Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is a model of electric guitar created by Fender in 1962.
Originally conceived as a model for the market to surf music, like the Jazzmaster, it undergoes a second life as a typical model of the grunge and indie rock of the 1990s.
Outwardly similar to the Jazzmaster, with a body asymmetrically cut single, the Jaguar is very different from her big sister. With a reduced pitch of 24 inches, it is the first guitar from Fender to consists of twenty-two boxes on the handle. Its two single-coil pickups are narrower than the Jazzmaster and are protected from pests by toothed metal plates. Although Jaguar and Jazzmaster shared the same vision of two independent circuits, the circuit lead the Jaguars, more complex, is controlled by three selectors "on / off located on the lower body first two activate the microphone and handle bridge, respectively, the third resistance acting as high-pass filter, producing a high tone characteristic. Another feature of the Jaguar is the presence (on models and vintage reissues U.S.) a device with retractable rubber, or mutate, to smother the strings, a feature appreciated by surf guitarists.
Like the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar uses a vibrato "floating" unique, very different from the synchronized tremolo Stratocaster. Leo Fender preferred design of floating system, which allows the bridge and the strings to move longitudinally when the vibrato bar is activated, and therefore does not disturb the tuning of the guitar. If the idea is good in theory, the final result on the Jazzmaster and the Jaguar is more problematic and is one of the weaknesses (or one of the charms, as the point of view) of these models, despite the presence an ingenious locking mechanism of vibrato to maintain tuning if a string breaks.
Although promoted flagship model of the brand by Fender in the 1960s, the Jaguar has never experienced the popularity of the Stratocaster. After several modifications (custom finishes, crimped sleeve, button-encrusted perloid), the Jaguar was removed from the catalog in 1975.
In the early 1990s, the Jaguar is experiencing a second life as a typical model of grunge (Nirvana) and indie rock (Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, etc..), So much so that Fender will soon relaunch production models reissue The Jazzmaster and Jaguar.
Anecdotally, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana used a Jaguar 1965 largely changed, including the addition of dual-coil pickups (humbucker said) brand DiMarzio (a PAF in the neck position and a Super Distortion in the bridge position) and an easel type Gibson, whose sound was ultimately probably quite far from a vintage Jaguar unmodified.
Fender launched in May 2008 model Classic Player Series, manufactured in Mexico and includes a number of changes designed to "modernize" the Jaguar: the type of bridge is Tune-o-matic, vibrato was slightly moved, the key the handle is flatter and the pickups are high gain. This model is also available as a humbucker under the designation HH.
Modern Versions
The Fender Jaguar is produced in several series:
- American Vintage '62 Jaguar reissue produced in California from the original version. Available in white (with dark red pickguard), blue (white pickguard), black (black pickguard) and Sunburst (dark red pickguard).
- Classic Player Jaguar Special: available in red (white pickguard) and sunburst
- Classic Player Jaguar Special HH with two humbuckers. Available in white and sunburst
- Jaguar HH: fixed bridge and humbuckers. Available in black
- Jaguar Baritone Special HH: fixed bridge, humbuckers, pitch of 27 inches (instead of 24) and therefore granted so-mi-la-re-fa-so-sharp. Available in black.