Fender Electric Guitars - 2 Quick and Easy Steps to Acquire the Right Fender Musical Instrument
For all who posses never laid their hands on a Jazzmaster or some sort of Jaguar, the first striking feature is the length of its asymmetric body, bigger than that of a Telecaster or a Stratocaster. However, the balance is perfect, because the guitar was originally that will be played seated (the jazzmen, remember!). The traditional main differences between the two models are both short scale on that Jaguar (24 inches compared to the 25. 5 inches to the Jazzmaster), and different pickups: P-90-type single coils in the Jazzmaster differ from that single Stratocaster-type ones over the Jaguar. The pickups on the Jazzmaster in fact possess a warmer and rounder sound than those of the Jaguar, which are better.
As far as changes go, there are actually new pickups (Wonderful Design Hot Single coils to the Jazzmaster and the Jaguar, and Enforcer humbuckers for any Jaguar HH) which includes a higher output level and thicker sound than the original models. Note that the pickups on the Jazzmaster have height adjustment screws, as do the P-90-type pick-ups. A Tune-O-Matic-type bridge eliminates the "jumping strings" together with intonation issues of former models. In addition, the floating tremolo has been moved in closer on the bridge and the angle of the strings in relation to the bridge is now greater. This will increase sustain and reduce sympathetic archipelago resonances behind the bridge. You lose that small characteristic chiming sound that was obtained by strumming that strings behind the bridge (Sonic Youth preferred that sound). With this new bridge and the the reality that the tremolo has been moved in closer, it loses a little of the character of the first guitar, but gains in accuracy and stability.
For the maple neck, Fender has chosen a "C" condition, a rosewood fingerboard, a 9. 5 inch radius (flatter in comparison to the original), 21 medium jumbo frets (for the Jazzmaster and 22 for the Jaguar). The body is alder for all three models and hardware is Fender/Ping vintage style.
As for looks, be aware that the Jazzmaster can be purchased in black or sunburst finishes which includes a 4-ply Brown Shell pickguard, that Jaguar special (single coils) in green or sunburst, and this Jaguar HH (humbuckers) in white or sunburst. Lastly, the guitars are delivered in the gig bag and hardware is chrome.
Tone and Playability
As for electronics, the Jazzmaster has a few independent circuits (head and rhythm) using a selectable 2 position change, each with their own volume and tone. There's that classic three-position switch for selecting pickups (neck of the guitar, bridge or both). The Jaguar with single coils replaces the 3-position switch which includes a system combining three 2-position goes. The first two switches enable/disable the bridge and neck pickups respectively as you move the third switch activates some sort of high-pass filter. This filter allows you to easily pierce through a real mix! Lastly, the Jaguar with humbuckers has much more possibilities! There's, in addition on the adjustments mentioned above, a master kill switch that lets you completely cut the sound in the guitar, and two controls to mix the humbucker sound with the split sound(Humbucking/Single-Coil Blend Control), and this for each pickup. fender jazzmaster ultralight