So for my first real guitar for surf music, i can't decide between a Jaguar or a Jazzmaster. I'm thinking maybe even a Telecaster, but i don't know for sure (i'm really love the maple fretboard that you can't get on the Jag or Jazz). So what do you guys say? whats better about a Jaguar and/or Jazzmaster? Thanks in advance!!

I wouldn't rule out any guitar. If you really like Teles then I think that is the route you should go, same goes for the other two. It would be best for you to try the models out before you make the decision.

The Jag/Jazz are guitars I like because the extra length behind the bridge really adds an interesting effect to the guitar. I also really like the trem system on those guitar. They can be a trick to set up and keep set up.

Teles sound amazing and almost always play quite well. They set up very easily. However, it is my opinion that teles don't sit in a surf mix too well, this is is there are multiple guitars.

I have a Tele with a Jaguar tremolo unit but I use roundwounds, can't bring myself to put flats on a Tele while I normally use flats on a Jaguar. You can hear it here with lots of reverb using both pickups, it stands out best in the middle section of the song:
http://www.myspace.com/406410839/music/songs/Breath-of-the-Ocean-76887172

I've had a Jazzmaster for almost 30 years. I think it is just the greatest sounding guitar. I bought it before I ever considered playing surf guitar, even though I'd loved the music since I was a kid. I just remember sitting in the music store, playing the thing and loving the warm, full tones I could get with the middle or neck pickups and the nice, jangly sounds I could make with the bridge (I was really into REM back then). I tried about 30 guitars that day, (I'd come looking for a Strat or a nice hollow body) but picked the odd-looking $189 Fender because none sounded as good to me.
Since then I've played everything from the Beatles to the Ramones (badly) on it and have never been disappointed in the sound.
I stumbled across this site when looking for more info on Jazzmasters and am even more pleased with the guitar now. Even though it probably hasn't been set up since we had boys in Vietnam, it still plays very nicely.
I've played lots of other guitars in the intervening years, and while Ricks or Gretsches sound good, I still think the JM is really much more versatile. I even like the Rockabilly noise I can make with it. I think they have a very nice Twang.
For my money, Jags are the ultimate surf guitar. But if you're looking for something that's a bit more versatile, I'd heartily recommend a Jazzmaster. I've never owned a Tele, but I'd venture the opinion that JM's are just, if not more, versatile.
I was recently playing one of the Squire JM's, and while it's not as nice as my Fender (and doesn't have the rhythm switch or a separate set of dials), for the money it's not a bad guitar.
If I have one complaint about the Jazzmaster, it's that the darn thing is so heavy. Play with it around your neck for a couple of hours and you'll feel it.

"We're lousy, we can't play. If you wait until you can play, you'll be too old to get up there. We stink, really. But it's great," Johnny Ramone .

Last edited: Mar 10, 2011 21:41:31

Go Tele!

I wanna play just like him when i grow up...

But an esquire can sound so very different.

I sort of feel your pain regarding the Jazz/Jag thing. I couldn't really decide either, so I'm currently going the custom build route and opting for a Jazzmaster with metal Jag plates and a couple other personal touches. Kind of having your Jazz and Jag chrome too.

These days I'm apt to think of the Jaguar as the quintessential surf guitar. That said, I love how Dick Dale sounds with the Stratocaster and the Astronauts or Frank Blandino sound with the Jazzmaster (to name a few).

Then I put on a Satan's Pilgrims or the Surf Teens/New Dimensions album and it just sounds so right. I don't know. I just thank Leo Fender . . .

Anyway, in the end it came down to scale length. But lord willing, there will be a Jaguar in my future someday.

MIJ jazzmaster with seymour duncan antiquity PUs is a great option and not so expensive

El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes

I was impressed by the Squire JM, and 3 bills leave lots of room for tweaking.
That said, if you have cash to burn, I do think Jags are very, very cool. Someday, when both kids are graduated from college, I will be one very old, happy Jag owner.
Til then, I wish Squire would release their cheap version of a real jag, with none of this humbucker stuff.

"We're lousy, we can't play. If you wait until you can play, you'll be too old to get up there. We stink, really. But it's great," Johnny Ramone .

Surf = Vibrato bar; Strat, Jazz, and Jag all have one. Unless you like to mod guitars keep it simple and get one of these. Strat is somewhat more versatile than Jazz which is significantly more versatile than Jag. The classic players Jag has humbucking p/u's - if I wanted a Jag for surf would definitely prefer the normal single coil setup they have. Personally, I use an AVRI Jazz for most surf material, and find it versatile enough for lots of other things. Never had any bridge issues with the stock bridge, but I don't ever play "hard" enough to break a string so maybe that's why.