Jimmie Vaughan Strat makeover

[tonfarbe]

Just 3 days after my last cosmetical makeover (read about it here: Fiesta Red Baja Telecaster), I did another one.
This time, I modded my Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster.

Some months ago, I found a used Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster local for a very good price.
It seems that 99% of the JV Strats which are sold over here in Europe come with the vintage white body + this one was no exception.
Having owned a vintage white Stratocaster before, I was not so enthusiastic about the color.

I swapped the original pickups for a combined set of Toneriders (Pure Vintage at the neck and middle and a hotter Tonerider City Limits at the bridge position)
which transformed her into the best sounding Strat I've had to date.

My first ever electric guitar was a black Fender Stratocaster which I bought used from hard earned money when I was 15.
This Strat is long gone, but for sentimental reasons, my plan was to convert the JV into a "Blackie".

Yesterday, a black 60's Classic Stratocaster body arrived in the mail and I did the long awaited body swap.
All the parts and screw holes were a perfect fit with the exception of one pickguard screw.
The used JV Strat came with an aftermarket Tortoise pickguard.
My original plan was to buy a white pickguard to give her the "Blackie" look, but now I'm really fond of the combination of the black body and the Tortoise pickguard.

What do you think about this combination?

image removed

image removed

image removed

 

[Tele Fan]

That's a really nice look!

 

[JimiBryant]

quite classy!

I swapped one of my Oly White JV bodies for a nice alder one
finished in Pepto Bismol pink that I scored off eBay and the
result is way beyond my wildest hopes.

I have Fralin Blues Hots in this guitar and it's a killer.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I really like that Fiesta red Classic Baja. Superb

I've just discovered one of my Desert Sand Bajas is heavier than all the others. I intend to do a body swap as well, using one of these fine USACG bodies I'm finishing.

As for Jimmie Vaughans, mine is an extremely nice one and I can't imagine changing the white or anything else about it. I've been repainting black guitars instead, one at a time. It is that old thing, about the grass being greener. My Jimmie Vaughan is my only factory white guitar, ever.

 

[gtrwrks]

Love it.

 

[tonfarbe]

JimiBryant:
I'm sure the Fralins are killers. I have two of my Teles equipped with the Fralin stock pickups. Fralin would have been my first choice for the Strat as well if I wouldn't have stumbled upon these phantastic sounding Toneriders.

boris:
The JV is the best Strat I have ever had - period. The neck is to die for. Even with the stock pickups it's a great Stratocaster.
I'm not a Stratocaster guy but sometimes need her typical sounds for commercial recordings.
I limit myself to only one Strat in the house and I want this one to look like my dream Strat.
With the black body it doesn't sound or play better, but for me, it sure looks better.

What color will you chose for your Baja?

 

[Jason S]

I like the look alot. What are going to do with the white body?

 

[tonfarbe]

I like the look alot. What are going to do with the white body?

As i said, only one Stratocaster in the house. So the vintage white body will be going on ebay to refund the purchase of the Classic 60's body.

 

[ROADMAN]

I'm with boris on this one....can't imagine changing the body color but
iffin I did yours would be a contender for sure...

 

[B Valley]

This may be a silly question, but why didn't you paint the white body black?

 

[tonfarbe]

This may be a silly question, but why didn't you paint the white body black?

Because I live in an appartment in the heart of Berlin and I don't have the resources (space + tools) to do a paint job.
Plus, selling the original body will probably refund the costs for the 60's Classic body.

 

[Antigua]

Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of buying a Jimmie Vaughan strat (which has a unique sound in and of itself) and modding it? well, I mean, it's not really a mod. You've completely changed the body and the pickups. It's not really a JV strat anymore.

On a side note... I like the way the pickguard contrasts with the body. Really nice. It kind of looks more of like a golden tortoise than the standard tortoise.

The JV signature strats aren't vintage white. They're more olympic white. Vintage white is more of that yellow color, like Stevie's scotch.

 

[tonfarbe]

Doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose of buying a Jimmie Vaughan strat (which has a unique sound in and of itself) and modding it? well, I mean, it's not really a mod. You've completely changed the body and the pickups. It's not really a JV strat anymore.

