I have this guitar, i´m so falling in love, and this price es great, i buy this guitar for 800 dollars (no new but in a 9.8 of 10) es mi favourite guitar (sorry i speak spanish)
Was my first electric guitar (in sunburst). Bought many new guitars now, even a "Gretsch Falcon PE Midnight Sapphire" and more similar expensive ones. Still one of my favourites - the Gretsch pickups are a lot better from my perspective, but the guitar is not as versatile.
I would immediately reverse the Strangle and Kill switches: Strangle - Down should be not engaged, and up should be engaged, just like the pickup switches. Kill switch, down should be on so if you accidentally strum down and hit it, you dont kill your sound.... its also easy to do the Tom Morello stutter sounds when down is ON.
On a standard Jaguar, the strangle switch is engaged in the up position not the down position. That's even true on the other Classic Player Jaguars. It would be easy to remove the pickup selector plate and flip the switch over. I forgot how incredibly versatile this guitar is. While I miss not having the rhythm circuit, the coil splitting makes total sense.
Something odd is happening in my life...I watched a few YT videos of the greatest guitar players. Really enjoyed the Texas Blues/soul stuff. Well, last qeek, I went out for my evening walk after dark, and someone had put a Stagg SW201N-VT, in near perfect condition, out on the curb. I was kind of stunned as to why anyone would toss such a nice looking instrument out for trash night. So, I took it home. It was quite dusty, like it hadn't been touched in some years.I carefully cleaned it using a dampened washcloth and mild dish detergent solution, .using moistened Q-tips around the more detailed parts. Then, TONIGHT i decided to take another after dark walk and about 3 blocks away from where I found the guitar was a Peavy Rage 158..with several wires...I just bought THAT home as well. It works!!! Does God want me to learn to play a guitar? This is crazy!!!
Get a tremolo spring. If you use the tremolo bar, you definitely should get one of the little springs that Fender sells for their trem systems. It’s meant to be dropped in the hole before you screw in the bar. It will make the bar stay wherever you position it. When you unscrew the bar to take it off, the spring should stay inside the hole. It does that because there’s a plastic plug at the bottom and the spring gets lodged into the plastic and won’t fall out.
I’ve owned this guitar for about 11 years now and it’s become my workhorse. You can find a way to fit it into almost anything you want to play. I swapped out the bridge for a Mastery but otherwise my only complaint is the switches feel loose and cheap. It’s a brilliant instrument.
This review didn’t mention how you can blend the pick up sound to be a veritable blend of single and Hum bucker sound. This is the only guitar I’ve ever seen where you can vary the amount of hum er versus single coil
Removing gloss finish from the back of the neck is easy. Use a green kitchen scrubby (a new, clean one ... duh). Best to take the neck off and tape over the place where you want the buffing to end. Be gentle, wipe with a damp cloth, and test feel frequently. Remember - is is a lot easier to take more off than to add some back. Within a few minutes you have a super smooth, non-sticky satin finish. I've done this on 4 different guitars and never regretted it. In two cases I found I needed truss rod adjustments within a week after because the neck back bowed. Sort of freaked me out, but after adjusting, all guitars stayed stable for years.
I love the Jaguars also! A little trick for if you accidentally hit the switches, pop the switch plate, and put a small washer in between the switch and plate on each screw, bringing the switch down in the cavity and reducing the height from the front. 👍🤘
I also am not a fan of gloss necks, so I hit them with a little 0000 steel wool till it's nice and smooth. Doesn't take much, no need to go down to bare wood either
As a lifelong guitar player, I have to agree with all the good, and less good, points you made about this guitar! Throughout the years I’ve collected USA made Strats, aTelecaster, Jazzmaster, Gibson SG, Les Paul, PRS, Rickenbacker, etc. And while I’ll grab each one every once in a while I find myself always coming back to this same Mexican assembled Jaguar Classic Player HH (in Sunburst) as my “go to” guitar! The overall playing comfort, balance, and wide-variety of tones I can get out of this guitar seems to stand out over and above all the others in my collection. As I watched your video I was amazed that I was in complete agreement of each pro and con you made, including neck shape acceptability, truss rod placement, excessive neck varnish, confusion of humbucker knob controls and switches. I was also glad to see that it just wasn’t me who had such a high regard for this guitar, and a guitar that didn’t have to “break the bank” to own either! Great assessment, playing, and overall video!
I have that same guitar. It's a super versatile guitar as you say. If anyone is interested Fender do still make this model (pick up and switching wise) in sonic blue and surf green. They now call it a "vintage modified HH" i believe. Still one of my main guitars. My favourite setting is with the bottom switches all up, Bridge in full humbucking and neck rolled off about half way on the top dial. Great video.
One mod I had a guitar tech do on my jag was to file down the switch at the top. It works just fine not protruding as much, and it helps avoid the issue you mentioned of accidentally hitting it when playing live.
I got mine (without humbuckers though) about two months ago and I'm still so proud 😍 It's my first electric guitar so I don't really have a valuable opinion, but so far i love it!!
