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Just a question for those who might know.
What are the pros and cons of Fender's Vintage Reissue Jaguar versus a
real vintage Jaguar? And what sort of price would be likely for the
reisssue model?
I'm thinking of beginning the hunt for a jaguar, and I'm in the info
gathering stage. So, any info would be appreciated.
cheers, gang.
-c*
Mel (formerly of Los Meltones, and of late, of the Mach IV) tackled
this one at length in an earlier post. I dug out his very well-thought
out and exhaustive reply on the relative merits of the different era
Jaguars. You can also search for his excellent web site in which he
actually A/Bs the various Jags and Jazzmasters so that you can hear
the tones of different era models. It's a super cool site!
Now, for your questions:
1) Which do you prefer, Jag or Jazz?
Tough question to answer, and much of it winds up being personal
preference.
I like the Jaguar for the thin switch, and the mute. I find the mute
in particular useful for muted strumming effects. Jags also have 22
frets, giving you a high D note, where the 21 fret Jazzmaster ends at
C#. I like the Jazzmaster for the longer scale and the wide coil
pickups. I also find that the three-way pickup toggle is easier to use
mid-song than the Jaguar switch plate.
For playability, the Jag's shorter scale makes it easier to move
around the fretboard more quickly, but the Jazzmaster's longer scale
makes it easier to fret notes high up the neck, especially if you've
got big hands/thick fingers. Also the Jag tremolo is set closer to the
bridge than on a Jazzmaster, which affects the arm height at the bridge.
For tone, the Jag's shorter scale creates a mid-range response that is
different than any other "professional" Fender (Strats, Teles,
Jazzmasters), but the Jazzmaster's wide-coil pickups create a wide
frequency response that is unique as well. Jaguar pickups have better
shielding, and tend to be less noisy than Jazzmaster pickups, but I've
found this to be a minor issue.
Personally, I prefer Jazzmasters, but I own a Jaguar, too. I find the
Jazzmaster a bit more comfortable to play, plus I like the cleaner
look of the one piece pickguard. However, if the choice was between
owning two Jazzmasters and owning one Jazzmaster and one Jaguar, I'd
opt for one of each. They completement each other quite well. I've
never had a problem with cutting through the mix that wasn't fixable.
Usually it's a case of instrument setup creating "dead spots" or, more
often, other instruments in the same register in the song.
2)Compare pre-CBS v. CBS v. MIJ v. MIA Jaguars/JMs.
First, the "vintage" guitars: I'd make the split at about 1968. That's
when CBS really started to change things. Prior to that, the major
changes are cosmetic. Clay dots or pearl dots or blocks? Binding or
no-binding? Personal taste. In 1968, Fender changed over to a
polyurethane finish that is thicker than the earlier nitrocellulose
finish. Also, the quality of the magnet wire used started to vary.
That being said, the few post 1968 Jags and Jazzmasters I played were
excellent guitars. I think there is more
variation in playing feel within any given year than there is between
years, especially now that these instruments have all had thirty-plus
years of aging.
MIJ guitars: These too must be split up. Some people will compare MIJ
(Made In Japan) versus CIJ (Crafted In Japan) guitars. To me, the big
difference is whether is instrument was made for US export. The US
export models (through about 1998) had basswood bodies. The current
production Japanese models, which can be ordered from the Fender Japan
website, have alder bodies. All have polyurethane finishes. I've owned
two MIJ Jaguars. The first was a blonde/gold limited edition model
(1993, I think) that I didn't care for and traded for an MIJ
Jazzmaster which I liked more. The second is my current 1996 sunburst
guitar, which I like a lot. The big weakness to
the MIJ guitars is the pickups. This is an easy fix, as are swapping
the pots and tone caps to higher quality components. As for the body
wood, I don't have a problem with the basswood body on my Jag, but I
didn't like the basswood body on my Jazzmaster - there was a high end
resonance to the guitar that disappeared when I swapped to a vintage
US alder body. It could have been a fluke, however.
MIA guitars: I don't have as much experience with these, but what I
have I liked. It was hard to gauge playing guitars in stores with
light strings and bad setups, but the necks felt nice and the pickups
sound good. I've got MIA pickups in my Jaguar, and I like them a lot.
For the money, which of these is the best buy?
For the money - hard choice. I think the used MIJ prices have bottomed
out around $400-$600 dollars. Vintage Jag prices are rising, but you
still can find them occasionally (in varying states of disrepair) for
under $1000. Clean vintage Jags usually fetch at least $1200 and more
for custom colors ($2000+). MIA Jag new are $1300, and you can find
them used in the $800-$1000 range.
So what's the best value? Depends on your budget. I just went through
the whole process, and wound up getting a MIJ Jaguar. I bought it for
$500(with case) and spend another $200 upgrading it (US pickups,
electronics, pickguard, mute). I think that MIJ guitars are the best
if you plan to modify them at all, and vintage guitars are best if you
want a guitar that holds its value. MIA guitars are best if you want a
mint condition custom color instrument.
3) How can you make a Strat sound more like a Jaguar?
The "classic" Jaguar and Jazzmaster sound is the neck and bridge
pickup together. The easiest way to get this sound with a strat is to
switch the middle and bridge pickups. Then your five way switch gives
you: neck, neck+bridge, bridge, bridge+middle, and middle. If you find
you like the sound but miss the neck+middle sound, then put the
pickups back to their original positions, add a switch for a neck
pickup override. That way you can add the neck pickup to any
combination you get with the five-way. It's a pretty common mod for
strats so you should be able to find a schematic online.
Well, that's a long ramble.
Finally, thank you for the complements on Los Mel-tones. We had a lot
of fun making those records. As for the Mach IV, we've got a live CD
out (you can hear some tracks on our website )
and we are in the process of recording a studio album.