I see your point, but for me it's not important to own an original JV Stratocaster.
Because I limit myself to own only one Strat (see post above), sound, playability and my visual tastes are important.

I'm not a collector nor do I toy my guitars. They are my work tools and I believe that, the more I like a guitar
(because it sounds, plays or feels better), the better I play.

What mainly characterises the JV Stratocaster in my opionion are:
- the great neck with the V profile, 9,5" radius and medium jumbo frets
- the Tex-Mex pickups
- and the American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo.

I bought the JV mainly because of the neck. This is the 5th Stratocaster that i have owned since I was 15 and the neck is what makes it a better player than all the others I've had before (incl. a 70's Stratocaster and a 1994 American Standard).

I modded one of those points (the pickups) because I like a more vintage 50's sound.
The Tex-Mex set was just too hot and I missed the sparkling trebles of a Stratocaster.
My other mod is just a visual one. Call it the "icing on the cake".
Maybe I play her more just because I now like more how she looks :?:

The JV signature strats aren't vintage white. They're more olympic white. Vintage white is more of that yellow color, like Stevie's scotch.

You're right - my mistake. Maybe I mis-labeled it as VW because the body colour has darken so much over the years

 

[tc]

why not

yeah, may as well enjoy it. supposedly they come in red, but I haven't seen one.

 

[Mark Davis]

That turned out great. The JV bodies are veneered so swapping the body will make a pretty big difference in sound. Add some Fralins or other good pickups and you have a Strat that can sound as good as any of em.

The JV neck is my all time favorite Fender Strat neck man they are comfortable.

 

[tonfarbe]

That turned out great. The JV bodies are veneered so swapping the body will make a pretty big difference in sound. Add some Fralins or other good pickups and you have a Strat that can sound as good as any of em.

Mark, I'm very picky when it comes to sound and tonal variations of different components, but honestly, this time I can't hear a difference between the (veneered) JV body and the Classic 60's body.
The JV sounded fabulous before and it sounds fabulous after the body swap.

I love Fralin pickups (2 of my 4 Telecasters are equiped with Fralins) and if the Tonerider Pure Vintage set should ever get broken, the Fralins are in.
But for now, the Toneriders are staying. I've tested quite a few Strat pickups (incl. some from highly esteemed American and German boutique guys) and the Tonerider Pure Vintage
is one of the best 50's sets I have ever had.

In my initial post I wrote that everything was a perfect fit except for one pickguard hole.
I wasn't sure if I should go for the classic 'Blackie' look with a white pickguard, but now this combination has realy grown on me.
So today I drilled the missing pickguard hole
The tortoise pickguard will stay on this guitar.

Thanks guys for all the nice comments.

Edit: In all the years since the JV came out, I have only seen Oly White ones over here in Germany.
Not a single 2-Color Sunburst or Black or even CAR one (o.k., I've seen some sunbursts on German webstores, but none in person).
Does anybody here own a black or a CAR Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster???

 

[jjkurtz]

I'm not the biggest shell fan but that looks awesome!

 

[Mark Davis]

Im, sure you cant hear any difference in the body. Sometimes you can sometimes you cant ive experienced both.

I love the JV S when I got mine in early 2001 I got it for $480 new what a great bang for the buck mine was CAR.

 

[JimiBryant]

my (formerly) white JV that got the pink body switcharoo went from being
a pretty good Strat to a ring-a-ding ding wang dang doodle of Strat!

I really can't believe the difference; it's just ever so much so more so what
a Stratocaster should be, and I've played a hundred of 'em if I've played
one, yep. I know what makes for a good Strat is what I'm sayin'!

it's louder, sustains more, and it just sings that's the only way I can
even begin to describe it.

gotta be the solid alder pink body 'cuz the neck, pickups, electronics, and
bridge are all the same as what were on the stock JV Oly White body.

now; that Oly body isn't going to waste, mind you: I've got an Allparts
FAT maple Strat neck in Nitro and a set of Bare Knuckle Pickups Irish
Tours - and (I think) a tortoise guard will complete that little project.

 

[davesimpson]

Dude take that tort guard off and get a 1-ply black pickguard. Yes ala Gilmour. That is one of my favorite looks. JMO of course...