IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 08:53 AM
This is for the owners of the Fender Jaguar Baritone (Bass VI) Custom - have any of you changed strings on it yet? I recently bought the La Bella flatwound Bass VI set, but when I tried to put them on the Jag, I couldn't put the low E through the tailpiece! Also, Fender Bass VI low E and A strings are thinner at the very top so they can fit better in the vintage Kluson machine head hole, but these La Bella strings are the same thickness all the way through, and I'm skeptical that the low E would even fit into the machine head. Sadly, these are a $60 set of strings, and because I handled one of them JustStrings won't take them back. Doh! Anybody have any experience with these string issues?
Ivan
— Ivan
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kick_the_reverb
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 1339
Escondido, CA
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 09:14 AM
Ivan,
You can try the flatwounds I use on my guitar - D'Darrio chrome ECG 24-7 - they're about $10 at MF. I don't know if that will be heavy enough for you, though - if you use the bottom 6 you'll get 65-15. They do have the plain core sticking out as far as I can recall.
If you do find something that works please post it (good info for the future).
Good luck,
Ran
— The Scimitars
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11077
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 09:30 AM
Hopefully Mel will chime in with details. But he told me just last night that he asked his local music store to order him single strings in flats for his bari and charged him $10 including a dozen picks. Obviously the music store was ignorant of what people are charging for these things. Try your store to see if they can do the same.
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac'
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 12:07 PM
Matt's got La Bellas on his.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 01:42 PM
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1910
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 02:48 PM
hey Ivan - I've got that same guitar - set up as a bass VI with labella flats on it. Mine has a jag tremolo, but I have a double neck with the stock jag Baritone tailpiece installed with the same strings too. I had to open the hole for the low E string on the tailpiece. A drill bit, or I used a dremmel tool with a really small bit works fine.
As far as the low E and A fitting in the tuners, I unwrapped a little bit of the flat wound portion of the string and then it fit just fine.
I've had it set up that way for 3 years now, and it works just fine - no unwinding string issues or anything like that. Those strings are silky smooth in comparison to the originals.
Chris
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
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MelWaldorf
Joined: Mar 03, 2006
Posts: 648
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 06:56 PM
Ivan,
My local music store sold me individual D'Addario chromes in
075 056 045 030, and plain steel 019 and 015. I've "VI-ified" my bari, tune it B-B, and I'm quite pleased with the sounds.
Mel
image
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Surfabilly
Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 852
Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Mar 01 2007 07:04 PM
So, on the floor beneath the lights in my room is a good way to get better guitar pictures? Once I swap my bedroom with my playroom (too many toys for the smaller of my 2 bedrooms), I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the picture of your Jaguar Baritone Custom, like that, to inspire me, Mel! 
Matt
— Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 02 2007 05:05 PM
Thanks to everyone for your replies, especially to Sonichris - that was very helpful. I'm not the handiest guy, but I think I can enlarge the tailpiece hole slightly, and certainly unwrap the string a bit where it goes in the machine head. I'll try that at some point.
Mel, that's a beaut, I really like the customization you've done on it. I wish I could do that!! Oh well. BTW, I want my tuned as a bass VI, not a baritone, so E-E not B-B, like yours. I like those looooowwww notes....
One more question for your Jag Baritone/Bass VI owners: have you had trouble getting the bridge pickup up in height very much? I can't get mine anywhere close to the strings, and as a result the neck pickup is significantly louder than the bridge pickup (even with the neck pickup lowered all the way). Once again, any suggestions?
Thanks!
Ivan
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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Sonichris
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 1910
Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Mar 02 2007 09:40 PM
Ivan - did you change out the pickups yet? I remember your thread about that. I'd be curious to hear your opinion on the differences.
Chris
— "You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"
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MelWaldorf
Joined: Mar 03, 2006
Posts: 648
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Posted on Mar 02 2007 11:27 PM
Ivan,
You can increase the height of the bridge pickup by putting more padding underneath it. I've found soft kitchen sponges work well.
I think that E-E tuning will work, but without heavier strings it's a bit loose. You might want to try an 80 or 95 gauge low E.
Good luck,
Mel
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Mar 02 2007 11:50 PM
Sonichris, I did swap out the pickups. One major change is that the pickups are no longer squealing uncontrollably in the middle of playing a song! As far as the tone, I haven't really had a chance to check it out too much yet, as I was frustrated by the volume difference between the pickups and kept trying to even the pickup heights (I'll try the sponges, thanks Mel!). However, the tone does seem richer somehow with the Seymour Duncans. I'm glad I swapped them.
Mel, the standard Bass VI set goes from 25-95. Even a 95 seems a bit floppy to me. Anyway, I'll stick to these gauges for the moment.
Ivan
— Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25696
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Mar 03 2007 12:46 AM
I know that a standard bass and a BassVI are 2 copletely different things, but I have D'adarrio chromes on my bass, and the low E is a 105 and I love it, or I'd like to find a 110 or 115 if possible to tune donw to D and not have it to floppy. So if there was a way you could find/fit a 100, or 105 on there, maybe that would help your floppy issue.
Jeff(bigtikidude)
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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