What's so great about Fender Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Turnaround, Jan 3, 2019.

  1. douglas mcclenaghan

    douglas mcclenaghan Forum Resident

     
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  2. Boulder Bob

    Boulder Bob Senior Member

    Location:
    Boulder, CO
    you guys are missing the point of these guitars - I have played Jazzmasters all my life. The things that make them unique are 1. the string length between the bridge and the tailpiece introduces a resonance, I call it "plunky" and 2. the vibrato is maybe the best you can get, along with a Bigsby. They are not meant to sound like Les Pauls or Strats. They don't sustain and aren't meant to. The pickups are great, especially when they are both activated (bye bye hum). No noisier than a P-90 or stock Strat. Listen to the pre Mosrite Ventures. Those guitars sound great. Straight into a Brown Face Fender. Watch Don Wilson play rhythm on his Jazzmaster. The short scale of the Jag allows you to use heavier strings and get more magnetic response while still being somewhat bendable. Listen to Dave Wronski of Slacktone for awesome Jag tone.

    I think a lot of the grunge guys use(d) light strings (less than .011 high e). These guitars do not set up well with .010s or .009s. Neither does a Super 400.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2019
  3. AlienRendel

    AlienRendel Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, il
    I've got a Mustang. Besides a short-scale neck (like a Jaguar) it really has nothing in common with a Jaguar or Jazzmaster - different pickups, smaller/lighter body, different tremelo and and even worse switching system.
     
  4. Yes! Mostly he played various straight up Jazzmasters, but... he did play a DC Danelectro in The Neon Boys (his band with Richard Hell, just before Television) & he did have a much less used regular Jaguar... and both a Jag & the Jazz pictured here, that were both modified with those great Dano Lipstick Pups!

    In recent years he's played Stratocasters- both standard & the one I've seen him with most often - which is all Lipstick pickups.
     
  5. Marr did play lots of different guitars (early lots of Rickenbacker 360- then all sorts of axes) but he's settled strongly with his signature Jag. He designed it's sonic options for maximized versatility... not particularly high output pickups, but wired like a Tele (can't recall it's that's parallel or otherwise) where Jags are usually the opposite & custom boutique designed pickups (think they were based on his fave Jag- a '65?)

    Well worth researching & even more fascinating (and fun) to play! It was the Jag unique enough to get me to finally get a Jaguar!
     
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  6. vanhooserd

    vanhooserd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville,TN
    I would associate the twangy Tele sound more with Bakersfield than Nashville. I love it. But I'm not a guitarist, so what do I know?
     
  7. Dr. Luther's Assistant

    Dr. Luther's Assistant dancing about architecture

    Location:
    San Francisco

    :laugh:
     
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  8. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Yes. Tom Verlaine's first electric guitar -- at least in his professional career -- was a Danelectro, and his initial butterscotch-colored Jazzmaster reused the pickups from that guitar. I'm not sure why. Richard Hell also played a Danelectro bass.

    Later, after Television's Elektra signing advance, he bought a sunburst Jazzmaster that he kept stock. I believe he also had an Olympic white Jazzmaster during the Television years, though that might have been a Jag.
     
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  9. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    The Jazzmaster also had single-coil pickups.
     
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  10. frummox

    frummox Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Worked an entire summer when I was 16 (yeah, I'm boomer and unduly influenced by the Ventures). The pickups are weak but if you crank it up at high volume many instruments kinda sound the same anyway. Became trendy when Elvis Costello started playing one. The tremolo action on mine was actually pretty good, better than a Strat, but a Strat is a much more versatile instrument. A Jaguar is more interesting but sort of specialized. It has a short scale (easier to play) and a lot of hlgh end. Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys played lead on one very early in his career. He played clean and the sound really cut through. The funny part was that they were meant to be "Jazz" masters but I don't think anyone ever used them for that. I eventually got rid of the Jazzmaster and bought a Strat and a Tele.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2019
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  11. ChrisScooter1

    ChrisScooter1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Athens, GA
    This is a common mis-understanding, but to be fair to Fender, the Jazzmaster was specifically designed and marketed to jazz musicians; a market Fender did not have much influence. It was designed for the sitting player, to bring modern ergonomics (of the time) to a traditional big box/traditional hollowbody market, the wide field single coil pickups and the added "rhythm circuit" were an attempt to offer the Fender spin on a Jazz sound. Try as he might, Leo just couldn’t get away from that trebly sound he was so enamored of, even with the added presetable “mud” circuit.

