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I decided to upgrade my CIJ J Mascis Jazzmaster over the holidays.

I purchased a set of Curtis Novak Jazzmaster pickups (JM-V in the neck and JM-FAT in the Bridge) to replace the subpar MIJ pickups. These pickups are amazing. The sound is darker and more focused on the midrange like a late 50's/early 60s Jazzmaster. The bridge pickup is hotter and matches well with the vintage sounding neck pickup. I also replaced all the white bits (pickup covers, knobs, and pickup selector) with black ones. I still have the stock tremolo and keep debating whether I should install a StayTrem and upgrade the tremolo to a AVRI tremolo.

Before:
IMG_9267 by Joey, on Flickr

After:
Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Curtis Novak Jazzmaster Pickups
Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Refresh by Joey, on Flickr

Very cool upgrade! I somehow still managed to be surprised by that colour. Really lovely.

Are you planning to pop in big ol pots too? Black witch hats would look great too.

I left the standard pots because they were all the right values.

I will stick with the Black Strat knobs for now but you never know.

looks great !

Classy.

Hurb wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:21 pmlooks great !

Thanks.

The only thing I am not happy about is the the volume pot on the rhythm circuit is in a bind and takes a fair amount of force to turn. It was not like that before the pickup swap. My guess is something like a wire is shoved up in there. This is where I wish the Jazzmaster was a Jaguar because it would take 5 seconds to fix. I will just wait until my next string change and then take it apart.

taylornutt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:39 pm

Hurb wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:21 pmlooks great !

Thanks.

The only thing I am not happy about is the the volume pot on the rhythm circuit is in a bind and takes a fair amount of force to turn. It was not like that before the pickup swap. My guess is something like a wire is shoved up in there. This is where I wish the Jazzmaster was a Jaguar because it would take 5 seconds to fix. I will just wait until my next string change and then take it apart.

You have probably already tried this, but if you spin the volume roller until you get to the grub screw and loosen it might be able to unstick the roller from whatever its binding against then re tighten?

Hurb wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:49 pm

taylornutt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:39 pm

Hurb wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:21 pmlooks great !

Thanks.

The only thing I am not happy about is the the volume pot on the rhythm circuit is in a bind and takes a fair amount of force to turn. It was not like that before the pickup swap. My guess is something like a wire is shoved up in there. This is where I wish the Jazzmaster was a Jaguar because it would take 5 seconds to fix. I will just wait until my next string change and then take it apart.

You have probably already tried this, but if you spin the volume roller until you get to the grub screw and loosen it might be able to unstick the roller from whatever its binding against then re tighten?

I have not tried that. That makes sense and might be able to avoid taking the entire guitar apart.

Thanks.

Looks prettier than before with the black covers and knobs, super classy!

sunshiner wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 4:09 am Looks prettier than before with the black covers and knobs, super classy!

I saw that Sonic Youth had done it on the same guitar, though they didn't have a tone knob.

It definitely gives the guitar a different vibe that I dig.

If I get another Jaguar, I want to try some Black Jaguar pickup covers.

Here is video of someone else with the same pickups to give an idea what they sound like:

They sound great1

+1 on the black plastics with the anodised guard too.

A really nice, tasteful demo, thanks for sharing it. The pickups sound nice

sunshiner wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 3:48 pm A really nice, tasteful demo, thanks for sharing it. The pickups sound nice

This demo really sold me on them. Puisheen also has these pickups in his main guitar. The midrange sound of these pickups really sold me.