synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 02:23 AM
The control set on the Bass VI and the Jaguar has always fascinated me. While it has its drawbacks, it also offers some unique capabilities, and to my way of thinking, represents a very creative solution for the various needs of a guitarist. But first, a bit of history.
The very first Telecasters had a “bass tone” preset, which essentially switched a fairly large capacitor into the circuit, allowing the Tele to create a deep, woody sound, such as one would expect from the rhythm guitar of the time period. The greatest significance, at least to my way of thinking, is that this was a preset which could be accessed at the flip of a switch.
Inspired by this idea, I wired a Telecaster with a five-way switch, adding the “bass tone” option, and also a no-load preset for the neck pickup alone. Beyond this, the tone pot had a push-pull switch which would route the bridge pickup directly to the output jack, delivering a loud, bright sound that could melt Inconel at 100 meters.
When the Jazzmaster was created, Forrest White is said to have promoted the idea of a two-circuit electric guitar to Leo Fender, who resisted this idea, until guitarist Alvino Rey showed enthusiasm for the concept, and Leo came around. The result was the Jazzmaster.
As best I understand it, the Jaguar was created to build upon the Jazzmaster’s concept. The slide switch of the Jazzmaster’s rhythm circuit was used to control the pickups, and the bass cut, or strangle switch was added. Basically, a .003 mFd cap, in series with the signal path, blocks the transmission of lower frequencies, it never really captured my attention until recently.
As I’ve gotten to know my new CV ‘70s Jaguar, I’ve spent a fair amount of the time experimenting with the controls. I had always thought of the strangle switch as a way to go for an ultra-bright sound, and it never even occurred to me that it would be of any use, except on the bridge pickup. Probably due to the pickup design of the CV Squier Jag’, both pickups together sounded a bit too warm to my ear, so for the heck of it, I tried the strangle switch and liked what I heard. It strikes me as a pretty decent Surf sound.
Then, last night, I forgot that the strangle switch was on, and switched to the neck pickup alone. I don’t know if it was planned this way, but the strangle switch on the neck pickup is perfect for obtaining a mellow, warm sound, without the boominess that sometimes inflicts itself. This truly astounded me. This is a very useful sound, and one I had never expected to find in a Jaguar.
This being a Surf forum, there is no shortage of Jaguar fans among the membership. I’m probably preaching a sermon to the choir, but discovering the versatility of the Jaguar has been revelatory. I’m really surprised that we don’t see Jaguars in many more genres. What surprises me the most is that they aren’t more common in Country. They seem prefect as a Tele replacement.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
Last edited: Mar 29, 2023 14:58:18
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1288
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 07:09 AM
synchro wrote:
This being a Surf forum, there is no shortage of Jaguar fans among the membership. I’m probably preaching a sermon to the choir, but discovering the versatility of the Jaguar has been revelatory. I’m really surprised that we don’t see Jaguars in many more genres. What surprises me the most is that they aren’t more common in Country. They seem prefect as a Tele replacement.
Roy Clark occasionally played a Jaguar and I've also seen some footage of Luther Perkins with a Jaguar. Maybe Chris Stapleton's use of a Jazzmaster will bring more attention to offset guitars in country.
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Fady
Joined: Mar 07, 2010
Posts: 2226
North Carolina
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 08:37 AM
Nice journey and history recap, Syncro! Pretty much the same camp. I focused on the switches (wrongly) presumed benefit of the bridge and getting that AM radio or garage-y vibe of various songs and/or parts.
I eventually sold that guitar and was Jaguarless for several years. That wouldn’t last forever; I got another to fill the void in my heart (same color even, Aztec Gold!). For no particular reason, I quickly started re-exploring the strangle switch and the neck pickup. Love it! Also love it with both. Turns out bridge only is my least frequent application of it (granted I do like the AM radio / garage-y thing too).
I will admit I’m still looking for my favorite applications of the rhythm/ second circuit on the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, but I am confident and convinced they’re in there somewhere. Just gotta keep exploring and trying new things!
— Fady
El Mirage @ ReverbNation
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 09:21 AM
I admit I mostly use the bass cut switch for the bridge pickup, and that is primarily for getting a great 60s garage rock sound. Sometimes use it for the bridge/neck combo, but hardly ever for just the neck. Now I'm going to have to pull out the Jaguar and try that out some more.
My understanding is that the switch is there to help the guitar stand out from the mix of a band by focusing the frequencies more to the highs and mids, which would let you turn up the amp more without making the overall mix muddy. So I would expect the switch was meant to be used with all three pickup settings.
