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Fender Jaguar

cassanova

cassanova

Sep 4, 2000
8,419
748
Florida
#1
1. How do these things balance? They look like they'd have issues because of the short upper horn.

2. Does it sound like a jazz bass or a completely different animal? Also, how versatile is it?

I can't get around to playing it until the weekend, so I figured I'd ask on here before possibly wasting my time.

Thank you.
 
#2
The Jag is a 70's pickup posn. jazz bass with on/off switches for each pickup and a series parallel switch. The preamp is true bypassed when switched off. People say they sound different to a jazz but I have absolutely no idea why.

I never had issues with neck dive but apparently some other people do. Certainly nothing a decent strap wouldn't fix.
 
#4
1. Unless you play it around your ankles you'll be fine. Totally un-noticeable.

2. Sounds very similar to a Jazz, for obvious reasons, but it does have sort of a sound of it's own. And with the actives and series/paralell it's extremely versatile.

Hope you love it. I love mine.
 
#5
i have resolite heads on mine, but it didn't have any neck dive before i installed them. i love mine too.
blkJAG-1.jpg
 
#6
Just what I was looking for--an excuse to show off my sexy new pick guard;)

309dad81.jpg

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I absolute love this bass; it's ridiculously versatile and sounds different from my Jazz bass when I run the pickups in series (which I usually do to get a fatter sound than my Jazz), but when I run them in parallel, it's got a classic Jazz sound. I replaced the pickups with a set of Fender Custom Shop 60's Jazz pickups that were gifted to me, and it sounds phenomenal--a much fuller mid-range than the stock ones. Mine is a bit neck-divey, so I'm gonna replace the tuners at some point. Other than that, it's pretty much the best bass I've ever owned.
 
#9
In my experience the Jag was a lot darker (tonally) than a standard Jazz... and... in terms of versatility... I found the 'funky' electronics fairly useless - fussy and unreliable... after reading about JMJs Jag... I disconnected the active part of the bass... Great playing bass... though... and IMO... I never found the balance 'thing' a real issue... but the neck is heavy...
 
#10
The one with the rosewood board, looks like the one I was emailed pics of.

He's asking close to $900 for it, and that doesn't sound like a very good deal to me. Especially when I can get a used MIA Jazz or P Deluxe for around that. Then again, I have no idea of what the Jaguars went for new.
 
#12
for my rosewood board one, i ended up getting $1K for it, but it wasn't your everyday jag bass. it had an EMG treble/bass preamp running on 18 volts, dimarzio ultrajazz bass pickups with custom staggered pole piece magnets, CTS pots, AV RI knobs a block bound neck (nitro) and gotoh res-o-lite tuning keys.

i think that $500-600 is an okay price for a stock used one in good shape since they've seemed to go up in price ever since they were discontinued. fortunately i paid $350 for mine (used) when they were still available new on closeout for $500, but, IMO, $900 is way out of line.
 
#13
johnk_10 said:
i ended up getting $1K for the rosewood board one, but it wasn't your everyday jag bass. it had an EMG treble/bass preamp running on 18 volts, dimarzio ultrajazz bass pickups with custom staggered pole piece magnets, CTS pots, AV RI knobs a block bound neck (nitro) and gotoh res-o-lite tuning keys.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know--I read all about it on your Web site, and it would have been MINE if I'd seen that it was up for sale! ;)

I got mine in mint condition for $400, though, so I'm pretty happy--especially with those Custom Shop pickups!
 
#15
+1 with Joe, it's the best Fender I ever played but it's my opinion.
The neck is not heavy, the tuners are.
I switched the originals tuners with some Schaller/Fender lightweight tuners and its become a very great balanced bass (I think it's the better mod to do with a Jag). I also put a Badass bridge but it's not essential.
Very great bass for the money.
(Sorry for my english)
 
#18
cassanova said:
Was the maple board an option or is that a replacement neck? I'm asking because I don't recall ever seeing them with maple boards.
Click to expand...

i sold the original neck to fund the new block bound one (made in the fender factory), but reshaped it to 60's specs and shot it with nitro.
 
#19
I never saw a factory one with a maple neck. I'm pretty sure all my basses have either maple, or wenge necks, and I like the rosewood on the jaguar. It think it warms the bass up, even though I also think we're all nuts when it comes to there really being a difference in sound with that stuff. :)
 
#20
I don't think the choice of fretboard wood effects the tone in any way that the human ear would notice. The only thing I do notice a difference in with maple boards compared to say rosewood, is the playability. It's harder and for me, makes string bending a tad easier. The biggest reason I like maple boards on certain basses is aesthetics.
 

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