JAGUAR REVIEW #5: Fender Johnny Marr 

"Wake up babe, new Puisheen dropped!"

I love that Marr went so much further beyond a choice of wood and finish and calling it a signature. every detail seems fussed over without "fixing" unique features in the way fender thinks it's "fixing" its pickups with the JM V-Mods. And aside from thicker strings, bigger necks on shortscales are a plus. TBH I'd just leave it in series with the strangle on forever. You made it sound so good.

Pedro the Lion in the intro sounds amazing. The guitar work on control is massively underrated (as is David Bazan)

David Bazan might be one of the most underrated players out there. His chord selection and the way he creates background melodies within them are unmatched. We'll done sir.

Love the video, Mike!!! The polarity of the pickups are on purpose! In the release video, Marr said he liked the way the strings reacted to the magnetism of two pickups with the same polarity, like a tele.

Ah, I love this guitar. Bought one of the first 300 (they came with booklet signed by Marr himself), my first US-made guitar that took some time to save money on; I'm very grateful to my then-girlfriend, who persuaded me to actually buy the guitar. Told me "look, you like the guitar, you want the guitar, then just get it, life is too short". The first ding happened already at the warehouse -- the worker accidentally dropped the guitar while taking it out of the box 😬 I didn't really care for that though, so they threw in a pretty good leather guitar strap as compensation. I also ended up finally replacing the bridge to a smaller Staytrem one (as Mike mentions in the video) last winter, which indeed made it much more playable on the upper frets. And the thing gets dings literally from someone looking at it the wrong way. I've always been getting compliments on the sound whenever I play it, and probably this is the guitar that will stay with me till the end.

I get so much inspiration from you honestly just playing guitar. You always look like you’re having an amazing time.

I still can not understand how your channel is not one of the biggest on RU-vid, you really have a knack of making these videos.

I almost got up to go to the fridge to get a snack. That's how convincing that patron infomercial was. You got me, Puisheen. And a great review to top it off.

Bruh, I’m pretty sure it’s “knock-out” (named after the stooges song, and based on an oxidized CAR jag Marr had.) Internet is wrong? I’m so happy to see you review/endorse this guitar! My first was a launch model in metallic K.O., but when they did it in Sherwood green I couldn’t resist.

My favorite RU-vidr giving my favorite guitarist’s JM a thumbs up makes my day

OH GOD, your t-shirt; thank you for reminding me and letting me cry tears of laughter for 10 minutes

OUTSTANDING REVIEW!!! Thank you. I love Fenders of yesterday. Today, unless you are getting a true Custom Shop guitar, you dont know what you are getting. The fret issue, as you know, is not a new one or a "one of".....as is the fingerboard issue. The Marr stick is a $2500.00 guitar (give or take). At that price, you shouldnt have to worry about a single thing or issue out of the box. No arguing the fact that this is reflective of where Fender is today.

You can borrow my Root Jazzmaster if ya want

I think Johnny Marr might be the only guitarist that is inspiring me to get two guitars of his. This guitar and the Rickenbacker 330. Man I gotta save a f*** ton of money. Always love watching your videos Mike!

By far the BEST and TASTIEST riffs to be demo'ing this guitar. Great work and perhaps the BEST demo and information on this guitar. Felt a connection brother. Thank you for this video. I have an olympic like yours, slapped a mint pickguard on it...gorgeous.

I have one of these. Incredible guitar. I have been hoping you would review one someday. You have my thanks good sir!

The J Mascis Squier Jazzmaster is back in production sometime around June. Be interesting to hear your thoughts on that guitar as another example of an offset signature.

This is my favorite guitar. I replaced the bridge with the narrower bridge so strings wouldn’t slip off the fretboard. As a tele player, I love his changes to the normal Jaguar switches.

Nice review. Incidentally, Beach Boys Alan Jardine and David Marks both used this exact Sig, Jaguar for the ‘Beach Boys 50th anniversary reunion tour back in 2012. Lots of nice RU-vid clips of Mr. David Marks playing some great leads in concert with this guitar.