As for the rhythm circuit, I use it quite a bit for for overdriven trashy blues/rock/rockabilly stuff (stuff like Jon Spencer, for example).
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 11:03 AM
Surf_Skater wrote:
synchro wrote:
This being a Surf forum, there is no shortage of Jaguar fans among the membership. I’m probably preaching a sermon to the choir, but discovering the versatility of the Jaguar has been revelatory. I’m really surprised that we don’t see Jaguars in many more genres. What surprises me the most is that they aren’t more common in Country. They seem prefect as a Tele replacement.
Roy Clark occasionally played a Jaguar and I've also seen some footage of Luther Perkins with a Jaguar. Maybe Chris Stapleton's use of a Jazzmaster will bring more attention to offset guitars in country.
I remember reading that some name Country players used Jaguars, back in the ‘60s, but the only example I could point to would be Perkins. I have this notion that Don Rich played a Jaguar for a time, but I can’t find any evidence of this, so I may be conflating memories.
It surprises me that we don’t see more Jaguars used in Country. IMO, they capture the sound very well, and offer a very light touch which makes bending almost effortless. I have three Teles, but I think that I’d take the Jaguar over any of them, for Country leads.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 12:02 PM
Fady wrote:
Nice journey and history recap, Syncro! Pretty much the same camp. I focused on the switches (wrongly) presumed benefit of the bridge and getting that AM radio or garage-y vibe of various songs and/or parts.
I eventually sold that guitar and was Jaguarless for several years. That wouldn’t last forever; I got another to fill the void in my heart (same color even, Aztec Gold!). For no particular reason, I quickly started re-exploring the strangle switch and the neck pickup. Love it! Also love it with both. Turns out bridge only is my least frequent application of it (granted I do like the AM radio / garage-y thing too).
I will admit I’m still looking for my favorite applications of the rhythm/ second circuit on the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, but I am confident and convinced they’re in there somewhere. Just gotta keep exploring and trying new things!
Mel Waldorf once told me that the classic Surf lead sound was a Jaguar on both pickups. What I found, at least with this CV Squier, is that both pickups with the strangle switch makes for a great Surf sound. It’s bright, but not harsh. Coupled with a Blossom Point and just about any kind of reverb, the sound is definitely in the ballpark.
I occasionally use the bridge pickup alone for Surf, but only if I’m going for the brightest and most drippy of sounds, where the body of the sound is coming from reverb drip, such as the Astronauts version of Baja. The bridge pickup, alone, with the strangle switch is, likewise, my least favorite sound. The neck pickup with the strangle switch is surprising.
My Bass VI is apart at the moment, because its pickguard is up at Pickguard Planet, being used as a pattern for a Mother of Toilet Seat replacement guard. While the strings are off, I’m researching some bridge and tailpiece improvements, including a StayTrem bridge, a StayTrem vibrato arm, and hopefully, nylon bushings to limit the rock of the bridge. Once it’s back together, I intend to explore the strangle switch on the Bass VI, once I get it back together. Up to this point, I haven’t really used it to any extent. I’ve also got a set of LaBella Round-Wounds on order, to go for a sharper sound than the LaBella Flats I currently have.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 12:03 PM
edwardsand wrote:
I admit I mostly use the bass cut switch for the bridge pickup, and that is primarily for getting a great 60s garage rock sound. Sometimes use it for the bridge/neck combo, but hardly ever for just the neck. Now I'm going to have to pull out the Jaguar and try that out some more.
My understanding is that the switch is there to help the guitar stand out from the mix of a band by focusing the frequencies more to the highs and mids, which would let you turn up the amp more without making the overall mix muddy. So I would expect the switch was meant to be used with all three pickup settings.
As for the rhythm circuit, I use it quite a bit for for overdriven trashy blues/rock/rockabilly stuff (stuff like Jon Spencer, for example).
That makes a lot of sense.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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Samurai
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2141
Kiev, Ukraine
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 12:14 PM
I think I never never used it. Now I took my Jag and tried neck and yes, this makes sense. I never use neck alone but with strangle switch it becomes more usable, thanks.
— Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine
New Single is out!
https://waikikimakaki.bandcamp.com/album/rhino-blues-full-contact-surf-single
Waikiki Makaki
https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki
Lost Diver
https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1555
Israel
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 01:32 PM
That bass cut switch is tons more useful than the rhythm circuit, IMHO. I just find more scenarios where I'd want relatively more treble than less, and for that we have the tone pot anyway.