    Leo’s engineering innovations that were featured on the Jazzmaster were also, due to no fault of his own, ill timed. While Leo and the rest of the Fender leadership were busy field testing the Jazzmaster, Gibson was busy field testing the humbucking pickup. When the Jazzmaster was officially released in 1958, it was competing with not one, but many humbucking loaded Gibson guitars that had already been brought to market. This was a revelation for jazz and studio musicians that were constantly plagued with 60hz hum. The Jazzmaster (like all Fender guitars), for all its innovations, was still loaded with single coils. For a market incredibly suspicious of the "plank guitar company" Fender, Gibson's humbucker was an innovation jazzers could get behind, especially when loaded into a more traditional instrument. If Gibson had never marketed the humbucker and still loaded their guitars with P-90's, who knows, maybe Leo would have had a shot with the jazzers. Alas, it was not to be.

    Interestingly enough, I've had the pleasure of playing a couple "found under the bed" vintage Jazzmasters that still had their (albeit old) era appropriate (possibly factory) loaded flatwound strings with a wound G string and, I have to admit, the neck pickup sound, especially with the rhythm circuit engaged, is a very passible jazz tone, not that far removed from a P-90 loaded black beauty Les Paul or a P-90 Switchmaster Gibson from a similar era. Jazzmasters were not THAT far off, tone wise.
     
  12. Soopernaut

    Soopernaut Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines,IA
    Lots of people buy instruments their favorite musicians play. I had a friend in high school that bought a Jazzmaster because J Mascis played them. J played them because he didn't have enough money for a Stratocaster that he wanted to buy. He must have gotten used to them and decided not to buy that Strat after all.
     
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  13. Pavol Stromcek

    Pavol Stromcek Senior Member

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I've had a Jazzmaster since 1993 (white, tortoise shell pick guard). I love the way they look, love the sound and the various tones they're capable of, and I also love how they feel - the shape and contoured edges and curves feel great against the body.

    I've been on the lookout for a Jaguar, but it has to be black with a tortoise shell pick guard, and I'm not seeing a lot of those around these days.
     
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  14. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    Although I'm primarily a bass player from a past performance standpoint, I've been playing guitar since 1977. For me, no electric guitar sets up well with anything less than 0.011s or even 0.012s. The strings go out of tune, intonate horribly and just don't fight back enough for my personal taste.
    If you can find a black Jag, all you need to do is to send your stock guard to Tony Dudzik at Pickguardian. No affiliation on my part, but a very satisfied customer of some 10 years. He's got options and does the best work in this field.
     
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  15. frummox

    frummox Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    First time I heard a Jaguar back when. One of Carl Wison's early Beach boys instrumentals. He was probably still a teenager. Whole lotta high end and plink. Can't get that on a Strat or Tele.
     
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  16. Jon H.

    Jon H. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC USA
    All this talk about whether a guitar is "good", "great", "sexy", or "wonky", "unplayable", and inferior to my so-and-so is not really relevant. A guitar is only as good as its set-up, and a guitar is only as good as it is meant to be.

    To explain: some guitars are dogs, and no matter what you do to try and set them up, modify them, learn to like them etc., they just lay there. Other guitars (even cheap ones, and old guitars that "shouldn't be good" but in fact are) will surprise you: they've got Mojo.

    I've played a lot of Strats and Les Pauls that sing, and an equal amount that wouldn't stay in tune, were too heavy, didn't have any "vibe", etc. Those that are great are really great; those that didn't move me are probably "meh" to "okay" guitars.

    The same is true of the Jazzmaster - with a good set-up, and the right strings, and the vibrato set up correctly - wow. Nothing quite like it. Versatile enough for many of the TOP SESSION PLAYERS of the '60's to employ one in their arsenal in the '60's. Not as many Strats used in sessions in those days - the Strat is a great guitar to be sure, but comes with its own idiosyncracies. Important that a Jazzmaster (or a Jaguar) have heavier gauge strings; the Beach Boys clip with Carl above (a Jaguar) surely benefits from flat wound strings.

    The Jaguar is an aquired taste - its shorter scale and bright sound are not for everybody. But it cuts through a mix like no other guitar, and like any single-coil guitar takes to effects pedals nicely.

    Next, are we to ask: Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars - what's so great about them? Again, set up, proper heavier gauge (sometimes flat wound, though not always!) strings, and application for the job required will justify the choice of these instruments as the right ones for the job.

    Of course in Fender land, Strats and Teles are great instruments - when they are good examples, and the right tool for the song. The same can be said of Jazzmasters and Jaguars too. I will add that the Jaguar, with its short scale, MUST have heavier strings and be set up to do what it's supposed to do before one can use it effectively. The same can be said for the short scale Rickenbacker 325 (the Lennon model) - it's great when it's strung up and set up properly (as Steve Hoffman himself will agree!), but if not, you're likely to be going nuts trying to make it work.

