to wrap the strings arounf

[@reagangundersen3490]

Hey Alex, greetings from from New Zealand, how did you come by learning all this stuff? A tutor/mentor or study? I'm currently setting up a lil work space and I have no idea about wiring guitars and I'm just learning how to start using guitar spec tools

[@ram2711]

Fantastic video!

[@alexrcowan]

ram2711 thanks man! Glad you liked it!

[@firechicken0268]

Wish i had a jagstang

[@alexrcowan]

Fire Chicken02 hopefully fender will do a Reissue in the future!

[@callmehost7594]

Do you have ti drill the body to install a tunomatic bridge?

[@alexrcowan]

Yes, you either have to drill the bridge post holes wider, or plug them and re drill them depending on what type of tuneomatic you go for

[@callmehost7594]

@@alexrcowan I was gonna go for a ghotot tunomatic sry for my spelling btw

[@frontmanguitars8276]

1.5 on the low E!!! You mad man

[@alexrcowan]

Matthew Ewert well more like 1.524mm haha. Somewhere between that and 1.6mm

[@frontmanguitars8276]

@@alexrcowan 1.75 to 2 for me depending on guitar! 4.99 for 7.25 radius ;] hehe

[@frontmanguitars8276]

@@alexrcowan and never apologise for using metric! Every American should be saying sorry to us for making the rest of the world learn imperial

[@alexrcowan]

Matthew Ewert haha yeah usually I would need to be a bit higher. But harron did the refret on this a couple of years ago so ya know, I can get away with low stuff. Was kind of annoyed they were so perfect for this vid since I wanted to demonstrate reseating a fret but they were all still perfectly seated!

[@andreico6491]

Where can i buy a jagstang

[@alesko1751]

How did you put the tune o matic in a jag a stang and I have a squirt vm Mustang

[@alexrcowan]

Alesko17 Gaming you have to remove the bridge studs, and either drill the holes bigger in the body and vibrato plate to accommodate metric studs, or plug the holes with dowel and redrill to accommodate the small ToM posts or Nashville studs

[@onkelpool]

Blocking Tremolo with this method is at the elementary school level! If you forget the nonsense, take 2 bolts of the right size and turn this tail firmly in place!

[@alexrcowan]

Always more than one way to skin a cat my friend!

[@violetsareblue_official4687]

I’ve never heard of a tune o Matic with adjustable height saddles. Do you have a web sight or link to one?

[@Cloob6969]

He put the bridge in the description

[@alexrcowan]

Here’s a link to where I get mine www.realparts.com.au/bridges-tailpieces/tune-o-matic/gotoh-510bn-height-adjustable-saddle-bridge-chrome.html

[@Polnanico1409]

beautiful job as usual ;-)

[@alexrcowan]

Polnanico1409 thanks so much man!

[@ParallaxRS]

Loved kurt, love nirvana, love jaguars, love mustangs, love alexrcowan channel, but my god the jag-stang is awfully ugly (imo)

[@kurtcobain8316]

They grow on you.

[@number1Don]

I think it looks amazing. It was love at first sight.

[@k0_couch874]

56 strings?

[@RussellB]

2:25 heh heh

[@BistroGlicerin3]

New subscriber... nice channel... 🤟💀🥀

[@alexrcowan]

Thanks mate, welcome aboard!

[@tasmidjahan7750]

First

[@filbert541]

2:26 deez nuts