Specialized features of the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar include custom-wound, Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr single-coil neck and bridge pickups; custom-shaped maple neck with rosewood fingerboard based on Marr's 1965 Jaguar; vintage-style truss rod; lacquer finish; and Marr's signature on the front of the headstock.
The 4-position blade-style pickup switch is mounted to the lower-horn chrome plate (bridge; bridge and neck in parallel; neck, bridge, and neck in series) while 2 upper-horn slide switches control pickup brightness. Other distinctive features include a Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles and nylon bridge post inserts for improved stability; vintage-style, floating tremolo tailpiece with chrome cover; and "taller" tremolo arm with arm-sleeve nylon insert to prevent arm swing.
Marr is best known, of course, as the strikingly dynamic and influential anti-hero guitarist-arranger-allaround-musical-wunderkind behind Manchester quartet the Smiths, which virtually redefined and ruled U.K. pop throughout the 1980s. A master of melody, layering, and texture, Marr has always brought his own instantly identifiable ringing, jangling genius to the proceedings, as he has done in post-Smiths stints with The The, Electronic, the Pretenders and Johnny Marr and the Healers, and right up to the present with Modest Mouse, the Cribs and innumerable guest appearances. Includes case.
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From the moment I strapped this baby on and strummed a chord I was transformed as a musician. Like Johnny Marr says, this jag encourages you to stretch yourself beyond simply playing blues or pentatonic styles (although it handles these just fine).The character of the guitar has brought out a creativity in me that I have very much enjoyed.
Everything about this guitar feels precise and solid, very different from the traditional jags. Johnny Marr put so much time and design into this and it shows. The bare knuckle pickups are amazing, and the improved switching is easy and useful. THE TONE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD, both clean and overdriven.
The thin laquer finish is easily scratched, but hey, so are all my US made Teles and Strats with the same finish. Plus over time I can naturally create my own "road worn" or "relic" look with daily use.
The trem is the smoothest of any Fender guitar I've played.
This guitar is made in the US and may be one of the finest instruments I've played in the last 30 years.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.Overall, I still rave about the model, because it's a Jag. I play Jag's because of the tone, and because of the short scale. I have small hands. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. I can play Jaguar's every day with no impact on my hands. As much as I love Strats and Teles, they hurt my hands. Jags don't. Plus, I love the tone, the snappy, spicey tone of the Jag and it fits well with the type of reverb drenched staccato Spaghetti Western style music I play. It's the underlying offset body and scale that makes the Jag a great, if not the greatest, guitar design--and these new variations are interesting and worthwhile, but not Revolutionary. The supposed fixes for the trem tail piece, the bridge, and the switching -- these are small potatoes and easy to address with the RI model. However, the new pickups, the new switching patterns, and the beefy neck make the new version worthwhile.
Let me state that I am a long time Jaguar fan. I first fell in love with the design back in the summer of 1966, having previously been a devotee of the Gibson SG. I have owned a number of Jags, have worn the frets off at least 2 necks, and currently have a 62 reissue with a Japanese neck, which I prefer.
There are a lot of interesting features with this Jaguar. I would say that if you are a Telecaster guy looking for a short scale guitar, this might be the ticket. I am not really a big fan of the smaller radius and vintage frets, but I can live with them. But why can't they put the truss rod adjustement at the other end? And why not locking tuners? If they were going to diverge the design, why not add the obvious improvements?
I am not a fan of the big switch knob that is now just below the main strumming area of the strings. That could have been smaller and more discreet. The position is not, after all over to the right like it is on a Telecaster. That is a mistake. And the mustang bridge, which I have tried on other Jags before, is not really the best solution for the bridge saddles. They could have bargained for a Mastery bridge and charged more for the guitar.
All that said, for me the tone is the definitive issue, and, this doesn't really sound like a Jag. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you are looking for classic Jag tone, this is a different beast, IMO. I like the new tone, and the strangle switches are now actually functionally useful. With the trad Jag, I would never mess with either the strangle switch or the switches on the upper bout.
