I have no idea why fender is doing the bare minimum with the Jaguar, makes no sense. I would like to see a SHerwood green , rosewood fretboard Jaguar widely available for sure
What I don’t understand is why they make several versions the models they do but refuse to give people what they want - such as a Sherwood green reissue. I also loooove that color
@@AudiomoMusicthey already did the ocean turquoise lately (since most frusciante lovers have always mistaken his sherwood for an OT in the under the bridge videoclip, they were super happy)
Fender has no real competition for Jags. PRS Silver Sky is putting strats under pressure but Fender is the only show in town for jags and jazzmasters. So if you don’t like their cheap jags - yes you have to go up to a Johnny Marr etc
Literally was just in the market for a jag, but when I get a guitar I want it to be the way it was designed…am going with a custom builder who will make me a nitro finished jag any color I want rather than waiting on fender anymore
Yep, which also impacts Japanese customers. Fender USA's lack of supply to the west for desirable Jaguars hurts the domestic Japanese players ability to get the guitars that were meant for them in the first place. It's all so ridiculous and easy to fix but they won't do it.
This player 2 series is sad for the jag. Fender doesn't understand its like enjoying cruising around in an old classic with tons of chrome. Switches, and style.
@@AudiomoMusic i imported one from japan for less than the cost of American and Mexican and it came in 3 days with no customs costs. i feel like yall are stuck in the past. The Japanese models aren't like out of stock or anything they've been restocked a ton of times already this year.
If Fender isn't going to do anything cool for the Jags here, then they might as well make the MIJ ones available here for the US domestic market. But we both know that's not going to happen, justice for the Jag, Fender, come on!!
I don't think it's logistically possible for Fender Japan to increase production to a number that would satisfy the demands of the US market without sacrificing quality control and other production Quotas they have. The other thing that we all know would happen is they would be marked up by a minimum of 50% if some new ones were sold here in the US which wouldn't really fix anything
Flipping has existed since the instrument was first released, the flippers just had a store front where the buyer could come in and see it first. Again, it’s down to the buyers. Buyers regularly spending 2 grand on these guitars from shops when they cost about a grand to begin with gave shops the green light to continue and also buy more inventory. If the buyers didn’t spend the two grand in the first place, it wouldn’t have become the norm. It also allowed others in the know the then get the same guitars and undercut the bigger stores who created these norms. All of this was enabled because buyers willingly chose to pay the asking prices and some still do. It is what it is.
@@AudiomoMusic But those shops also bore the brunt of the customer service end of the business, today's sellers just have to say "as-is no returns" and if you buy sight-unseen you have no recourse
@jasondorsey7110 which is the exact same policy that anyone gets when they order from Japan directly to get the guitars in the states or UK. Trust me, I get where you’re coming from but there is a lot to this whole thing.
I share your concerns. I ended up scoring an FSR in Sherwood Green (rosewood, bound neck, 7.25 neck radius, etc.) in late 2023 from Kinko Music and absolutely love it; in total it cost me $1207 USD. Your videos introduced me to this series and led me down the path to figuring out how to order one of these successfully. Thank you.
It makes me happy to know I have helped people like yourself discover guitars like that and at the original prices available. If you ever want to sell it let me know, of all the runs I missed the Sherwood green was also my favorite haha
Fantastic video as ever, and a great tangent. Here’s hoping fender do put these in the next vintage line at the very least (probably won’t be long until vintage 3 line I imagine so fingers crossed they are finally added) And I feel your pain- Gibson often post ‘which is your fav from the original collection lineup’ with no Firebird even pictured (guessing as they stopped making them but it was still part of the collection and original release) - is funny how some guitars get very little love (and annoying they’re often my favourites 😂)
@@AudiomoMusic yeah it really does - get its divisive but its also a guitar with a lot of interesting history and a growing following but hey, very very grateful I have mine at least :)
The fact that "get a mod shop" guitar is floated as a way to get a Jaguar in its classic form is very sad. Fender loves to flaunt its legacy, and them not offering the most attractive form of a pre-CBS jaguar in either Vintera or American Vintage II boggles the mind, especially in the latter case. Let's say that okay, they don't want to offer options for MIM guitars because they want to push buyers towards MIA, then at least make the Vintage II line truly representative of the best of classic Fender.
Oh it always makes me laugh when people tell me to just "go to the mod shop" because they have clearly never looked at the Jaguars options on the mod shop to see it's not the answer to any of the requests a lot of players want. Awesome, I can get a modern spec'd guitar in Plum Metallic then replace all of the electronics with stuff I'd actually want and be 2300+ in the hole for a poly finished guitar... Make it make sense
Thing is also, if they want to push people towards MIA then why bother having MIM or Squier? The choice is there for Classic Vibe Strats, Teles and JMs, so players aren’t being pushed towards MIA for those, it’s just not for Jags
Not having basic options like non-marr electronics in the mod shop is a crime, let alone there not being binding/inlay choices and an option for painted headstocks or more than one pickup choice. They're REALLY dropping the ball here, regardless if they're trying to push people towards custom shop or not
Great video man. I’m so glad you started this conversation. I, and evidently so many others, have been thinking the exact same thing. Hoping a Jaguar joins the American Vintage II series soon 🤞🤞
I think the reason why the Jaguar is not manufactured in the USA is because it does not sell well, this is what some distributors have told me in the country where I live, which is why most of them only bring Stratocasters or Telecasters to the country. The Jaguar is usually a person's third or fourth guitar, I think you buy a Stratocaster, Telecaster and Les Paul first. Also the lack of famous/popular guitarists who use the Jaguar as their main guitar on stage would be another reason. Cheers Jim!
