How to figure out which side to install a pickup from out of a set
There are two ways to do this. One way doesn't work all the time and the other one does.
For a while now (possibly years at this point) I've had a pair of Fender Jazzmaster JM66 Japan model pickups in my possession, and they will probably be going into the 2017 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster I recently acquired. These are pickups I received for free from a friend.
What I didn't know - and neither did the person who gave these to me - is what position each pickup was supposed to be mounted in. The pickups have absolutely no markings on them whatsoever indicating where in the body they should be placed. Which is the bridge-side pickup and which is the neck-side? I had no idea, so I had to find out.
There are two ways to determine where in the body a pickup is supposed to be placed.
Method 1: Pole spacing
Guitar necks increase in width from nut to heel, and in many guitars the neck-side pickup has narrower pole spacing compared to the bridge-side.
However, there are a few issues with determining a pickup's body position this way.
First, some manufacturers don't even bother using front pickups with narrower spacing compared to the rear.
Second, this only works for pickups that have pole pieces you can see and moreover measure with a vernier caliper.
Third, this absolutely does not work for pickups that use rails or sensors, such as Seymour Duncan Hot Rails or Lace Sensor Gold.
Method 2: Measuring ohm resistance with a multimeter
This is the easier and more accurate way to determine where a pickup should be placed in the guitar body. There is also an added bonus to doing it the multimeter way. At the same time you're checking the resistance, you're also checking if the pickup is dead or not.
Plug in the red lead to the port on your multimeter where ohms can be measured. The black lead goes into COM as usual.
Set the multimeter to measure ohms up to 20K.
Touch one multimeter lead to one wire of the pickup and the other multimeter lead to the other wire of the pickup, then read the multimeter display.
Write down what the reading was for each pickup. The pickup that had the highest reading is the bridge-side, and the pickup with the lowest reading is the neck-side. If testing pickups for a 3-pickup guitar like the Fender Stratocaster, the middle pickup would have a reading in between the bridge-side and neck-side values.
Is this always accurate for every pickup set?
For the vast majority of pickups, yes it is.
Most pickup sets, whether Strat pickup sets, Jaguar pickup sets, Jazzmaster pickup sets, P90 pickup sets or humbucker pickup sets have pickups where the bridge-side has the highest K value and the neck has the lowest value.
I personally do not know of any pickup set sold today that doesn't follow that formula. Some sets have a bridge-side pickup with a ridiculously high K value, but I don't know of any where the neck-side has a higher K than the bridge-side.
If you're wondering what would happen if you installed the bridge-side and neck-side in the wrong positions, the end result would be that one of your pickups would sound really weak, and when both pickups are selected, the sound would be pretty much useless. Nothing is damaged by installing pickups in the wrong position. It just sounds bad.
On a Stratocaster guitar, the middle pickup is the one that needs to be correct more than any other, because that's the one which is reverse-wound (unless it's a vintage period-correct set in which case it wouldn't be). It has to be in the right position or the guitar really won't sound good at all.
Why use 20K on the multimeter?
I do not know of any pickup that has a K value higher than 20K. I also do know know of any pickup that has a K value below 2K.
An average K value doesn't exist because pickup resistance values vary depending on how the manufacturer voices the pickup. However, generally speaking, you'll find most guitar pickups will have a K value of between 6 and 9.
And no, a higher K value doesn't translate to "better", because again, it depends how the manufacturer voices the pickup.
Guitar of the week #109: Ibanez S521
Old school cool for a nice price.
The Ibanez S521 is an old design. And by old I mean that this particular design is either at or over 30 years old at this point.
I remember seeing Ibanez guitars almost exactly like this back when I was a teenager. The only 3 differences between the design back then and the design now is a) the inlay dots are offset instead of centered on fretboard, b) it's a hardtail instead of having a Strat-style tremolo system, and c) this one does not have a bolt plate for the neck connection.
All 3 of these things are actually improvements. The inlay dots are easier to see when offset to the top of the fretboard, the hardtail keeps the guitar in tune better, and the redone neck connection allows for easier access to the higher frets.
I personally like this particular Strat-style Ibanez over others because the price is good, the raised pickup selector is easier to use than a typical Squier/Fender Strat selector, and the best part - the output jack.
I wish more guitar companies would put use this style of output jack. It's angled perfectly so you can snake the guitar cable above the strap very easily. The angle also significantly decreases the chance of the jack becoming loose. Out of all output jack designs that exist, this is arguably the best one. Or at least the best one for a Strat-style guitar.
The other specs of this guitar is standard Ibanez fare, which in this case is a good thing. "Wizard III" neck, "Quantum" pickups, jumbo fret wire, black hardware, good tuners, premium metal knobs, good stuff all around.
In other words, the S521 is a good, solid, workhorse rocker guitar that doesn't need any upgrades. It's an old design that's only been slightly tweaked with small improvements, but that's a good thing because not much needed to be improved. This is a good buy and priced fair for what it is.
