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Fender/Squier Jags

waynepunkdude

By waynepunkdude,
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Paul S Grand Master

Paul S

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Haven't picked up a Squier jag but I own a Fender jag. CIJ, so a good quality, well put together instrument. When i bought it I tried everything on the wall of my local PMT and it ended up in a playoff between this and a USA Jazz - this won on looks and versatility.

Playing it - simple - it plays just like a jazz - same 38mm narrow neck but also very skinny in depth. Skinniest bass neck I have played, I think. Heavy-ish - over 9lbs, feels comfy for my body shape (thick middle).

Has J type pups in neck and bridge position that can be switched between series and parallel. I don't know if it makes it sound like a jazz/p-bass, but it makes a big difference to the sound. If pushed I'd say it favours the jazz sound, rather than the p-bass sound, but is really it's own thing. Add to that you can play it active or passive - active is a simple 2 band eq. Plus a tone control that works when active or passive. So there are a lot of sounds at your disposal - played active the sound can be immense but, with everything rolled back, it can also sound quite muted.

I go through phases when I think it is too complicated and just tend to use it on a couple of settings I know work, but I think that is just me being lazy. But I think you come from p-basses(?) so you might find there is too much going on. I am considering putting a better bridge on there - maybe a Gotoh - but have no plans to get shot of it. Also there is a shielding issue giving rise to a slight mains hum if something metal isn't touched. I can, again, probably fix this if I wasn't a lazy git.

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waynepunkdude Veteran

waynepunkdude

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[quote name='Paul S' post='1049715' date='Dec 6 2010, 06:57 PM']Haven't picked up a Squier jag but I own a Fender jag. CIJ, so a good quality, well put together instrument. When i bought it I tried everything on the wall of my local PMT and it ended up in a playoff between this and a USA Jazz - this won on looks and versatility.

Playing it - simple - it plays just like a jazz - same 38mm narrow neck but also very skinny in depth. Skinniest bass neck I have played, I think. Heavy-ish - over 9lbs, feels comfy for my body shape (thick middle).

Has J type pups in neck and bridge position that can be switched between series and parallel. I don't know if it makes it sound like a jazz/p-bass, but it makes a big difference to the sound. If pushed I'd say it favours the jazz sound, rather than the p-bass sound, but is really it's own thing. Add to that you can play it active or passive - active is a simple 2 band eq. Plus a tone control that works when active or passive. So there are a lot of sounds at your disposal - played active the sound can be immense but, with everything rolled back, it can also sound quite muted.

I go through phases when I think it is too complicated and just tend to use it on a couple of settings I know work, but I think that is just me being lazy. But I think you come from p-basses(?) so you might find there is too much going on. I am considering putting a better bridge on there - maybe a Gotoh - but have no plans to get shot of it. Also there is a shielding issue giving rise to a slight mains hum if something metal isn't touched. I can, again, probably fix this if I wasn't a lazy git.[/quote]


Wow that's comprehensive, I'm leaning towards a Fender after Xmas, I'm a Jazz player so it all sounds good to me.

Cheers mate.

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Circle_of_Fifths Apprentice

Circle_of_Fifths

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I own one of the Squier versions of the Jaguar.

It is smaller-feeling, although 1/2" longer than my Fender Deluxe Jazz bass. It also only weighs 8lbs - [u]ZERO[/u] ozs.

The neck is prolly the greatest asset - right after the whole design and uniqueness. It is ultra fast and slick. MY bass-buying situation was more than gifted, as the frets are perfect - well as perfect as a factory setup can be I guess - but no complaints.

The knobs have had issues for other people although not for me. It is only a loose Allen set screw that might be loose on the concentric shaft and cause some unwarranted grief. There is NO reason to complain, as it's easily addressable and can be fixed in a few moments by a trained rhesus monkey.

The p'ups are very hot and powerful, so that will catch your attention right away! These are about as powerful as my active p'ups on my Fender Deluxe Jazz - really!

The details are clean, concise and well carried out. The area under the PG is clean, nicely mitered and no sign of slop anywhere.

The wires are vintage-type in that they are cloth wrapped - how's that for a nice touch that you can't even see? That's just class!

The body appears smaller, but it's really an illusion like I noted above, but it hangs very nicely on the strap with minimal head-dive, if any at all to me.

Paint and finish-wise there is nothing to say negatively. The hardware, although it may not be the most expensive, certainly is more than adequate and functional. It does not slip, bend, bag or sag at the knees.

The chrome is bright and appears to have a lot of depth to it - it should since in Indonesia there are fewer laws about HazMat and they can throw some nicer chrome there than we can get in the States now with the EPA rules and regs.

The action - which is NOT a good criteria to judge an instrument upon - was very good right out of the box. Speaking of boxes - I was the first human face it saw when it was opened here in the US from the time it was shipped until then.

I was the first person to actually touch it other then the salesman helping me take it out of the sealed box. It required very little adjustment to it at all for great playability. It had absolutely NO BAD ISSUES as it arrived.

So far - a couple of months into my possession - it still is great - greater still since I adjusted the string height a little to suit me. I still have what I would normally NOT have on it - the STOCK FENDER 7250NPS STRINGS. Why? They work on this bass - but this is the ONLY Fender or Squier upon which I find they work at all.

In this case, they are perfect and I will not buy what Fender calls their OE 7250NPS strings - they can't fool me! What they sell isn't a real Fender string at all!

If the ROTO RS45s don't sound as good when I finally have to put them on - then I'm gonna be on a string safari to find something that WILL work like the 7250s.

The pots are smooth, precise and no wobble at all.