Going on 10 years of heavy use with this guitar, have only had to set it up once in a whole decade and it still sounds amazing, and gig with it all the time. I got it used for $650, only damage was a cosmetic dent on the back. GET ONE
I always wanted a jaguar since the early nineties. I finally got a used one last year. The one I bought is identical to the one you are playing in every way. I was surprised at how many sonic options are available. It's become my main go to guitar for most of what I do. I love it!
@@vincentl.9469this one is better I think than a Stratocaster , I was in the market for a strat/tele/Jaguar & after 5 months of listening to all kinds of tones on all 3 I finally decided on the Jaguar and I'm glad I did , arriving any day now
Man, I wish this video was up when I bought mine! Have had the same one for almost a year now and can't put it down. This was such a comprehensive review thanks!
Mike, your videos are great in that they make you feel like you're just hanging out with another guitar bud that a lot of us married, older(me) or younger couch guitar players don't really have. Thank you. Appreciate what you do. 🎸👌
I had one of these in sunburst about ten years ago and I foolishly sold. It is one of few guitars I've gotten rid of that I truly regret it and would take it back if I could. I replaced the pickups with the Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz pair, as well as knocked a lot of the finish off the neck for the reasons you mentioned. They regularly fetch way more on Reverb than what I sold it for, and I can never justify it with the amount of guitars I have now.
I love the different functions of the controls from a normal Jag. Having the split coil humbuckers makes this the most versatile guitar ever.. If I ever get a Jag I'll try to put in split coil too.
Great review except you forgot to mention its 24” scale length and how it feels to play a shorter scale guitar compared to the usual 25.5” and 24.75” - I’d like to know! I have the Classic Player SS version but I hated the pickup switching and so I rewired it with a Tele style 4-way switch.
Thanks for this review. When you talked about the comfort of this guitar, I knew exactly what that is. It is hard to beat a Fender offset on that front.
Outstanding video. I own a Jaguar and Jazzmaster and have the same issues with them that you pointed out, but still enjoy both. Thanks for an honest review
That’s my baby! This guitar was my first serious guitar and I have to totally agree with you it’s definitely the most versatile guitar I’ve ever played. It won’t get a strat tone perfectly but it will do a damn good try and on top of that dozens of other tones.
Great review! I’ve owned this model in sunburst for years and it’s great. I really like having the pickup knobs somewhere in the middle to get a sound in between single coil and humbucker.
That’s a really good point; all the reviews I’ve seen (including this) I’ve not realised (not had it been pointed out) that you can blend one pickup to find a position somewhere between single coil and humbucker. Thanks!
I’ve been playing this exact model (and colour) for a few years now as my main guitar and I’m in love with it. That said i have the same qualms with the heavy lacquer and killswitch. Still a gorgeous guitar I will never get rid of
As a 30+ year guitar player, I discovered this guitar when trading in a bunch of outboard gear that I wasn't using as I went further ITB. I always grabbed it as my stuff was being appraised and after checking out the wiring, I had to have it. You are right, the versatility is amazing. I've always been a Gibson/Epiphone/ESP guy, but this Jag and a Nashville Tele are my only Fenders. The only guitar I have found I can get nearly as much tonal options out of would be my Nighthawk, followed by the Epiphone version of the Thunderhorse. Having the push/pull AND independent volumes gets you SO MUCH.
Dude. I got the same Bjj injury on my left side. Had a guy training for pan-ams come in randomly to train with our team and he was going ham. Still sticks out 6 years later.
Once you try short scale there's no way back. It's like playing a 25,5" with capo on the 1st. Seems insignificant, but if your fingers are short every millimeter counts (I have a Bullet Mustang and a replica)
Use a magic eraser on the back of the neck to get rid of the glossy stickiness. I did it and it is perfect. Feels exactly like one of the new ultra necks.
I had a Vintera version and it had so many issues. The frets were cut terribly and were tarnished out of the box. They kept tarnishing as well, even after a couple weeks from polishing. Tremolo system broke after a couple months. G, B & E strings always popped out of the nut as it wasn't cut properly. Action wasn't set properly and the neck needed to be removed to adjust the truss rod. Guitar was kept in a climate controlled room inside its 'gig bag' it came with. Had to wait about 10 months for it to arrive as well. Currently in the process of trying to return it after under 6 months and Fender support is a joke... Beware...
That sucks. I bought a Fender Mustang Vinterra back in January and have had no issues with it. I guess the only problem is that mine didn't come with a tremolo bar for some reason. I hope you can get that guitar returned
Yeah, a lot of the problems you describe aren't difficult fixes if you can do your own maintenance. But if you can't, it's a few hundred dollars of fixes, and that defeats the purpose of a brand-new guitar. I got a maple-neck Player Tele with a flat nut and some high frets causing buzzing. But it's killer otherwise: some nice grain on the fretboard and headstock, and the sustain is so damn good. Not sure why it's so good sounding, but I didn't want to return it unless I found another that sounded just as good. However, I'm kind of a diy-er, and I'll just fix and dress the frets and replace the nut myself. Also, Ill solder in a new capacitor and maybe replace the pickups some day. The tools to do so cost money upfront, but the savings really add up. I realized I could do all that stuff myself thanks to watching UA-cam videos such as on StewMac's page. All you need is the tools and a cheap guitar to practice on. My old Squier Strat is going to be up to American Standard spec at some point LOL.
