Can't Decide: Jazzmaster, Jaguar or Mustang?

[gnd567]

I've been diggin' on the unique sounds of the Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang. Problem is, I have a hard time distinguishing which guitar I'm hearing on recordings. I just can tell they're Fenders that aren't Strats or Teles and I've heard these guitars but can't tell the differences.

Can anyone with experience with these guitars describe the differences tonally?

I know the differences in pickups/wiring/scale ect. but what about sound? and which tremolo is better? Which one in your opinion sounds best?

I'm about to buy one of the 3 (from the Squire VM series) series.
Thanks

 

[Derek Kiernan]

The differences in pickups and scale are essentially the differences between the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. The Mustang has its own quirks. I've never played one that sustained well, but people make similar complaints about the JM/Jaguar too. I like the Mustang but would take either a Jazzmaster or Jaguar over it. Jazzmasters feel the most versatile to me.


I would spend a lot of time looking at demos for them and any playing time you can get in a store.

What music do you play?

 

[MrTwang]

Personally, I love the Jaguar with all it's quirks. I'd say it has a thinner more nasal sound than the Jazzmaster. Not the most versatile guitar in the world although I have used one on a country gig and in a blues based band as well as on the more traditional surf style stuff. Also used it to accompany a female singer I was working with on some more jazzy stuff.

I must confess, I was initially attracted by the way they look (love the shape and all that chrome) and bought one first and then tried to find suitable stuff to use it on.

The tremolo system gets a bad rap, as does the bridge but, properly set up, they work great for a more subtle tremolo effect than a Strat for example.

If you really thrash it, you are likely to knock the strings out of their saddles.

In its day, the Jaguar was Fender's top of the range instrument.

 

[hotpot]

I played the VM Jazzmaster a couple of months ago and the rhythm tone on that guitar was just sublime, I'll be in the market for the sonic blue one next month.

 

[joy-z]

First you have answer the question of scale length. Which do you prefer 25.5" or 24"?

 

[strateles]

a jazzmaster can cover A LOT of ground

 

[jayyj]

I love Mustangs but those little switches are exactly where I want to rest the palm of my thumb when I'm finger picking... I'd love to have one with a first gen Duo Sonic style toggle switch in place of the sliding switches. Fair few DIY projects to get out of the way first though, so until then I'll stick with Duo Sonics as my short scale Fender of choice.

Hard really to pick a favourite for the poll though, they all have their strong points. The Jazzmaster is probably the most versatile of the three where as Jags and Mustangs are perfect for a more specific range of sounds.

 

[Mhat]

The 24" scale of the Mustang and Jaguar are a deal killer for me. I always feel too cramped.

The 25.5" scale of the Jazzmaster (and Tele/Strat) is perfect. I'd go with the Jazzmaster.

 

[Ryan0594]

This is a great question -- not enough attention is paid to "the other three" Fenders.

If you want the short answer: there is no "better" guitar here, they're are all different. The best thing to do would be to try them out and see what you like.

However! There is some advice I can give you.

These guitars are really popular at the minute with young bands, and it's no surprise they are -- they're cool, quirky and fun. Yet most of all, totally usable guitars on stage, at home, and in the studio.

The Mustang is perhaps the least common of the three. It, like the Jaguar, has a 24" inch scale length which may be too small for some. It's a full 1.5" inches smaller than the Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazzmaster -- a very noticeable difference.

They're most commonly employed as rhythm guitars (think Harrison of the band Peace), however, they can be used for lead as well (think Lindsay of Deap Vally). Just don't expect tonnes of sustain or output -- they ain't classic blues machines!

They do have a vibrato arm but they're not commonly used with one. The two pick-ups are close to Stratocaster pick-ups and are turned on and off individually. I also think they can be set out-of-phase.

The Jaguar is similar to the Jazzmaster besides the thinner pick-ups and small scale length -- it's no surprise Johnny Marr uses one as they're perfect for jangly New Wave soundscapes.

It's worth noting these were intended to be "better" than Strats or Teles -- the "top of the line" models.

They're obviously great for surf music and the vibrato system is lovely -- but what about the Jazzmaster?

Personally, it's my favourite. It has a "proper" Fender scale length, fatter pick-ups (although still single coil!) and different wiring system to the Jaguar.

Jimi Hendrix employed one long before he got his first Strat, so you can't refute it's potential as a LEAD instrument as well as a RHYTHM instrument. A perfect, beautifully formed all-rounder in my book!

HOWEVER, you'll only really be complete with all 3.

ALSO, it's worth noting these guitars are a little fussy out the box! Remember that the bridge saddles on the Jaguar and Jazzmaster will NOT hold up to any heavy handedness. However, this is easily remedied by changing the bridge to a Mustang bridge.

 

[Fearnot]

My first guitar was a Mustang and I loved it... but it was my first guitar. The pickups can be swapped out with almost any Strat pickup (I believe?) and I always got along with the vibrato arm just fine, though there are a lot who don't. This may just be a setup issue; anyone who knows these three guitars knows they need a good and proper setup to play well. The biggest problem with the Mustang for me is the switching setup... there's no way to quickly switch from front to back or middle, so it's entirely too finicky for me. A lot of Mustangs get a toggle added to them for just this reason.

