Curtis Novak Classic Pickups Jaguar

Passive, scatter/hand wound, single coil pickups. Shielding claw and cover aren't included.

Bridge is ~6.3K.

Neck is ~5.8K.

I bought a set of Novak pickups to replace the thin, squealing, stock, factory pickups in my 2004 CIJ Jaguar. I play at higher volumes, often with heavy gain--NOT chunky metal, but bright & fuzzy...going for sounds similar to those of Godparents of alt/indie (J.mascis, early Robert Smith, Kevin Shields)...I also play Jazzmasters, and, while the CIJ sounded good stock, it's tone could not compete with the meatiness of the JM's. The stock pickups fed back too easily, as well.

I originally started with the Novak set. However, after fighting with the Novak Bridge pickup (I'll get to this in a minute), I now have a Lollar in the Bridge.

I actually liked the sound of the stock CIJ pickups, but I couldn't use them live with my Jazzmasters. They were WAY too thin.

The output level of the Novak's is moderate. This is one thing that Curt will DISCUSS IN DEPTH with you. While they aren't high output, the tone of the neck pickup is deep and articulate. It's even better than my Jazzmasters.

The bridge, however, has been a problem for me. I've had two. The first was defective. Curt gladly replaced/rewound it. The second, or replacement, just doesn't have the presence that a good Jag/Jazz bridge pickup should have. It seems like the the upper end of the frequency spectrum is gone--as if you've started rolling the tone control down. It wasn't terrible. The sound was good, but I wasn't completely happy with it.

Then, I turned up the volume. Both pickups overdrive well, but they feedback almost as badly as the CIJ's do at higher volume. Step on a fuzz or distortion, and you're band's putting out an add on craigslist for a new guitarist.

Since I had tax return money waiting to be burned, I decided to try a Lollar Jaguar bridge pickup to see how it compared. It has all of the presence I felt the Novak bridge was missing, and it DOES NOT FEEDBACK in higher volume and gain situations. Once I have some more cash, I might get a Lollar neck pickup to balance it out soon, but I'm skeptical that it sounds better than the Novak neck...

For amps I use early 70's Traynor YRM's, a Blackheart Handsome Devil, or a Fender Twin. My effects are always in rotation, but typically there's always a modified RAT, a Fuzz Face Clone, a Catalinbread V8, a Nobel's ODR, a EB Volume, and a delay pedal of some sort...

In short, I don't think the Novak Jaguar Pickups are for me. The guitar is almost unusable live. Sure, the feedback CAN be channeled for some cool dramatic effects, but you can drive people nuts with the stock pickups. These are ideally suited for recording or quiet situations. If you play clean, or with low gain at medium volume levels, you'll probably love the Novak's...certainly the neck over the bridge.

To explain the 6 rating:
Neck gets a 10. Bridge gets a 5. Feedback pulls some points.

I'm already in the process of swapping for Lollars. So, replacing them with another set of Novak's is doubtful.

I've been playing guitar for 17 years, bass for 12, mandolin for 10 (not very good), lap steel for the past 5 or 6 (plenty of room for improvement here, too...all around for that matter). I own and have owned tons of gear--foreign ad domestic. I'm my own guitar tech. I do a great deal of studio work, and I play live with a few regional acts. I like having a bright guitar sound, but I can't use this sweet little Jag for fear of losing a gig...

I love the sound of the Neck pickup clean. I also love the customer support at Novak pickups. I think Curt Novak is a stellar guy. He IS the company, and he will have a substantial dialog with you before he'll take your money--unlike other companies (Lollar). That was the main reason I decided to go with Novak in the first place.

My main issues are with the feedback from both pickups and the nasal, heavily attenuated presence of the Bridge. For those reasons I have to seek a different solution. They don't work for me, and I'll be selling my set soon.

This is just my experience...plenty of other people love them.

A 5 because:
Curt Novak gets a 10, but I can't use the pickups. They get a 1.

I've had my 2002 cij jay for 6 years and its sat there, i hated it the neck was dry the stock pups were brittle and harsh i barely played it, i'd done more research than you can imagine on lindy fralins,seymour duncans,the antiquities and fender R.I '62's but they were so hit and miss and forums were divided. One night by accident i found curtis's site and sent him an email telling him what i was after and some links to youtube for some bands like the stereophonics whose tone was what i was after, he got back to me and said alot of people used these pups for the same kind of music, i called him in NY and i live in london we had a chat about wire and magnets and he said you could drop alnico 2,3,4,5 on the floor and pick up any and it wouldnt hardly make a difference in sound he said trust him and i did

I put them in my ***** jap jaguar, i got a neck and bridge one they were replacing the stock ones the price was great considering the exchange rates at the moment ??80 each custom made, i dont no any artist using these but i cant believe how no ones heard of curtis he is the best kept secret he makes a musicians musician pick up!

