Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar, Mods & Easy Hacks

[@garymeador8812]

I wanted a '65 style Jaguar in sunburst to pair up with my '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue amp this year for a project. Came upon a lightly used 2016 Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar that fit the bill nicely at a remarkably affordable price. I kept the original bridge, but put Loctite on the post threads. I shimmed the neck to steepen the angle of the strings across the bridge saddles, increasing the force of the strings against the saddles. Flatwound jazz light strings replaced the roundwounds that came with the guitar because I have used flatwounds on my archtop electrics for years. Those easy adjustments were all that I needed to do. The Squier VM Jag lacks the tremlock and the string mute found on a '65 Fender, but I do not need those features anyway. Excellent value. Thank you, and others, for posting helpful information about the Squier Jags.

[@Lazurini1]

Brilliant stuff, I bet you Squire VM sounds great! The work you did on the neck sounds worthwhile and the light flatwounds just make a world of difference don’t they? Many thanks for your kind words.

[@acidbran]

I have the same guitar, a 2013 I believe. Same bridge mod and adding the Fender trem soon. Thanks for a fun video.

[@chrisprescottguitar]

Enjoyed this. I got a classic vibe 60s jag just under a year ago and put fender pure vintage 65 pickups in it (video on my channel 😉) and I love it. Kept the Squier bridge but had a tech put a shim in the neck and I’ve never had trouble with it besides needing a bit of locktite on the screws. I have got the 9.5 staytrem on a Mexican jazzmaster though and it’s been faultless ever since 👍🏻

[@WarrenAndrews-w5x]

I have same including colour! Thanks brother from Warren 😎

[@ScottEnglund]

You say the neck has a 9.5" radius and the stock bridge has a 7.25" radius. You do realize the bridge's radius can be adjusted with the saddle screws? I've had two newer Squier Jaguars and one Jazzmaster. On all three I dumped the Mustang style bridges they came with (no height adjustment) and replaced them with aftermarket vintage style, the ones everyone hates. They work fine. Nothing pops out. I can adjust each saddle individually and match the radius to the fretboard.

[@xcx8646]

The vintage-style bridges can be set up to work pretty well. The key is to shim the neck at a slight angle. The problem with the vintage-style bridge is the string spacing. It's too wide, put each E string to close to the edge of the fretboard. The compromise is to move the string in a groove, but this can result in the string being too close to the height adjustment screw, and the sound getting a little choked off, especially on the high E higher up the neck. A bridge like the one in this video does solve all of the issues once and for all.

[@clintbowers5524]

If you shim the neck about .25 degrees, you can raise the bridge so it can rock back and forth either the vibrato, as it was designed to do. Really goes a long way for better tuning stability.

[@clintbowers5524]

*….with the vibrato,…

[@clintbowers5524]

I meant, with the vibrato.

[@Lazurini1]

Hey Clint, great tip! Thanks. Gavin

[@aedenserano3439]

Just ordered one from reverb for $500 shipped, can't wait to get that Johnny Marr jingle

[@Lazurini1]

Sweet! Endless fun awaits!

[@aedenserano3439]

@@Lazurini1 would you recommend getting a buzz stop as well as the bridge upgrade you mentioned? Or would the buzz stop mess up the configuration of the raised string height

[@Lazurini1]

@@aedenserano3439 I would definitely not get a buzz stop. With a good setup you shouldn’t need it, and I think they can alter too many of the guitars unique strengths such as the tremolo functionality and tuning, the length of the string behind the bridge and more. I also think that they provide another friction point and I’d avoid that.

[@aedenserano3439]

@@Lazurini1 thank you:)

[@scottraycraft5151]

i have same vintage modified...mustang bridge...I had to 1) shim the neck well over 1 degree so that i could get good action and have the bridge float 2) deoxit the hell out of the switches to get them to stop crapping out..works great now 3)added more foam under the pickups 4) added 11's (the 9s kept popping out of the bridge even after the shim love the stock pickups and now its great

[@Lazurini1]

Love points 2 and 3 particularly. Since the video I’ve been experimenting with pickup height too and adjusted them to my taste. Sounding better than ever now.

