As senior player with not especially cooperative fingers, agree with Walter's insight; the Jaguar scale enables me to play chords I otherwise couldn't reach. Purchased a relatively obscure Japanese Fender Thinline Jaguar from Carters earlier this year and it's a wonderful instrument, couldn't be more happy. And search YT for one of the earliest sightings of a Jaguar in the hands of no less than Joe Pass!
I saved up 1200 AUD and traded a 72 mustang for a 66 Jag that is refinished (advertised so) in a custom black fender finish (its a super early refinish and now has checking and usual wear and tear, makes me believe might be a fender refinish from back in the day and tbh I've opened the guitar to find no evidence for a refinish actually). its my fav guitar, no matter what people say about its value now (arnd 7-9k down here) I still gig regularly with it, still gets thrashed arnd in a gig bag and honestly, it takes it like a champ! I could never part with it and I could never stop playing it even if its a "valuable" vintage guitar now. Its my dream guitar bc of the guitar idols I grew up with (Thurston, Lee and Kevin Shields) and also because I always wanted to play with one! I'm 27 now, got it when I was 23 and still on my casual min wage job (since I'm still a student). I wish people understood that these guitars are meant to be played and hope vintage Jaguars n Jazzmasters don't ever bite the collector's dust. Sad though as in recent market they've started to go up quite significantly, my guitar might be someone's investment in the future but until the day I pass on, its gonna get played and for me its still my dream Jag no matter how many eyebrows I raise when people realise its a real 66 and why am I playing it so roughly. I hope I get to pass it to a young one who would keep on playing it long after Im gone! And that's the mentality I ask people with vintage guitars to possess, both the guitar and the guitar wielders of the future will thank you!
I have a cv Mustang same scale length. And honestly after a pickup change i find myself grabbing it mostly. At 64 this short scale and medium c neck feels better. Need a jaguar to go with it.
Seems like the shorter scale puts the middle of the string length closest to the front pickup, thus making it thicker sounding? I heard one at Don's Pawn in Jacksonville, Florida one day many years ago, and was blown away by how rich that neck pickup sounded.
Although... its could be a bit lighter on the leg fot sitting players :) it can be a little heavy..but the neck is perfect...I i taped the poll peices to keep the bridge stable and screwed that screw all the way to the right.. that adjusts the squier trem tightness...so its a hard tail now but now it stays in tune better than any guitar I've ever owned...
I have a theory of why a 24" scale. A notched medal fretboard ruler works on both 25.5 and 24" scale lengths.The Gibson 24 3/4" will not. I think Leo Fender thought of 24" to be 25.5" minus the first fret. Don't forget Roy Clark as a player!
I don’t recall many punk rock bands using them at all especially in late seventies. Kurt Cobains axe of choice was a Competition Fender Mustang, not a Jag. Roland S Howard could have been mentioned, he was a major Jag user.
I don’t get it if you can switch to the bridge pickup with volume and tone why do you need a switch to isolate it and give it its on volume and tone if that wasn’t on the guitar couldn’t you do that anyway?🎸🤯🔫
They aren't 'lead' and 'rhythm' circuits. The upper circuit is too woolly for most music. The upper circuit is for jazz, and it does it brilliantly, especially when strung with flatwounds.
Nirvana didn't release an album until 1989; "punk rock" came around when Kurt Cobain was what, 12? Pretty sure nobody used a Jag as an affront to anyone- offsets were snubbed by other players and were thus cheap used Fenders, until the prices of vintage Strats and Teles, et c, became prohibitive. Eventually offsets became pricey too, of course, but that's another topic. If anything, I'd guess the price of the Jag relative to other Fenders was indeed the biggest impediment to its initial success; a well setup Jag is as good as anything. Different, sure, but not worse. There's a video on RUclips of Roy Clark tearing it up on a Jaguar back when, so apparently some professionals did indeed use them. Johnny Marr leans heavily on them, has for some time now, and is one of the best guitarists of his or any generation.
Bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr were at the forefront of playing older offsets since the guitar itself was cheap and easy to modify plus once set up well provided a quality instrument. Now the late 80s shoegaze bands have to be thanked a looot for their resurgence. Bands like My Bloody Valentine in essence wrote the formulas of shoegaze on jazzmasters n Jaguars. Without them there is no Isn't Anything and Loveless, you need the tremelo for the pitch bending strumming of chords. For me this one very overlooked historical significance of their resurgence. Yes Kurt played one but their immense popularity in japan (hence why there's even quality copies floating around there from the 60s!) and the resurgence of Shoegaze in the 2010s have brought them into the limelight again. Teles, LPs and Strats are the status quo, the big 3 of electric guitars and for people my age (I'm 27), your typical dad guitars, guitars I see less and less kids playing these days. Offsets are still fresh! DIfferent guitars then the big 3 and they make you play different! Hope this helps anyone else understand why they're so popular now :))
We need more words by walter... just saying
I could listen him allday
As senior player with not especially cooperative fingers, agree with Walter's insight; the Jaguar scale enables me to play chords I otherwise couldn't reach. Purchased a relatively obscure Japanese Fender Thinline Jaguar from Carters earlier this year and it's a wonderful instrument, couldn't be more happy. And search YT for one of the earliest sightings of a Jaguar in the hands of no less than Joe Pass!
Iam 72 now my local music store robbins jewelry and music had these in sunburst I got my telecaster when i was 15 i miss my local friends at the shop
This better become a series.