I have a Jazzmaster now, and it's been my #1 since I got it. It's not perfect - again, setup is important - but it sounds great and I looove the vibrato. I expect to be playing my VMJM for a very long time.

 

[chris m.]

I had a MIJ Mustang, found the pickups to be very anemic. I have a MIM Classic Player's Jazzmaster and love it. The pickups are hotter than a vintage JM, but for my purposes they sound wonderful. Very versatile, from clean funk to blues to jazz to rock. The use of a TOM bridge and moving the tremolo closer to the bridge also increases down pressure, preventing strings from falling off with hard strumming. A lot of JM purists feel that the Classic Player's design gives up too much of the quirks that were partly responsible for the JM's quintessential sound. I personally find the Classic Player to have plenty of the JM sound without the hassles, as do many others on the offset web discussion sites. YMMV, of course....

If I had to have just one guitar, it would likely be either a Jazzmaster or a Strat. I love the Tele but push comes to shove I have to have a vibrato bar....and a greater versatility of tones in my arsenal.

 

[jorbjorb]

I love my jazz. Mustang is next

 

[Hoodster]

Duo Sonic over Mustang.

 

[gnd567]

Duo Sonic over Mustang.

I was going to ask about that. What makes it better than a Mustang?

 

[Hoodster]

Just my preference. Simpler switching, hardtail - just a nice, light, straight-ahead guitar.

Also, no association with Cobain.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

The 24" scale of the Mustang and Jaguar are a deal killer for me. I always feel too cramped.

The 25.5" scale of the Jazzmaster (and Tele/Strat) is perfect. I'd go with the Jazzmaster.

+1.

I love the offset bodies but not the bridges or pickups. So I'm a heretic. With that off my chest, these two are my favourite Jazzmasters on the Fender site.

The second one, an American Special, with humbucking pickups, looks like a good deal, too, if those pups are decent.

I'm not a wiggle stick addict, sorry.

 

[jayyj]

I'd probably go for a Duo Sonic over a Mustang out of preference for the bridge design. To get the simple three way switch you need the original rather than the Duo Sonic II though, which has a very short 22.5" scale length. I adore mine (I have two, a refinished MIM reissue and a '58 with some changed parts) but I don't tune to standard pitch with them and I remember the MIM one being pretty uninspiring when I used to tune it to standard.

The perfect solution for me if I were standard tuning would be a Duo Sonic II with the 24" scale routed for a three way on the lower horn: I vaguely plan to do this as a partscaster build, since there are a lot of previously messed with bodies and necks on Ebay and a Musicmaster guard could easily be modded to provide a period correct guard without the sliding switches. I'll get to it one of these days.

 

[8eighty]

i'd say the jazzmaster is the best all around workhorse out of these three, the pickups are really interesting, and it's a real player because of the neck. ofc, if your hands aren't too big you could get along fine with the jag and mustang, many people on here are saying that the shorter scale doesn't make much of a difference in playability.

always thought the jag had the most characteristic sound out of all the offsets in a band setting, it's just really punchy with lots of sparkle, i guess because of the scale and the pickups. like others have mentioned, check out johnny marr's latest work, perhaps the 20 min gig he did as an add for fender, it's on youtube - you'll recognize the jag for sure. if you're into the smiths he did not use jags on those records, mainly ricks, a 335 and many other guitars. tom verlaine is a great example for hearing leads and riffs on these guitars as he used a jazzmaster and a jag (with lipstick pups) and played them fairly clean.

some examples of surf tunes with a jaguar and a vm jazzmaster which sounds gorgeous

 

[Timbertea]

I never had much love for the Jaguar for what I do, but I can see the appeal.

If the money isn't an object -- if you can afford a MIJ Jazzmaster -- this is probably the nicest, most rounded guitar of the bunch. My brother has one of the Ventures series Jazzmasters, and its in the top 10 of nicest guitars I've ever played for tone. They do have issues with wanting to rattle apart when subjected to modern baggage handling systems or extended road trips in the van. Some people will say the bridge has issues for wanting to pop a string out of the groove. This really hasn't been my experience. My only negative experience with the Jazzmaster is the tendency of the bridge pieces to want to rattle apart from vibrations when schlepping the thing cross country. Great surf guitar, oddles of twang, a really cool tone. They are great for everything except for jazz. heh The 1/2 of a louisville slugger style neck does take a few moments to get uses to

The Mustangs have a tendency to sound slightly muddy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- I think they have a really cool tone all things considered but that lack of clarity when compared to a Jazzmaster or even a telecaster is definitely a turn off -- or selling point -- for a lot of people.

 

[Hoodster]

I'd probably go for a Duo Sonic over a Mustang out of preference for the bridge design. To get the simple three way switch you need the original rather than the Duo Sonic II though, which has a very short 22.5" scale length.

The perfect solution for me if I were standard tuning would be a Duo Sonic II with the 24" scale routed for a three way on the lower horn.

The Squier Classic Vibe Duo Sonic is 24" scale, 3-way, and a sweet guitar.