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Post subject: 94' MIJ FotoFlame Jaguar Redesign - Help
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 7:11 pm
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 6:10 pm
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Hello everybody! :lol:
This is my first post, so go easy on me. :D

My current guitar is a Highway one Tele with a maple neck, had the pups replaced with BareKnuckle 52 Blackguard relics. :mrgreen:

However, recently I was given a 94' MIJ FotoFlame Jaguar (Q serial number) that needed some TLC. The Fotoflame was completely cracked (by cracked I mean that the crappy finish popped up and chipped off, so you could see the wood underneath with dried glue, not in a cool vintage way, just in a cheap plastic looking way) so I used a heat gun and small metal spackle knife to melt and chip off the remaining bits. I started sanding with 120 grit sandpaper to reveal the body. The woods nice, not sure what it is, I've read basswood, others say alder, some say both. Either way, I don't care cause every wood gives a distinct tone that can't be labeled. Anyway, I plan to continue sanding with 220,300,400 grit.

My plan is to redo the body in Olympic White, replace the broken pickguard with one in white, and replace the electronics, plates, and pups. Basically only keep the sweet neck and the body repainted. Looking to make something like this...
http://www.totallywiredguitars.com/whiteonwhitejag

The headstock would be the same, unmatched, but I kinda like it like that. I just need to find a place that makes all the white switches and knobs lol. Anyway...

Here's where I need some advice...

1) Although I know I'm supposed to sand with the grain, the curved sides of the body confuse me and I'm a little afraid of any rough edges that might come or cross grain. I've read that the paint job only amplifies the quality of your sanding job, ie; if you sanded like crap it will look like crap and visaversa. I want the body to be completely smooth. Any suggestions on directional sanding a Jaguar body?

2) After checking out Manchester Guitar, Stew Mac, and a few others, most people tend to say that ReRanch is the best in the US for painting supplies, do you think that's the case? Any tip's or tricks for a newbie on spraying the body to capture that classic 1962-65 nitro body? What was the typical paint procedure for a jaguar in Olympic White in the early 1960s, Pre CBS?

3) I want to replace all the hardware with US stuff, some people say to buy the Jaguar kit from here...
http://www.grguitars.com

I'm ultimately concerned that the U.S. parts/plates/switches will not fit on the the current body or will require drilling, anybody have experience with using U.S. or AVRI parts in a 90s MIJ. (and yes I know, imperial, metric, blah blah blah, but personal experience?) I found that the electronics at least had grounded plates included, and it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't all there, if ya know what I mean. Gotta put US parts in there.

4) Hopefully with the electronics replaced and chrome plates that fit, I'm going to need the pickguard replicated to the exact holes of the current MIJ one, should I buy the drill bit myself and do it on a blank, or is there somewhere I can send the OLD DAMAGED one to so they can match the wholes to a new white one?

5) I've heard that the Tremelo can be replaced with a AVRI trem, and the bridge with a AVRI mustang...
will the jaguar bridge cover fit on an mustang, and since I removed the bridge posts from the body so I could sand, will US posts fit back in the body? If so, good place to purchase them?

Sorry for all the questions but I want to get this first project guitar done right.

Lastly lol...

I was planning on getting Curtis Novak lipstick jaguar pups done, so I can wire em in, any opinions?

Any advice would be IMMENSELY appreciated. :D
Thank you all.
Tahbuss :wink:
P.S. I'll post pics of the process as I go along


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