Thanks for this explanation of the controls. I have one these. I had no idea what the roller controls did. I thought they were broken! I have upgraded the trem arm and collett to a staytrem push in arm. The screw in arm started to rattle. Not good. Also the tune o matic bridge rattles on the G string. I order a replacement and got the same thing with the replacement. The thread on the saddles are poorly machined. I fixed it with some light strength thread lock glue. It now plays pretty well without having to shim the neck.
I was from the «only US-made Fender’s are good»-school. Last summer I ended up bying a classic series strat, now I’ve three MiMs. They are the perfect guitars to mod, like changing pickups. To be honest, I play my MiMs way more than my two MiA (which are great too).
'i love the way it feels, whether i'm standing up or sitting down...' *snicker* always wanted one of these; now i want one even more. it's much more versatile, sound-wise, than i thought - i, like most, associate it with surf, and that treble-y, warble-y tone. i'd definitely flip around the bottom switched, so the 'down' position is 'on' instead of 'off', and swap the kill switch for a non-latching button, more like what buckethead uses. but that's just preference.
I've had one of these for 6 years, and I absolutely love it! Besides my MIA Strat (hot rodded with DiMarzios), this is one of the best guitars I've played. Such a versatile instrument for recording and perfroming!
Why not strip the lacquer back to the wood? Then refinish it with Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil, gun stock finishing oil. After several ultra thin coats, you'll have a hard, durable finish that's super slick even with sweaty hands. It's dirt cheap, easy to apply and delivers a spectacular result.
Thanks for the review’ I just brought the exact same jaguar the same color and everything and I’m stoked to have u do I review on it’ thanks heaps they really are a fantastic guitar and so multipurpose ✌️💯
I play in a nirvana cover band and wanted to get a sunburst jag to really punch the nostalgia with kurts and people love it, I get so many compliments and it feels so good to play def one of my favourite guitars
I bought my dream jaguar in '96, 3 tone sunburst with 2 single coils. It buzzed all the time unless I held my hand on the bridge. The bridge itself rocked back and forth during play and threw it out of tune. The buttons and switches were neat looking but more complicated for my amateur playing/ear. I sold it and wasn't sad to see it go.
Something you can do to the neck to smooth out the thick lacquer is take some 0000 grade steel wool and just run it up and down the neck. Won’t scratch the neck up but thins out the thick lacquer making it nice and smooth to play
I own two Mexican strats one from the 2nd year Fender released it an a 70's reissue from the early 2000's they are both solid guitars. Mexican fenders are awesome guitars. That is why Mexican fenders are now more expensive. They hold up well, Mexican fenders used to be looked at like the early Squier guitars. Also any Mexican reissue was more true than the American reissues American had 22 frets, Mexican 21 frets. More historically accurate.
First of all, awesome review! As for the thumbwheels, I have an idea - maybe you could stick or paint something bright on them, like a white dot? Or even UV or phosphorous ink if you want to be able to see them in the dark or under UV light?
Most people aren't good within a year. I listen to old recordings from even a year and a half in and I was terrible, and I've gotten better even faster than most. Usually around 2 or 3 years you start to sound good some of the time, and somewhere around the 4 or 5 year mark you can really consistently sound great all the time.
Somehow knew your reviews would be brutally honest and its refreshing to hear, keep it up Mike! BTW - This review came in literally the day after my Kurt Cobain Jaguar arrived... Glad I made the right choice!!
Damn..I was using this guitar for years without knowing anything. I just tested it at my jamming section and taped all the buttons when I got the sound I liked. It has been 12 years since then. 😅
When I go for a sound through all the HB, Teles, Strats I end up with exactly that Jag lately. All the others are more or less one trick ponys - the Jaguar can do it all!!❤
Some of the most interesting pickup sounds are the in-between humbucker and single coil sounds. Huge number of variables not addressed here. Most general listeners would never know the difference though. Definitely a player nuance thing.
For sure, the kids got the most honest face in the biz. Nice guitar, I just bought a fender bullet mustang and It is an amazing quality for under $150…!
good to hear fender addressed the bridge on the jag. i had one about a decade ago and strings would fly off the bridge with any tremolo usage. it was infuriating
You don’t have to take the neck off. Have you’re buddy Mike dremmel you an access when he sands the neck. You can get a small flat head screwdriver in there for minor adjustments as the seasons change.
Thank you for this! I've been thinking about getting one of these for our overseas mini tours to replace two Jazzmasters, one stock and one woth WRHB. It won't be the *same* but I feel lile this will capture the vibe enough for the material to only have to travel with one guitar and minimal tonal compromise.
There is an easy permanent fix for the plug-in floppy trem arm on your JM. Works on mine and it still moves easily and then stays put no matter where you leave it.
Besides the incredible versatility of this thing, the sounds themselves are absolutely incredible! That thing sounds killer!! Fender has completely nailed down that huge humbucker sound! Excellent guitar and equally good review.
