Sweetwater made this possible so thank them by CLICKING THE LINKS! 60s Jazzmaster: sweetwater.sjv.io/1r0QjD 70s Jaguar: sweetwater.sjv.io/anqj4Y What should be your first surf guitar? a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar? The strings: sweetwater.sjv.io/PyXNoj The Fuzz: sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ4Dm5 The Reverb: www.surfyindustries.com/surfybearmetal Ill be giving away the Jazzmaster at this show on the 7/27/24: www.stellarshows.net/shows/259369
I've been in love with Jaguars ever since playing one in shell pink at a local shop. Whenever I went there I had to play it. One day... it was gone. I asked the guy behind the counter if they were ever getting more Jags and the guy claimed they never had one... The Phantom Jaguar. Seeing John Frusciante and Kurt Cobain using them cemented that I had to have one. I got my first job at around 14-15 working a couple hours a night and saved up for like a year and bought my Jaguar. An '06 American Vintage '62 Reissue Jaguar in sunburst. Nearly 20 years late and it's still rock solid, even with the notorious bridge. Truly a dream guitar.
I love my Jaguar. You didn’t talk much about how it feels to play the short scale, but I love how easy it is to play stretchy chords on it. That and the punchy sound of the Jag are what I like most.
@@johnperry9082 Jags really need heavier strings. The scale makes them a bit slinkier, but I think it's harder for bends on offsets than other guitars. I got used to using the tremolo to bend upward, though.
? We're talking finger bends, right ? That's totally reversed from my experience. I find it easier to bend on longer scales. Fender over Gibson for example. So it can't be just the scale length. A friend noticed the same thing when we were comparing Gibson and Fender guitars. The amount of bend might be a factor too. Slightly off pitch for Surf vs 2 half steps for Blues.
But I think the main thing is the shallow angle across the bridge , which, tho more w a LP than a Jag is still way less than the 90° on a Tele or Strat.
Finally a clear, concise explanation and demonstration of the differences of these two. Both are extremely cool, but I can see why the JM is more popular. The tone was much crisper, articulate, and twangy. The Jag seemed a little dark, but still awesome. For my personal taste, I’ll vote for the JM.
Aesthetically I prefer the small pickups and all the crazy so-60's electronics of the Jaguar, but thing I prefer the sound of the longer scale Jazzmaster. I had never heard a comparison between the two models so close and it's really educational. Thanks!
I’ve been watching your videos for years and this just hit me today … you need a mini surfboard for your surf pedalboard, your “surf board”. Would it be completely impractical? Absolutely. But it would be sweet!
I appreciate how much you show off the tremolo system, I’ve been watching alot of reviews on jaguars, jazz masters, and mustangs trying to see which I should get and alot of reviewers lightly cover the tremolo. They don’t crank it like you do. Also love your play style, I would love to learn to play like you.
I went for the JAGUAR because I like its ease of play and the great TONAL OUT put possibilities. Thank you for inspiring me to push the Outer Limits of my creativity! 🙏🏻🤘🏻🤗🤘🏻
I’ve watched for years but this might be my first comment. I really enjoyed hearing you play in your favorite genre with the effects you would use for that music. You play dry a fair amount-I assume to showcase instrument/amp tone, but for this style of music the effects really help me understand what you are doing and what the tones of the guitars and amps are for-more please!
I could hear the biggest differences when you strummed both at the 29" mark. Not sure which I liked the best - the bright and jangly Jag has it's appeal, but I'm leaning towards the JM; it just seemed to have more overall sonic richness and detail. The looser string tension of the 24" scale is appealing, but that could likely be achieved by using lighter gauge strings on the JM (possibly sacrificing some of the tonal qualities that I like about it!).
I just recently got the Jaguar because it was on sale and I love it, the short scale reminds me of my Rainsong Parlor guitar, makes stretching hard chords easier on my arthritic hands. But, now I want a matching Jazzmaster!
I have a Daphne Blue Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar and it's pretty wild... but the lead circuit with the strangle switch is *definitely* great for the jangle-y sound and when you mix it with some good reverb and palm muting...*so good* The short scale is pretty great too...
I have both of these and a telecaster from the classic vibe series, and I can tell you that these are some of the BEST made Squier guitars ever!!! In fact, I only had to do a setup on one of them. The pickups sound fantastic, they stay in tune extremely well, and they are built like tanks.
I always thought and still do think the Jaguar has a sweeter, higher sound and seems like the Jazzmaster is duller and less distinctive to me. The Jag seems like the quintessential sound of the surf. And I like the feel better.
I have both exact guitars in the exact colors and can't say enough good about them. The more I play the more I see them as very different. For me the Jazzmaster is more smooth and open and jangly and the Jag has more attitude and snarl - more punchy/throaty "thud" as you call it.. Super well done and as always very entertaining.
I bought both, lol. I love my Johnny Marr Jag and my American Original 60's Jazzmaster. I almost feel like the Jazzmaster is piano like with it's response. The Jag is grittier.