I also got a mustang bridge and buzz stop and chucked on some 12's dont use weedy string on a jag use 11 and upwards trust me. and my friend who im proud to know jonathon at feline guitars set and dressed up the guitar beautifuly, he loved the pickups and he is a registered dealer for bareknuckle pickups, it was the first time hes heard of them so hopefully he'll spread word. I had hoped to keep them undipped but because of the cones they needed to be waxed to be installed. OMG soundgarden easy,duran duran yes, weezer dont think twice, placebo hell yeah. sterophonics its gonna happen. and try some shadows this guitar was meant for surf and spy guitar! I love my guitar now. these things are phenominal clean the sky is the limit and they can handle gain so tight, focussed, full just a dream. But dont forget its a jag it has limits, dont even think of metal

Ive just jumped on here after a half hour twiddle and im desperate to play it some more, dont um or ah about fender or duncans, theses cost money true. but this is how a jag should sound, take the risk, if you dont like them curtis gives a full refund who else does that. im so proud to be the 4th person on harmony to review these. I've played it through a clean fender or a crunched laney and gained marshall it works with everything, and with compression,wah and chorus and tremolo pedals its a match made in heaven. you cant do better. If you are toying with them drop me a line i'll go into more deatil or call curtis

Single Coil

Installed in both positions on a 1996 CIJ Jaguar. Replacing what I assume as stock pickups

Quite Low Output level lower then vintage tele's and strats a little higher then stock.

Using with either a Fender Pro Junior or a 60's VOX AC30 (soon to be matchless)

Tone is quite trebly with plenty of high mids. Treble has alot to do with guitar circuit but even on the rhythm circuit (50k pots) it wasn't muddy.

I really thought these pickups sound really good due to a needed fret mill the guitar acoustically lacks a little yet now I like it better then all the tele's in my house (Warmoth ash with maple neck and SD antiquitys and a CIJ 62 reissue with texas specials) both clean and dirty although they still have their place. Everyone says that dirty jag sounds awful but with these pickups (definitely sounded awful stock) dirty sounds are great I can get up to a good vintage rock sound with no problems. Put on the gain and vintage metal (early judas preist) can be played although a little bit different due to not being close to humbuckers much more gain or volume with this amount of gain can induce squealing but I bought this guitar for cleaner surfier stuff and light gain so it doesn't worry me (will need to get a les paul for the rockier stuff).

I play in a indie old school rock influenced band (kinda cross between the strokes, the vines, led zeppelin and the beatles). This suits my perfectly for the cleaner stuff and can handle overdriven solos well enough, gives a nice change to the usual sounds you hear from bands.

While these pickups can't handle everything they are exactly what you'd expect for jag pickups + more.

Definitely would buy again may ask for higher output level if ordered again. Curtis is very good to work with and communicates well giving you exactly what you want and a pickup to your specs. Prices are very reasonable and I would definitely would recommend these pickups especially for that jag sound.

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '93 MIJ Fender Jaguar
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Neck and Bridge
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Albatros (Los Venturas)
You musical style(s): Instro-Surf
Reason for pickup change: I had some problems with the stock Japanes pups since the didn't produce the typical Jag sound. They also sounded way to thin and Shrill. High notes were on the edge of serious ear dammage, so action had to be under taken.

Perceived output level: The pick ups were modeled after Curtis Novak's '63 Jaguar as faithfull as possible. So the output is somewhat low, which doesn't mean these are quiet pick ups.
Tone: The tone of these pups is just amazing, I asked for a faithfull reproduction of Fender's original design and that's what I got. I get the typical Jaguar "growl" with these pick ups. Nice bass respons wiht nicely balanced treble and mid. Perfect for those early 60 tizs surf sounds (Astronauts, lively ones, etc...)
Sonic evaluation: I use the Jag mostly on a '64 Fender Tremolux Amp coupled on either a repro small 2x12" cabinet (loaded with vintage alnico Eminence's) or a 1960 Marshall 4x12" 4 Ohm loaded with the typical Celestions.
Respons is very nice on both. I can now actually hear the difference of the speakers I use. Bass respons is overwhelming with the Marshall cab and yet still so clean. I use a vintage Ferfisa outboard reverb tank and some other stomp boxes (delay, tremolo, etc..) Since I switched over to the Curtis Novak pups my sound improved drasticly. Worth every penny for sure!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Since I play surf mostly (got the Jag strung up with d'Addario flats) I mostly do clean sounds. It's perfect for Surf, funky music etc.. I sometimes use a bit overdrive (Mesa V-Amp) and the respose is great for these tones as well. I would'nt use them for Metal music, since that's not exactly what they are made for. Pick ups are suitable in every position. The neck is nice and warm, great response from the lower notes, while the neck and bridge make the reverb sound so smooth and vintage. Neck is great for those spy-ish sounds when drenched with reverb and delay and some Echo...

Comments: I Would by these pups again if stolen. I listened and tried most of the aftermarked pick ups for Jaguar (Most of the Seymour Duncan range was tested as well as the newer Fender AV RI replacemnt pups) but none really did it for me. I asked if Curtis could do it better and he did... I've been playing for +13 years now and I devoted the last two years to Surf music (hence the choiche of these pick ups)
I love absolutely everything about it! They make my old MIJ Jag sound like the real thing and since I got them, my sound came alive and I imediatly found the tone and setup that was right for me (after switching guitars and amps for over two years)
Get them now that they are still affordable, ones the world finds out about Mr. Novaks craftmanship they will become unafordable....