I had a special hh Japan made from the early 2000s. I loved that guitar, and even my guitar teacher who was a 80’s guitars guy was very fond of it. I got rid of it stupidly in need of cash. Trying to decide if I want to try to find that one again or get something like this now
I have one of these and it's a workhorse. The variety of tones is great. I agree with everything you said about it. I've freaked out over the kill switch (even though I knew about it already). The neck is a little sticky but not too bad. The blenders are a little annoying without numbers but it's some of the coolest tech I have in a guitar (second to my Fernandes Sustainer in the Ed O'Brien Strat). I like a nice bridge humbucker with single coil neck sound myself so I usually keep them in place and flip the switches if I want quick changes. Dig the video and I'm now a subscriber!
Same issue: rib that protrudes a bit from BJJ. It's a great guitar and feels great; however, this thing is heavy! It's a very heavy guitar to be playing for an extended period of time while standing and/or performing. The sound versatility and the playability are fantastic, though. I've had it for a few years now, but I think I should have gotten it professionally adjusted, and I think I'll be doing that soon.
Wow! Really impressed! I've heard a lot positive things about the Enforcer pickups, but that thumbwheel seems to act more like a coil tap than a splitter. I could not here any volume drop going from the humbucker too single coil. Wish I would have picked one of these up years ago. I do not care for the Vintera HH Jag; those Atomic Humbuckers sound more like a Dimarzio Super Distortion. Thanks for the review, really enjoyed the versatility of this guitar!
The only Fender guitar I want to get, like the variety of tones you can get with it. The one thing I don't like is that truss rod system, but otherwise looks like a great instrument.
These tuning pegs were annoying until I figured out I could just wrap it first...before I was sticking the string in there and shoving a tiny allen wrench in the hole with the string to hold the string in place. That failed far too often. I just have a regular Jaguar Classic so no humbuckers. My switches are in the same places but the top "rhythm" circuit slider knobs are just volume/tone and only can use 1 pickup. Only the lead circuit can use both pickups.
I've never been exposed to Jaguars before but that versatility is insane! Never seen a guitar do all that so smoothly before
I have this guitar, i´m so falling in love, and this price es great, i buy this guitar for 800 dollars (no new but in a 9.8 of 10) es mi favourite guitar (sorry i speak spanish)
@@jselmo4968 no need to apologize! :)
I am happy you're enjoying it, another reason to buy it!!
Fender stat. The goat
@@jselmo4968 24" scale means chords are slightly easier than on a Strat or Tele
Was my first electric guitar (in sunburst). Bought many new guitars now, even a "Gretsch Falcon PE Midnight Sapphire" and more similar expensive ones. Still one of my favourites - the Gretsch pickups are a lot better from my perspective, but the guitar is not as versatile.
This is going to be a great series, can’t wait to see more
yassss
He has this calming, sincere tone to his voice. It makes me think he’s probably a really teacher, especially for kids. That’s a gift.
i agree man i adore him and his videos. what a great youtuber
He did that stuff yeah
Can’t wait to see what you say about the Les Paul and the Explorer.
I would immediately reverse the Strangle and Kill switches:
Strangle - Down should be not engaged, and up should be engaged, just like the pickup switches.
Kill switch, down should be on so if you accidentally strum down and hit it, you dont kill your sound.... its also easy to do the Tom Morello stutter sounds when down is ON.
On a standard Jaguar, the strangle switch is engaged in the up position not the down position. That's even true on the other Classic Player Jaguars. It would be easy to remove the pickup selector plate and flip the switch over. I forgot how incredibly versatile this guitar is. While I miss not having the rhythm circuit, the coil splitting makes total sense.
Something odd is happening in my life...I watched a few YT videos of the greatest guitar players. Really enjoyed the Texas Blues/soul stuff. Well, last qeek, I went out for my evening walk after dark, and someone had put a Stagg SW201N-VT, in near perfect condition, out on the curb. I was kind of stunned as to why anyone would toss such a nice looking instrument out for trash night. So, I took it home. It was quite dusty, like it hadn't been touched in some years.I carefully cleaned it using a dampened washcloth and mild dish detergent solution, .using moistened Q-tips around the more detailed parts.
Then, TONIGHT i decided to take another after dark walk and about 3 blocks away from where I found the guitar was a Peavy Rage 158..with several wires...I just bought THAT home as well. It works!!!
Does God want me to learn to play a guitar? This is crazy!!!
Do it man, you will love playing guitar. I've been playing guitar for nearly 4 years now and i can't wait to get out of hospital to play my Meteora.
Someone's partner was angry, and someone else got lucky (you!). You'll be shredding by next summer. Keep on keeping on 🤟
@@simonfinch9277 I'm so jealous that you got a meteora, did you get the one with humbuckers or single coils?
Yo that’s crazy, yeah man, you really should try and learn and have some fun!!
@@simonfinch9277 Wow, maybe you're playing guitar a little too hard.
Get a tremolo spring. If you use the tremolo bar, you definitely should get one of the little springs that Fender sells for their trem systems. It’s meant to be dropped in the hole before you screw in the bar. It will make the bar stay wherever you position it. When you unscrew the bar to take it off, the spring should stay inside the hole. It does that because there’s a plastic plug at the bottom and the spring gets lodged into the plastic and won’t fall out.
I love how most Fenders are almost tailor made for any type guitarist instead of Gibsons which need you to conform to their body shape.