@@omarfranco8426 weird, cause a Japanese after import taxes is comparable to an American price wise. Why wouldn't we just buy the one made here? Oh that's right, they still wanna pretend all the new guitarists are buying Telecaster and Stratocaster or that old hat musicians are attracting new players to these two models, they aren't, but Fender cannot change. It only deletes or fucks things up now. I been faithless in them since the 90's, when they completely threw the last genre to mean anything and organically change the entire entertainment scene under the bus making ZERO EFFORT, to reissue during the grunge years. What a fuckin miserable bustard of a company. I hope they get sold, management has been stupid for years about what we want, the way we want it. See the Vintera 2 Mustangs, note they are NOT matching headstock, and are the 73' model, not the 69', the only one of the bunch we ASKED FOR FOR DECADES.
American Original 60s and AVRI 62s are tough to find in more desirable colors. You're going to pay $2K+ for those models because they are vintage spec and have nitro finish, but realistically Fender is not going to charge any less than that for a vintage spec production model so I don't think there's any reason to wait on it. Best thing I did on mine is add a Halon bridge with brass saddles. Magic. Highly recommended.
They didn't make nearly as many custom color runs for the AO line compared to the original AV's which makes those even a bit harder for people that want the modern radius but man... the models I'm most interested in - the fsr thin skin 65 jaguar or one of the limited edition thin skin 62 reissues are either out of this world expensive ( 3k-5k) or go months without being listed. Happy you got what you wanted, never tried the Halon bridge that's good to hear
I was waiting to hear your take on the PSII Jaguar. I'm super disappointed that they didn't include the rhythm circuit and at this point I'm probably going to have to buy a Squier CV Jag and put the new PSII rosewood neck on it once they're available. Edit: I'd want either a Sherwood Green, Shell Pink, or Lake Placid Blue Jaguar. I adore the RU-vidr Nisebelle's blue Jaguar. You should check her out if you never have!
It's something a lot of people do, I did it on a CV. Replaced everything except the body... in the end it wasn't exactly what I wanted and sold it. Just kinda sucks we have to go through that much effort to make something that should be offered from Fender on a regular basis.
@@AudiomoMusic I actually rewatched your video on that a couple days ago and thought it looked like more work than it was worth but it's the only way to get a brand new traditional Jaguar setup for under $1000. It's too bad yours still didn't end up what you wanted. I'm a sucker for dark fretboards so I don't have any interest in the Vintera II line either. I think Fender's Professional II lineup is overpriced but I'd probably buy a Jaguar from that line if they'd just make it. The Marr is cool but I'm not a 7.25" radius guy. I've been looking at '90s Jags and Japanese ones but it's almost impossible to find the colors (Sherwood Green or Shell Pink) I want.
Loving my 60s American Original jaguar that I bought 2022. My local finnish guitar shop had installed 11. gauge strings. I think originally that had 10., but 11. is working too good. Most likely my favorite guitar, liking even bit more that Marr's Jaguar that I also have. Marr Jaguar is great but american original feels bit more Jaguar. Rythm circuit is great, liking the 3 switch toggle and no issues with the jaguar bridge. Planning to get 3rd jaguar and try lollar pickups for it.
Lollar make great stuff, big fan of their pickups for every Fender honestly. Happy to hear you enjoy the more traditional style Jag - there's absolutely nothing wrong with it imho just a lot of user error from people that don't understand how they work.
@@AudiomoMusicWhile Marr jaguar is great, the 4 position switch and mustang bridge definitely feels quite artificial. Forgot that American Original had one fun problem, had to set tremolo screws upside down or E-strings would break. Hope to find Japanese Jaguar some day.
Most of my guitars are vintage Fender style guitars and the reality is most people do not want a vintage spec jaguar. Most people do not want the 3 switches. The 3 switches system doesn't work for 90% of players and is not ideal live. Prices on japanese ones on reverb are bizarre scalper prices. Go import one through an online dealer.
Live I actually preferred the sliders playing surf and garage rock. It took a bit to get used to coming from a Telecaster but it became second nature really quickly and it's really intuitive in it's own right albeit I agree - not for everyone. I've been importing direct from Japan for a long while now, my problem is they haven't ever made a production nitro finished vintage spec'd jag. They've done it with the Jazzmaster and it is absolutely superb - if they ever add the Jag to the Heritage line i'll be the first one to import it haha.