I saved up 1200 AUD and traded a 72 mustang for a 66 Jag that is refinished (advertised so) in a custom black fender finish (its a super early refinish and now has checking and usual wear and tear, makes me believe might be a fender refinish from back in the day and tbh I've opened the guitar to find no evidence for a refinish actually). its my fav guitar, no matter what people say about its value now (arnd 7-9k down here) I still gig regularly with it, still gets thrashed arnd in a gig bag and honestly, it takes it like a champ! I could never part with it and I could never stop playing it even if its a "valuable" vintage guitar now. Its my dream guitar bc of the guitar idols I grew up with (Thurston, Lee and Kevin Shields) and also because I always wanted to play with one!
I'm 27 now, got it when I was 23 and still on my casual min wage job (since I'm still a student). I wish people understood that these guitars are meant to be played and hope vintage Jaguars n Jazzmasters don't ever bite the collector's dust. Sad though as in recent market they've started to go up quite significantly, my guitar might be someone's investment in the future but until the day I pass on, its gonna get played and for me its still my dream Jag no matter how many eyebrows I raise when people realise its a real 66 and why am I playing it so roughly. I hope I get to pass it to a young one who would keep on playing it long after Im gone! And that's the mentality I ask people with vintage guitars to possess, both the guitar and the guitar wielders of the future will thank you!
the easy play is exactly what had me make the switch. i've got 3 of them already. lol
Beautiful! Can't afford the "real one" but thank goodness Squire made one for us thats affordable 😂🎸👍
The jaguar is my favorite maybe one day I can own a vintage one.
I’ve played vintage and “vintage” Custom Shop Jag’s.
My favorite is the Johnny Marr Jaguar! Though those are getting pricey now too.
I have a cv Mustang same scale length. And honestly after a pickup change i find myself grabbing it mostly. At 64 this short scale and medium c neck feels better. Need a jaguar to go with it.
Love these stories. Great series
Seems like the shorter scale puts the middle of the string length closest to the front pickup, thus making it thicker sounding? I heard one at Don's Pawn in Jacksonville, Florida one day many years ago, and was blown away by how rich that neck pickup sounded.
I own a Jaguar and several Jazzmaster's. I prefer the jazzmaster scale length, but the Jaguar is fun to play below the 10th fret.
Im sad Rowland S Howard wasnt mentioned
Theres a few videos floating around RUclips showing Roy Clark putting a Jaguar through its paces. That's a great early endorsement.
Although... its could be a bit lighter on the leg fot sitting players :) it can be a little heavy..but the neck is perfect...I i taped the poll peices to keep the bridge stable and screwed that screw all the way to the right.. that adjusts the squier trem tightness...so its a hard tail now but now it stays in tune better than any guitar I've ever owned...
I have a theory of why a 24" scale. A notched medal fretboard ruler works on both 25.5 and 24" scale lengths.The Gibson 24 3/4" will not. I think Leo Fender thought of 24" to be 25.5" minus the first fret. Don't forget Roy Clark as a player!
Luther Perkins played a Jaguar. WooF!
Roy Clark too.
Amen
I don’t recall many punk rock bands using them at all especially in late seventies. Kurt Cobains axe of choice was a Competition Fender Mustang, not a Jag. Roland S Howard could have been mentioned, he was a major Jag user.
fenders are the best
i love it when they have all thier metal accent parts too
Mij jags were around in 94 maybe earlier
I was waiting to hear that Vibroverb😢 But great playing as always and thanks for the info. Great every time. I love these story times
Both Roy Clark and Luther Perkins were known to play Jaguars. Not sure you can get much better endorsement than that.
Why 24" scale neck? It's better balanced than a Jazzmaster. Less neck dive, better centre of gravity.
I don’t get it if you can switch to the bridge pickup with volume and tone why do you need a switch to isolate it and give it its on volume and tone if that wasn’t on the guitar couldn’t you do that anyway?🎸🤯🔫
They aren't 'lead' and 'rhythm' circuits. The upper circuit is too woolly for most music. The upper circuit is for jazz, and it does it brilliantly, especially when strung with flatwounds.
Its literally what its called. Doesnt mean its the only thing you can use it for
Nirvana didn't release an album until 1989; "punk rock" came around when Kurt Cobain was what, 12?
Pretty sure nobody used a Jag as an affront to anyone- offsets were snubbed by other players and were thus cheap used Fenders, until the prices of vintage Strats and Teles, et c, became prohibitive. Eventually offsets became pricey too, of course, but that's another topic.
If anything, I'd guess the price of the Jag relative to other Fenders was indeed the biggest impediment to its initial success; a well setup Jag is as good as anything. Different, sure, but not worse.
There's a video on RUclips of Roy Clark tearing it up on a Jaguar back when, so apparently some professionals did indeed use them. Johnny Marr leans heavily on them, has for some time now, and is one of the best guitarists of his or any generation.
ruclips.net/video/xlrcNtH5pu8/видео.html
Also videos of Roy with Jazzmasters around then too.
Bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr were at the forefront of playing older offsets since the guitar itself was cheap and easy to modify plus once set up well provided a quality instrument. Now the late 80s shoegaze bands have to be thanked a looot for their resurgence. Bands like My Bloody Valentine in essence wrote the formulas of shoegaze on jazzmasters n Jaguars. Without them there is no Isn't Anything and Loveless, you need the tremelo for the pitch bending strumming of chords. For me this one very overlooked historical significance of their resurgence. Yes Kurt played one but their immense popularity in japan (hence why there's even quality copies floating around there from the 60s!) and the resurgence of Shoegaze in the 2010s have brought them into the limelight again. Teles, LPs and Strats are the status quo, the big 3 of electric guitars and for people my age (I'm 27), your typical dad guitars, guitars I see less and less kids playing these days. Offsets are still fresh! DIfferent guitars then the big 3 and they make you play different! Hope this helps anyone else understand why they're so popular now :))