I tried to play the Pixies surf version of Wave of Mutilation, presumably recorded with their standard tele for rhythm and LP for lead. I dunno, I can't even swim....nevermind surf.
Oddly enough. I wish you posted this yesterday as I was indeed choosing between the two models. I went with the Jazzmaster for the scale length alone. Another great video, keep it up!
Great comparison! Of course "I Want the One I Can't Have", the MarrGuar, and it's driving me mad. Hah, nice Smith's you did at the end. So, here's what I took from this: I liked the Jazzmaster for the heavy overdriven stuff and the Jag for the cleans. That doesn't help me because now I want both. I would use the Jazzmaster for some nasty *Man or Astro-Man* type stuff.
I own both and in my opinion Jazzmaster is a safe choice, even though I think that Jaguar is way cooler looking and sounding guitar. I also find my Jazzmaster way more comfortable to play both in sitting and standing position (due to the smaller and lighter body).
Both are great for different reasons... the Jazzmaster seems like it has a flatter EQ curve and the Jaguar has a chunkier lower end. The Jaguar does look better and the electronics have more of an in-your-face tone. Most people should prefer it. As a supporting instrument in a production environment, I think the jazzmaster is a better team player when considering a mix.
I need both. For me the Jazzmaster takes line honors for pure tone, definitely. I've watched it through twice now. Jaguar for the short scale characteristics, bling and versatility. $900 for two excellent instruments, whaaat? I have a few others I never play I could sell for more than that. Great review Ryan, thanks, appreciate you - Mark
They both sound great. The Jaguar has more tone variations. The tremolo sounds smoother on the Jazzmaster. That’s probably to do with the scale length. Lots of fun either way. Great demonstration.
I struggled with this decision a couple of years ago, had them both here. I prefer the Jaguar in every possible way, except for the look of those single coils, too similar to a strat for me, which is a guitar I can't stand. I ended up keeping the Jazzmaster 'cause I couldn't live with myself if my electric guitar didn't remind me of the cover of Loveless. My priorities are extremely healthy, evidently. I miss the Jaguar, much more organic sounding to my ears, much more usable for what I needed it for, plus any guitar can do shoegazing, really. I can only own one. So yeah. Kept the Jazzmaster 'cause I'm a masochist.
Ryan, this was (IMHO) a most excellent discussion and intro for those who may be interested in surf and the common tools used...I own both and love them (63, 65, 63 JM)
I owned both the vintage modified Jaguar and Jazzmaster. I got the Jaguar first and based on my experience the Jazzmaster should be first. The scale length and controls are more familiar. But the Jaguar just has the vibe. It’s so pretty and sounds awesome. So idk. Do what you want
I find it very difficult to choose between them. The Jag seems more “rock and roll” like. A bit more shreddy. The JM seems more shrill and deep at the ends of the audio spectrum. I picked the Mascis JM because the pickups seem to bring these two type guitars closer to each other soundwise. I liked this comparo very much. It’s very precise and honest.
1. 24 inch scale length the guitar really becomes a different instrument ergonomically- stretches are noticeably easier in lower registers however many types of chords (m7b5) in upper registers are almost impossible because of the closer frets. 1.b) Smaller hands? Go with the Jaguar! 1. c) regular size hands? Get a Jaguar- you will be able to play it for much longer without hand fatigue 2. The rhythm circuit is great for an instant and complete sound change at the literal flick of a switch. This and the strangle switch are great to use as a lead tone when using a fuzz or treble booster circuit- very warm singing tonal quality
This definitely reaffirmed my love of my CV Jazz, I picked it up a while back and was worried I might regret it but I love that twinkly jangle to it. That said I definitely wanna play around with Jags more. I’m especially curious about that Affinity Jag, since those new Affinity guitars seem kinda nice.
@@60CycleHumcast Very interested to hear your thoughts on it. I've been eyeballing that crimson FMT Telecaster, might be my birthday present if I like it!
There were so many points in this vid where I seriously thought you were about to break out into a Smiths/Johnny Marr riff, both those guitars are not just for Surf.
QUESTION FOR BRYAN THE MANYkin: Dear Bryan, Please explain the five things you need to do to your guitar tone to sound like surf. I think it would be fun to get Bryan's take on surf sounds. Love the show - MAHALO!
Just the rig you see here - Fender single coil guitar (Jazz, Strat or Jag), a Fender amp (Princeton, Deluxe Reverb, Twin or similar) on clean tones, and a reverb tank (the Surfybear is excellent). If you don't have vibrato in the Fender amp, add a good vibrato pedal, such as the SurfyTrem. Now, work on your technique - alternate picking, glissandos, Major and Minor chord scales and chords. There you go...five things to get surf tone and style!
