Fender Jaguar & Jazzmaster - Jap reissues

[Dr Bob]

Hi all,

I'm after a Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster - I've been in a (not so) local guitar shop to get a feel for them, idea of prices etc. Anyway, when I look on eBay, pretty much all the Jap guitars are advertised as reissues - but I can't find any references to japanese reissues - certainly, the ones that the guitar shop had were japanese, but there was no mention of them being reissue... the other thing is the price - new japanese fender jaguar from decent shop £499 - on eBay they seem to be going for high 400s... So I _must_ be missing something right?

Can anyone help explain, because I'm really confused?

Incidentally, I thought that the best guitar they had was the mexican player series (which has the tune-o-matic bridge that proved itself more stable in my brief 30 minute audition of them)!

Thanks, CH

[Malam]

All the Japanese Jaguar and Jazzmasters are reissues of some sort. Tuning stability isn't all that marvellous to be honest, you'd need to upgrade the machineheads for some genuine Klusons or better still locking Gotohs. Next job would be to replace the bridge with one from a Mustang.

[Dr Bob]

Hi Malam, that's kind of what I thought... it doesn't explain why people on the bay seem happy to pay £480 for a guitar that they haven't seen and then presumably either cough up the P&P or go and collect it when they could go to a guitar shop and buy a brand new one for 499 (OK - 529 for the sunburst finish!)...

...the player series (which are a bit rarer on eBay), has a decent bridge and tuners (and upgraded p/ups too), but it's £579 new...
...I'd been expecting guitars to be going for about half their retail 2nd hand - how wrong I was!

CH

[funk odyssey]

this forum will answer any question you might have
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/

I have a Jazzmaster - buy one- they are great

there are crafted in japan (CIJ) and made in japan (MIJ) models - there are varying opinions about the merits of each

I've never found a problem with the machine heads

tbh - tuning stability has never really been a problem -- the mustang bridge mod is only really necessary if you hit the strings hard and then they can jump out of their saddles

the problem is that JM's were designed for real mans' heavy guage strings so using 9's or 10's means the tension often isn't enough to keep the strings in the saddles

the jap pickups are nothing special -- just like cheapo mexican strat ones


buy Seymour Dunc Antiquities - these sound great through a valve amp
and if you buy online from the states they are much cheaper!

[Dr Bob]

Thanks Funk Odyssey, that forum will kill a bit of time today... I have got quite a heavy hand, and I found that the strings were jumping about a bit on the bridge - but I guess you could always file it to give more of a groove for the string to sit in (or just switch for the mustang bridge)

The upgraded pickups on the Mexican player series did sound to me a bit of a nicer tone than the Jap ones I played, but very little in it.

Still nothing explains why the Japanese ones seem to command so much on the 'bay compared to new... people are

Anyway fingers crossed for my MOT tomorrow, my guitar pot and car maintenance pot are one and the same!

CH

[funk odyssey]

Dr Bob said:

Thanks Funk Odyssey, that forum will kill a bit of time today... I have got quite a heavy hand, and I found that the strings were jumping about a bit on the bridge - but I guess you could always file it to give more of a groove for the string to sit in (or just switch for the mustang bridge)

The upgraded pickups on the Mexican player series did sound to me a bit of a nicer tone than the Jap ones I played, but very little in it.

Still nothing explains why the Japanese ones seem to command so much on the 'bay compared to new... people are

Anyway fingers crossed for my MOT tomorrow, my guitar pot and car maintenance pot are one and the same!

CH

I hear what you say about the strings -- JM's are not really designed for heavy rock wihtout bridge mods -- the Mustang bridge does sort it though

curtis novak and lollar make good pickups for the JM too -- budget is the only limit

regarding jap guitars -- I personally think that some jap guitars (and some korean) are much better quality than us or mex built ones -- it's all subjective though -- if you like - play it!

I also have a Squier telecaster- it's 22 years old and made in korea - it plays better than any us tele that I've tried -- IMHO

[Dr Bob]

funk odyssey said:

I hear what you say about the strings -- JM's are not really designed for heavy rock wihtout bridge mods -- the Mustang bridge does sort it though

Well it's not really heavy rocking that I get up to - it's just my playing style seems to be at odds with the vintage bridge (also the fact that the shop one had 10s might have made it a bit more prone)

funk odyssey said:

I also have a Squier telecaster- it's 22 years old and made in korea - it plays better than any us tele that I've tried -- IMHO

Have had similar experiences - in the past I've found some great playing squiers... I think that with US ones you get a guaranteed quality, with the others you can get lucky or unlucky!

CH