Fender '62 Reissue Jaguar

My Jag is 2004 MIJ model in Sea Foam Green finish. I bought it from a guy down in Byron Bay a few years ago, and he had installed some sort of Seymour Duncan pickups in it, which I didn't really like. I had some gold Lace Sensors lying around in my garage from an old Strat, so I gave them a whirl instead. A bit unconventional, and odd looking, but it sounds brilliant. I did the standard Mustang bridge thing too.

I was a bit worried that the Lace Sensors would make it sound too "Stratty", but they definately came into their own. The rhythm circut can produce some really sweet mellow, almost jazzy sounds with the tone wheel rolled off about halfway. The lead circuit with both pickups active is just pure sparkle, and kick in the bass cut for some high-end sting.

I play early-Wilco-esque indie rock, and I generally don't use a lot of effects or distorition. I mostly play through the clean channel of a Mesa Boogie DC3 with a Tubescreamer and Memory Man when required, and this setup can do everything I need it to.

When I first bought it the truss rod was loose inside the neck causing some hardcore rattle (don't ask me how the hell that happened). Anyway, I got that all fixed up and she was right as rain.

The tuning on this thing is awesome, easily the best I've ever had in a guitar. I can get the tremolo arm and slam the hell out of it for five minutes straight without barely losing my tune.

In spite of a medium action, there are a few dead spots around the place when you give them a bend, but I hope to get a fret-dress done soon, which will hopefully alleiviate this.

I use it live regularly as my main guitar, and quite often as my only guitar. I haven't had anything wear out on me yet, except the tremolo arm, which is a bit loose in it's socket these days. But that's not a really critical issue anyway.

Never dealt with them.

Mine is a bit of a different Jag, but it still retains a lot of the unique nasaly tonal characteristics of a standard job. She's had some technical difficulties, but the tone is worth the hurdle. I used to be a Les Paul man for quite a while, but I got a taste for that crystaline Jag single-coil tone, and I just haven't been able to go back. If it were lost or stolen, I'd certainly put together a new one.

One of my favorite features of this guitar is the separate volume and tone rollers allowing you to have 2 different tone settings for the neck pickup, in addition to the independent pickup selection available on the lower part of the guitar.

I didn't think I would like the string mute, but I found I like some of the sounds it produces with distortion and other effects.

Also the ability to adjust the spacing of the strings is an interesting feature. I am considering adjusting the spacing of my G and B strings.

I haven't had any trouble with the tremelo. I added strap-locks.

The sound is great. Its slightly different from a Strat or Tele, but it's squarely in the fender family. No buzzing or feedback issues.

This is a very versatile guitar. I would argue THE MOST versatile you can get with only two pickups.

Action is great, I love the scale length. The finish is amazing. Mine was special order from Fender, so I saw it come out of the box and gleam! No flaws, frets looked great, everything was tight and what you'd expect.

It was also VERY well set-up. Intonation was dead on, strings were a low, comfortable height and did not rattle or buzz. I was worried that this was not going to be the case after reading some reviews, but Fender came through.

I have only had it for a month, but seems like its holding up great. Some people wrote that small bumps will mar the finish, but my clumsy playing hasn't left anything permanent on the finish.

dunno, hopefully never need to find out.

Honestly, this guitar seems better made than some les pauls i thought about purchasing for half the price.

Lots of reviews out there made me nervous to purchase this and I still bought it because it's so comfortable, I love the tone, its unique and I just kept coming back to them in the store.

I own a '62 US reissue made in 2007. It is ocean turquoise and very pretty. That whole 2 circuit thing is actually pretty sweet and i quite like the longish tremolo arm (i also own a fender mustang and that arm is too short)

I thing this guitar sounds quite lovely. I hear a lot of talk that the pickups are low output and not so good for the distortion and heavier music. I have seen this guitar melt faces when run through my aged big muff. You can get some sweet muddy stoner rock sounds out of this sucker. It is all in all the finest sounding 'tar i have ever played (though that isn't saying all that much). I think it can achieve quite a wide range of sounds and i actually like the ole "strangle" switch.

