As a long time repairperson, builder and player I can say with total experience and authority that it's because Jags are....

RAD!

Cheers,
Jeff

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JakeDobner wrote:

I think the 25.5" scale puts a little too much tension on the strings. While the 24" scale doesn't quite put a perfect amount on all the strings the lower tension allows me to grab the strings in a different fashion, keep the action a little higher, and just get a really balanced feel across all the strings. My idea scale is the 24.75", but Fender doesn't really have that.

Also, the tailpiece to bridge length plus low break angle add to the feel and tone of the Jag. That is what I am suffering from on the Strat, the lack of that extra length and break angle. All of my other guitars have the length + low break.

Jags get generalized as being 'bright' guitars, but I really don't feel they are. I brought a couple Jags to a gear gathering with several friends and they were all blown away by the fuller sound the Jag had. Now, does the Jag have more high end than most guitar? Yes, especially if you don't use the tone knob. But the also have more low end, they are guitars that just have a lot of dynamic range.

Each of my Jags have a different sound despite all having the same pickups, same bridge, mostly the same neck, same pickups, and same tail piece, and same nut material. I have different tone caps and different wood on one.

And...
They're RAD!

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I have to admit, more often than not when I'm sitting around doing some playing I might start of with my Gibson 339 or my Strat in my hands and almost always end up putting them back and picking up my Jag. Not that my others don't sound good - they do. It's just that the Jag sounds "gooder". Can't explain it. It just sounds better. And, I also agree that it never sounds too bright. I think that players who say that don't remember that there are tone controls on both the guitar and the amp to handle any perceived brightness.

And - what Jeff said.

In the spirit of RAD!

My Jag is Indonesian made. Out there in the south pacific where all the surf mojo started. In the jungle. On one of those freaky little islands. Volcanoes and such stuff. Penan witch doctors cast spells on these guitars giving them great mojo and vibe! I'm running 11 to 52 round wounds on it. Enjoying that vibrato bar too! Loving that short scale too!
Freaky little guitar Dr. Fender conjured up!!!

Enjoying the surf,sun and sand!!

Been playing more surf lately and been using the Jazzmaster a lot. When I pick up a Jag I remember why I loved them so much.

Unlike a Tele or a Strat with the string through design I really like the bridge set up on the Jazzmaster/Jaguar. The scale length on the Jag makes a difference in more than feel on the neck. When you pick close to the bridge or closer to the fretboard you can get different tones. That area is shorter on the Jag than the Jazzmaster.

I run 12s on my Jags and they are as bendy as 10s on the 25.5. 11s start getting "heavy" on a Jazzmaster. Whereas the 12s on the Jag I can still do the Eddie Bertrand Scratch bends easier.

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

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Last edited: Mar 20, 2016 15:08:45

This description of the pagan idolatry that goes on in Fullerton is straight out of a Jack Chick Tract.
Now the secret is revealed: Surf is Bad Music for Bad People too.

Surf_Skater wrote:*

It's all magical mystery mojo. Fender has Voodoo priests under their employment that perform a ceremony where they do a chant and cut off the headstock of a sacrificial Gibson.
Plus as Jeff says..... They're Rad!

Squink Out!

Having spent my youth playing pointy guitars that are offset so to speak, I agree that both the Jag and Jazz are magical. What is puzzling me is why is the Jaguar so awesome. It's like the Jaguar is Merlin and the Jazz is his apprentice..... ( now that ought to illicit a response....lol)

I am not obsolete, I am RETRO....

Well..........the Jaguar was "supposed" to one up the Jazzmaster. How's that for a response?

Smiling' Ed,

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

I never liked the Jag... too many controls and dopey switches, the short scale was a bit too "plinky" for me. The Jazz is OK if both pickups were on with heavy guage strings - that's about it. And that upper "tone circuit" was just plain useless. I have a Ventures Jazzmaster which eliminated that junk and it looks and plays more cleanly. There's a dealer near me that has a tone circuit replacement kit for the stock Jazz that looks to be a big improvement.

I never quite got with playing a guitar that had more than needed switches, controls,..junk that does little more than weigh the thing down. That's why I like Teles and Mosrites - volume, tone --play something -- KISS to the nth power.

This is all of course my 2 cents and MHO
J Mo'

BillAqua wrote:

I run 12s on my Jags and they are as bendy as 10s on the 25.5. 11s start getting "heavy" on a Jazzmaster. Whereas the 12s on the Jag I can still do the Eddie Bertrand Scratch bends easier.

I just watched the Tiki Tena interview with Eddie Bertrand on Youtube (probably the 5th time doing so!) and found the part about his preferred string gauge. He didn't remember what he played back in the day but in his final years he played 10s on his Jag.
I primarily play Strats and I went to 11s (at A440) about 1.5yrs ago. I just bought a Jag (ok, not a real Jag, but same scale length) and the stock 10s feel almost as slinky as 9s on a Strat. Will be moving to 12s on the Jag.

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada