NGD: 2014 Vigier Expert Retro 54 hardtail

Regardless of what Patrice said, whether the switch or wiring in my guitar is original or not, it definitely has middle pickup only in position 3. Not clear what that implies about which switch is in there, especially if a user did it.

I have some Schaller megaswitches on hand too. I'm sure I have some of the 8 pole version (!), but that's not necessary for this application, and they're pretty tough to work on, everything is very small and cramped. (Ask me about my nearly dead homemade guitar. Or maybe don't :)-( ). I'll have to check if I have any of the 4 pole ones.
 
Plot thickens. Observant me, after some days playing it, I just discovered that both knobs have pull switches on them.

The little booklet that's included doesn't mention them at all, so my guess is that they're not stock.

@Andy Eagle, have you ever seen that on a stock Vigier? If so, do you know what they do?

Really quick initial impressions, the tone knob switch seems to thin out the tone a bit when you pull it out, maybe a coil tap maybe?

The one on the volume control I'm not sure does anything.

I didn't have much time to play after I discovered the switches, so I might well have missed something obvious.

I'll most likely take it apart and check myself at some point. Among other things, I'd like to know what values those pots are.
 
Pretty much certain that the pull switch on the tone knob turns on the neck pickup, which means you can get bridge-neck and all 3 pickups. Cool! I actually like both of those too, in their respective lanes.

Pull switch on the volume knob I still don't think does anything. Weird. Unfinished project? Failure to think it through? Wiring mistake(s)?

Not sure what I'd want it to do if I were to put it to some use, given that the other switches get you all 7 possible in-phase combinations. Out of phase with strat-like pickups doesn't sound like a good idea, though one out of phase with the other two might be interesting maybe. Never liked strat pickups in series either.

Piezo bridge? Probably not.

Hmmm. Suggestions?
 
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@Andy Eagle
What would you do with two push pull switches on a strat with DiMarzio Virtual Vintage DP416 and DP408 pickups?

(Assuming that's actually what's in there. Those are what's standard, but apparently not everything about this guitar is stock.)
 
Andy Eagle said:
I would do the "add neck pickup" on the tone and take the other one out.
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Or take them both out and replace the 5 way with a Freeway switch :)

Not so much for even more pickup combinations, but because I really don't like the ergonomics of push-pull pots. I haven't really lived with a Freeway though, might not care for that either.
 
Dave Merrill said:
Or take them both out and replace the 5 way with a Freeway switch :)

Not so much for even more pickup combinations, but because I really don't like the ergonomics of push-pull pots. I haven't really lived with a Freeway though, might not care for that either.
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Personally I don't like the freeway.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Personally I don't like the freeway.
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Or remove one push-pull completely, replace the other with an S1 switch doing the add-neck thing. Push-push seems way better than push-pull, not having lived with either very much.

That's assuming I can get an S1 in whatever value these pots are.
 
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Dave Merrill said:
Or remove one push-pull completely, replace the other with an S1 switch doing the add-neck thing. Push-push seems way better than push-pull, not having lived with either very much.

That's assuming I can get an S1 in whatever value these pots are.
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S1 can be 250k or 500k, Currently, the only Strat style knob for it is the VOLUME knob, if that makes a difference to you.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
S1 can be 250k or 500k, Currently, the only Strat style knob for it is the VOLUME knob, if that makes a difference to you.
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I've heard rumors that at least some Vigiers have 1M pots. Don't know if that applies to this year of this model, and anyway, odds are excellent that these push-pull pots aren't what it shipped with.

I'd prefer the S1 on the volume pot, so that knob would be fine

Undecided on whether I'd rather your idea of having it switch position 3 from middle only to neck-bridge, or just have it add neck.
 
Dave Merrill said:
I've heard rumors that at least some Vigiers have 1M pots. Don't know if that applies to this year of this model, and anyway, odds are excellent that these push-pull pots aren't what it shipped with.

I'd prefer the S1 on the volume pot, so that knob would be fine

Undecided on whether I'd rather your idea of having it switch position 3 from middle only to neck-bridge, or just have it add neck.
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Not saying they don't exist, but I have never seen 1M pull switch pots, as far as I can remember. That might be due to never having looked for them, though.

Likely, if it had 1M pots originally, these are not them....
 
If it is only on the tone pot it doesn't matter as long as the volume is right. Also with virtual vintage 500Ka is fine and 1M ads a bit of top if you feel it is missing.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Personally I don't like the freeway.
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@Andy Eagle
What don't you like about the Freeway?
How it feels to operate?
Longevity?

I haven't tried one (except one very quick try on a guitar I didn't like enough to play a lot).