When i received this guitar the action wasn't as low as i would have liked (it was kinda high actually). I need not go on about the bridge (as it well know that it kinda sucks). I really only get the buzzing string problem on the low E (so all in all not too bad...it slips out of the saddle easily ...although i tend to hammer the crap out of it). It seems to be well made otherwise

so far so good mes amis.

never had to use their services.

I love this bastard.

The usual Jaguar features, I won't list them here again. This is for the CIJ reissue (if you have an original then you want another thread) and mine is sunburst. For a guitar there are lots of features and switches, if this is a good thing or not then it is a matter of debate.

The jaguar has a growling alt rock tone tone. It can be trebly, can be thin, but it's up to you to fix that with amps / effects. I love the sound because the pickups are nice and hot and the tone cuts through any mix. It's just what I want. Not the most versitile guitar (usless for metal or jazz) but ideal for surf, blues or alt rock.

There are a number of tonal options. The switch at the top of the guitar engages a rhythm circuit, which gives a muffled jazzy tone that is useless for anything unless you want jazz. There are two switches for each pick up and a "strangle" switch which makes the sound a bit more trebly, only it's so subtle it's kind of pointless.

Most people know that Jaguar / Jazzmaster bridges are awful. The strings pop out and the grub screws fall out. After one gig I replaced the stock bridge with a Mustang bridge and threw the original into the bin.

The guitar was well set up but buzzed on the bridge and wouldn't stay in tune. The guitar is shipped with 10 guage strings. The JAGUAR IS DESIGNED FOR HEAVY STRINGS (and the shorter scale allows greater playability with heavier strings). I replaced the strings with 11s and instantly all buzzes and problems vanished. If you can go up to 12s or 13s. It gives a better tone and controls the guitar.

The finish and action was lovely. The Body shape and shape of the neck make the jaguar one of the most playable guitars out there. The trem is nice and subtle and smooth to use, plus the arm is nice and long so you can strum chords and shimmer the tone up and down as in MBV.

If you are a beginner or are afraid of setting up your guitar then don't buy a jaguar. Once I made the adjustments above I have to regularly set up the intonation and bridge of the guitar. It's a lovely guitar, but high maintence.

The hardware and guitar itself are very durable but the switches are plastic. After carrying the guitar to a gig in a soft case the rhythm circuit was pushed inside the guitar and made the sound cut out. After another gig the singer bumped into me onstage and two of the three pick up switches snapped clean off. After this I ripped out all the circuitry and left it set to the bridge pick up permanently, with only the tone and volume knobs for control. It's much better now.

No opinion

I've been playing for 10 years, gigging for 8 and been gigging round the country for 3 years now. I use the Jag, or a Fender Tele with lots of effects.

The Jaguar is a unique guitar. It has personality and with it it has quirks that you don't get with a tele or strat. It's up to you if it suits your musical style, if you can be bothered to modify it to your standards and then maintain it. If you do you'll be rewarded with one of the most playable guitars out there. Jaguars have a cool look and feel that you just don't get anywhere else.

Crafted in Japan Guitar bought in 2003. It has a two tone sunburst finish. The features of this guitar have been covered extensively over this site already, so there's no need to go over them again. I have mod'd the guitar though (more about that later).