You *certainly* aren't the only one feeling this way about Jags bro! That blue japanese model you have is absolutely beautiful 😍😍 I, on the other hand, am one of the people who absolutely adores the maple board on the vintera II... that's on my wish list. You're right about the colour choices though, i don't mind white... real white... that vintage egg shell almost off white sickly cream colour is not at all my colour. One of the first guitars i ever bought was a Squier Vintage Modified Jag, White, (real white) with a tortoise shell guard. Soooooooo nice. But I sold her to a friend... I wish i had kept it. 😒
Bah, it's actually a lesser Jaguar vs original form. They need to reissue both Jaguar and Mustang in correct specs. It is time. There are dedicated, large groups to those instruments now, there is zero excuse to keep pretending their value isn't recognized, because they have been for decades now.
I've had several of those both production and FSR models, some of the hybrids, and numerous older MIJ and CIJ jags over the years. They are absolutely what is missing here in the market.
Dude even the Kurt Jaguar is entirely wrong. The fingerboard radius is 9.5 when the actual one was 7.25. Even though it likely was a custom/heavily modified neck, there’s no evidence that points to it being a 9.5 radius. Fender also did the same thing to J. Mascis signature guitars even though his was 7.25. The pickup placement is wrong. The original has the pickups very close up to the neck and the bridge, and it’s missing the extra strap button on the other horn. The tune-o-matic is wrong. It’s supposed to be black chrome with brass saddles. The bridge pickup should also be a JB. Yeah it had a super distortion when he originally got it, but he obviously changed it out for a JB for a reason. Even the fucking sunburst color and pick guard color are wrong! They couldn’t be bothered to put any work into the thing because they were too busy jerking each other off over how much money this shitty approximation of Kurt’s Jaguar would make them. There’s the same kind of problems with attention to detail on Fender’s Jag-Stang and Signature Mustangs as well. The mustangs never had the “Mustang” on the headstock, just Fender logos. The switches weren’t shortened, but filed all the way down. The pick guard colors and patterns on the sonic blue models are wrong, and the holes for the phase switches on the pick guard of his fiesta red mustang were rounded as it was a custom made piece. There was obviously no lake placid blue mustang with that set up (single coil-JB) and even as an “inspired-by” guitar the color is wrong and the headstock should match. Shit, the Jag-Stang’s don’t even come with the Texas Special and Seymour Duncan JB, just shitty fender pickups. The body shape is off, the pick guards are wrong, and so is the bridge. This is the kind of shit we should come to expect from Fender because this is what we’ve collectively allowed Fender to get away with. But hey who cares, we just want that sweet sweet Nirvana money! Fuck the fans. Fuck putting in the work to make accurate representations of iconic Fender guitars for a signature model. And most of all, fuck making these guitars for a reasonable price, we need to bleed our customers dry and then make it limited run so the resale market is even more outrageously expensive.
It is indeed a beaut, I have it listed for sale now as I'm going to try to fund an actual vintage Jaguar and call it a day so I don't need to rely on Fender to make anything new at this point
I think the issue is Fender isnt looking to win over the offset fans with these guitars. They are looking to get people who play strats, telecasters, and les pauls with something different but not too different. Fender seems to hate their original offset designs and the ayers who love them. The guitars didnt sell well in the 50s and 60s and thus are viewed as failures and Fender doesnt want to take a risk on them. Similar to Gibson refusing to reissue Norlin era guitars and specs.
I've never understood this. All I want is a regular Jaguar in player or player II form Edit to say with vintage correct custom colors and control layouts
I'm with you. I'm currently in the process of building my dream jag, which I need to do through parts. It's going to be a 70s-ish spec build, with some fun outside the box and/or blasphemous things. I love the look of the rosewood, but I've always felt a better connection with maple fretboards and I love the feel of raw wood, so I'm doing my first roasted maple neck guitar. I have a cheap one now I'm working with, but planning to eventually get a Warmoth roasted maple neck with black blocks and binding, vintage small frets, and probably a 9.5 radius to better jive with the rest of my parts. I think the darker color of the roasted maple will help it sit a bit more close to rosewood visually compared to normal maple. I plan to paint the headstock, so sanding and painting it won't be painful like doing the same to an old neck or USA neck. I have an AVRI trem and an american pro bridge (seems to be the staytrem copy), a vintera 60s body in factory sunburst, and it'll have vintage spec wiring. I'll be painting a thin nitro sherwood green with a tinted amber clear over the current sunburst, which will hopefully wear really nicely over time. Tort pickguard, which I had never been too sold on before, but I think looks ultra good with the sherwood green. I'm also considering checking the finish, since realistically I don't think that will actually happen naturally. Jaguars have always been one of my favorite guitars and I'm SUPER excited for this project. I just got enough parts to have something playable and it's been so fun. I feel like jags are becoming more and more popular these days and that Fender would start selling a ton more if they'd just start painting those damn headstocks!
You cant expect Fender to come to the party just to make you happy! Simply save more to purchase a pre CBS Jaguar. Living in Sydney, Australia i paid $10,000 for my 1964 jaguar with case. Its the only way you'll ever own the real deal!
@AudiomoMusic I love how some people think we all have thousands of dollars laying around to blow on trivial shit. If I had $10k of disposable income, I wouldn't be spending it on a guitar. And if I were to buy a vintage guitar, it wouldn't be a Jaguar.