I mean, that's the exact opposite of "tailor made". It's one-size-fits-all (vs. one-size-fits-some-people for the Gibsons) xD
@@jasondoe2596 think he’s saying it feels like it’s tailor made
Fenders are more comfortable to play than Gibsons.
In my humble opinion Les Paul's are the perfect shape
I’ve owned this guitar for about 11 years now and it’s become my workhorse. You can find a way to fit it into almost anything you want to play. I swapped out the bridge for a Mastery but otherwise my only complaint is the switches feel loose and cheap. It’s a brilliant instrument.
I bought a sunburst one of these as my first “real” guitar in 2009 when I was 14 and it’s still my huckleberry to this day.
Best color by far.
I also bought it back then except it was my 30th birthday gift, as close to the K Cobain as my wife could afford, however It’s an amazing guitar
I've always dug these but knowing it has a single/hum blend just sold me on the model.
This review didn’t mention how you can blend the pick up sound to be a veritable blend of single and Hum bucker sound. This is the only guitar I’ve ever seen where you can vary the amount of hum er versus single coil
Removing gloss finish from the back of the neck is easy. Use a green kitchen scrubby (a new, clean one ... duh). Best to take the neck off and tape over the place where you want the buffing to end. Be gentle, wipe with a damp cloth, and test feel frequently. Remember - is is a lot easier to take more off than to add some back. Within a few minutes you have a super smooth, non-sticky satin finish. I've done this on 4 different guitars and never regretted it. In two cases I found I needed truss rod adjustments within a week after because the neck back bowed. Sort of freaked me out, but after adjusting, all guitars stayed stable for years.
I love the Jaguars also! A little trick for if you accidentally hit the switches, pop the switch plate, and put a small washer in between the switch and plate on each screw, bringing the switch down in the cavity and reducing the height from the front. 👍🤘
I also am not a fan of gloss necks, so I hit them with a little 0000 steel wool till it's nice and smooth. Doesn't take much, no need to go down to bare wood either
As a lifelong guitar player, I have to agree with all the good, and less good, points you made about this guitar! Throughout the years I’ve collected USA made Strats, aTelecaster, Jazzmaster, Gibson SG, Les Paul, PRS, Rickenbacker, etc. And while I’ll grab each one every once in a while I find myself always coming back to this same Mexican assembled Jaguar Classic Player HH (in Sunburst) as my “go to” guitar! The overall playing comfort, balance, and wide-variety of tones I can get out of this guitar seems to stand out over and above all the others in my collection.
As I watched your video I was amazed that I was in complete agreement of each pro and con you made, including neck shape acceptability, truss rod placement, excessive neck varnish, confusion of humbucker knob controls and switches. I was also glad to see that it just wasn’t me who had such a high regard for this guitar, and a guitar that didn’t have to “break the bank” to own either! Great assessment, playing, and overall video!
I have that same guitar. It's a super versatile guitar as you say. If anyone is interested Fender do still make this model (pick up and switching wise) in sonic blue and surf green. They now call it a "vintage modified HH" i believe. Still one of my main guitars. My favourite setting is with the bottom switches all up, Bridge in full humbucking and neck rolled off about half way on the top dial. Great video.
One mod I had a guitar tech do on my jag was to file down the switch at the top. It works just fine not protruding as much, and it helps avoid the issue you mentioned of accidentally hitting it when playing live.
Great to hear more about this particular type of guitar. Such a versatile sounding instrument.
I got mine (without humbuckers though) about two months ago and I'm still so proud 😍 It's my first electric guitar so I don't really have a valuable opinion, but so far i love it!!
Going on 10 years of heavy use with this guitar, have only had to set it up once in a whole decade and it still sounds amazing, and gig with it all the time. I got it used for $650, only damage was a cosmetic dent on the back. GET ONE
I’m really looking forward to the flying V, or the Ibanez Jem
I played this guitar in a store years ago and it was an amazing experience
I always wanted a jaguar since the early nineties. I finally got a used one last year. The one I bought is identical to the one you are playing in every way. I was surprised at how many sonic options are available. It's become my main go to guitar for most of what I do. I love it!
How much did you pay?
but not as versatile as a Strat
@@vincentl.9469this one is better I think than a Stratocaster , I was in the market for a strat/tele/Jaguar & after 5 months of listening to all kinds of tones on all 3 I finally decided on the Jaguar and I'm glad I did , arriving any day now
Man, I wish this video was up when I bought mine! Have had the same one for almost a year now and can't put it down. This was such a comprehensive review thanks!
Mike, your videos are great in that they make you feel like you're just hanging out with another guitar bud that a lot of us married, older(me) or younger couch guitar players don't really have. Thank you. Appreciate what you do. 🎸👌
Welcome to the hang! :)
@@TheArtofGuitar thank you
I feel in love with the Jaguar after seeing kurt Cobain play one... In my opinion, it's the best looking guitar I've seen.
out off curiousity what was ur favorite sounding guitar that one off your student brought in for lessons?
I had one of these in sunburst about ten years ago and I foolishly sold. It is one of few guitars I've gotten rid of that I truly regret it and would take it back if I could. I replaced the pickups with the Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz pair, as well as knocked a lot of the finish off the neck for the reasons you mentioned.