The Tone controls are fantastic with the detents that keep them where you put them.

The Vol pots are also all the above without the detents. I don't have any trouble with one knob following another when I adjust the other knob - but I know of some people who have had a problem in this area ---. it's very easy to fix, like I said.

The shielding inside the trench is clean, and painted on, so I think it'll be OK.

Playing-wise - like I said the neck is blazingly fast and you feel like you are much more professional than you are with the clean action almost playing itself ahead of your thoughts and fingers!

There is no loss of sound volume or quality if you pan from one to the other p'ups, and the output is very linear with any adjustment with no sudden drops or peaks in the sound either.

I can induce some hum into the output if I get really close to my computer tower with all it's radiated RF - but if they are separated by more than 18 inches, no problem at all.

So far there has been no warpage, bending or twisting of any of the important parts. The fret wires are smooth --- everywhere.

I glossed the back of the neck with some pure carnauba automotive polish as I like a super glossy neck. It works for me.

If you don't buy one - you are gonna kick yourself in the head for missing an opportunity to own a very special piece of bass-guitar history. Buy it new and keep it for your kids or your posterity - but it deserves to be played all the time, everywhere.

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mgibson Apprentice

mgibson

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Can see MythSte is coming from with that thing about it not having as much substance as jazz but then to be brutal p-basses and jazzes feel like bloomin' bricks, in like a dependable way, u'know if its a fender of squire they're gonna be quality, and jags can lack that but the tone and the neck as well as weight and shape end up becoming familiar if you don't play any other basses for ages and when you do play any other basses, if your anything like me, you realise justhow amazing the jag actually is.

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munkonthehill Rising Star

munkonthehill

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The Fender Jag I have is freakin awesome. they are as BB says 'future classics' 'jazz turbo'.

Honestly though they are great, full of character and sound. They look great and they play even better. The neck on these are smooth thin and fast.

I have threatened to swap or sell mine over the 3-4 years ive had it. However thankfully I have had a few BC'ers get to me before I went ahead with any deals.

Its a one stop shop for P-bass and jazz bass sounds. It can rock, it can funk and it can slap.

They are the future hahaha.

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Prime_BASS Experienced

Prime_BASS

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Did have the MIJ fender version.

Excellently built and setup.

Sounds: basic passive jazz sounds, mid-range burp/growl. The one thing that I was dissapointed with was the cheapo ceramic pickups. I ended up changing pickups to some fender US 60s and then it does a better impression of the Marcus miller type sound when in active mode.

A lot of reviews I've seen complain about the noisy circuit, mine was ok for a few weeks till I changed the battery and then it became very tempremental.

I only really sold it as I've gone over the EBMM and I couldn't find a comfortable playing position with it.
would of liked to keep it but I've ordered something else.

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munkonthehill Rising Star

munkonthehill

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[quote name='MythSte' post='1051338' date='Dec 8 2010, 09:05 AM']Fair cop but Wayne doesn't do any of those things :)[/quote]

I didnt say he did, but as waynes last sentence is this.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1049651' date='Dec 6 2010, 05:47 PM']Can people give me some idea what they sound/play like?[/quote]


So fair cop right enough, I was just adding my thoughts and views!

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MythSte Proficient

MythSte

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[quote name='munkonthehill' post='1052097' date='Dec 8 2010, 08:48 PM']I didnt say he did, but as waynes last sentence is this.




So fair cop right enough, I was just adding my thoughts and views![/quote]

And we're all richer for it! Sorry I wasn't intending to do your post down :)

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Circle_of_Fifths Apprentice

Circle_of_Fifths

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[quote name='tom1946' post='1052355' date='Dec 8 2010, 11:42 PM']What a great considered write up Circle of 5th's, which department of fender do you work for? :)

Seriously if it's anything like the MIJ then it will be very good.[/quote]

For years I had a HATE-HATE relationship with anything Fender, I hated the Precision I had as it was thin sounding and had no thump to it at all.

I took it in for a trade in and the bass guru grabbed it and asked me if I was nuts!

He took it to the counter, put on some ROTO 77s and adjusted the neck a little better and it wailed!

Well - I've still got the old P and it's better than ever and made me seriously take a longer, hard look at Fenders and Squiers. I cannot say that I am worse for the experience in the slightest.

I equate a Fender with a Corvette - flashy, plastic coated, lots of great snarling guttural sounds and powerful.

But I've also bought the VM-Jazz in Natural and just yesterday I added a 1960's Jazz 4-ply Tort pickguard to it ([color="#FF0000"][b]Fender P/N: 099-2022-2000[/b][/color]} :::



and I'm moving it to this design soon with a little more bling:::



Even though I choose the Tort PG, I think it'll cause enough confusion when I get the bridge and neck guards on it.

Yeah - I really wanted the Tort PG for my own reasons, but basically it's to keep 'em guessing what it really is!

For anyone who wants to try it - I now know that the 1960's 4-ply Fender replacement PG fits with just a slight mod to the VEE where the PG meets the control panel. Uh - that and the screws - only ONE lines up but you can shove toothpicks in the old holes and just drill new ones anyway.

Here's a few of the installation pixs I posted somewhere else:::









Don't worry here - the PG is a little convex and the screws will pull it tight::





The test areas are the neck p'up hole and the neck pocket area. If they fit it's pretty much on that everything else will too.



Next on it:

[indent]1) Tug Bar
2) Bridge Cover w/the big Fender F on it
3) MAYBE the neck p'up chrome guard too [/indent]

---- but this #3 is still a debate in my head as I tried the Marcus Miller and found it clumsy to play.

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