I like a broad range of music, but was looking specifically for a bright sounding single coil guitar to play REM, The Smiths, The Byrds and any jangly sixties orientated music. I have a humbucker loaded guitar which sounds great overdriven, so I was only interested in it's clean tones. When I tried this in the store I was impressed by the range of tones it offered. The bridge pick up was excellent for arpeggios. As well as some pretty unique tones, it had some that sounded like either a Strat or a Tele. Before I knew it I was playing Johnny Cash riffs! This doesn't often get remarked upon, but if you're recording at home with a portastudio, this guitar is a real asset, as it's pretty versatile.
Switch to the neck pick up and you have a good tone for Jazz and blues. I have overdriven it when I have my Nirvana moments, and it handles it pretty well, with a distinctive sound. However, if you're wanting a classic rock sound you'd be better off with a Strat.
I got fed up with the pick ups after a couple of months, as through my own amp they sounded too bright and there were too many ambient sounds (buzzing etc) coming from them. I fitted Seymour Duncan Jag pick ups to it, which accentuated all the best properties of the guitar, adding a little more bottom end and depth too. I absolutely love it now, and have been playing it clean with a little reverb to the virtual exclusion of all my other guitars (except for the odd lead line on my SG when I'm recording). I'd rate it seven for the original pick ups, but 9 now.

The action was fine, but the bridge was really poor. It's truly shocking that Fender still put out these guitars with that bridge hardware. I can't help but feel this is what puts a lot of folk off Jags.
I bought and fitted Mustang saddles and a buzzstopper, and the difference was amazing. As well as increasing the sustain, it changed the playing feel of the guitar. Due to the short scale and light bridge hardware, playing a Jag can often feel strange after playing a Tele or Strat. The strings feel flacid. However, following these mods the tension increased and it feels superb to play, in fact it's my favourite guitar for action and playability now.
The offset body is well designed, as when playing standing up it's not at all neck heavy. It seems to rest in a very comfortable playing position.
I'd note it as 6 for when I bought it, but given that it only took a small outlay and a couple of minutes work to sort it out, I'm being generous and marking it as it is now...........

As stated, the original bridge hardware was a joke. You couldn't play it for two minutes without the strings popping off the saddles. Now, after it's been modded, it's great. The tuning is rock solid, and you can rely on it for gigging, no problem. I think it's madness to even consider playing a gig without a back up. The strap buttons are solid. It would get 6 for the guitar stock, but again, I'm marking it for how it is now it's been modded.

I've never dealt with them, so I can't comment.

I've been playing since the eighties. I've had numerous Strats and Semi-Acoustics. My current guitars are a Vintage SG, a Fender MIM Tele, a Washburn 12 string, a Takamine electro acoustic, and a Squire Jazz Bass. I'm playing through a H and K Tubeman to a H and H amp, but mostly use a Tascam portastudio to record songs. I have a number of pedals too.
If you're thinking of buying one of these guitars, do some research first (there's lots of good advice on the internet) and buy the Mustang saddles and buzzstopper at the same time as the guitar.
I love this guitar. Given that it's regarded as a niche guitar, it suprised me with it's versatility and as I said earlier, it's a great recording tool. I've mostly been playing Indie stuff on it since I got it, but its great for other stuff too. I mainly regard it as a rythmn guitar, and with this and the SG for the odd lead line, I find I can cover most kinds of music. It has a unique look and feel, and if it were stolen I'd replace it in an instant. Again, the rating given is for the guitar after modification.

I have Japanese Jaguar ( Crafted In Japan ) in Antigua color. Some say strange color, some beautiful. I think there are other Fender guitars in that color like Strats and Teles. I like it.
It looks like regular Jaguar with all the switches, knobs, pots and pickups. I think its alder instead of basswood.

Now to the sound. For me, when I bought it, it sounded really nice. It has two single coil pick ups. Neck pickup is amasing for me, it has that jazz sound that I like a lot, deep, fat and clean. Bridge pickup is really bright, at some settings is too bright but that can be cool as well, possibly for some heavy distrotion noise. I played it so far with digitech delay ( digidelay), marshall distortion, flanger and reverb ( mostly on fender hot rod deluxe tube amp ) and it sounds amazing. People usually advise to change pickups to Seymore Duncan and that might be a good idea, depending on your style. I like this jazz warm tone of the neck pickup, but I am thinking to change the bridge pick up to humbacker (JB Junior or the other one ) to get also high output pickup for distortion parts and controlled feedback, because I like mixing jazz with sonic assaults. I think this guitar can make it, with a little setting.
One problem though, and I know people mentioned it before. Its the bridge and its buzz. Strings are falling off of it if you don't set it properly and there is a lot of buzz when you play. Buzz, in my case, is coming from the bridge, as strings vibrate on the metal and make that buzz sound. There is a solution fortunatelly, to change the bridge and there's even a buzz stop accessory specially made for this problem.