They regularly fetch way more on Reverb than what I sold it for, and I can never justify it with the amount of guitars I have now.
I love the different functions of the controls from a normal Jag. Having the split coil humbuckers makes this the most versatile guitar ever.. If I ever get a Jag I'll try to put in split coil too.
You can always paint white lines in those dials (or mix colors from white to red) to know more or less in what position they currently are.
Great review except you forgot to mention its 24” scale length and how it feels to play a shorter scale guitar compared to the usual 25.5” and 24.75” - I’d like to know! I have the Classic Player SS version but I hated the pickup switching and so I rewired it with a Tele style 4-way switch.
On Fender 24" scale guitars the bridge mount is moved up towards the neck.
It feels awkward at first. But you get used to it.
Thanks for this review. When you talked about the comfort of this guitar, I knew exactly what that is. It is hard to beat a Fender offset on that front.
Outstanding video. I own a Jaguar and Jazzmaster and have the same issues with them that you pointed out, but still enjoy both. Thanks for an honest review
That’s my baby! This guitar was my first serious guitar and I have to totally agree with you it’s definitely the most versatile guitar I’ve ever played. It won’t get a strat tone perfectly but it will do a damn good try and on top of that dozens of other tones.
Great review! I’ve owned this model in sunburst for years and it’s great. I really like having the pickup knobs somewhere in the middle to get a sound in between single coil and humbucker.
That’s a really good point; all the reviews I’ve seen (including this) I’ve not realised (not had it been pointed out) that you can blend one pickup to find a position somewhere between single coil and humbucker. Thanks!
This is a nice series you've started Mike. Look forward to all the honest reviews!!
I’ve been playing this exact model (and colour) for a few years now as my main guitar and I’m in love with it. That said i have the same qualms with the heavy lacquer and killswitch. Still a gorgeous guitar I will never get rid of
How much do you think it's worth? I found one for 750$. Is it too much?
Love the mustang as a kurt cobain fan im happy about this video
But that's a Jaguar haha
But that's a Jaguar haha
But that’s a jaguar haha
But that’s a jaguar haha
oh crap you guys were right my bad! Lol
As a 30+ year guitar player, I discovered this guitar when trading in a bunch of outboard gear that I wasn't using as I went further ITB. I always grabbed it as my stuff was being appraised and after checking out the wiring, I had to have it. You are right, the versatility is amazing. I've always been a Gibson/Epiphone/ESP guy, but this Jag and a Nashville Tele are my only Fenders. The only guitar I have found I can get nearly as much tonal options out of would be my Nighthawk, followed by the Epiphone version of the Thunderhorse. Having the push/pull AND independent volumes gets you SO MUCH.
I have owned many mid priced guitars over this half century. My take is that if you can obtain only one guitar, this is the one!
"I have this injury and i never quite got it fixed" lol that's such a jiu jitsu thing to say, all casual too
Dude. I got the same Bjj injury on my left side. Had a guy training for pan-ams come in randomly to train with our team and he was going ham. Still sticks out 6 years later.
5:55 most Ibanez guitars with an edge tremolo have a screw accessed from the back that adjusts the trem bar tension
Are ibanez trems better than Floyd rose? I'm planning to get the most expensive S series some day
Jaguar is definitely one of those guitars that I really want to own one day. The shorter scale length sounds nice too for us small hand havers.
Once you try short scale there's no way back. It's like playing a 25,5" with capo on the 1st. Seems insignificant, but if your fingers are short every millimeter counts (I have a Bullet Mustang and a replica)
Use a magic eraser on the back of the neck to get rid of the glossy stickiness. I did it and it is perfect. Feels exactly like one of the new ultra necks.
The way you causally mention how you dislocated your rib and never got it fixed 😂
I’ve had a Jaguar for a couple months now, and I really like it but I never really knew what all the switches did until now
I love the versatility of Jaguars, even my single coil squire can get me a range of sounds from full bright tones to scooped heavier tones!
I had a Vintera version and it had so many issues.
The frets were cut terribly and were tarnished out of the box. They kept tarnishing as well, even after a couple weeks from polishing.
Tremolo system broke after a couple months.
G, B & E strings always popped out of the nut as it wasn't cut properly.
Action wasn't set properly and the neck needed to be removed to adjust the truss rod.
Guitar was kept in a climate controlled room inside its 'gig bag' it came with.
Had to wait about 10 months for it to arrive as well.
Currently in the process of trying to return it after under 6 months and Fender support is a joke...
Beware...
Thanks for the tip - I would never know that the vintage version of the mex fenders are fragile - I buy Squier
That sucks. I bought a Fender Mustang Vinterra back in January and have had no issues with it. I guess the only problem is that mine didn't come with a tremolo bar for some reason. I hope you can get that guitar returned
Yeah, a lot of the problems you describe aren't difficult fixes if you can do your own maintenance. But if you can't, it's a few hundred dollars of fixes, and that defeats the purpose of a brand-new guitar.
I got a maple-neck Player Tele with a flat nut and some high frets causing buzzing. But it's killer otherwise: some nice grain on the fretboard and headstock, and the sustain is so damn good. Not sure why it's so good sounding, but I didn't want to return it unless I found another that sounded just as good.
