fender jaguar

seanface

my local guitar shop has a japanese remake of a jaguar for 650. Is there much difference between it and an american version? plus is it true they are a bastard to keep in tune? i've read about a 'floating tremelo lock' something or other and i haven't a clue what that means.

basically
a) is this a good reliable guitar
b) is the price ok

thanks

Doctor J

Japanese build quality is at least as good as American and probably more consistant. The Jaguar had a bizarre tremolo system but can be made to stay in tune. As for the price, I don't really know what the going rate is for one of these but you could get a new one direct from Japan for in or around the same amount of money. Offer €550 and bring a print out of this website.

bombidol

I kinda have a soft spot for jaguars myself. Never played one though. i just think out of all the fenders they are one of the coolest looking.

It wasn't me!

They're nice guitars. Lovely to play. I think 650 would be about the going rate in this country. one problem I had with them though was that the sound is comparatively thin. Don't expect roaring screaming noise out of them. They just don't do it.

curtains

I love Jaguars but like the last person said they're not a sort of solo-type guitar. On the rhythm pickup they have such a cool sound, very ambiguous, kind of dark. They make chords sound great. The bridge pickup is bright, a little too tinny for me. I'm told they do very well with certain effects for some reason.

It wasn't me!

Yeah. The sound would be great with stuff like Phaser and Chorus. Haven't had the luxury of trying it with them to date though. I must do so. I never would ahve thought the rhythm sound was dark at all really. Quite the opposite but I guess that's somewhat subjective. It's chording abilities are lovely. It's the ultimate surf guitar really. Lovely clean chording and melodies, but add too much distortion or anything and you've ruined a wonderful guitar's potential.

Nidge

It wasn't me! wrote:

Yeah. The sound would be great with stuff like Phaser and Chorus. Haven't had the luxury of trying it with them to date though. I must do so. I never would ahve thought the rhythm sound was dark at all really. Quite the opposite but I guess that's somewhat subjective. It's chording abilities are lovely. It's the ultimate surf guitar really. Lovely clean chording and melodies, but add too much distortion or anything and you've ruined a wonderful guitar's potential.

The distortion thing is odd seeing as they are used by loads of grunge bands, who in general apply the oul distortion fairly liberally.

curtains

It wasn't me! wrote:

Yeah. The sound would be great with stuff like Phaser and Chorus. Haven't had the luxury of trying it with them to date though. I must do so. I never would ahve thought the rhythm sound was dark at all really. Quite the opposite but I guess that's somewhat subjective. It's chording abilities are lovely. It's the ultimate surf guitar really. Lovely clean chording and melodies, but add too much distortion or anything and you've ruined a wonderful guitar's potential.

true enough, ambiguous was the better word then

gary the great

ye i would love one myself, between myself and my bro we have a epiphone sg400, a epiphone les paul and a yamaha pacifica, all have humbuckers, i must trade one in and get a jag of some sort, candy red would be nice.

John

Personally I love that whole Jaguar/Jagstang/Jazzmaster family of Fenders. I'd go with a Jazzmaster myself but with the option of buying a Jaguar at a later date.

But be warned, they all are a bit more difficult than your average guitar to keep in tune but that's not seriously problematic. However, the bridges are notorious for allowing the strings to slip out of the saddles if you play too hard but this is easily fixed by one of two options (or a combination of both if you want):

1: Buy a replacement bridge for it, if it's a Japanese one, the Jap Mustang reissue bridge fits it and is a nice solid bridge. You can probably pick one up on ebay.
2: Use heavy guage strings.

It wasn't me!

Nidge wrote:

The distortion thing is odd seeing as they are used by loads of grunge bands, who in general apply the oul distortion fairly liberally.

Yeah, but they also tend to drop humbuckers in the bridges and just hammer away power chords on a guitar that should never be used for such. Kind of annoying that they can make so little out of all that wonderful melodious potential.

ferdi

yeah, i have to say i always thought these guitars looked the business....

Nidge

It wasn't me! wrote:

Yeah, but they also tend to drop humbuckers in the bridges and just hammer away power chords on a guitar that should never be used for such. Kind of annoying that they can make so little out of all that wonderful melodious potential.

Yeah, not always humbuckers though, sometimes they use it as it is, i have seen one in a smashing pumpkins video, it being "Zero", that's not to say they used it on the track of course, also i have seen stereophonics use it live, boy do i dislike them.

seanface

thanks for all your advice. after all that i opted for a japanese jazzmaster remake that looks like this: http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/v2/index.php?page=gallery&showID=115 it's pretty sweet alright

lee_baby_simms

seanface wrote:

thanks for all your advice. after all that i opted for a japanese jazzmaster remake that looks like this: http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/v2/index.php?page=gallery&showID=115 it's pretty sweet alright

that guitar is identical to the guitar in spinal tap that was never played, touched or even pointed at!

Recon

too...much...green aah!!!!!!!!!!

Karl Hungus

Normally I love green guitars, but that colour is just wrong. This is much nicer.

feylya

I want a reliced Strat that colour.

John

seanface wrote:

thanks for all your advice. after all that i opted for a japanese jazzmaster remake that looks like this: http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/v2/index.php?page=gallery&showID=115 it's pretty sweet alright

I can never decide if I want a jazzmaster in that colour or red. Maybe I should get both? I'm envious of you. Really, I am.

Nidge

there's a not so in your face blueish colour for Jazzmasters too, i'm afraid that colour makes me feel sea sick, i like the way jazzmasters and the like have the colour on the headstick too, as long as it's a good colour that is...

John

you're not a real jazzmaster afficiendo if you don't like that colour

seanface

yeah, i agree. surf guitar = surf colour. plus after looking at all the guitar shops in town at the weekend i became so sick of seeing horrible pointy metal axes in such vibrant colours as black and ...eh.. black. the jazzmaster is a sexy guitar and i love the colour i got it in

feylya

Black guitars get so ****ing boring. Black black black black. They look good occasionally but come on, what's wrong with a nice orange guitar

It wasn't me!

I want a purple guitar, but I've yet to find a nice one.

feylya

That's almost purple...

It wasn't me!

Yeah, but I want a big purple hollowbody.

Nidge

you missed out my friends Purple Patrick Eggle LA, probably the best purplr guitar for the price!!! I don't claim to be a Jazzmaster afficionado, i used to love them. The first time i tried one out i felt fairly sick after it, i blame the colour of the guitar, if someone handed me one then grand but the american ones are too dear.

ferdi

i like the surf green....

teamdresch

I've had a US '62 reissue Jaguar for a few years now ; I picked up a Jazzmaster about a year ago, too. The US ones stay in tune EXTREMELY well, and are gorgeous to play. I tried out the Jap versions of both, and found the Jazzmaster to be better - the necks on both felt decidely 'cheap' compared to the US.
In my experience, the Jazzmaster is probably a more versatile guitar - the Jag has an odd,unpleasant squealy feedback that happens when you get close to your amp and you're running fairly high gain.
Heavy string gauges are HIGHLY recommended on both, but the Jaguar in particular, since it's shorter scale neck puts the strings under higher tension. Also, as mentioned above it helps the strings stay in their saddles a bit better, but I've only ever had trouble on the Jag after hammering away on the low E for a while.

Here's a Jaguar the same colour as mine..



And here's a Jazzmaster..

Doctor J

Where?

Stroller_burn

Cool guitar, I have a Jaguar (american vintage, though) and it's basically the same as a Jazzmaster. Good choice.

teamdresch

Goddamnit.