Unbelieveable demo ! I am a telecaster fan and this video knock me out the sound of this guitar is awesome !!! I did not expect such a killer guitar !

For strings Johnny says that you need to use 11s on this guitar. I play 9.5s on most of my other guitar’s but once I put 11s on this wow! This guitar is awesome

Love this review and PROPS for your T Shirt - great to see a British kids TV outtake in this context!

The Patreon commercial makes me giggle!! So great.

Came for the intro/outro jam stayed for the fantastic review

Man sucks about the frets. That little commercial was hilarious 😅. Great review and killer PLAYING as always!

I bought a black one back in 2018 and sold it immediately. It was one of the best playing guitars I’ve owned but it was just too buzzy/noisy. Maybe it was specific to that one guitar but I’ve owned over 10 vintage jaguars and never had that issue. Great review!

Opening up with a Pedro the Lion riff confirms my love for you. haha

I think its cool how Mike has become the offset Authority. He knows his way around an offset. Ive learned alot from him. I understand why he loves Jags and Jazzmasters, they are the best. More complicated? A little,but they can do so much more than a strat or tele.

This is the video I've been waiting for!!! 🎉🎉

What’s a Hacker T Dog T-shirt doing on a Yter in the US? 😂 Also, I think these are the only guitar reviews I’ve found where the demos are worth listening to!! Great tunes buddy 👍😊

Thanks for a balanced and very insightful review. You seem to notice little things that a lot of other people don't see, which is dead useful to the rest of us. TBH, I can't really afford one at the moment (I'm definitely getting one though, if I ever come into some extra cash), but I'm 50% watching this video just so I can listen to your playing. The riffs and technique in this video are great, with no BS blues-rock guitar playing! Hope to get somewhere near to your playing one day. Looking forward to your next video.

I’d love to see you review the Troy Van Leeuwen model

Lovely progression at 18:00 👌 I have a 2018 Marrguar in LPB, it took me awhile to bond with it initially but I’ve come to love it more and more with every passing year, very inspiring instrument. Mine doesn’t have the more orange-y tint to the headstock or neck, more of a natural looking tint. It also came with a beautiful and dark fretboard, very smooth…makes you wonder if Fender is having issues sourcing nice rosewood nowadays. No fret issues either. One strange thing though is that the guitar arrived with the nut not glued in which kind of shocked me when it slid right off the fretboard when I went to bend a string! I glued it in, so no problem after that. And it’s a chunky beast, just shy of 9 Lbs. Thanks for the review, sounds great ✌️

Mike, your T-shirt game is off the charts on this one

The in series sound with the strangle made me go "Ooooh" out loud.

great tones on that thing! love how thick yet clear that series positions sounds with the strangle. though for me i dont know if sacrificing the rhythm circuit would be worth it, as i think its a characteristic tone of the jaguar and i personally use it a lot.

Great review Mike - really interesting to get your take on this model. Plus you get extra points for that T-shirt 👌

Great intro jam! Pedro The Lion’s CONTROL is such a killer album!

Mike! Just when I think you couldn’t get any more brilliant you go and wear that t shirt!!! Makes me cry laughing every time I watch that clip. Also I have been patiently waiting for your thoughts on the Marr-guar and you didn’t disappoint! Thanks so much!

Thanks for this, Mike…love the review! I’ve always wanted a black Jag so I might set my sights on a black Marr. Lots to love about it. That decision to not go with RW/RP is a head scratcher.

Penetration by Pedro..yes!

The crystalline arpeggiated playing at 18:45 really unlocks what this guitar is all about. In my opinion there’s no finer “indie/jangle/post-punk” guitar on the market. Endless vibe

What an amazingly detailed review my friend.

I gotta say, I was sorta drawn away from the guitar by that FANTASTIC t-shirt!

Thank you Mike for reviewing my dream guitar...even though I have planned out a custom (parts) Jazzmaster, this is at the top of my list.

