cockroach wrote:I always wondered whether that whole extra circuit on Jazzmasters and Jaguars was of much practical use.
I think it enabled you to have two completely different switchable pre-set tone and volume settings for the front pickup only. So I suppose you could have a solo jazz tone, then switch to a softer treble sound when changing to comping for rhythm?
Absolutely. I have a Jazzmaster (bought from David Martin) which I retro-fitted with P90-type pickups, and the neck-only rhythm circuit (which has different value components from the treble-side lead circuit) gives an instant electric arch-top sound. That guitar is incredibly versatile, the nearest I've ever had to The Legendary Guitar That Will Do Everything.
cockroach wrote:Either way, it seems very fiddly and of limited use.
Not so at all, though to be fair, not everyone will have a use for the sound of the alternative circuit. I wouldn't be able to use it much with The Secrets, but at local jam nights where a range of styles are called for, it's ideal. But that's with those after-market pickups, of course.
JimN
