Jaguar vs Jazzmaster

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:35 am

Guys

I know nothing about the "other" fenders but have suddenly become interested in them after seeing Sonic Youth play recently. What are the differences in tone etc between the Jags/Jazzmasters/teles, strats? Any preferences? any suggestions for picking up a cheap quality one?

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:12 am

Jaguar is short scale, Jazzmaster is more of a "normal" Fender scale. Ebay often has MIJ and CIJ (That's Crafted in Japan) Jaguars and Jazzmasters, which would be unavailable here today.

I have owned a Japanese reissue Jazzmaster and an American reissue Jazzmaster, I thought the American was much better but the Japanese one can hold a candle to it with a pickup change. Curtis Novaks makes some great Jazzmaster replacement pickups.

This site is great for information on both: http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/v2/?page=goodies_geek&show=guitarist_jm

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:13 am

Rob,

I've been playing and collecting these guitars since 1980, when they were relatively cheap because everybody was playing the usual.

Tonal diffs are tough to address--the Jazzmaster is a bit fatter. Jag pickups were always a bit thin and to me are the classic surf sound. Biggest difference is the scale length, with the Jag at 24" being midway between a short scale such as a Duo Sonic or Musicmaster at 22.5 and a longer 25.5 Strat and Tele scale.

The newer CIJ Jags are a great buy at about $650-750 apiece. Do replace the pickups with some Seymour Duncan vintage Jag pickups; the new ones don't have the great vintage tone. But the guitars are built like tanks and come in some great colors.

As often in the case, the best buys are on American eBay. There's a Japanese guitar shop that always stocks them and specializes in shipping out of the country.

There have been a couple of special issue Jags made for the Japanese market with HB pickups and some other strange permutations. Not a Jag, IMO.

I recently acquired a Candy Apple Red CIJ '01 Jag with the Duncan pickups. It's strung with D'Addario chrome flatwounds (.010) and nails the early Surf sound.

But if you're trying to "do" Dick Dale, you need a metalflake gold Strat set on full bridge pickup, played lefty...

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:19 am

BTW, FWIW, Sonic Youth has done many major mods to their guitars. Many of their Jazzmasters are actually "Jazzblasters", which feature Fender's Wide-Range humbuckers and even pickups BEHIND the bridge!

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:32 am

Jaguars have a shorter scale length than the Jazzmaster. The Jag has a tone not unlike a Strat -but better. One of the quintessential Fender tones. Jazzmasters have a slightly warmer but very versatile tone. The trouble with both is that they are very sensitive guitars -a poor setup will yield poor tone (moreso than with most guitars!). Their fulcrum vibrato assemblies are interesting too. I like them.

The trouble is their out-of-the-box quality is dodgy. I've played some real dogs. At Dave's Guitars in LaCrosse, Chicago Music Exchange, and Willcutt in Lexington. They have peculiar tone circuits too.

Both instruments possess some of that trademark hollow Fender tone and will set you apart from the Strat crowd. Sadly I don't believe 'cheap' ones exist anymore. There was a time...
My bandmate compromised and bought a Jagmaster -though he promptly yanked the stock humbuckers and had some single coils installed.

To date I haven't been able to take the plunge myself. I will say this; we tried a matching pair (one Jag, one Jazz) at Sam Ash in Chicago and they sounded MAGNIFICENT. The price was good too (some of the nice Japanese ones which trickle in).

Best of luck.

=noel=

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:35 am

Wow, by the time I was done typing, three other posts had appeared!

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:49 am

Thanks guys. Never ceases to amaze me how much info is available on this forum!

Think I'll keep my eyes peeled for a jap re-issue jazzmaster - got to be a cool colour though.

Any pictures of your candy apple Paul?

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:14 am

b*gger! It's about to end

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7345026826&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:43 am

The Japanese shop's got them for around $710.00, depending on color.

This is the only shot of mine I have handy:

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:06 am

Nice collection Paul. Am I to believe that this is the tip of the iceberg...?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:18 am

Thanks, Rob.

That's about half the iceberg. The rest are in the byooty parlor or at my joint in Brasil.

Then there are the combo organs. Only two at present...

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:03 am

Yes Paul, that's the same color as the matching pair we should have bought! Not sure if the nailpolish red would have grown on me but I still consider it one that got away.

Since you posted the picture, what's the story on the Ric sans a soundhole? And is that a smiley face etched into the guards? And what's with the Gretsch tailpiece on that Ibanez -or is it an Ibanez neck on a Gretschenstein?

Could be the angle or the fact that I'm just now having coffee.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:18 am

Candy Apple Red, not "nailpolish red"!

Us old farts remember it well from Kustom Kar days of yore!

I had a '62 Chevy SS painted in CAR...

The Rick sans a soundhole is my recently-completed 325 project (see threads "UP AT 4 AM" and "MEET THE FAMILY"). The smiley face is a reflection of the Jaguar's tailpiece in the pickguard on the Rick.

I own no Ibanezes. They are all Gretsches. The Bamboo Yellow one is an oddball special built for GC, model G5275. It has a B3. The black one has a B5, the gold one a "G" tailpiece, and the red Malcolm Youngish double cut has a Gretsch stop tailpiece.

Noel, have you ever seen messages in ice cubes?

Just asking...

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 12:43 pm

well....i bought it, so we'll see.

Interesting that i had no urge or intention of going on a fender forum for info, i knew i'd get the answers here!

Paul, that refinished 325 is looking great. Any plans for a JG, MG or FG?

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 12:48 pm

-Noel, have you ever seen messages in ice cubes?-

Can't say as I have...

My father had a '63 Stingray (split-window coupe) in C.A.R. Stolen sadly.
Nice, diverse collection of instruments. Not too far removed from mine actually. I had to grimace while reading this month's 'Guitar Player' when I saw a picture of Yngwie Malmsteen in a room FULL of seemingly identical Strats. And we've all seen some players with armadas of Les Pauls. Better to have a pallette of tones and types to choose from.

cheers, Noel