Great demo, lovely playing - thanks for this!

I never comment on videos, but that jam you lay into at 7:55 is so so so cool! I’m gonna have to sit down and pick that one out

I bought mine in 2015. The rosewood board is very figured. Much more than yours here. But I still had it plek'd and setup. After that it basically played itself. It's my only guitar to this day and it's a dream to live with and play. Guitar isn't my primary instrument though so my perspective is limited and probably the main reason why I don't have more guitars. Great review.

Glad to see you back. Life's hard but being able to take a break and watch your videos is always a breath of fresh air. Do you plan on reviewing the cunife pickups fender released? I'm really interested in the cunife/cobalt set seeing as WR HB'rs already existed

I love the orange tint of that neck. If I could get just that neck I'd totally pop it onto my Competition Orange Mustang. I've been debating getting this, but I'm a bit iffy on the price and leaning more towards the Kansas City Jaguar.

That shirt is a seriously deep cut, Hacker T Dog! Well played :)

come on man you cant just play that amazing intro and ending then just start the video!! You''re amazing! that was AWESOME. THANK YOU

Finally! Been waiting for this one! Thanks Mike! PS - Please teach me how to play like you!

Fantastic review, friend. Loved the one you sold me back in that early run - might have to check these out again.

I recently bought one of these and am blown away at what a great guitar it is. The tone, feel and overall build quality is Fender (non CS) at its best. I should say mine came with none of the fret and fingerboard QC issues mentioned in the video.

Re; the pickups not being RW/RP. There’s a few interviews with Johnny Marr and Tim Mills regarding their preference for non hum cancelling in the middle position, Johnny thinks it improves tone overall and counteracts string pull. Worth seeking out if you haven’t.

I have a Fever Dream Yellow Marr and the neck color fits that version much better, IMO. Almost looks like it has a matching headstock. I have the same issue you do with the trem bar being somewhat loose, so hoping you'll do an updated video with your fix for it. Other than that one issue, my guitar was/is perfect.

Thanks, Mike! I've been very curious about the Marr guitar. I love my ’62, but I sometimes think about buying a Marr for touring. Not the same, of course, but seems to be a remarkably cool and utile guitar.

One of my biggest guitar sale regrets was selling my jmj, had an early one and the book was signed by Johnny too!

You Michael are the offset king!

I can 1+ that early run finish issue. I do really like the look of it all shredded but man you can breathe on my jag and watch the finish come off.

You should do a review on the TVL MN Jazzmaster

Thank you for doing such thorough reviews...always a pleasure to watch. The fret issues are disappointing on an otherwise excellent guitar

Great review so glad you love this guitar!

Pedro the Lion-Penetration! Love the guitar riffs in that song.

Yay! So happy to see this one. I have the Fever Dream Yellow. Looking and sounding great, Mike. Your sharp beard trim is looking nice. Thanks again for teaching me something new.

Been looking at one of these for a while...you made my mind up! Thanks bud.

Another brilliant review, but I want to emphasize again your playing style, which is really amazing! The arpeggio at 18:02 is so intense it gives me chills. You really nailed it, Mike!

Mike gave me the confidence to refer to my room, as “my studio”

I love my black Marr. Fret work on mine is perfect. QC-wise It did have a ground wire disconnected when new. After almost seven years it only has a couple tiny pinhole finish chips. No mention here of the volume and tone controls. I find them practically useless. No range at all. This is the only Jag I have owned, or played for that matter, so maybe that's part of the design.

First of all, thank you for that profound review and inspiring, noodeling-free sound demos of the Marrguar! Concerning the reverse-wound polarity: Marr argues on a vid on yt, that he didn't want RWRW-pickups because of the magnetic tension in opposite directions. For me, the absence of RWRP was a reason to buy a Marrguar. You just loose frequencies that, especially with low-output-PUs, are too sweet - and I don't have any mentionworthy humming issues with my Marrguar. But I upgraded it with a bone nut and a mastery bridge, which made this - amongst my many guitars - my most reliable and versatile one. The issue with the PU-switch isn't one for me, but dependant from the way you strum, your improvement can really make sense. Oh and I hope soon you spoil us with your Vibrola-deepdive, keep up your great vids!