Fender string guides improve nothing
Some upgrades are worth doing while others are useless. This is one of the useless kind.
A Fender American string guide is Fender part #099-4911-000. They are also known as string trees or roller guides, and are seen on guitars like the Fender American Special Stratocaster headstock.
I've actually recommended this cheap mod for those who own Squier guitars in a previous article, with emphasis on mod because it's not an upgrade. It just looks cool.
Truth be told, American string guides do absolutely nothing to improve string travel. What is thought to be true is that a rolled edge at either end of the guide decreases string bunch-up. That's not really accurate since it's the nut where string bunch-up happens far more often than the string guide itself.
If you want a rolled edge on a wing style string guide, a few light passes with a nail file, as in an emery board used to file your fingernails, will smooth out the edge and make the roll. Heck, you could probably even do it with steel wool. Do you need to do this? No, because again, string bunch-up happens primarily at the nut and not the guide.
The absolute easiest way to make a wing string guide have the best possible string travel is to use masking tape under the wing where the string presses against it. Yes, really. You don't need to lubricate the guide nor do you need to file anything down. On every string change, just add a little piece of masking tape under the wing. The string will travel across it very easily and all string bunch-up issues at the guide - presuming there were any - will be 100% gone.
Small but significant change to the 2017 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster
This is a small change that most people would miss. But I noticed, and it does matter, especially if one plans to upgrade the guitar later.
For those keeping up with the happenings on my Facebook page, you know I recently acquired a new Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster. Upon inspection of the serial number, I've confirmed it is a 2017 build.
I now have 2 Squier Jazzmasters, the first being a 2015 build.
What's changed is the distance between the two screws under the thumb wheel controls is now further apart.
On the inside
It's on the inside where you can see why this screw distance matters. The bar that holds down the thumb wheel controls has changed. In addition to the screw holes being wider apart, the bar itself is now longer.
Why does this matter?
There are two main reasons.
First, it's now possible to transfer Squier electronics to an aftermarket pick guard without the need to buy a separate mounting bar for the thumb wheel controls.
Second, this is in fact period-correct to vintage Jazzmaster spec. Squier actually now more closely matches correct Fender specification.
Does this make the pre-2017 Squier VM Jazzmaster a collector's item?
Yes it does.
I'm not a guitar collector, but little changes like this from year to year are what collectors pay attention to. Years from now when collectors are going after "the first Jazzmasters" from Squier, the little detail of the screw spacing will factor in to the value of the guitar.
On a final note, no, the Fender web site does not show this change. The photo of the Squier VM Jazzmaster is still shown with the older, narrower screw spacing for the thumb wheel controls.
Guitar of the week #108: Squier FSR Affinity Telecaster HH
These are some seriously good Telecaster digs for dirt cheap.
The Squier Affinity Telecaster HH in orange one truly is "FSR" (Fender Special Run).
Cheap to buy? Yes. Worth more than its selling price? Also a yes.
Something you'll notice about a lot of Fender and Squier guitars is that the headstock isn't painted. There's a reason for that. Cost. Because the neck is bolt-on, to match the color on the body always adds in extra cost because it's a completely separate painting process.
Fender would (and still does) charge extra for any Stratocaster or Telecaster they make that has a painted headcap that matches the body color.
When Fender or Squier does black or white body with matched headcap, that really doesn't add in too much cost because those two colors are easy to match up. But when you get a color that's not black or white, especially one that's a metallic color, that means extra commitment was made to make that very specific color matched on the headcap...
...and that's why this truly is FSR. Metallic orange + metallic orange headcap + blackout hardware on a Telecaster - any Telecaster - is basically unheard of. Combine that with the fact this is HH and oh yes, this is a rare bird, especially considering how cheap it's selling for.
I'm not one to collect guitars, but this is a stupidly easy collector's buy. Or if you just want a rocker Telecaster that really has some pop and wow to it, this is your Tele.
How would you know if you'd like this guitar or not? Go and play any Squier Affinity Series Telecaster. If you've played any of those, you already know how it feels. As for the sound, this is just a basic HH model.
Let's say for the moment you don't collect guitars but just want a nice bang-around beater Telecaster. This one definitely fits the bill and it easily looks twice as expensive as what it sells for. I've seen Squier Metallic Orange before, and believe me, the color looks good. This is a Tele that can easily be used for country, rock or even metal and totally fit right in.
Again, if you want to know how this guitar feels and plays, go try an Affinity Telecaster and you'll know. Same guitar, same neck. This FSR just happens to be Metallic Orange with matching headcap, HH electronics and blackout hardware.
I'll put it another way. This is a look you would ordinarily only see from the Fender Custom Shop. I'm not kidding. If you're a Tele fan and want something cool, collectible and cheap, get this guitar.