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To me, the essential difference between the Jaguar, Strat, and Jazzmaster
is scale length.
Haven't played a real Jazzmaster,
They just are not that common around here,
but I did play one of the older long scale Squier Jagmasters that has
the same scale length, but with 2 'buckers.
It was amazing how it opened up the higher register and made
it easier to play, and the high notes rang much more clearly.
I did enjoy playing it, but it probably would not be much fun to bend
notes on it, if that was important. I liked the feel though.
Since the moderately long scale Strat is supposed to have a spankiness
because of it, I guess a single coil Jazzmaster would have even more.
Jaguars are a relatively short scale guitar.
This tends to encourage the use of heavier gauge strings.
The pickups also have a special
inductance comb along the sides of the pickups that increases the
midrange.
Both the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster have body mounted pickups,
a trait shared with pickguardless "superstrats". This gives the guitar a
thicker
woodier sound. The Strats pickups are pickguard mounted.
Aside from giving the Strat part of it's sound characteristcs,
it makes it much easer to work on since most of the wiring and
electronics are
attached to the pickguard.
Loosen the strings, remove 11 screws and desolder 3 wires,
and the whole pickguard and everything attached to it comes off.
It's practically modular. Very easy to see whats going on in the wiring
and modify it.
It's the most hot roddable guitar design there is!
Michael