Or you can just get the Valco Five-0 and have it all in one box, once you learn to dial it in. I have it, and it sounds amazing through my Fender HRD IV with the matching extension cab. I play my original 61 Strat and 61 Jazzmaster through that rig, as well as, my 2018 American Professional Strat with Fender hot-noiseless pups I dropped in it. That setup is criminal. . . 🔥😮💨💎
Jag for me for all the reasons you mentioned, and for the additional settings it offers. The various tones it generates should make it more versatile too. Play anything you want, any style you prefer, and it’s got a tone that works…with a short-scale playability that makes it a better overall addition to my modest guitar collection.
What a great video. Thank you. I learned…I am all about the jaguar…all day. To jangly with the jazz master. And I am a jazz guitarist…or I attempt at being a jazz guitarist
Thanks for doing this man…. I’ve been on the fence about purchasing one of these and the scale length will certainly have me go towards the shorter one 🤙
I've owned multiple examples of both, from pre-CBS to Squiers that were on sale at Christmas. There is no wrong decision. They can both surf. If I HAD to make a choice between the two, I'd go with the Jazzmaster, only due to the tighter tone (compare a 30" bass to a 34" bass and the difference will jump out at you). But again, you can't go wrong with either.
great video! I'm pretty sure that exact Jaguar in that color will be mine soon, the Jazzmaster sounded great too, but the Jaguar was more pleasing to my taste. Fantastic comparison with the quick edits between the two of them, I find it so hard to compare if it's one after the other with some talking in between. Was just at GC today with my daughter (who wants a tele) and played with a Jaguar they had there, not sure the exact model and I didn't plug in, but felt nice in my hands. Which are on the larger side and I'm 6'3'' tall, but play guitars on my left leg, so the slightly shorter neck might just be the reason. Thanks!
The Jaguar sounds nice, but I can get such a sound also with my Stratocaster, so I want a Jazzmaster because its really different from my other guitars
Went shopping for teles, decided to try both of these guitars on a whim. Didnt care for the JM at all, but the Jag..its my favorite guitar. It became my favorite guitar the minute i plugged it in. The rhythm circuit is my happy place. I'm not into surf music, for me the Jaguar just has incredible sympathetic resonance behind it that I now want all the time. I'm considering dropping a jag trem into my mustang.
Even before you mentioned the scale length, I was thinking about that being the most significant difference in terms of tone and feel. So glad you highlighted that. Amazing overview. I don’t play surf and was looking at a strat…but now I have offset GAS haha. The Jaguar would be my choice. I really dig shorter scales.
Lurve the shirt brother!! Your videos don’t always come up in my feed. Im subscribed, notifications on ? Anyway. I dunno which one id buy. I like them both. Not a fan of tortoise shell pick guards though. Never have been. Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
I personally own both guitars and more into the Jag mainly for the scale length. I love my CV 60s JM and need to play it more often since that was my very first offset guitar.
They were both used in that early to mid 60s period, and Jaguar being introduced in 1962 is kinda essential Surf guitar since that is what you bought if you wamted the best, it was top of the line model. Same for Jazzmaster and It’s kinda more popular now since it’s long scale not short as Jag. But Jag was short scale so you can play lead with bends in day and age when guitars come out of factory with 12s. It was decent idea. Sadly we sorted the problem differently later, lighter strings and long scale, as Strat or Tele.
I played a beautiful 1963 Jaguar at AmVets "sock hops" and liked it a lot. However, doing covers as we did, I think the Jazzmaster would have been more useful. I like the bright, open ring of the JM. Good video, fellar!
The Guitar Manifesto did a great short and straight to the point comparison of a Vintage Modified Jag, Jazz and even a Mustang, And TBH, I preferred the sound of the Mustang
Hey Ryan, nice video! I would be interested in seeing how the tone knob interacts with the strangle circuit on the Jaguar. I know on the Bass VI the tone knob cuts out a lot more low end as you turn it down, and I wonder if it does the same thing on the Jaguar. Maybe I could just go try one in a music shop, but it would be cool to see on your channel too.
Between these 2, the Jazzmaster. Been playing & love the 24" Mustang since I bought a used one circa 1980. My first Fender. Also love Strats. Hadn't really thought about a larger offset, but I do like the sounds from that Jazzmaster.
Thank you for the Jaguar content. I'm in the Market for one and there's a lot of options. I want to hold out for the new Affinity version to see how that compares too. Loved the Player II demo!
Imagine if Fender saw the comments on this video. Maybe they’d show the jag some more love. It seems like there are way more people commenting here that they prefer the Jag over the Jazzmaster. I personally dig the shorter scale myself, but you can get the Jazzmaster feeling super slinky as well and still maintain that 25.5 scale, id that’s your jam. There are no bad options here. Thanks again for the video, man!
I bought a 65 reissue Jag back in in the early 00's. It sounded absolutely amazing, but I couldn't get along with it physically at all. Ended up selling it a few weeks later. I had no idea until years later that it was the scale length making all the difference.
One thing to note is the weight difference, my jag weighs 1.5 pounds more than my jazzer, also on the jag it's definitely worth changing the cap on the strangle switch from .003 to .001,makes a huge difference!
I just wished they would make the squier jag in a lefthanded model,I have the squier jazzmaster from sweetwater an I love it MAJE A DAM JAG IN LEFTY FENDER OR SQUIER!!!
The scale length is undoubtedly the biggest difference between the two. There is a big difference in feel between a Gibson 24.75" scale and a Fender 25.5" scale, there's a huge difference between 25.5" and 24". You can lessen the difference by using heavier strings on the Jaguar but you'll still notice the difference. I use 11-52 on my Jag, I do tune a half step down, but I would suggest you go with heavier strings than you would onvw 25.5: guitar.
i just got me one of those jazzmasters in daphne blue a few months ago. i always wanted a crack at that jangle, and i finally got to it... sounds just how i wanted it to. wish the neck was a tad less chunky, but it'll do. also the pots aren't super responsive on mine, but i guess that isnt a surprise for the price point. i've spent a majority of my guitar playing over the years on short scales, so i bet the jag feels great to play. and that neck w/ block inlays and binding is rad as hell. in conclusion, i think they both do the classic surf thing perfectly. dunno what to recommend to someone as a first surf axe, but the jazz is $30 cheaper, so it has that going for it...
Ok, listened to this video a second time without looking to much. - There are also Jazzmasters with rithm circuits so that would Have been nice in the comparison. - the jag, in my opinion, gives a much more subtil tone where the jazz sounds cleaner when playing clean or with reverb only. - tried to compare them to a mustang ( also shortscale) too.. Cleanest sound ( which i really appreciate) is still the mustang , so my choice is still on .. the mustang , i guess. To be sure i will have to find a guitar shop where i can rest them, which is not an easy task where i live 😢 Keep up the good work, i love this kind of video’s !👍
What about the Mustang? I was all about the Jazzmaster. I got a Mustang about a year ago and I have just fallen in love. But, they definitely seem to fit the "is it a surf guitar" criteria
Hey, this is a great comparison! I like them both for their differences. As a total beginner I would first be tempted to go with the Jazzmaster. However the Jaguar, well, that sound is definitely different and for the price you are getting something that you can really grow into down the road. The shorter neck will make a difference in comfort which matters to me. I curently have a small Jay Turser LP style guitar with the shorter scale, P90s, and a wiggle stick added on. I used to have a Strat clone but I found that I didn't like it as much. The Jaguar would be my choice. Something to think about when I outgrow this yard sale guitar I bought!
I hope I'm not mansplaining here, but... Frequency decreases as length increases (as we know from moving up and down the fretboard), and the JM is longer, so the JM strings need to be tighter to get the same note as the Jag (assuming they're the same gauge). I guess this contributes to the twanginess.
If you can afford it, buy both. They sound and feel different and will inspire you to play differently. And that's part of the joy of having them. Full disclosure: I have both in matching white. And I swapped the pickups for Fender vintage versions. Much better sounding pickups that were quite affordable.
Sweetwater made this possible so thank them by CLICKING THE LINKS!
60s Jazzmaster: sweetwater.sjv.io/1r0QjD
70s Jaguar: sweetwater.sjv.io/anqj4Y
What should be your first surf guitar? a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar?
The strings: sweetwater.sjv.io/PyXNoj
The Fuzz: sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ4Dm5
The Reverb: www.surfyindustries.com/surfybearmetal
Ill be giving away the Jazzmaster at this show on the 7/27/24: www.stellarshows.net/shows/259369
Nice playing brother!..I enjoyed it!
The Jaguar totally blew me away, it's such a unique sound and I love that it has both a bass cut and the rhythm circuit
I think the Jaguar is the best surf guitar period. More Jag videos please!
I've been in love with Jaguars ever since playing one in shell pink at a local shop. Whenever I went there I had to play it. One day... it was gone. I asked the guy behind the counter if they were ever getting more Jags and the guy claimed they never had one... The Phantom Jaguar.
Seeing John Frusciante and Kurt Cobain using them cemented that I had to have one. I got my first job at around 14-15 working a couple hours a night and saved up for like a year and bought my Jaguar. An '06 American Vintage '62 Reissue Jaguar in sunburst. Nearly 20 years late and it's still rock solid, even with the notorious bridge. Truly a dream guitar.
I love my Jaguar. You didn’t talk much about how it feels to play the short scale, but I love how easy it is to play stretchy chords on it. That and the punchy sound of the Jag are what I like most.
I would like to know how it feels to play the shorter scale neck too. Is string bending easier like on a Les Paul for starters.
@@johnperry9082 Jags really need heavier strings. The scale makes them a bit slinkier, but I think it's harder for bends on offsets than other guitars. I got used to using the tremolo to bend upward, though.
@@johnperry9082yes it’s noticeably easier than on my tele with strings of the same gage.
? We're talking finger bends, right ? That's totally reversed from my experience. I find it easier to bend on longer scales. Fender over Gibson for example. So it can't be just the scale length. A friend noticed the same thing when we were comparing Gibson and Fender guitars. The amount of bend might be a factor too. Slightly off pitch for Surf vs 2 half steps for Blues.