On a Jazzmaster specifically, the neck pickup is dark enough. This makes me think that a great mod for a Jazzmaster would be to change the rhythm circuit switch to act like a Jaguar's bass cut, for either or both pickups, with it's own tone/vol.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 26 2023 02:32 PM
Ariel wrote:
That bass cut switch is tons more useful than the rhythm circuit, IMHO. I just find more scenarios where I'd want relatively more treble than less, and for that we have the tone pot anyway.
On a Jazzmaster specifically, the neck pickup is dark enough. This makes me think that a great mod for a Jazzmaster would be to change the rhythm circuit switch to act like a Jaguar's bass cut, for either or both pickups, with it's own tone/vol.
At least on my Jaguar, the rhythm circuit basically emulates a dark archtop sound, such as I would associate with a ‘50s era Jazz guitarist. I actually use this sound from time to time, but certainly not for Surf music.  It is useful for certain Jazz and Swing situations, but that’s about it.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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mike_fried
Joined: Aug 02, 2012
Posts: 161
Nashville, TN
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 11:51 AM
I've always felt the along with the mute, the strangle switch was the best reason to own at least one Jaguar! My favorite surf rhythm guitar tone is both pups/strangle switch/tone backed off a hair; it puts the sound naturally backed in the mix just right.
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 11:59 AM
So I was inspired by Synchro's comments to try out the neck pickup with the strangle switch, and found it definitely gave it a different character, maybe closer to a Stratocaster neck pickup sound. I may find it useful for some things, but I think I still prefer the neck pickup without the switch on for when it's just me playing at home.
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SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 02:23 PM
I started using the strangle switch with the neck pick up after I saw Marc Ribot getting an awesome sound out of it. I also use the strangle switch with both pickups on in series, balances perfectly to give a new tone that is still Jaggy.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 04:21 PM
mike_fried wrote:
I've always felt the along with the mute, the strangle switch was the best reason to own at least one Jaguar! My favorite surf rhythm guitar tone is both pups/strangle switch/tone backed off a hair; it puts the sound naturally backed in the mix just right.
I’ll have to give that a try.
edwardsand wrote:
So I was inspired by Synchro's comments to try out the neck pickup with the strangle switch, and found it definitely gave it a different character, maybe closer to a Stratocaster neck pickup sound. I may find it useful for some things, but I think I still prefer the neck pickup without the switch on for when it's just me playing at home.
I think you are spot on about the Stratocaster neck pickup sound. My very first reaction when I tried it was: “this sounds like a Strat”. The sound, as I see it, is ideal for a Soft Rock sound that is mellow, without allowing the lows to be overwhelming. It’s not a universally useful sound, but it does add another option.
SandBug wrote:
I started using the strangle switch with the neck pick up after I saw Marc Ribot getting an awesome sound out of it. I also use the strangle switch with both pickups on in series, balances perfectly to give a new tone that is still Jaggy.
As I see it, a great deal of the versatility of the Jaguar could be easily overlooked if the strangle switch is ignored. That’s exactly what I did, always thinking that the strangle switch was just for icepick highs.
This isn’t my first time around as a Jaguar owner, but it’s definitely my most successful go ‘round as a Jaguar player. What I’m learning is that the Jaguar is much more than an ultra bright Surf axe. Strats and I have a complicated relationship, and I’ve had some problems finding the balance between overwhelming the mix, fitting in the mix and being buried in the mix. With Jaguars, I haven’t had this problem. It’s impressive.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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IceratzSurf
Joined: Oct 22, 2022
Posts: 204
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 09:01 PM
I like using the Strangle switch for everything it offers.
With using just the neck pickup, switch to engage the Strangle, then play around with both the vol and tone..then boost your amplifier a tick. Wide ranges of options!
Boost your signal with either the amp or an overdrive...then Strangle it!
Last edited: Mar 29, 2023 21:04:02
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4126
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 29 2023 11:36 PM
IceratzSurf wrote:
I like using the Strangle switch for everything it offers.
With using just the neck pickup, switch to engage the Strangle, then play around with both the vol and tone..then boost your amplifier a tick. Wide ranges of options!
Boost your signal with either the amp or an overdrive...then Strangle it!
It also solves another problem, which is how to best amplify a Bass VI. I’ve heard that by employing the Strangle Switch, speaker excursion is reduced, making it more feasible to play a VI through a guitar amp.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
Last edited: Mar 29, 2023 23:36:36
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