@@Luthiartit’s not about having, it’s about making the decision that you will have it, and saving for that goal, and cutting back on other things that get in the way of that goal. People waste so much money on small crap here and there and then get mad when people save and buy nice stuff!
I have an MIJ Jaguar (97-99) Love it. It’s my main guitar. Bought on reverb for 1200 two years ago. Got delivered to me in like four days. No big deal. There’s usually 20 good ones to choose from on any given day for 1200-1500. I agree it would be awesome to Fender Japan stuff in our shops here in the US - or even better - for Fender US to make better stuff (as you stress here) but Reverb has made getting stuff from far away super easy.
Even better is skipping reverb entirely and getting the same guitars from Japan for well under a grand 😁 It’s just sad that’s the only viable and consistent option. All the AVRIs are priced to the moon unless they are beaten to death or three tone sunburst.
I agree Seems like Fender has no love for one of its coolest models . Wish they’d reissue a 60 ‘s Jaguar in Olympic white . Matching headstock of course !
What a beautiful Jaguar that is, I must say I'm jealous of that matching headstock and the color is superb. As you know Jags got discontinued and used to be on the resale market for cheap. A lot of players like Cobain would modify them significantly which brought back the popularity but also confused Fender it seems. They're on a mission to fix something that wasn't broken by "modernizing" whatever they can. Although I did like the original Player Series I just don't understand anything about this new offering other than the rosewood. The pickups aren't even Jaguar pickups. Your observations about the used market now on these things speaks volumes.
Maybe the Jag just doesnt sell as much as other offsets, so there less need for fender to do it 'right'? I can understand why the player 2 series isn't vintage correct though. It's entry level stuff. However the vintera 2 Jag offerings are indeed very limited. Good shout!
When they did the 60th anniversary Jaguars they sold out within days of being listed and a lot of people were angry they made so few. Fender said not to worry because they would be making vintage spec models for the Jaguar in full production shortly - that was 2 years ago.
Great video, agree with everything you said. I recently got a Classic Vibe 70’s Jaguar and I love it, though I don’t know what to compare it to cause I’ve never even held a Fender. I wish the Player 2 Jaguar had the chrome and vintage controls. I would buy one of those in that Hialeah Yellow for sure. I love your passion for these guitars it’s contagious, keep up the great work.
I think a 3-tone burst Jag is THE Jag, but I know some people like the custom colors and the matching headstock so Lake Placid Blue is cool too. There are some recent artists using Jags, Kurt Vile (tuned up to F standard), and Courtney Barnett (though she plays a lefty Cobain model). One of the guitar playing twins in The National had an LPB Jag with matching headstock as well.
Honestly, so is the strangle. A lot of people don't realize how it is a staple of surf music and even in country for a time in the 60's and 70's. Those two features are part of what make the Jaguar the Jaguar indeed
Except they aren’t remotely vintage spec. They are nyatoh bodies, laurel boards, wrong fret wire, modern radius on the neck. They are the best way to “look” like a vintage spec offset from far away that’s about it.
I have the Fender Japan Late 60s Traditional II like you used to have and there is no way I am selling it for the very reasons you mention about why won't Fender make a proper Jaguar. The Trad II has a 9.5 inch radius neck I believe and a real one would be 7.25 but that is okay, I accept it because the rest of the guitar is pretty accurate.
Chrome plates are quite expensive, but my best guess is that they go for the bare minimum, and also they want to milk out as much as they can, I mean profit wise.
Yep, it's all money driven thanks to penny pinchers designing guitars and not guitarists anymore, but to think they went out of their way not to route the body underneath like all of the other Mexican Jaguars is just silly.
@@AudiomoMusic I have the older player series mexico jag, the top is routed, but there's no room for rhythm circuit. You can choose if you want to stick to the coil split or install in 'n out phase. The problem is made way worse.
I remember there was a “lacquer” series with MIM guitars with nitro finishes. It was such a beast for the money. I’ve seen a very good deal on this one around 8 years ago and still regret not picking this one up. And they even had a road worn jags back in the day. MIM in late 00s and early 10s were really nice instruments. Baja tele is legendary at some point
I had one of those fiesta red lacquer MIM jags as a backup I brought to gigs in San Diego! I paid $600 for it new as a "dent and scratch" and it even had a hardshell case, and i ALSO had a baja 60's tele in sonic blue shortly after that! It is insane to me the steps backward Fender has taken since that era with the Mexican made guitars
Great video! FMIC took over Fender Japan LTD in 2015. It's now officially called Fender Music Corporation (Japan), but some Japanese Fenders are still exclusive to Japan, so maybe not much change in availability
Yeahhh agree on everything. I’m no where near a traditionalist when it comes to guitars I prefer a 9.5 radius with narrow frets. The 7.25 kinda screws me up a bit. But to be honest fender jags that we can buy are super boring. I go with a Sherwood green with black pickguard jag or Jazzmaster any day of the week. I’ve been on the market for a jaguar for awhile the squiers sound great but every single one I’ve played can’t hold tuning or is never set up in the shop it really turns me away from buying any of them. Personally I’m a Jazzmaster guy but having a jag would be sick for layering tracks and using it for leads.