[@TheTwangKings]

Cool look and sound. I am getting the 70s version. Can you tell me how to increase the spring tension to counterbalance heavier strings? Cheers.

[@inthestudy]

Something that always surprises me is when people buy the Staytrem bridge, but not the arm. At least on my Classic Vibe (both the Jaguar and the Bass VI), the tremolo had a lot of clackety and rattling, that was instantly fixed by swapping the arm and collet to the Staytrem model. I also have the 10-48 flats on mine, light flats are so good on the Jaguar! :) I skipped the Staytrem bridge on the Jaguar because I was completely happy with the stock one (the CV is Mustang-type) but I wouldn't rule one out later - I love Stainless Steel bridges and I've ordered one for the Bass VI. So yeah, I'd have modded this very similarly to you! I'd add the Staytrem arm, I'd probably add the Mute - pickups I'm not sure. Having used them for over a year now, I'd happily put the Squier CV coils in a VM if I saw a set going cheap - otherwise, Nisebelle makes amazing noises with the Lollars in her Jaguar, so that's certainly something I'd consider too. I'd love to see an update video on this - how you feel about the mods one year on, if you changed anything else etc.

[@Lazurini1]

Thanks for your insights on this, particularly on the Staytrem arm. I did have a bit of difficulty with looseness on the trem arm, but it seems to have stabilised. I am definitely still assessing the pickups and considering options. A follow up is a good idea, once I’ve done any further mods.

[@saxophool]

Also, I just got a 2023 Squier Jaguar, Daphne blue. The bridge saddles now have the little groove in the middle and the bridge and nut are both at 9.5 radius. I'm looking for something to change out but strings is all I've come up with.

[@Lazurini1]

If it plays well, sounds good and feels right then there’s nothing to change! Daphne Blue is great.

[@bluesman5049]

I don't see a strong reason for changing the bridge, on the factory bridge there is the possibility of adjusting the height of the saddles, each separately, independently of the lifter of the entire bridge, so that it is possible to achieve the same radius with the neck-raising of each saddle as needed. I notice that the new bridge does not have saddles that can be fixed in height - impractical, even though it already has the same radius as the neck. It is always good when you can adjust the height of the saddle independently of the others.

[@Lazurini1]

You’re right, it doesn’t have individual saddles and as you’ve pointed out, there is flexibility and fine tuning that you can do with that, which I think would be especially useful if you play with a very low action. I’ve never really had to adjust this bridge for height yet, it’s always played really well but I think you raise a great point. The initial reason for changing the stock bridge here though was the nature of the saddles themselves. They do not have a good groove, and consequently didn’t hold the strings very well. That said, you could replace them with another bridge with individual saddles that just has a better groove.

[@bluesman5049]

@@Lazurini1 Anyway, the channel on the saddle can always be deepened with a thin file, but height adjustment is always an advantage for me. I even like the saddles that look like screw threads, they have good channels, and the distance between the wires can be adjusted left-right if the width of the bobbin on the hub is different. greeting.

[@saxophool]

Love the way English people say Jag you are.

[@Stewbert_72]

You mean how to speak English ? 😂

[@BlindingSun_]

That’s literally how you pronounce it. 😊

[@valley_robot]

Because that's the correct way to say that word in modern English, American English uses a lot of old English

[@saxophool]

The word "jaguar" is possibly derived from the Tupi-Guarani word yaguara meaning 'wild beast that overcomes its prey at a bound'.[3][4][better source needed] In North America, the word is pronounced disyllabic /ˈdʒæɡwɑːr/, while in British English, it is pronounced with three syllables /ˈdʒæɡjuːər/.[5]

[@BlindingSun_]

@@saxophool but England was around for thousands of years before America was colonised so that is the pronouncement we’ll go with 😀

[@nicholasg923]