Action is really nice and fit for playing. Directly out of the box looks nice and sounds good ( beside this aforementioned problem with the bridge and buzz ). Pickups are nice, especially the neck pickup, i wouldn't change.
Pots and switches are really nice and working and I think even with some heavy use can stand it.
Bridge should be replaced and I think everyone should remember that and do it since its not done properly. Buzz stop is also a suggestion.

This guitar will withstand live playing a lot LOT. Its made for playing live. People played it million times before and I think there's a lot of variety in sound so if you like experimenting with sound, get this guitar. Jazzmaster is also nice guitar but I only played Jaguar so far.
Also, some musicians abused it a lot, with screwdrivers and drumsticks ( mentioning Thurston Moore? Right : ) so I think there's a little fashion to it as when it looks abused, its more sexy. But I keep it new as this antigua color just overwhelms me.

Had none from Fender. From shop where I bought this guitar ( Belgrade, Serbia ) was really nice.

When I bought this guitar, my dream came true, sort of. Ok, I always wished for original one, like USA from 60's. There is always a discussion about differences between original and Japanese, and I can't comment on that since I played original once and it was nice, but this Japanese I bought is better for me. That doesn't mean its better than all USA Jags, no no way. Every guitar is different, even guitars from the same year, same editions and same manufacturer. But, every guitar you set the way you like to so its the same with this guitar.

My '62 AVRI Jag is 9 months old, time for a review. Prior to purchase, I was set on getting a Jazzmaster when a buddy loaned me his '66 Jag. I was hooked, but he wouldn't sell for cheap. I got the 3TSB option. Gorgeous. Weight: 8.6 lbs.

Jags are a bright sounding guitar. Forunately, most of my amps are on the dark side. On my Teles and strats, I rarely use the tone knob. I like the response from dailing down on the Jag. The "rhythm" sound from upper "Lead/Rhythm" switch is mostly a joke, but I have used it few times.

Just awesome. It could've easily passed as a Custom Shop model.

I strung it with 12's almost immediately and adjusted the truss rod (clockwise) for the fatter strings and that's the way its staying.

A bit of a learning curve with bridge and trem system, but worth the effort! First I replaced both E saddles with two spares that come with a '52 AVRI Tele. They each have one string slot and spacing-wise, match up perfectly. Under hard picking/strumming, strings have never popped out.

The trem-lock was a great feature years ago when strings breakage was a problem but I havn't broken a string in ten years or more. So I wrapped some dental floss between the tremlock button and plate, in the unlocked position so it stays put during bends. Fixed.

Heavier strings seem to provide enough tension on the saddles, eliminating the need for readjusting saddle height.

Finally, I Iowered both pups to taste.

The center pup slide switch was DOA. Rather than trust it with a repair shop, I got one off ebay and replaced it myself.

Otherwise, N/A

First, I wanna agree with others who've said this guitar ain't for everyone. Don't buy if you're at all squeemish about doing setups/adjustments. Find a tech. Out of the box, you might not like it at all. Its a jaguar and not domestic at first. Gotta be tamed. Leo WAS a visionary!

I'm 57. The shorter scale makes for a great geezer's guitar, lol. I go back to full scale w/o problems. Coming off my P Bass, though...whoa! Takes a few moments to adjust! I use the Jag for instro/surf. Recording/Hobbyist here.

I love the clean sound of a Jag thru a '63 Reverb. They were (obviously) made for one another. The 24" scale seems to have less sustain than other Fenders and the results effect the tones in a good way.

