Following in the footsteps of the successful Fender Jazzmaster, the Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar that was originally introduce in 1962 with the intention of its use for surf music and possibly jazz. However, the Jaguar only really took off within the surf music scene, a phenomenon very similar to that of the Fender Jazzmaster. Also following in the footsteps of the Fender Jazzmaster, the Fender Jaguar also became a very popular instrument of choice for Indie guitarists and still is to this day.
The similarities between the Fender Jaguar and the Fender Jazzmaster also extend to looks as well. Both guitars feature the original “offset waist” body that made the Jazzmaster so unique, as well as the same dual-circuit set up. Both guitars also share a similar floating tremolo arm, a feature that has become a strong selling point for both guitars. However, the Jaguar does have many of its own features such as a spring-loaded rubber string mute, a moving bridge, smaller single-coil pickups, and even RF shielding.
The Fender Jaguar also earned a large cult following, very similar to that of the Jazzmaster, largely through famous musicians using it. John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brian Molko of Placebo, and even Kurt Cobain all used a Fender Jaguar at some point in their careers and some even stuck with it. In large due to the popularity boom that the celebrity usage caused, Fender also created several variations on the Jaguar and released them as different models. For example, there is the Fender Jaguar Special HH which is almost identical to the original Jaguar, but has chrome knobs and two Dragster humbucking pickups. Other models released were the Fender Jaguar Baritone Special HH, the Fender Classic Player Jaguar Special HH, the Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom, and the Fender Jaguar Bass.
The sound of the Fender Jaguar also shares some similarities with the Fender Jazzmaster as well, as it is a very clean treble sound and is best suited for surf rock, indie rock, or classical rock. The guitar can handle more aggressive and distorted styles slightly better than the Jazzmaster though, but it still makes the sound suffer slightly.
The Fender Jaguar is a very interesting guitar, because although it shares so many similarities with the Fender Jazzmaster, it still sounds and feels very different. However, as is with the Jazzmaster, the Fender Jaguar is really most suited for smoother, less processed music and if that is what you are playing, there is no doubt a Fender Jaguar would be perfect for you!