That said, the ability to get to any of the seven non-series combinations in one motion is really attractive to me. Flipping the 5-way AND pulling up a push-pull between the verse and the chorus, not so much.
 
Dave Merrill said:
@Andy Eagle
What don't you like about the Freeway?
How it feels to operate?
Longevity?

I haven't tried one (except one very quick try on a guitar I didn't like enough to play a lot).

That said, the ability to get to any of the seven non-series combinations in one motion is really attractive to me. Flipping the 5-way AND pulling up a push-pull between the verse and the chorus, not so much.
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That's the beauty of swapping middle for neck + bridge - ease of operation. With a little foresight, you can pre-set the middle to give neck + bridge instead, and it's waiting there on the 5-way switch.... :)
 
Dave Merrill said:
@Andy Eagle
What don't you like about the Freeway?
How it feels to operate?
Longevity?

I haven't tried one (except one very quick try on a guitar I didn't like enough to play a lot).

That said, the ability to get to any of the seven non-series combinations in one motion is really attractive to me. Flipping the 5-way AND pulling up a push-pull between the verse and the chorus, not so much.
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Mostly the feel but they won't last like a CRL.
 
So unfaithful me took the Vigier to my local shop to ask about trading it for a used USA Silver Sky I saw they had, figured it'd be close to an even trade.
Not that I'm completely disenchanted with the Vigier, and it's a really good, high quality guitar, just not totally feeling the vibe sometimes.

Right out of the gate the shop said they weren't interested in it, period.
I was surprised, thought it'd be right up their alley -- boutique, semi-rare, excellent quality -- but no.
They pointed me to Music Go Round, which may mean they didn't know the brand, and took it to be just another low-rent import.
Kinda weird though.

Played the Silver Sky a bit, even though without the trade I didn't want to spend that much, and might choose to go for the SE version anyway, for price, and flatter fretboard radius. It was cool, but it didn't knock me out, which is what I thought 5 years ago when I bought my used EJ strat instead. Neck everything felt small, but I'm sure I'd get used to it. Tones were very strat, as expected, good, not anything cosmically amazing. But now I've experienced that in the flesh again in recent times, so, cool.

Came home, got out the Vigier, and I dig it, not sorry it's here :) The Silver Sky had lower action (and lighter strings), but the Vigier feels good and sounds good. Strat ballpark for sure, but those DiMarzios have something else going on too, and are a bit hotter. It plays well if not effortlessly, could maybe be improved with some setup work. Plus it has very little hum and buzz, even sitting close to my laptop, which most certainly is not like my strat.

Can't escape feeling like the EJ and the Vigier are too close, in my financial bracket I shouldn't have both. If I'm keeping the Vigier, maybe I should turn the EJ into a tele or a Gretsch or a Duesenberg or a 335-alike. But foibles and all, I can't quite see letting the EJ go. We'll see.
 
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Dave Merrill said:
So unfaithful me took the Vigier to my local shop to ask about trading it for a used USA Silver Sky I saw they had, figured it'd be close to an even trade.
Not that I'm completely disenchanted with the Vigier, and it's a really good, high quality guitar, just not totally feeling the vibe sometimes.

Right out of the gate the shop said they weren't interested in it, period.
I was surprised, thought it'd be right up their alley -- boutique, semi-rare, excellent quality -- but no.
They pointed me to Music Go Round, which may mean they didn't know the brand, and took it to be just another low-rent import.
Kinda weird though.

Played the Silver Sky a bit, even though without the trade I didn't want to spend that much, and might choose to go for the SE version anyway, for price, and flatter fretboard radius. It was cool, but it didn't knock me out, which is what I thought 5 years ago when I bought my used EJ strat instead. Neck everything felt small, but I'm sure I'd get used to it. Tones were very strat, as expected, good, not anything cosmically amazing. But now I've experienced that in the flesh again in recent times, so, cool.

Came home, got out the Vigier, and I dig it, not sorry it's here :) The Silver Sky had lower action (and lighter strings), but the Vigier feels good and sounds good. Strat ballpark for sure, but those DiMarzios have something else going on too, and are a it hotter. It plays well if not effortlessly, could maybe be improved with some setup work. Plus it has very little hum and buzz, even sitting close to my laptop, which most certainly is not like my strat.

Can't escape feeling like the EJ and the Vigier are too close, in my financial bracket I shouldn't have both. If I'm keeping the Vigier, maybe I should turn the EJ into a tele or a Gretsch or a Duesenberg or a 335-alike. But foibles and all, I can't quite see letting the EJ go. We'll see.
Click to expand...

I hope you get there, Man. Tonal mojo is the most difficult thing.
 
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