    CONTEXT, people!

    Sorry - rant over. My final statement: a guitar has Mojo, or it does not. Like food, or wine, or records, we must sample several before we know what suits our tastes.

    Cheers!
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2019
  17. Jon H.

    Jon H. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC USA
    Something to add: I've had more experience with Jazzmasters than Jaguars, but I'd like to offer this observation:

    The Jazzmaster's neck pickup is very unique, unlike anything else that Fenders offer (the same can be said for Fender's humbucking pickups in the '72 Telecaster Thinline and Custom guitars, though that is another story entirely...).

    The middle switch position in the Jazzmaster (both pickups in use) is also very unique and "plinky" - though they also have great sounds using two pickups at once, a Tele and a Strat cannot reproduce this sound. The aforementioned two settings (neck, and both pickups) are used on a LOT of pop records in the '60's. Bands like Television, and later, The Flaming Lips, used these sounds to great effect on their recordings. This is an iconic sound, and one that only the Jazzmaster can obtain. Though lesser detected, the bridge pickup on a Jazzmaster barks - listen to the Mickey Baker clip upthread, or Hank Garland on Elvis Presley's "Little Sister". Biting - with midrange!

    We all love the iconic Tele and Strat sounds; let's give it up for the specific sounds achieved with the Jazzmaster.

    Mind you: all these guitars have something cool to offer. Whether one prefers them or not is simply player preference.
     
  18. Devin

    Devin Time's Up

    Well written and informative Jon. Thanks!
     
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  19. Brian Lux

    Brian Lux One in the Crowd

    Location:
    Placerville, CA
    As namlook said: J Mascis.
    [​IMG]
     
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  20. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    Roy Clark seems to handle this Fender Jaguar just fine. I love the tone!
     
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  21. Jon H.

    Jon H. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC USA
    WOW!
    I've seen this clip recently - but I'm reminded that Roy could make ANY guitar sing. Thanks for that.

    I think those are flat wound strings, and definitely heavy gauge. Sounds like the neck pickup too! Funny how many players in the old days tend to gravitate to the neck pickup for lead work, as opposed to the "raging treble" of the bridge pickup.

    Fender should use that clip as an endorsement for the Jag!
     
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  22. Grey Alien

    Grey Alien Forum Resident

    A friend bought a Gibson Explorer 84 reissue due to intense James Hetfield worship... he hated it, bit I loved it... broke my heart when he sold it.

    Volume knob always gets whacked constantly when I play a Fender (-ey) guitar, would have to gaffer it down or try the foam trick.

    Or get it moved back out of the way? is that possible? just get the tone removed/bypassed and have the volume right at the back?
     
  23. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    Simple modifications can make a major difference in how these guitars play and sound. Obviously the body shape might not be as comfortable as a Strat or other smaller-bodied guitars, but part of that depends on your own body shape and personal preferences.

    For a number of years now, Raul Malo and Eddie Perez of The Mavericks have been playing Fender Jaguar guitars. Raul also plays Jazzmasters, which I've seen him use as well. Before that, I'd seen Eddie on guitar for some other artists (Dwight Yoakam, Jim Lauderdale etc) and he was using Telecasters at those gigs.
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  24. lobo

    lobo Music has always been a matter of Energy to me...

    Location:
    Germany
    My uncle had a modified sunburst Tele with an additional humbucker pickup. That guitar sounded incredible. I love Telecasters with their sharp stingy sound. Best rhythm guitar imo.
     
  25. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    Below is a nice quote about the Fender Jazzmaster from the late Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens. Notice him holding his Jazzmaster on the LP front cover.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    "In terms of The Smithereens, it was used at the very first show we ever did, and was my main stage guitar for the nearly six years it took us to get a record deal. I used it to record all of the original song demos & also used it exclusively when we were legendary songwriter Otis Blackwell's (writer of "All Shook Up", "Don't Be Cruel", "Return To Sender", "Fever", "Great Balls of Fire", "Handy Man") back-up band in 1984 and recorded two LPs and toured with him. It was pretty much the only electric guitar (with the exception of borrowed a 12-string Rickenbacker) that I used on our first album, "Especially For You", is featured prominently on all of my guitar solos on that album, and was used for the majority of our highly visible & successful first national tour in support of "Especially"- It was always in the studio with me, and has been used on some level on virtually every Smithereens album. So it has a fairly rich history. It was retired from live performance after the "Especially" tour."
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2019

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