I like the fact that most people would never consider owning a Jaguar. My other guitars, especially teles, have become dust collectors.

American Vintage '62 reissue Jaguar. Ocean Turquoise finish. 3-ply mint green pickguard. Vintage style floating tremolo, C-shaped maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. 22 frets.Fender/Gotoh vintage style tunnig machines. Came with a brown hardcase, a strap (which I don't really like), cables and some mist and wipe kit.

It suits my music style almost perfectly. Way better than Japanese Jaguars. I wanted to get a MIJ Jaguar or a second hand MIA vintage reissue'62 Jaguar, but there was a sale where this guitar was selling at 50% off. I got the last and only Jaguar on sale. I play a wide range of music,mainly grunge,alternative rock,hard rock,rock,metal and some mainstream rock. This guitar was definitely not meant for metal, I knew from the start, so I am okay with that. The neck pickup has a really fat sound that can produce a great Chili Peppers sound. The bridge pickup alone sounds really thin and crunchy with my BOSS DS-2 on Remote II. The single coils sound great, better than a lot of guitar with humbuckers that I've tried.

In Singapore, the cost of guitars are way higher than in most countries like USA. The 50% off the "first hand" Jaguar made me get this guitar and I am glad I did. I like guitars with low action, like my MIM strat. The Jag has a higher action than my strat but I am still okay with it, as long as the tension is not hurting my fingers. I am used to playing low, nearer the bridge pickup and hard, and the jaguar is forcing me to play a little higher, towards the neck, but I have no problems with that. The bridge is a little iritating for my playing style. I strum really hard and the strings (particularly the low E string) keeps moving out of the saddle, causing buzz. I'm playing more lightly now, and in the future I'm planning to change the bridge to a Mustang bridge, as I heard it is the best solution. No flaws apart from the bridge problem. The ocean turquoise finish looks amazing.

I think this guitar will withstand live playing. It's the bridge and the type of music that I play that worries me. I play quite a lot of heavy music and the bridge is a little unreliable. The hardware will last, as long as the guitar is kept in the hardcase. The finish should be good to last and looks amazing. I am planning on switching the strap buttons to strap locks in the future. I am confident that I can depend on it and will gig without a backup.

The Jaguar is under a lifetime warranty and nothing wrong happened to it so far, so I cannot comment about this section.

I have a MIM Fender Standard Strat HSS, and that guitar has 21 frets. I like the 22nd fret. There are more songs I can play with the jaguar and it has a different feel than the strat. The single-coil pickups in the jaguar are comparable to humbuckers too. I love the finish and colour. Action a little high but I'm ok with it. I wished it had high output humbuckers though, but it would not be a jaguar that way. I would leave the humbucker jobs to my strat. The tone on the guitar is amazing too. Considering the price cut I got, I think this guitar deserves a 10. Fantastic value, since in Singapore, all guitars have to be imported, hence the insanely high price. The three-hour queue for this guitar paid off well in my opinion.

American Vintage RI made in 2003.Ice blue metallic finish...
All the bells & wistles a guitarist might ever need.AMAZING tonal capabilities.Of course the BEST tremolo system ever made..

Sound KILLER ,in fact better than any MIJ ones I've ever palyed & better than many original 60s Jaguars too.
If you have a working brain there is no limit to what this axe can do...

The best made guitar Fender currently offers.
I don't know why (maybe cause they don't make too many of those as oposed to strats & teles?)
Tremendous attn to detail & finish.

Many people complain about rattles & bridge problems...get a grip of yourself...LEARN HOW TO SET THIS THING UP & you will have no problems.
Shim the neck & match the bridge saddles to the fretboard radius..

It is a Fender....

An amazing guitar!

I have nothing to add here that hasn't been mentioned elsewhere.