I purchased one of the limited edition black Marr Jags in 2017, and I must admit it took me 3-4 YEARS to fall in love with it. I just didn’t understand its features, especially the circuitry. But more than anything, that string spacing of the original bridge was egregious and put me on the verge of selling. Once I got a real 52mm spaced Staytrem, I started to enjoy playing it and now I absolutely love it and embrace all the features/quirks. My only remaining complaint is my low E nut slot is quite close to the edge of the fretboard, and I regularly knock the string off when playing, unfortunately. I’d like to avoid getting a a new nut, but can I address this to any degree with a specific set of strings? Currently have EB 10.5s. Thanks, Mike, for another extraordinary review!

I own the limited edition yellow variant

Barely even started watching, but I want to say that I appreciate the shirt :-))

The low E string popping out while playing is why a lot of players install a Mastery bridge. After that, there's no way that string is jumping out of the saddle slot no matter how hard you flog it.

Every time you play a Jag on here, it convinces me I should get one. Then I go play Jags and the best ones I can find I feel are just ok.

Was hoping some the smiths but got even better stuff! I think it’s great when a signature guitar inspires things outside of what the signature artist may typically play!

the 'Patreon' commercial...? 🤣 That's reason #213 why I love this channel! Thanks for another detailed breakdown of the specs.

I added scotch tape to my Squier Jag trem arm shaft to make it seat well. I like the original switching… lots of tones… (1, 1 + strangle, 2, 2+ strangle, sum, sum+ strangle = 6 possibilities) …. then the “top switch” ( rhythm circuit ) = 7 in all… BUT you explained the Marracini switching and it’s way cool… If there was a switch to go between parallel and “Series” then I’d have my cake and eat it, too.

Hey Mike, Fantastic review!!!

It would be super cool to see a 90s Japanese Jag or Jazzmaster on here!

Great video as always. Chuckled at marrguar

I have the Metallic KO. Only change was adding a Staytrem bridge. Great guitar

Been really excited for this video and you totally delivered! Such a great guitar, and I don't just say that as a Johnny Marr fanboy hahha. Regarding the Smiths tunes, I'd recommend learning "What Difference Does it Make", such a fun riff to play :)

I just show up for the playing. My man played the shoot out of that song in the intro

As of right now Fender only makes two Jaguar models in America: this one and the Mod Shop one, and the Mod Shop one is more like this than a traditional Jaguar. I know the Jaguar being a niche instrument is a factor, but it's funnier to think that Johnny Marr killed the Leo Fender setup.

Man I love when you jam during the videos….

Your playing is fantastic as this Jaguar is... And if a guitar is inspiring you in writing music, that's the key... Great review :)

Cool to hear they addressed the bridge width issue on the Marr. Side note, if you prefer maple fingerboards, I love my similarish American Pro Jag, but I did have to install a staytrem, vintage style tuners, and American vintage '65 pickups to make it function like a jag should. Keep up the good work here!

I agree with you, there’s something about this guitar that makes you come up with riffs. This guitar kind of makes you play a little bit differently and more songs have come out of this guitar than any of my others.

I love that the designers kept thinking "How do we solve this problem...Nylon Insert? Nylon Insert."

Please review the Troy Van Leeuwen and Kurt Cobain sigs next!

The patreon plug made me hit the like button

Seems crazy to replace a 335 with a Jag (both great guitars but so different) but I guess it works for Marr. Great video as always!

I really want to listen Black wind when it comes out! amazing riff!

Fantastic technique mate.

again, with the faux commercial! the best. the best.

The SHIRT you absolute mad lad

It's only 4:56 but I have to comment that I love your new production style. The music on the specs was awesome and the infomercial is chef's kiss!