What is the difference between fender jaguar and jazzmaster

Both models look eerily similar to each other, and that alone can make things pretty confusing. Which one is the best completely depends on your personal preferences for playability and tonal quality. Only then will you know which one is the guitar for you! Yep — both the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster look pretty much the same. One of the biggest differences is the scale length the distance from the nut to the bridge.

A Jaguar has a inch scale while a Jazzmaster clocks in at That whopping extra 1. Another factor with scale length is how the frets are laid out on the fretboard. The distance between them on the Jaguar is a bit smaller than on the Jazzmaster, making the Jaguar a better choice if you have smaller hands.

Both the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster are configured with two pickups. The pickups that are used in any guitar have a major impact on one of the most important factors when picking the right guitar — the tone. With the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster, you will find a range of options that may make one the better pick for you.

Jaguars typically come with 2 single coil pickups, but you can also get them with humbuckers, too Jaguar HH. Single coil pickups will provide a brighter tone similar to other Fender models like the Stratocaster or a Telecaster i.

Humbuckers, on the other hand, have a thicker and warmer sound, and a big benefit of using them is exactly what the name implies — there is no hum to deal with. The overall feel of the Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster when playing is a bit freer, a bit more comfortable. That being said, the Jazzmaster maintains a tighter feel and many players enjoy the slightly longer length of this model.

Something to keep in mind is that players who are familiar with both the Fender Stratocaster and the Telecaster will find it especially easy to switch over to the Jazzmaster. The final major difference between the Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster that we are going to take a look at is the overall tone. For instance, the slacker strings on the Jaguar produce a darker sound.

However, the pickups on both of these instruments somewhat counteract the natural sounds provided by the strings. Many users describe the tone of the Jaguar as having the typical Fender twang reminiscent to that of a Stratocaster. But the Jazzmaster maintains a full, more powerful tone.

Something else to note is that the Rhythm Circuit on both of these models was specifically designed to provide players with a darker tone while playing rhythm. The Lead Circuit provides a brighter tone for those playing lead. Knobs found on a section of the pick-guard allow for an easy change in settings when desired. An array of interesting tones can be discovered while messing around and learning the ins and outs of the guitar itself.

For instance, easily pair whichever setting you choose on the guitar with a pedal to further enhance, intensify, or completely change the sound, bringing it to a whole new level. Which tone is preferable? That all depends on the player. Some prefer the thinner sound the Jaguar provides; others prefer the fuller sound of the Jazzmaster. So, now after taking a more in-depth look at the Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster. The original tortoiseshell guard has a crack near the jack socket, shows signs of shrinkage and there is some warping, but none of those things detract from either the appearance or value.

This is one of those vintage guitars that has clearly been well played, but has absolutely no negative playability issues. The nitro on the front of the headstock appears rather thick and a little uneven, leading us to suspect the original decal was oversprayed. When this guitar was refretted, somebody was perhaps a little over-zealous when cleaning out the slots, and most of the slot ends have been oversawn into the maple.

The original single-line Kluson tuners feel smooth and accurate, and the hardware is all in very serviceable condition. It looks correct under the hood too, with the original wiring and shielding all intact and only a handful of solder joints disturbed. Several changes were made to the Jaguar over its first four years of production, and this example has pearl rather than clay fingerboard dots, plus neck binding and an F-branded neck plate. Jaguars were among the first Fenders to be equipped with F-stamped tuners, while block inlays would replace the dots found here by the end of the year.

As you might expect, the CBS-era pickguard is still bright white. The feature that sets this guitar apart, and elevates its price significantly, is the Firemist Gold finish with headstock to match. Fender introduced this classy hue in — it was a Lucite acrylic made by Dupont for Cadillac. But both headstock and body look identical under black light. None of the solder joints or wiring appear to have been touched, and all the hardware seems to be original.

The bridge mute is present, but the foam rubber has dried out and shrunk so much, it has no effect whatsoever. For Strat and Tele players, the Jaguar may actually feel more familiar, despite its shorter neck. The Jazzmaster has a near textbook example of an earlys Fender neck. It stays fairly slim up to the seventh fret, where it begins its rapid transition across the next three frets into a fully rounded profile. It also feels both thicker and thinner than the Jazzmaster neck in the low and high positions respectively.

The frets make a difference, too, because the Jazzmaster has been refretted with taller and wider wire.