However, I'm kind of a diy-er, and I'll just fix and dress the frets and replace the nut myself. Also, Ill solder in a new capacitor and maybe replace the pickups some day. The tools to do so cost money upfront, but the savings really add up.
I realized I could do all that stuff myself thanks to watching UA-cam videos such as on StewMac's page. All you need is the tools and a cheap guitar to practice on. My old Squier Strat is going to be up to American Standard spec at some point LOL.
Have had the same model for years (and also love it). I honestly never noticed the tremolo lock. Thanks for that
Springs usually come for American fenders to put in the trem hole. Then it locks in place when you tighten it down.
Thanks for this explanation of the controls. I have one these. I had no idea what the roller controls did. I thought they were broken!
I have upgraded the trem arm and collett to a staytrem push in arm. The screw in arm started to rattle. Not good.
Also the tune o matic bridge rattles on the G string. I order a replacement and got the same thing with the replacement. The thread on the saddles are poorly machined. I fixed it with some light strength thread lock glue. It now plays pretty well without having to shim the neck.
I was from the «only US-made Fender’s are good»-school. Last summer I ended up bying a classic series strat, now I’ve three MiMs. They are the perfect guitars to mod, like changing pickups. To be honest, I play my MiMs way more than my two MiA (which are great too).
MIMs are great value for the money, one of my all time favourites is the MIM Baja Tele 😁
Okay being able to do both single and humbucker is cool.
Sounds like the ultimate Fender.
'i love the way it feels, whether i'm standing up or sitting down...'
*snicker*
always wanted one of these; now i want one even more. it's much more versatile, sound-wise, than i thought - i, like most, associate it with surf, and that treble-y, warble-y tone. i'd definitely flip around the bottom switched, so the 'down' position is 'on' instead of 'off', and swap the kill switch for a non-latching button, more like what buckethead uses. but that's just preference.
I've had one of these for 6 years, and I absolutely love it! Besides my MIA Strat (hot rodded with DiMarzios), this is one of the best guitars I've played. Such a versatile instrument for recording and perfroming!
Don’t have the Jaguar but a MiM player strat. Player series seem to have pretty good quality control and has a pretty good price for what it is.
I think this is my favorite out of your guitars. It’s so beautiful🥲
I have one of these, 2012 HH Sunburst. What a fantastic guitar it is. It can do basically anything
Why not strip the lacquer back to the wood? Then refinish it with Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil, gun stock finishing oil. After several ultra thin coats, you'll have a hard, durable finish that's super slick even with sweaty hands. It's dirt cheap, easy to apply and delivers a spectacular result.
That is a seriously versatile guitar! You got some killer tones, sounded amazing!!
Thanks for the review’ I just brought the exact same jaguar the same color and everything and I’m stoked to have u do I review on it’ thanks heaps they really are a fantastic guitar and so multipurpose ✌️💯
I play in a nirvana cover band and wanted to get a sunburst jag to really punch the nostalgia with kurts and people love it, I get so many compliments and it feels so good to play def one of my favourite guitars
I bought my dream jaguar in '96, 3 tone sunburst with 2 single coils. It buzzed all the time unless I held my hand on the bridge. The bridge itself rocked back and forth during play and threw it out of tune. The buttons and switches were neat looking but more complicated for my amateur playing/ear. I sold it and wasn't sad to see it go.
Something you can do to the neck to smooth out the thick lacquer is take some 0000 grade steel wool and just run it up and down the neck. Won’t scratch the neck up but thins out the thick lacquer making it nice and smooth to play
5:54 on the JEM you can adjust the friction of the bar by a screw from the backside of the trem system!
Wow, so many styles makes and models to choose from. Thanks for explaining.
I have the black hh special with the dragster humbuckers. I absolutely love it. It's one of those guitars that you sweet swear was made for you.
I own two Mexican strats one from the 2nd year Fender released it an a 70's reissue from the early 2000's they are both solid guitars. Mexican fenders are awesome guitars. That is why Mexican fenders are now more expensive. They hold up well, Mexican fenders used to be looked at like the early Squier guitars. Also any Mexican reissue was more true than the American reissues American had 22 frets, Mexican 21 frets. More historically accurate.
First of all, awesome review! As for the thumbwheels, I have an idea - maybe you could stick or paint something bright on them, like a white dot? Or even UV or phosphorous ink if you want to be able to see them in the dark or under UV light?
Still I'm taking lessons after a year my goodness I just suck. That's all I wanted to say.
Me, too. I seriously doubt that I'll ever be any good, but it's been fun learning.
I feel your pain
Don’t feel bad about it. No body who plays guitar that’s not a prodigy got super good in a year.
On my lesson website?
Most people aren't good within a year. I listen to old recordings from even a year and a half in and I was terrible, and I've gotten better even faster than most. Usually around 2 or 3 years you start to sound good some of the time, and somewhere around the 4 or 5 year mark you can really consistently sound great all the time.
Nice to see some Offset love, Mike. I have a traditional Jaguar and a Duo-Sonic HS, probably all I'll ever need.
Somehow knew your reviews would be brutally honest and its refreshing to hear, keep it up Mike! BTW - This review came in literally the day after my Kurt Cobain Jaguar arrived...