Hi Gavin, very helpful video, thanks. I have the same guitar in Olympic White. I have a few questions and a suggestion. Firstly, did you use the D'addario superlight chromes (10-48)? Did you shim the neck? What amount of relief & string height did you go for? My suggestions would include new foam under the pickups ‐ it's like neoprene draft excluder with suitable size springs on the pickup adjuster screws. I got the Fender AVRI65 vintage pickups at a good price. When I intonate the Staytrem I always rock the bridge back - much more accurate. I've had a treble bleed fitted to the volume pot which gives a much smoother use. Thanks again for the video, I love my Jag but the G string is plinking from the 15th fret upwards I think flats & a new setup might be the way forward.

[@Lazurini1]

Hi Nicholas, thanks for your question and kind words. I love some of your suggestions there! I also rock the Staytrem bridge back during setup. I've not tried new foam under the pickups, but I think `i may give it a go. I also haven't used a treble bleed on it, but I can see the wisdom in using one, to get more range from the volume pot, they do start to loose mojo fairly quickly at lower levels. Now then, I'm not sure I can give an exact answer to all your questions as I've just moved across the world and the guitar is currently in transit, however : I did use D'addario flat wound chromes 10-48, i think they were called extra light. I didn't shim the neck, it looked pretty good after I'd tightened it a little, two or three turns. I'm not sure what the exact relief and string height was, as i can't find any notes from then. I tend to have a medium/high-ish action but I've had no problems with buzz, playability or intonation recently on the Jag. I will of course have to set it up all over again when it arrives to me, so perhaps I'll post something further then with more information. I might also give some thought at that time to your other suggestions! Many Thanks again! Gavin

[@nicholasg923]

@Lazurini1 Thanks for replying. As is the way of the world I have cracked on with improving my Jag. My guitar tech, Gordon White, (works with Richard Hawley & Bill Nelson) had set up my Jag without a shim. He tried Stew Mac shims at my insistence, but it led to "ski sloping" on the last 7 frets . I put a shim in myself, a little bit of a cereal packet, and played on for a bit. But the plinking & dead frets remained there. I was just in denial. So recently, I took the shim out & set the guitar with Fender factory standards - 0.012" relief at 7th fret, 4/64" string height at 17th fret with capo on 1st fret. The pickup heights I've set at 6/64" treble side, 7/64" bass side with 22nd fret fretted. The strings, well, interestingly enough, I saw original Fender case candy and Fender supplied/recommended two types of string for Jazzmasters and Jaguars in the 1960s - flatwounds & pure nickels. No mention of gauges. Currently, I have Ernie Ball Pure Nickel 11-48s, obviously more jangle than flatwounds with a plain G. I will persist with these as my guitar currently sounds absolutely epic but might go to those flatwounds if I want smooth. All the best with your Jag playing, looking forward to hearing more.

[@backwater_j]