I hated the slimsy strings they put on it. I tune down a half step and that was difficult with these joke strings. I usually use Thomastik swings on regular Jags, I think I will try the Fender stainless stell flats that came with just to see what they sound like.
I ordered this guitar back in Feb, got it the middle of May. I don't think I was ever more excited to get a new model after hearing all the marketing videos, and I am not exactly let down, but I do think that Fender focused on selling the sizzle. Not that the steak is bad, but this instrument is not an evolutionary leap forward, it's just a different take building on the foundation of the offset body and short scale.
I like the tone, and will probably keep the guitar--whether I keep the neck remains to be seen. Iike the beefier profile, but you can get that on a Japanese replacement neck but with decent frets and truss rod positioning. I don't know, I debating getting a Thin Skin Jag instead, but was intrigued by the promise of the new circuitry. And I have to confess, the new circuitry (toggle position aside), is the real value add proposition here.
It's not a boutique guitar, it came off an assembly line--that said, I haven't noticed any flaws, and there seems to be a little more attention to detail than with the stock models. The neck does have quite a few interesting knots, which I don't usually see in a guitar neck, however I choose to regard that as Wabi Sabi character--doesn't affect playability or tone.
This is a mixed proposition. Anybody could take a stock jag and make these modifications. They demand a premium for the famous signature--which, let's face it, as much as I admire Johnny Marr as an artist, I didn't get the model to try to emulate or sound like him. That said, I got a decent discount and considering the price of some boutique guitars these days, I think you get a lot for the price.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.I will give it a 10 because I got exactly what I expected/wanted. Johnny really thought this guitar through. I cant believe it took fender 50 years to get this guitar right. Button switching system that no one can figure out? Gone and repaled with a telecaster 4 way blade selector. Low output (no balls) pick ups? Gone and replaced with custom wound Bareknuckle pups that sound awesome. Awkward thin neck that feels like you got a hockey stick in your hands? Gone and replaced with a fat vintage profile neck. Etc Etc Etc. If you are a Jag fan then I think this is the best and most versatile Jag you can buy. Highly recommended to all Fender guitar fans alike.
All the features I disliked about the Jaguar are now gone~
Fender makes cheap guitars, That was the intent of the compamy in the begining and apperantly is still the intent now. IE: Basic woods, Gap in neck body joint, Cheap pots.Etc. But this Jag doest really need much upgrades. Johnny caught all the details.
Again I think fender makes cheap guitars even at street price I still wonder what I could have got for the money ( like a used vintage Les Paul Jr. Etc.) But not a bad price.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.Everything the jag is infamous for is now fixed! No annoying switches, wird bridge, skinny neck, too-bright pickups, jazz circuit, floppy trem arm. If you want a jag GET THIS ONE! It is still a jag so short scale, little sustain, ringing cleans, and low output are still the norm...but if your considering this guitar you probably know this anyway. Unlike many Jaguar re-issues this is VERY versatile. You can get strat, tele, jazzy, gretch, rickey, even humbucker-esque tones out of this thing.
So if you dig jags, but have been scared off by some naysayers, have the dough, and want a good all around axe. PLAY THIS! you will not be disappointed. Nearly every jaguar fan, and many other guitarists, I have talked to say this is the Jag to get. I agree. There is really nothing, short of metal, that this guitar can not do.