My thoughts exactly. That is the reason I went with a 1999 CIJ in lake placid blue with Matching Headstock as my first jag. Fantastic instrument and very beautiful. That being said, I ended up getting a great deal on a new Johnny Marr, and it's also amazing. They are both Jags, yet are quite different in the way they feel and sound. Love them both!
In a perfect world, they'd just make both. i have no issues with Marr jaguar outside of the fact it's the only available US option outside of the custom shop. Happy you got lucky with two Jags!
@@AudiomoMusic I agree, Fender USA/Mexico having no options for a standard configuration Jaguar makes no sense to me, or the people that tell me that they like the look of the Jaguar but are put off by "too many switches and and knobs that are confusing." The classic Jag layout is awesome, very intuitive.
@@72chevelle530ss I think the people that say things like that have just never played a Jag & taken the 2 minutes it requires to figure it out. If you’re put off by 4 switches & 2 roller pots you may have some attention span issues you need to look into.
I got one of the Fender Classic 60s Lacquer Jaguars with the rosewood fingerboard on fb marketplace. It was a really good reissue with the only difference to my eyes being the non-locking tremolo system, which is easily replaced. Fender needs to bring that line back. No other affordable Jaguar is nearly as "correct" as that one to my knowledge.
I bought Marr Jaguar used for 1000 euro and deMarred it using my 50th anniv US Jaguar, now it looks like 60s one and I really like it, even tho it doesn’t come out on stage very often…
Totally agree! It is so frustrating to be a Jaguar fan these days. First of all... don't put Jaguar on the headstock unless it has all the chrome plates! It is the one of the main things that sets it apart from other Fender offerings. I have been waiting for over a decade for Fender to put out a Sherwood green Jag (hopefully with matching headstock). I would even be happy if it was a Squier Classic Vibe Jag, which I am shocked they haven't refreshed the colors on in years.
They treat the Jag’s like the lefty’s. Which being left handed myself, means I’m equally screwed since the only option they have for lefty’s in Jags are the Mod Shop or Custom Shop. The MIJ FSR’s are like finding a needle in a haystack.
Great GREAT video. Only time they remotely even thought about it was the Johnny Marr Jaguar, and that guitar is a little off of the beaten path for Jaguars. Honestly, I would say it's Fender's R&D team probably attempting to avoid a repeat of the model's inception run by reissuing Jaguars without the original obscure design features - features which ironically give the Jaguar it's character. And while Fender can dodge that very same bullet with the Jazzmaster (i.e. the Squier J Mascis, which was put out with P-90 pickups was a remarkably versatile yet popular guitar) it's just wildly reluctant to with regard to the Jaguar, success of the Player Series model aside
@@AudiomoMusic Legitimately quite fascinating - you and me both on that. Other than Fender litigating business decisions from *1962* (which is insane given that the 90's happened lol) literally every argument you present in this video is air-tight and it makes zero sense to reissue something that is iterative of the idea instead of the genuine article. Fender, amirite lol
We're doing alot better than when I started playing. They didn't even make jaguars or mustangs in a standard format at all in the US. Fender Mexico is diversifying the jag just like it does every year. The vintera 1s are still readily available with more classic aesethic if you like and even a dual humbucker you can split. Theyre just going for a slimmed down simplified but practical approach this year. The modified versions are filling in a good mid price niche, and the more classic looking style ones are very available in squier at low price and the fender at mid to high price.
I suppose that's relative to when exactly you started playing, but from when I started the dowgrade is comical. Even just looking back 10 years Fender didn't have this problem and they were doing it right at multiple price points.
Great video calling out the lack of Jaguars...I did a similar video a year ago or so. I think I have a more optimistic opinion on the current models though. Yes, the Player II Jaguar has no rhythm circuit (or routing) and is lacking 2/3 chrome plates, BUT at least Fender actually designed new pickups AND they're actual Jaguar pickups! It's also not aimed at the vintage Jag fans. The Vintera II isn't that bad IMO, maple is kinda sick, and the vintage white is pretty cool looking. Black is boring. The lack of American Jaguars IS a problem...but I think it's a symptom of poor sales. Consistently, the Jaguar undersells the Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Jazzmaster. So, Fender just doesn't want to spend R&D money on them if no one is buying. It's too bad that the Japanese Fenders aren't available to us.