But I think the main thing is the shallow angle across the bridge , which, tho more w a LP than a Jag is still way less than the 90° on a Tele or Strat.
Finally a clear, concise explanation and demonstration of the differences of these two. Both are extremely cool, but I can see why the JM is more popular. The tone was much crisper, articulate, and twangy. The Jag seemed a little dark, but still awesome. For my personal taste, I’ll vote for the JM.
Aesthetically I prefer the small pickups and all the crazy so-60's electronics of the Jaguar, but thing I prefer the sound of the longer scale Jazzmaster. I had never heard a comparison between the two models so close and it's really educational. Thanks!
I’ve been watching your videos for years and this just hit me today … you need a mini surfboard for your surf pedalboard, your “surf board”. Would it be completely impractical? Absolutely. But it would be sweet!
The answer is "Gretsch" because you can get them in silver sparkle, which is the most important thing.
@@Visionism There was literally a Squier Jag in silver sparkle
Golden sparkle FSR coming out soon
I have blue sparkle!!! :)
@@yashinisukiis it an exclusive through a retailer?
@@baltipszlr3398 nope, it’s available for a pre-order from most of the music shops here in the UK.
I appreciate how much you show off the tremolo system, I’ve been watching alot of reviews on jaguars, jazz masters, and mustangs trying to see which I should get and alot of reviewers lightly cover the tremolo. They don’t crank it like you do. Also love your play style, I would love to learn to play like you.
I went for the JAGUAR because I like its ease of play and the great TONAL OUT put possibilities. Thank you for inspiring me to push the Outer Limits of my creativity! 🙏🏻🤘🏻🤗🤘🏻
I’ve watched for years but this might be my first comment. I really enjoyed hearing you play in your favorite genre with the effects you would use for that music. You play dry a fair amount-I assume to showcase instrument/amp tone, but for this style of music the effects really help me understand what you are doing and what the tones of the guitars and amps are for-more please!
I could hear the biggest differences when you strummed both at the 29" mark. Not sure which I liked the best - the bright and jangly Jag has it's appeal, but I'm leaning towards the JM; it just seemed to have more overall sonic richness and detail. The looser string tension of the 24" scale is appealing, but that could likely be achieved by using lighter gauge strings on the JM (possibly sacrificing some of the tonal qualities that I like about it!).
I learned that I like Jaguars more than I did before watching this very informative and entertaining video.
I just recently got the Jaguar because it was on sale and I love it, the short scale reminds me of my Rainsong Parlor guitar, makes stretching hard chords easier on my arthritic hands. But, now I want a matching Jazzmaster!
Saw your comment on my post on Reddit thanks so much for the detailed video thoroughly enjoying it.
I have a Daphne Blue Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar and it's pretty wild... but the lead circuit with the strangle switch is *definitely* great for the jangle-y sound and when you mix it with some good reverb and palm muting...*so good* The short scale is pretty great too...
I have both of these and a telecaster from the classic vibe series, and I can tell you that these are some of the BEST made Squier guitars ever!!! In fact, I only had to do a setup on one of them. The pickups sound fantastic, they stay in tune extremely well, and they are built like tanks.
Obviously the Jaguar. So much more bling
What a fantastic comparison that addresses something I have always pondered myself. Great content!
Super BITCHIN’ surf playing there man! Way cool , I like the JAG , I like the 24” scale and pickups.
I always thought and still do think the Jaguar has a sweeter, higher sound and seems like the Jazzmaster is duller and less distinctive to me. The Jag seems like the quintessential sound of the surf. And I like the feel better.
@@jeromemurphy2572 I totally agree 100%
I have both exact guitars in the exact colors and can't say enough good about them. The more I play the more I see them as very different. For me the Jazzmaster is more smooth and open and jangly and the Jag has more attitude and snarl - more punchy/throaty "thud" as you call it.. Super well done and as always very entertaining.
Jaguar, my first and only (so far) solid body guitar. It's awesome as I am not that tall.
I bought both, lol. I love my Johnny Marr Jag and my American Original 60's Jazzmaster. I almost feel like the Jazzmaster is piano like with it's response. The Jag is grittier.
I've never played surf once and I'm still loving this.
It's a gateway drug
I tried to play the Pixies surf version of Wave of Mutilation, presumably recorded with their standard tele for rhythm and LP for lead. I dunno, I can't even swim....nevermind surf.
Oddly enough. I wish you posted this yesterday as I was indeed choosing between the two models. I went with the Jazzmaster for the scale length alone. Another great video, keep it up!
love my cv Jag had it about 3 months hard to put down thanks for all your help with getting the right pedals
Great comparison! Of course "I Want the One I Can't Have", the MarrGuar, and it's driving me mad. Hah, nice Smith's you did at the end. So, here's what I took from this: I liked the Jazzmaster for the heavy overdriven stuff and the Jag for the cleans. That doesn't help me because now I want both. I would use the Jazzmaster for some nasty *Man or Astro-Man* type stuff.
