Jimmie Vaughn Strat questions...

-I like big chunky necks, how does this one compare?

-How are the pickups?

-Is the hardware really same as USA...what I really want to know is could I put a Callaham bridge on with no problems?

-is the body poplar or alder?

-what is you over opinion of these guitars?

Thanks
The guy who invented fire

The necks are big but very comfortable IMO, soft "V" shape, my favorite maple Fender neck.

Tex Mex pu's sound pretty good in this guitar IMO, I don't care for the no tone control on the middle pu, that's an easy mod though.

Some of the JV's are poplar, later ones were made of Alder, don't know about the current new models, guess it depends on the price of Alder vs Poplar , Fender uses whatever is cheaper.
FWIW the poplar JV that I had sounded great, no "issues" with the wood for me.

No need for a Callaham bridge, the JV has a steel trem block already.

Hardware, pots etc are fine.

Overall one of the best values for a good player Strat IMO.

The Callaham bridge and JV bridge are the same made by Gotoh the Callaham block itself is a little different with the holes drilled more shallow like the blocks were from 54-69.

For my hands and playing style the JV has the best neck of any Fender guitar.

I need to know if a Callaham bridge will just bolt onto a JV Strat...I already have one and just want to put the whole thing on that guitar, if I can.

my friend has one and i got to borrow it for a few weeks.
it was great. the neck was big, but the soft v makes it not feel really huge, like a u neck would
i loved it

should be a drop in fit, FWIW I would HAVE to play it with the stock bridge, then swap to the Callaham and play it again to see if I heard any tonal improvement.
The Callaham is supposed to be much better than the pot metal trem Strat bridges, but I don't know how much if any difference you'd hear between a Callaham and other steel trem blocks.

A Callaham bridge will bolt right on but its just a waste of time cause your basicly replacing one with the exact same bridge.

The bridge on the JV is the exact same bridge as Callaham uses. Callaham does use saddles with a longer slot and a different tremelo block but the bridge itself is the exact same Gotoh bridge Fender uses.
..

mark,

I have spoken with Mr. Callaham and he tells me that he makes ALL the parts on the tremolo, and that he buys NOTHING from anyone...can you prove this to me at all?

Callaham does make the saddles and tremelo block but the bridge plate is a Gotoh. Its no big deal its just a piece of metal plated. Actuallay if you wanna know the truth Callaham himself makes none of the parts but he sub contracts them out to people who do metal work he has no way to make metal products at his shop.

I got my info from Jim Shine here is one of his pages he is an expert on fender hardware.

http://www.guitarhq.com/fenddiff/

Mark... do you know who makes the repro Fender Pat Pend. saddles that are pictured on Jim Shine's Fender pics?
Thanks!
Robert