Fender sold out of the 60th anniversary jags within days of them being listed ( the actual jaguars not the black one that was nothing like a Jaguar ) and went on record saying not to worry to those that missed out as there would be similar vintage specd American ones available for everyone “soon”. Over two years later and nothing has changed. It’s also worth remembering at the time those were released, there were still some American Original Jaguars available on a regular basis both new and used so it’s not like there was a big gap between production as there is today. In an ideal world they’d add it to the AV ii line but they make strange bets financially on models or gear that has zero following or demand so I can’t understand their logic at times. It is what it is
I actually dig it, however, the new Squier Affinity Jaguar coming out is essentially the same thing as this new player series. I do wish they would bring back the contemporary jaguar with a TOM style bridge. That bridge with Jaguar pickups would be my cup of tea. I wish fender would bring back the toronado too.
everything in fact! Finding a new canonical Jaguar is very difficult now; there are many guitars on the used market with different bridges, pickups, tuners, guitars that are 20-30 years old. I recently picked up a Fender 2021 Traditional II 60s Jaguar Matching Head Black Japan, almost new, very happy about it, the Japanese really care about Jags p.s. In my country the import is closed, it is very difficult to order guitars, so things are even worse(
The Mustang has it even worse than the Jag, there has never been a proper spec'd vintage reissue of the mustang with the Dynamic Vibrato or pickup switches made in the USA - ever. Player series makes even less sense because they offer a duo sonic that is really similar to the Mustang, but they both have hard tail bridges. I agree with you, it should be offered with the dynamic vibrato.
How do y'all jag lovers change positions quickly? Sincerely asking. I dont mind the look of the sliders, but two movments for a single position change, I just find it an odd dance. It's kept me from gigging it.
Honestly, the same way I do on mustangs. You play one long enough you just get the muscle memory to do it quick. I can’t stand the blades on jags cus I’m so used to the sliders on short scale fenders haha
I agree with you so much on this. It's so infuriating that Fender has decided to treat the Jaguar this way. I own a '66 Jag and have been looking to get a comparable re-issue as my second guitar, and while there are countless reissues of Teles, Strats, and even Jazzmasters, with true vintage specs, there's nothing I've seen for the Jag.
The collector/music fan/music maker in me wants the vintage specs but the professional musician in me brings less finicky things to work. The short scale, rocking bridge, lack of 3 way switch, etc etc are huge deal breakers for my job. The matching headstocks are not a deal breaker though. They please the entirety of my being.
The rhythm circuit, toggle switches, matching headstocks, and pickups I’m talking about in this video are not selectable options on the mod shop design site, and the last time I emailed about it they told me the options they had were all they offered at the time but to always look out for updates…
Some Fenders they add the logos before the lacquer, some they don't. Never had enough interest in the Marr to grab one in person to see but that's good to know
I feel your frustration brother!. Fender are all over the shop with regards to historic accuracy, even the custom shop get features completely wrong?. Fender Japan have always done it right!.
They make very few custom shop Jaguars annually, it's sad the majority are relics and have modern neck specs but at least it's something I guess... for the rest of us there is Fender Japan haha
It's always been Fender Japan, even before F.J was a thing!. I've got a lot of love for Tokai and Greco. You have to try a Galanti Grand Prix, a classic 60's Italian twist on the off-set shape and fantastic pickups!.
Fender Japan mostly is good, but some of their pickups have not been the greatest, mind you I have some but not jaguars and they sound good; most of the guitars are poly not Nitro, some of the hardware could be a bit better also?
@mohamedtlass3842 Granted the electronics are not the best but the craftsmanship of the guitars themselves is excellent. Pick ups and pots can always be changed.
You are right about Fender Japan. I just got two. I got the FSR Inca Silver Jaguar. I also just got a limited run Cyclone. Both guitars are awesome. Build quality is fantastic. I spent a little too much on the Jaguar through a reseller. However, I ordered the Cyclone over a broker on ebay and it was only $1,150 (including tax) with free shipping. This is all to say that they are doing it right in Japan and anyone thinking about buying directly from there really should not hessitate.
I've been saying it for years, that's where the value and quality are if you're into Fender guitars. It's a tall ask to order something blind and I understand why some are hesitant to do it but man, all it takes it that first one to show up and you think "why haven't I been doing this for years?" haha
You can get the MIJ 60s jaguar (only one option) here in Australia for less than the Vintera II. Jags look best with all the chrome and a dark fingerboard.
Interesting video, I play bass but none the less, was gonna say it's it about the money after watching but it seems more like bad management or just not understanding the market !
saw the thumbnail and thought it was an ad just based off design and skipped over it, wasn’t til i read title and wanted to watch!! make ur thumbnails more personable and ditch the watermark on the thumbnail looks very very commercial and easy to skip over.. great video tho! very educational!!
I’m sure to some people absolutely, all depends if you want the bigger fret wire, flatter radius, and relicing. They get the hardware and electronics right either way
I couldn't agree more. All very well said. I ended up buying a Vintera 2 70's that was B stock but I was really after an American version with a rosewood board. I do like my Vintera, it's the colour of custard!
Kurt was more of a Mustang guy, he played many different Mustangs, even Japanese models but only one Jaguar, a '65. He is quoted as saying his competition blue '68/69 Mustang was his favourite guitar.
I think the player II makes sense, they talked about how neither the jazzmaster or the Jaguar have one so it’s simpler for players, hence the name of the guitar. Also not even to forget how much fender messed up the Kurt cobain signature, it’s incredibly inaccurate to his actual guitar.