I own both and in my opinion Jazzmaster is a safe choice, even though I think that Jaguar is way cooler looking and sounding guitar. I also find my Jazzmaster way more comfortable to play both in sitting and standing position (due to the smaller and lighter body).
I bought both! No regrets👍🏻
leaning toward the jaguar as you stated...gets you the spaghetti western sound as well as surf!
I've always loved Jags!
Both are great for different reasons... the Jazzmaster seems like it has a flatter EQ curve and the Jaguar has a chunkier lower end.
The Jaguar does look better and the electronics have more of an in-your-face tone. Most people should prefer it. As a supporting instrument in a production environment, I think the jazzmaster is a better team player when considering a mix.
I need both. For me the Jazzmaster takes line honors for pure tone, definitely. I've watched it through twice now. Jaguar for the short scale characteristics, bling and versatility. $900 for two excellent instruments, whaaat? I have a few others I never play I could sell for more than that. Great review Ryan, thanks, appreciate you - Mark
They both sound great. The Jaguar has more tone variations. The tremolo sounds smoother on the Jazzmaster. That’s probably to do with the scale length. Lots of fun either way. Great demonstration.
I struggled with this decision a couple of years ago, had them both here. I prefer the Jaguar in every possible way, except for the look of those single coils, too similar to a strat for me, which is a guitar I can't stand. I ended up keeping the Jazzmaster 'cause I couldn't live with myself if my electric guitar didn't remind me of the cover of Loveless. My priorities are extremely healthy, evidently. I miss the Jaguar, much more organic sounding to my ears, much more usable for what I needed it for, plus any guitar can do shoegazing, really. I can only own one. So yeah. Kept the Jazzmaster 'cause I'm a masochist.
Ryan, this was (IMHO) a most excellent discussion and intro for those who may be interested in surf and the common tools used...I own both and love them (63, 65, 63 JM)
I owned both the vintage modified Jaguar and Jazzmaster. I got the Jaguar first and based on my experience the Jazzmaster should be first. The scale length and controls are more familiar.
But the Jaguar just has the vibe. It’s so pretty and sounds awesome.
So idk. Do what you want
I reaĺĺy dig your channel the way you play surf guitar is awsome great feel have a great day man
Thank you for doing the best comparison video of these 2 guitars. The Jag wins in my opinion.
I find it very difficult to choose between them. The Jag seems more “rock and roll” like. A bit more shreddy. The JM seems more shrill and deep at the ends of the audio spectrum. I picked the Mascis JM because the pickups seem to bring these two type guitars closer to each other soundwise.
I liked this comparo very much. It’s very precise and honest.
1. 24 inch scale length the guitar really becomes a different instrument ergonomically- stretches are noticeably easier in lower registers however many types of chords (m7b5) in upper registers are almost impossible because of the closer frets.
1.b) Smaller hands? Go with the Jaguar!
1. c) regular size hands? Get a Jaguar- you will be able to play it for much longer without hand fatigue
2. The rhythm circuit is great for an instant and complete sound change at the literal flick of a switch. This and the strangle switch are great to use as a lead tone when using a fuzz or treble booster circuit- very warm singing tonal quality
Great review Ryan.
To me, the Jazzmaster isn't brighter but has more mids. The Jag sounds more scooped to my ears...
HUGE SMILE!!!!! Love Both of These!!!! Made My Day!
This definitely reaffirmed my love of my CV Jazz, I picked it up a while back and was worried I might regret it but I love that twinkly jangle to it. That said I definitely wanna play around with Jags more. I’m especially curious about that Affinity Jag, since those new Affinity guitars seem kinda nice.
gonna try to demo one of the affinities when they become available
@@60CycleHumcast Very interested to hear your thoughts on it. I've been eyeballing that crimson FMT Telecaster, might be my birthday present if I like it!
There were so many points in this vid where I seriously thought you were about to break out into a Smiths/Johnny Marr riff, both those guitars are not just for Surf.
QUESTION FOR BRYAN THE MANYkin: Dear Bryan, Please explain the five things you need to do to your guitar tone to sound like surf. I think it would be fun to get Bryan's take on surf sounds. Love the show - MAHALO!
Just the rig you see here - Fender single coil guitar (Jazz, Strat or Jag), a Fender amp (Princeton, Deluxe Reverb, Twin or similar) on clean tones, and a reverb tank (the Surfybear is excellent). If you don't have vibrato in the Fender amp, add a good vibrato pedal, such as the SurfyTrem. Now, work on your technique - alternate picking, glissandos, Major and Minor chord scales and chords. There you go...five things to get surf tone and style!
Or you can just get the Valco Five-0 and have it all in one box, once you learn to dial it in. I have it, and it sounds amazing through my Fender HRD IV with the matching extension cab.
I play my original 61 Strat and 61 Jazzmaster through that rig, as well as, my 2018 American Professional Strat with Fender hot-noiseless pups I dropped in it. That setup is criminal. . . 🔥😮💨💎
Jag for me for all the reasons you mentioned, and for the additional settings it offers. The various tones it generates should make it more versatile too. Play anything you want, any style you prefer, and it’s got a tone that works…with a short-scale playability that makes it a better overall addition to my modest guitar collection.