Warning: Do not judge this by it's stock tone! Pretty much all jags sound pretty bad with anything below 11 gauge strings on them. The 9's mine came with made it sound terrible--I almost returned it! Then I put on some 11s and it just sang.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.What a sound. Big, bright, jangly yet unique and full of subtle nuances. It's a Jag for sure but new and improved. Simpler wiring scheme, great pickups and a fat neck, the tone is very, very good. Not for totally saturated metal shredding, warm and woody jazz tones or people with big hands. You can get the chunk, the twang, the wail and the riff and with some reverb, delay, chorus and the like you can get all atmospheric as well. You can also cut through the mix like you wouldn't belive. The character of this guitar comes through no matter what you run it through short of a Boss ML-1. Simple chords and little melodys jump out of this thing, you just play and it's like you're writing songs. The 24" scale makes it feel loose but the 7 1/2 neck needs a good setup to get those big bends without fretting out. The pickups are sweet but in keeping with the general retro vibe they are on the mild side and need to be set up properly. Speaking of which, the set up on mine not so good, the high E was off the fingerboard, the neck had too much relief and, like every other new guitar I've ever bought, the nut was cut way too high. Everything else was good and the workmanship is top notch. I got it fixed up but if you can't do guitar set ups, take it to a pro you will be much happier. Due to the design of the bridge these guitars are bright, ringy and sometimes buzzy. You'll need a new relationship with your EQ for the brighness and maybe some easy and inexpenive mods for the buzz. Even with a set bridge and humbuckers I don't think you could make an an SG out of it, though. Why would you want to? It's great like it is.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.Being a huge Johnny Marr/Smiths fan, I was eager to try this guitar. Perhaps that made the reality an even greater disappointment.
Compared to my MIM Baja Telecaster, the sound of the Marr Jag was flat. The Marr Jaguar didn't have nearly the same shimmer or chime as the Telecaster. The Baja Tele also has the four-way switching, and the sounds are much more flexible on the Tele compared to the Marr Jag. To be fair, the Marr Jag sounds nearly as good as the Tele, but when I can get an even richer shimmer and growl from a Tele for 1/3 the price, the Marr Jag seems like a raw deal.
For me, the neck was a pain. The fretboard radius didn't agree with my playing at all.
The case looks supremely cool, but it's cheap.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.I had the pleasure of playing a Johnny Marr jaguar for a few weeks and it's a solid, nicely made instrument. I loved the feel of the neck personally, which is a vintage smaller radius 7.25" and may take some getting used to if you're accustomed to a flatter fretboard. The bare knuckle pick ups are extremely punchy and IMO almost to a fault -- a bit too modern and bass heavy sounding for my tastes. They don't really do that thinner single coil 60's Fender sound at all. But they do ROCK, no doubt about that. I'd say though if you want a vintage sounding Jag, look elsewhere -- but try a 7.25" neck. You might find it to be the most comfortable neck you've played!
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.It has what I need and I enjoy it very much. I played other Jags and being a novice had difficulty understanding the switches.
I love the body and the color of this and the fact Johnny Marr is one of my all time favorite players made it an easy decision.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.This guitar fixes everything that previously stopped me from purchasing a Jaguar. The complicated switching system is replaced with a 4 way selector, and the rhythm circuit is replaced with 2 high pass filters. This guitar really shines when it comes to clean tones. The pickups are bright and jangly. There are however a few issues. The low E string is far too close to the edge of the neck. There are times when the string actually slides of the side of the fretboard when too much pressure is applied, so that's something to keep in mind. Another issue is that the tremolo arm sometimes doesn't stay in place. This is only a minor issue and can be fixed by tightening the socket where the arm inserts. These are minor issues that don't really majorly detract from the guitar, and can easily be worked around. When the guitar arrived the case was damaged, but Custom Guitar's Friend promptly sent a replacement case at no extra charge. In summary I'd say that this is an excellent guitar for people who love the bright percussive sound of a Jaguar, but were always wary of the convoluted switching system of a traditional Jaguar.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
.Love this guitar! It is the exactly the guitar I was looking for. The only things I am changing on mine are witch hat knobs, black pickup selector knob, red tort pick guard, and a staytrem 7.25 bridge. And I am just kind of picky in that way. Also, the case is really nice and cool looking. All in all, I definitely recommend this guitar for its looks, sound, feel, and just overall coolness factor. They really nailed it with this one. Definitely going to be my main guitar for quite some time.
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard
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