All of the models kind of make sense in their own way, it's the lack of a traditional spec'd alternative that makes very little sense to me. Yeah they really botched the KC jag haha
My best guess as to why jaguars dont get as many models as jazzmasters is relative popularity and percieved quality. While obviously jaguars have their fans, to the general guitar player they are a novelty at best. The short scale is a turn off but the chrome plates and funky switches add manufacturing cost - which is why you get the player i and ii. On the other hand, jazzmasters kind of look and function like a "normal guitar" if you never touch the rhythm circuit. Mustangs and duo sonics can be made on the cheap and marketed as student guitars. It comes down to there is enough demand to make used prices surge but not enough for fender to do more than theyre doing right now. Also look at squier - they get a ton of FSR jags, my guess is to boost sales on low run guitars. The wild colors like silver and gold sparkle make me think novelty - we dont see as many limited runs of jazzmasters because people are already buying the handful of colors offered.
When Fender did the 60th Anniversary run of vintage spec Jaguars they sold out within days of being listed and people were angry they didn't make nearly enough - Fender said to be patient and they would offer other vintage spec versions soon in the AV ii line. This was two years ago. The demand is there, they just won't do it and a lot of people want nothing to do with the Squires even as a mod platform and are willing to spend the money on an american reissue there are just none available to buy so here we are.
Very nice hearing your opinion on the Jag Jim, the only "fender" I have is the Vintera II White with the black inlays just like my squire jazzmaster, I do have a squier Jaguar '60 s with the white headstock that I got from Sweetwater. I tend to use that more than the '70 V😁🎸 Nice video on the Jag in your opinion. Jim, keep rocking man 😎👍
Ok, yeah, was going to say Fender Japan. Looks like you might have got one of those. Japanese imports are kind of underrated, or at least overlooked. If you hadn't an import, I guess for you getting a Squier CV Jaguar, and modding it might have worked. Though, I guess you might want to change the neck, then it becomes quite a high cost project. Importing a guitar from Japan can give you access to lots of cool stuff it's near impossible to get anywhere else. Other things you can more often find in Japan are the good Korean made Epiphone Firebirds. Thinking about importing one of those.
I've been a huge Fender Japan fan since I started playing in the 90's so I've known the juice was always over there it's just sad to see what's available here compared to there. I tried the squier thing recently and did in fact put an american original neck on it with lindy fralin pickups and americna hardware... still didn't do it for me preferred the jag in the video to it by a lot.
@@AudiomoMusic Yip, me too. My first electric guitar that my mom bought me when I was around sixteen was a mid-90s MIJ Fender '69 Strat reissue in sunburst, with a rosewood neck. It was an really good guitar, even my guitar teacher who had a US really liked playing it. Especially their woodwork is top quality, and finish was impeccable. What the Jaguar needs is another great new guitarist or band that plays a standard vintage 60s Jaguar as their main guitar. On that note, I've noticed that the great young Irish band, Fontaines DC play Jaguars, sometimes both guitarists, or sometimes with a Mustang. My Bloody Valentine is definitely an influence, and Keving Shields also played Jaguars, not just Jazzmasters. Fontaines D.C.'s star is rising fast. There's been a resurgence in interest in shoegaze / dreampop music and even surfier rock, and the Jaguar with the trem is one of the staple guitars there, along with the Jazzmaster (they make good pairs Jaguars+Mustangs or Jazzmaster).
I just got a squier jag and it turned out to be a total lemon :l crack in the body where the neck is joined, doesn't stay in tune and has the worst string resonance between the bridge and trem...the guitar looks great though and the neck feels pretty good. I ended up deciding to return it instead of trying to work out all the kinks with setup. Anyways, the player II series caught my eye a bit after I tried the player II strat at a guitar store this week. The neck shape with a satin finish and coral red finish is pretty fantastic. So since it's a new line I figured the jaguar would be pretty slick. But yeah...the pick guard and setup is pretty disappointing. I love the icon chrome selectors and rhythm circuit look. The feel of that player II strat though kinda makes me want to buy the jag and take it to a luthier with a pre wired kit. The coral red + classic jaguar chrome + block inlays would be a perfect guitar imo. As of now it's almost like the new jaguar is just a short scale jazzmaster.
Funny enough, Fender Japan actually make a short scale Jazzmaster - you really can't make this up haha. Sorry to hear about the squier but can't say I'm all that surprised
So bummed I didn’t grab the olive when they had American standard run in like 2019 or something. I have no Jag in my collection! I’ll either buy a used olive or build a jag-caster
You all will probably skewer me, but I’m actually excited about the player ii jag. I currently have an olympic white mustang 90 (with the rosewood FB). These were $500 new when I bought it. I absolutely love it and fell in love with short scales. I’ve been wanting another short scale but with a trem. The AM Pro Jag or Mod shop jag has been on my radar for some time. I like the simplicity of the controls. But for me, the price is too much. I would totally buy a player ii jag and I dig some of the colors. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m also probably the exact type of person they are marketing to. 🤷🏻♂️
I don't think there is anything wrong with liking the player ii or any of the other versions of Jaguars in the video, my problem is with Fender refusing to give the Jaguar the same vintage options they do with the Jazzmaster because they are more than capable of doing so and just won't do it.