Don't judge 8 as bad just cos it's not a 10! This guitar has a great twangy jangly sound on the treble circuit which fills out well on the rythm. I don't use a heavily distorted sound. I play through a fender twin reverb, using a proco RAT 2 for light distortion when needed. The jag has a great slightly-thin-yet-edgy sound when used with light distortion on the treble. The treble circuit filter is a great way of backing off a bit on the distortion, cos using the volume darkens the sound hugely. I also use a maxon ad-999 analogue delay and a fulltone clyde deluxe wah. While not quite a one-trick pony, you'd really have to have played one lots with all the gear you're gonna use and decided that you were comfortable with the range of sounds it makes before deciding to buy it as the only electric guitar you're gonna buy. It will not produce the output to drive your amp the way humbuckers do. Just accept that the sound you make is okay with this.You won't have much fun running it through a pod! I use a Gibson 335 as well, which provides a completely different (fatter) distorted tone. The music I play ranges from the smiths, suede, elliott smith, pulp, velvet underground, the auteurs, rem, franz ferdinand and it suits me fine. While it may be slightly noisier than the 335, that's just down to using single coils. All my pedals have true bypass and are powered by a voodoo labs pedal power 2, and so have a well regulated and grounded power supply. My cables are all planet waves. You owe it to your setup to have something similar. I played a bunch of Jap Jags in music shops and the quality of the pickups in them were awful. The US Jags were miles ahead both in the quality of the pickups and the general feel of the guitar. This is just my own experience though.

I live in Ireland where the cost of US Jags is extortionate. I saved a grand by holidaying in the US and ordering one from musicians friend. It was setup reasonably, but after my luthier got his hands on it it was absolutely beautiful. The Jaguar is not a perfect guitar design. The bridge saddles are absolute muck. There is no way they can fail to annoy you, either with the rattle they make or the way the screws can fall out. The mustang saddles are a must. The fender mute is as useful as a sleep button on a smoke alarm. When setting it up, my luthier called me to say that the mute button apparatus were raising the action on the higher end of the fretboard and I haven't regretted telling him to get rid of it. I got a bone nut fitted and it helped the sustain and tone a lot. My Luthier wrapped copper wire around the bridge supports to stop the bridge "floating" - in my opinion, the "floating" creates more problems than it solves. Don't even get me started on the tremolo arm. It just won't stay in place! From what I've read, I'm not the only one that thinks this. Proper locking strap locks are a must on any guitar - get them fitted! I tried out the flatwound strings and found them a bit dead. D'addario '10s suit me fine. I don't think it needs '11s, but again, that's just my opinion. I've gotta say, the paint job (ice blue metallic) is beautiful. The frets were fine - i didn't see any flaws in the way it was made - the mods to the bridge, nut, action and mute were down to my personal taste. I mightn't like their spec but the guitar the factory turned out was perfectly put together. For that I give a 10.

I'm quite easy on my guitars & don't gig them more than once a month. This guitar hasn't let me down yet and I have it about 18 months. The buttons and knobs are all tight and won't be going anywhere they shouldn't be going. As I've said, I play a 335 as well. I'd never gig without a backup. Period.

Have had no contact with them. I have a great luthier who sets guitars up exactly as I want them. I haven't needed to talk to Fender. I've probably got no warranty in Europe, having bought in the US.

I've been playing 8 years, owned a Gibson Les Paul Standard, own a Gibson 335 and a Martin HD-28 acoustic. I've played all sorts of gear and am very happy with my current setup. I would not buy this guitar without owning another electric that can handle the sounds that this one can't, but the Jaguar is a beautiful-sounding and looking guitar. I don't know another guitar that makes the same sound - especially when given a little overdrive. I would never sell it. I have big hands but find the shorter scale neck extremely comfortable and easy to get around. The shape of the body suits me best of all the guitars I've owned. It's perfectly weighted - not too heavy & not too light. If you're comfortable with it's range of sounds, then don't hesitate to get one, but the American model is worth the extra cost.