My plan is for both eventually. Maybe a nice Xmas gift to myself
haven't played my 68 Jaguar in a while, but think it's coming out of the case today!
What a great video. Thank you. I learned…I am all about the jaguar…all day. To jangly with the jazz master. And I am a jazz guitarist…or I attempt at being a jazz guitarist
... i couldnt decide so i got both and lovin it dude...
I really like the scale length of JMs, but the block inlays and the binding on the Jag is waaay cooler looking
You can get those on a JM too, bud. The 70s models specifically, but I only play 60s or ultra-modern. Their tones are infinitely superior.
Thanks for doing this man….
I’ve been on the fence about purchasing one of these and the scale length will certainly have me go towards the shorter one 🤙
I've owned multiple examples of both, from pre-CBS to Squiers that were on sale at Christmas. There is no wrong decision. They can both surf. If I HAD to make a choice between the two, I'd go with the Jazzmaster, only due to the tighter tone (compare a 30" bass to a 34" bass and the difference will jump out at you). But again, you can't go wrong with either.
The Classic Vibe Jaguar comes in Gold Sparkle. Easy.
Best presentation of the difference between these two legendary models !
Already made that choice a year ago - got the very Jag Ryan is playing. A year later, still am totally digging it.
great video! I'm pretty sure that exact Jaguar in that color will be mine soon, the Jazzmaster sounded great too, but the Jaguar was more pleasing to my taste. Fantastic comparison with the quick edits between the two of them, I find it so hard to compare if it's one after the other with some talking in between.
Was just at GC today with my daughter (who wants a tele) and played with a Jaguar they had there, not sure the exact model and I didn't plug in, but felt nice in my hands. Which are on the larger side and I'm 6'3'' tall, but play guitars on my left leg, so the slightly shorter neck might just be the reason.
Thanks!
The Jaguar sounds nice, but I can get such a sound also with my Stratocaster, so I want a Jazzmaster because its really different from my other guitars
the jaguar must feel real nice but the sound coming from the regular jazz bridge was gooooooooooooooood
Went shopping for teles, decided to try both of these guitars on a whim. Didnt care for the JM at all, but the Jag..its my favorite guitar. It became my favorite guitar the minute i plugged it in. The rhythm circuit is my happy place. I'm not into surf music, for me the Jaguar just has incredible sympathetic resonance behind it that I now want all the time. I'm considering dropping a jag trem into my mustang.
Thank you for this comparison, please do more of those like tele- and Stratocaster or different versions of telecaster etc.
Great playing bbtw 👍
Great comparison between the two & some fab classic & not so classic sounds !😊
Beautifully explained, Ryan. Thanks for that!
Even before you mentioned the scale length, I was thinking about that being the most significant difference in terms of tone and feel. So glad you highlighted that. Amazing overview. I don’t play surf and was looking at a strat…but now I have offset GAS haha. The Jaguar would be my choice. I really dig shorter scales.
Jazzmaster for me! Daphne blue with a custom pickguard!
Love my Gretsch double cut Jet with Bigsby for Surf!!!
Lurve the shirt brother!!
Your videos don’t always come up in my feed.
Im subscribed, notifications on ?
Anyway.
I dunno which one id buy. I like them both.
Not a fan of tortoise shell pick guards though.
Never have been.
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
I personally own both guitars and more into the Jag mainly for the scale length. I love my CV 60s JM and need to play it more often since that was my very first offset guitar.
They were both used in that early to mid 60s period, and Jaguar being introduced in 1962 is kinda essential Surf guitar since that is what you bought if you wamted the best, it was top of the line model. Same for Jazzmaster and It’s kinda more popular now since it’s long scale not short as Jag. But Jag was short scale so you can play lead with bends in day and age when guitars come out of factory with 12s. It was decent idea. Sadly we sorted the problem differently later, lighter strings and long scale, as Strat or Tele.
Can't go wrong with either as long as it has a matching head stock. That's how you unleash the grooviest surf riffs
Man, you used to review Squires all the time. A little blast from the past!
That's like asking cadillac vs. dune buggie.
I played a beautiful 1963 Jaguar at AmVets "sock hops" and liked it a lot. However, doing covers as we did, I think the Jazzmaster would have been more useful. I like the bright, open ring of the JM. Good video, fellar!
The Guitar Manifesto did a great short and straight to the point comparison of a Vintage Modified Jag, Jazz and even a Mustang, And TBH, I preferred the sound of the Mustang
I have the CV Jag...it's my favorite guitar I've ever owned. Jags are just IT!
What a great video! Kudos sweetwater! Loved the intro music!
Jaguar looks cooler, but Jazzmaster sounds better.