So many things to say about what has been my go-to instrument for the better part of a decade now (see profile pic), trying to distill it to the pertinent ones. 1: Weirdly enough, I remember the surf green/lake placid(?) blue ones coming stock with white pickguards, one of the reasons I chose the white because WHY WOULD YOU NOT TORTOISE?!!!.... Ahem, I mean personal choice is a wonderful thing. Moving on: 2: That is not a 7.2" radius bridge, that is an *adjustable* bridge. You could set it to 5" or completely flat if you wanted to. The real issue is yes, those threaded saddles leave something to be desired. Not insurmountable but it's on the short list of replacement parts once I have the money and inclination. Another bridge issue you did not address is the tendency for the actual threaded bridge posts to slip down during play, leaving you with a buzzing mess. I fixed this with the humble rockstar Elmer's glue, though I'm sure thread-lock or any number of alternatives would suffice. That said, for my tele which I (heathen as I am) swapped in a Jag/Jazz style trem on I ordered a slotted adjustable radius bridge off Amazon which I will likely be repeating for the Jag. When I get around to it. Digging your solution though the thicker (radius) saddles beg the quiestion: does it suffer for intonation range (which can be a very big deal in this style guitar)? 3: Interesting that you went light-gauge flatwounds, I went heavy-gauge roundwounds (currently Apex). Different styles/string feels obviously and the flatwounds feel oh-so ironically apropos for a guitar that was the follow-up to Fender's attempt to break into the Gibson-dominated jazz market (which failed about as hard as one might expect). 4: This guitar goes to a whole new level when you start modifying the electronics (disclaimer: not a project for beginners!). To mine I added a Broadcaster-style blend control to replace the (lead circuit) tone I never use, as well as series-parallel and phase wiring which also expand the capabilities of that beautiful dark rhythm circuit. For more information see my videeo here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4G0lJqIfpZ2nqs (please bear in mind this is one of my early videos so the video quality isn't that great). For the record, the Duncan Designed are staying, far better than anything Fender has been putting out since the original run, and frankly boutique pickups are more money than I want to spend on minimal tone upgrades. 5: I'd go a little lighter on effects for demo purposes. I generally just do a clean/dirty, maybe some reverb. I save effects for effects demos because you want people to really hear what they're there to hear. My two cents/pence. 6: Liked and subscribed, certainly hope you'll return the favor! Always good to meet another jag-lover! ;}

[@Lazurini1]

Thanks for your brilliant comments. Very interesting stuff and much appreciated, thanks also for the feedback re effects. I did try a heavier gauge flat wound set initially which I found did create a lovely tone, particularly on the lower strings but I found that I was struggling to get the articulation I wanted in my playing, so I went a little lighter and preferred it. I’ve not noticed any intonation range issues. The tuning and intonation have been really stable. Very interested that you are staying with the Duncan’s. I like them but as I mentioned I have been thinking about alternatives, we are always curious aren’t we! Incidentally I did buy a white with tortoise guard for my son which we both think looks really cool, it’s just that I wanted the surf green and just thought the white guard suited it better. I’ll definitely check out your video and thanks again for your input, and the subscribe. So great to have knowledgeable and positive feedback.

[@Im1boomer]

Have you done any of those upgrades yet? I’m looking to do that on mine and would love to know what pickups you ended up using.

[@Lazurini1]

Hey, I haven't had a chance to make any further mods yet, too much going on! So it's still the original pickups, although I have been experimenting with the pickup heights with various results including successfully softening the some of the high frequencies from the treble pickup. I will make a follow up video when I make significant changes.

[@edrosenquist6541]

You should try some Fishman actives?

[@geoffreyalder7275]

The original bridge has height adjustable saddles (and intonation adjustment)....why couldn't you just adjust the original bridge saddles to suit the 9.5 radius ??

[@Lazurini1]

@@geoffreyalder7275 hi Geoffrey, good question and you could of course do just that. I did initially think of doing that but soon discovered that the bridge I had didn’t hold the strings too well anyway. The metal was average quality and with shallow string grooves. When the Staytrem saddle arrived I never looked back as it was so much better in terms of quality.

[@adrianm6697]

Install a 1 degree shim mate X

[@GrinningFeline]

Seconding the shim. The stock bridge would be serviceable with decent break angle!

[@adrianm6697]

@@GrinningFeline Absolutely! I got a lot of them for no money 🤣 I like the adjustables saddles and the fact that I'm not restricted by the 56mm spacing of a mustang bridge.

[@ianhowell6829]

I thought you were dead, Gavin?!

[@Lazurini1]

Hold on a second… No I still appear to be alive.

[@valley_robot]

I've spent weeks getting mine just right, pain in the arse guitar, floating bridge on thimbles, WTF, neck needs shimming, seriously?, bridge has no saddle height adjustment, Ffs, needs heavy gauge strings to stay in tune, come on?, proper pain in the arse guitar to get right after playing strats and les Paul's, that said, now it's all set up, I love it

[@Lazurini1]

Yep, I feel your pain. It’s not an ‘unpack and play’ guitar for sure, but once you’ve got it going it’s got such a special sound and vibe! Enjoy!