I had a Vintera Jaguar in Ocean Turquoise with tort guard for like 8 days... That is my only experience with a Jag. The vibrato was garbage. The Pau Ferro was dry and ugly. The neck had a thick gloss and thin shape. I did like how it looked A LOT, and the sound was pretty usable. I luckily got almost all my money back as I found someone locally who was interested. One of the quickest times where I bought and resold a guitar right away. I just knew it wasn't for me... I think...that sonic blue Jaguar is one of the most BEAUTIFUL guitars I have ever seen. Tell me it's staying. If not, I will give you my parent's address in the US so you can ship it to them for me. 🤣
The Vintera color criticism is kinda nitpicky. It has everything else and, frankly, I've been waiting *years* for a Jag with vintage load out and block inlays
I don't really feel it is nitpicky at all, I'm happy it's exactly what you wanted but I'd confidently wager the overwhelming majority of Jaguar players don't exactly have 70's maple board black block inlays on their dream vintage Jag wishlist.
You got me curious about recent Fender Jaguar versions. Isn't there the original Vintera that was more the original 60s /custom colour style? I've seen one in Ocean Turquoise with the matching headstock and tort pickguard and it looks great for under 1k. And it's Pau Ferro board, not the 70s maple, which I'm personally fine with. There's a Surf Green version too, without the coloured headstock. They don't look as dark, but they play really nicely. I have original Vintera I Telecaster and Stratocaster in Seafoam, and they're two of my better guitars, especially once the Strat was professionally setup (Telecaster was perfect).
I think they change overtime, they’re probably gonna come with a vintera 2 jaguar 60s specs overtime. And they also sometime do traditionnal MIJ available sometimes
Yeah it's just about being in the right place at the right time. For full model refreshes we have 4 total years in each life cycle, so the next vintera refresh will be a ways off unless they do a mid life release for a rosewood version. Only time will tell I suppose
@@AudiomoMusic it’s true it’s about the right time, and there are chances the offset trend will be already gone in 4 years, cause we can already see the grunge/shoegaze trend is already starting to fade, for the emo / 00s / nu metal revival with humbucker guitars and big amp stacks
Yes, we've had this convo a bit but I did end up returning the Japanese one that was a pretty recent issue and still had likely some the same issues here... BUT also I didn't see too many overtly essential upgrades the MIM one I have except that you would prefer the brighter pickups and probably not mind the Fiesta "Red" [meh pink] but the GC guys also could not figure out what whammy bar actually should fit the thing, either.
Like I said before, I think the Squier sounds about the same as MIM and plays mostly well enough for a casual enthusiast BUT would definitely need fret work right out the box. I also don't know whom else might make a custom one that could rival or best that I could afford or if Fender is still worth investigating eventually, but the ones I've seen used are a smidge too pricey when I don't know if there's any hidden flaws, etc.
Also, we seem to be in shrinking minority of people who consider the rhythm circuit even good, much less essential. It's a confusing world? I think the Jazzmaster players had more t' do with this, but the circuit still standard on all JMs, right??????
You could get the guitar routed easily enough to add circuitry, I'm sure. Probably wouldn't be as cost effective as I'd like to spend on feature that should be standard, but I asked a tech guy about chambering for Telecaster and he kind of missed the point about the usual honeycomb designs and was saying that it was mostly done under the pickguard and likely wouldn't lighten the body as much as I had hoped, so same procedure but for different reason. We didn't really get into specifics about price at the time, so I can't quote anything very accurate here now.
Yeah, the black and white V2 left me cold, although I didn't think the block neck looked as bad as some critics because the Squire has block inlays but with a dark fingerboard and the edge binding that usually Fender is always just the dots, so gets redundant.
Glad you brought this up! I little to no option when looking for a jaguar with a rosewood fretboard, binding and dot inlays… had to settle for the Kurt Cobain model
It's a shame you had to settle, that's still a decent amount of money to spend and you should be able to get exactly what you want from a massive company like Fender on one of their oldest designs.
Here in New Zealand our main guitar shop has a limited range of MIJ. I got a new Ice Blue FSR 70s Jaguar 33% off for $1999. A Vintera II Jag here retails for $3799 and Player series $1899. Still cant believe the deal..
I was so close to buying that guitar for much of last year for a similar sort of price. It just looks amazing. The only thing that held me back was the basswood body. I know Jim has spoken about it before and quite likes them, I'm still on the fence. Seems they are already discontinued, so I have some regret. However, I do have a JG '66 ('97) with antiquities and mastery bridge, so in reality that impacted my decision above. Happy playing - killer guitar. 😎👍
At its core, the player series was never about things being vintage correct. The Vintera line should have a Jag with a rosewood board, but the Player tele has the six saddle ridge, the strat has the modern three screw humbucker, these aren't trying to be vintage correct Also that's not what Down Bad means
So you didn't actually get the point of the video - got it. I've been playing poker in casinos since the late 90's where the term down bad has been used long before I started and easily works here to describe the state of the Fender Jaguar, but i'm sure you are the beacon of knowledge and understanding so sure yeah, you got it man.
