Jaguar altered scale lenght help

[renatolevanteze]

I plan on building a Custom Jaguar, but I want a bound neck on it. Warmoth, however, does not offer 24 inch bound necks, and I'd also like a jazzmaster headstock shape, CBS is to large for me, and the regular strat is to small. I also preffer longer scale guitars.

Also, I want the normal tremolo, but with a tuneomatic bridge.

I've been thinking on different ways to solve this problem, and i'd like suggestions from you fine folk.

Option 1 -

Jazzmaster body + Jazzmaster neck (25.5")
Problems - I'd have to order the body only with pickup routes, and no control routes, and do them by myself. This could be a problem since I'm not a skilled woodworker, nor adapting the routes and making a new pickguard would look spot on the jaguar look.

Option 2-

Jaguar body + Jazzmaster neck (25.5")

I know this will not intonate. I could order a stock body, minus the bridge drilling. That, I would do it myself. I don't know however, regardless of intonation problems, if a regular scale neck will fit the short scale neck pocket. Are there any differences in neck pocket dimensions?

Will there be any difference if using a 24.75 conversion neck? Hence the conversion term (it is supposed to replace a 25.5 neck) I guess it will not alter the drilling distance needed for the regular 25.5 inch neck
Problems - I'm not sure, but considering that warmoth does not offer custom bridge routing for jaguar bodies, it might not offer the option of an angled neck pocket to match the TOM bridge.
Pros: It will mantain most jaguar proportions, except for the bridge.



Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[tfarny]

Just to be super clear: Your guitar can have ONLY the scale length that the neck is - a 25.5 scale neck will only ever make a 25.5 scale guitar. Option 1 and 2 are impossible if your goal is a 24" scale.
Have you actually called them and asked if they'll make a bound jaguar neck with a Jmaster headstock, and how much extra it will cost? This is really your only option.

 

[renatolevanteze]

Ok i did mention on the Original post, but I edited to make it more clear: I preffer long scale guitars - I have large hands and 25.5 is my prefference.

Also, I thought scale lengh had only incidentaly something to do with the neck. I always had the impression that the scale was the distance between the nut and the bridge. So, a 25.5 scale neck on a jaguar body, with proper bridge relocation would give me a 25.5 guitar. Am I wrong?

 

[bigguspickus]

The neck pocket on the Jaguar is smaller. You'd have to open it up to get the 25 1/2" scale Jazzmaster neck to fit, and that can get tricky.

I recommend the Jazzmaster body + Jazzmaster neck.

What kind of pickups are you planning to use?

 

[renatolevanteze]

I see.. yeah, I thought the neck pocket might be smaller on the jaguar... The jazzmaster plan seems to be the best way... btw... there is someone on the warmoth galleries that did a jaguar looking jazzmaster.

I plan on using two cream dimarzio humbuckers

 

[bigguspickus]

Yeah, this one:

Doug Rice
Here is my Jaguar. Actually it is a Jazzmaster that is made to look like a '66 Jaguar. I always wanted a late 60's Jaguar but I did not like the short scale. The only way was to order a Jazzmaster body without any control or pickup routs and make them myself. It is an alder body painted Inca Silver. The neck is a Warmoth Pro CBS with matching silver headstock, ebony bound fret board with block inlays. I put in Dimarzio Area 58 and 61 pickups. It was a lot of work but it came out great. Thanks again for making another guitar dream come true.

If you can do your own control routing (not too much pressure as the Jaguar plates should cover up any slips) and your own pickguard shaping (start with a full Jazzmaster pg and cut to accommodate the Jaguar control plates), you should end up with a really nice custom guitar.

What colors were you thinking about for the body and pickguard?

 

[renatolevanteze]

It is not going to be an original project, since it's a replica of a dream guitar from my teenage years: a Kurt cobain jaguar... Sunburst an red tort pickguard, but with my preferred longer scale... A fender classic player jaguar HH  would be simpler but would lack the bound neck and would be shortscale... A jap Kurt jaguar has the binding, but also sports the vintage neck radius that I'm not fond of plus the shortscale...
But first must finish a custom Jem that I'm assembling... Yes I have a very broad taste fo guitars... Btw, obviously my jem is not warmoth based...

 

[OzziePete]

As you are really keen to have a 25.5" scale neck and the Jazzmaster headstock, you'd be better served going the Jazzmaster body & neck combo.

Only have Warmoth do the routings on the body that are relevant and do the rest yourself for the Jaguar customising part.

Best to write just exactly what you want in both neck and body then give them a ring, have a chat with Warmoth about what can and cannot be done.