I’m more of a Jazzmaster guy myself, but Jags are incredibly fun
Hey Ryan, nice video! I would be interested in seeing how the tone knob interacts with the strangle circuit on the Jaguar. I know on the Bass VI the tone knob cuts out a lot more low end as you turn it down, and I wonder if it does the same thing on the Jaguar. Maybe I could just go try one in a music shop, but it would be cool to see on your channel too.
Between these 2, the Jazzmaster. Been playing & love the 24" Mustang since I bought a used one circa 1980. My first Fender. Also love Strats. Hadn't really thought about a larger offset, but I do like the sounds from that Jazzmaster.
Thank you for the Jaguar content. I'm in the Market for one and there's a lot of options. I want to hold out for the new Affinity version to see how that compares too. Loved the Player II demo!
I figured you'd have them through in a Mustang as well because of your fairly new found love of their trem system.
Imagine if Fender saw the comments on this video. Maybe they’d show the jag some more love. It seems like there are way more people commenting here that they prefer the Jag over the Jazzmaster. I personally dig the shorter scale myself, but you can get the Jazzmaster feeling super slinky as well and still maintain that 25.5 scale, id that’s your jam. There are no bad options here. Thanks again for the video, man!
Just doing my part to grow demand. If fender sees jags selling they will cater to that market more often.
I bought a 65 reissue Jag back in in the early 00's. It sounded absolutely amazing, but I couldn't get along with it physically at all. Ended up selling it a few weeks later. I had no idea until years later that it was the scale length making all the difference.
One thing to note is the weight difference, my jag weighs 1.5 pounds more than my jazzer, also on the jag it's definitely worth changing the cap on the strangle switch from .003 to .001,makes a huge difference!
I just wished they would make the squier jag in a lefthanded model,I have the squier jazzmaster from sweetwater an I love it MAJE A DAM JAG IN LEFTY FENDER OR SQUIER!!!
preach
Ryan, I always think of 4 guitars for surf; Jags, and Jazzmasters, Strats, and Mosrites.
The scale length is undoubtedly the biggest difference between the two. There is a big difference in feel between a Gibson 24.75" scale and a Fender 25.5" scale, there's a huge difference between 25.5" and 24". You can lessen the difference by using heavier strings on the Jaguar but you'll still notice the difference. I use 11-52 on my Jag, I do tune a half step down, but I would suggest you go with heavier strings than you would onvw 25.5: guitar.
I love my ,'84 Fender Jag .
MIJ.....
I've been wanting a Jazzmaster .... Good video.
i just got me one of those jazzmasters in daphne blue a few months ago. i always wanted a crack at that jangle, and i finally got to it... sounds just how i wanted it to. wish the neck was a tad less chunky, but it'll do. also the pots aren't super responsive on mine, but i guess that isnt a surprise for the price point. i've spent a majority of my guitar playing over the years on short scales, so i bet the jag feels great to play. and that neck w/ block inlays and binding is rad as hell. in conclusion, i think they both do the classic surf thing perfectly. dunno what to recommend to someone as a first surf axe, but the jazz is $30 cheaper, so it has that going for it...
Ok, listened to this video a second time without looking to much.
- There are also Jazzmasters with rithm circuits so that would Have been nice in the comparison.
- the jag, in my opinion, gives a much more subtil tone where the jazz sounds cleaner when playing clean or with reverb only.
- tried to compare them to a mustang ( also shortscale) too..
Cleanest sound ( which i really appreciate) is still the mustang , so my choice is still on .. the mustang , i guess.
To be sure i will have to find a guitar shop where i can rest them, which is not an easy task where i live 😢
Keep up the good work, i love this kind of video’s !👍
What about the Mustang? I was all about the Jazzmaster. I got a Mustang about a year ago and I have just fallen in love. But, they definitely seem to fit the "is it a surf guitar" criteria
I just recently got a mustang and I’m loving it. I need to make a mustang vs jag video.
ryan really coaxes the "boings" out of that jazz!
i thought i'd prefer the jag right at the start, and so i still do. seems more versatile.
Hey, this is a great comparison! I like them both for their differences. As a total beginner I would first be tempted to go with the Jazzmaster. However the Jaguar, well, that sound is definitely different and for the price you are getting something that you can really grow into down the road. The shorter neck will make a difference in comfort which matters to me. I curently have a small Jay Turser LP style guitar with the shorter scale, P90s, and a wiggle stick added on. I used to have a Strat clone but I found that I didn't like it as much. The Jaguar would be my choice. Something to think about when I outgrow this yard sale guitar I bought!
I hope I'm not mansplaining here, but... Frequency decreases as length increases (as we know from moving up and down the fretboard), and the JM is longer, so the JM strings need to be tighter to get the same note as the Jag (assuming they're the same gauge). I guess this contributes to the twanginess.
If you can afford it, buy both. They sound and feel different and will inspire you to play differently. And that's part of the joy of having them.
Full disclosure: I have both in matching white. And I swapped the pickups for Fender vintage versions. Much better sounding pickups that were quite affordable.
Really interesting, and now we need a Mustang vs Jag!