Glad I made the right choice!!
Damn..I was using this guitar for years without knowing anything. I just tested it at my jamming section and taped all the buttons when I got the sound I liked. It has been 12 years since then. 😅
When I go for a sound through all the HB, Teles, Strats I end up with exactly that Jag lately. All the others are more or less one trick ponys - the Jaguar can do it all!!❤
Some of the most interesting pickup sounds are the in-between humbucker and single coil sounds. Huge number of variables not addressed here. Most general listeners would never know the difference though. Definitely a player nuance thing.
I regret selling mine so much. It was an amazing guitar. The shorter neck scale also made it super fun to play.
I love short scale! Helps with my fretting hand tendonitis issues.
@@voronOsphere what size strings did you use?
I’m going to upgrade my guitar for the first time soon, I’m deciding between a Jaguar and a Telecaster.
Jaguar
Jazzmaster
Jagstang
a drum set
I got one a couple months ago and can confirm it's a fantastic instrument
This was really informative since I have a Jazzmaster and I never really bothered to check what the buttons and dials actually do ha! so thanks!
2 pots and 6 switches... it's a nightmare.
A 3 way switch (like a Telecaster) and 2 push-pull pots would be much better!
This might be the best UA-cam review of this guitar. Thanks bruh.
For sure, the kids got the most honest face in the biz.
Nice guitar, I just bought a fender bullet mustang and It is an amazing quality for under $150…!
good to hear fender addressed the bridge on the jag. i had one about a decade ago and strings would fly off the bridge with any tremolo usage. it was infuriating
You don’t have to take the neck off. Have you’re buddy Mike dremmel you an access when he sands the neck. You can get a small flat head screwdriver in there for minor adjustments as the seasons change.
If I didn't have a Kurt Cobain Jaguar, I'd definitely have one of these.
what's the difference between the KC Jag vs this one? or the blacktop Jaguar HH?
@@carlosmurua9946 the Cobain Jaguar has a Strat neck and different switches
This is what i play on and its awesome. I still dont really get all the switches and stuff but the neck pickup jams
Thanks, Mike! I love shorter scale guitars!
I bought same model and it is the best guitar i ever played. The sinlge coil sound is so amazing
Thank you for this! I've been thinking about getting one of these for our overseas mini tours to replace two Jazzmasters, one stock and one woth WRHB. It won't be the *same* but I feel lile this will capture the vibe enough for the material to only have to travel with one guitar and minimal tonal compromise.
I play one now and the learning curve wasn't too bad once i got used to it now i play it as my main guitar.
There is an easy permanent fix for the plug-in floppy trem arm on your JM. Works on mine and it still moves easily and then stays put no matter where you leave it.
Besides the incredible versatility of this thing, the sounds themselves are absolutely incredible! That thing sounds killer!! Fender has completely nailed down that huge humbucker sound! Excellent guitar and equally good review.
I had a special hh Japan made from the early 2000s. I loved that guitar, and even my guitar teacher who was a 80’s guitars guy was very fond of it. I got rid of it stupidly in need of cash.
Trying to decide if I want to try to find that one again or get something like this now
I have one of these and it's a workhorse. The variety of tones is great. I agree with everything you said about it. I've freaked out over the kill switch (even though I knew about it already). The neck is a little sticky but not too bad. The blenders are a little annoying without numbers but it's some of the coolest tech I have in a guitar (second to my Fernandes Sustainer in the Ed O'Brien Strat). I like a nice bridge humbucker with single coil neck sound myself so I usually keep them in place and flip the switches if I want quick changes. Dig the video and I'm now a subscriber!
Same issue: rib that protrudes a bit from BJJ. It's a great guitar and feels great; however, this thing is heavy! It's a very heavy guitar to be playing for an extended period of time while standing and/or performing. The sound versatility and the playability are fantastic, though. I've had it for a few years now, but I think I should have gotten it professionally adjusted, and I think I'll be doing that soon.
Good to see another guitarist jiu jitsu guy, that's what's up
Wow! Really impressed! I've heard a lot positive things about the Enforcer pickups, but that thumbwheel seems to act more like a coil tap than a splitter. I could not here any volume drop going from the humbucker too single coil. Wish I would have picked one of these up years ago. I do not care for the Vintera HH Jag; those Atomic Humbuckers sound more like a Dimarzio Super Distortion. Thanks for the review, really enjoyed the versatility of this guitar!
The only Fender guitar I want to get, like the variety of tones you can get with it. The one thing I don't like is that truss rod system, but otherwise looks like a great instrument.
They discontinued the name Fender Jaguar "Classic Player Special" HH and changed it to Vintera 60s Jaguar Modifiend HH and jacked up the price 😂
and changed the neck to pau ferro. They're a great versatile guitar though. I'd still buy one if the neck was rosewood like the Classic Player.
These tuning pegs were annoying until I figured out I could just wrap it first...before I was sticking the string in there and shoving a tiny allen wrench in the hole with the string to hold the string in place. That failed far too often.
I just have a regular Jaguar Classic so no humbuckers. My switches are in the same places but the top "rhythm" circuit slider knobs are just volume/tone and only can use 1 pickup. Only the lead circuit can use both pickups.