Fender Classic Player Jaguar Special

[Squakles McGee]

OK. So my buddy and co-guitarist has an AVRI Jazzmaster in black which he never uses (he's a southpaw, and its a righty) so I grappled my hands on it, and love it. So much so that I've decided to sell my Strat and buy an offset of my own.
I stumbled across these new Jaguars on the Fender website, and was intrigued for three reasons: 1. Nitro finish on the neck, 2. 9.5" fretboard radius, 3. Updated bridge, neck angle and tailpiece design. Also, it didn't hurt that the thing comes in Candy Apple Red without the matching headstock!
So my question is, whatdya fellow Gear Pagers think about this model. Should I snag one as soon as I can when they drop in june, or should I wait and save for an AVRI. I already dropped by OffsetGuitars.com and read the opinions of folks devoted to these guitars.
Let me know what you think.

 

[8Painting]

Save the few hundred bucks more.

They seem like cool guitars, and the improvements seem cool, but for 50 bucks you can get a buzzstop and a good setup, and eliminate the problems that they're born with.

Troll around ebay for used jags. Sometimes you can get them for less that 1400.

 

[Squakles McGee]

Hmm. Do you or have you owned one of the AVRI Jags? I played one a couple of years ago at Elderly and it was superb.

 

[lamenlovinit]

OK. So my buddy and co-guitarist has an AVRI Jazzmaster in black which he never uses (he's a southpaw, and its a righty) so I grappled my hands on it, and love it. So much so that I've decided to sell my Strat and buy an offset of my own.

First of all the Players is all poly. No nitro. Dude, buy your friends! He doesn't it! Offer him $1000 if it's in perfect shape. $900 if it's not, or if you're the one always putting up with his ****, offer him $850. You get an AVRI Jazzer, which is more versatile than Jag (I have and love both, but it's hard to argue which is more versatile), and if you really want a jag you can trade it for an AVRI Jag straight across.

 

[Squakles McGee]

Not a bad plan. Dunno if he wants to sell, but I will definitely consider it and bring it up to him.
Its a sweetie. Dunno why they say it has a nitro finish, cause if it does, it feels almost identical with the majority of my guitars (poly finish). Not that it matters, but they shouldn't "misrepresent" themselves like that. Then they just look dumb.

 

[lamenlovinit]

Not a bad plan. Dunno if he wants to sell, but I will definitely consider it and bring it up to him.
Its a sweetie. Dunno why they say it has a nitro finish, cause if it does, it feels almost identical with the majority of my guitars (poly finish). Not that it matters, but they shouldn't "misrepresent" themselves like that. Then they just look dumb.

AVRI does have nitro. The new Mexi-offsets are poly. The AVRI neck finish is pretty thick. My JM is an 04 and it's still quite glossy. Never was sticky. But still glossy.

 

[8Painting]

You get an AVRI Jazzer, which is more versatile than Jag

I beg to differ. Jag has 6 different pickup selections, the jazz has 4.



For the OP, I've got an AVRI, after I set it up, as I was much warned about before I bought it, It's solid, sounds great. Don't ever let anyone tell you it'll sound like a stratocaster, because it doesn't.

I've gotten more than a few people come up and tell me that the guitar sounded great. They never mentioned anything about it being pretty, but, I'm not in it for the beauty contests.


I think its a hot looking guitar though, but thats just me.

 

[lamenlovinit]

I beg to differ. Jag has 6 different pickup selections, the jazz has 4.



For the OP, I've got an AVRI, after I set it up, as I was much warned about before I bought it, It's solid, sounds great. Don't ever let anyone tell you it'll sound like a stratocaster, because it doesn't.

I've gotten more than a few people come up and tell me that the guitar sounded great. They never mentioned anything about it being pretty, but, I'm not in it for the beauty contests.


I think its a hot looking guitar though, but thats just me.

Do you have a jazzmaster? having more switch positions doesn't make it more versatile. bridge and bridge+strangle? Still sounds like a jag... A jazzer can make a broader array of different sounds than a jag can. I have both. I love my jag. But if you're going to a gig where you need to play lots of different stuff, the Jazzer is just plain more versatile. The middle position on the jazzer can sound like a gretsch or other hollowbody. I love my jag and since I play lots of surf and spy it's the guitar I grab most often, but it's a jag and it's hard to make it sound like anything else...

 

[Squakles McGee]

My thinking is that if I can use his Jazzer, why try to buy it. I love the jag I played a couple years back, but if its close enough in sound/feel I'll probably get something different. Maybe a Firebird...

 

[Squakles McGee]

... I love the jag I played a couple years back, but if its close enough in sound/feel I'll probably get something different. Maybe a Firebird...

A long shot, but I used to own a 1998 Gibson SG Deluxe. If I ever find another one, I'd probably get that.

 

[8Painting]

Do you have a jazzmaster? having more switch positions doesn't make it more versatile. bridge and bridge+strangle? Still sounds like a jag... A jazzer can make a broader array of different sounds than a jag can. I have both. I love my jag. But if you're going to a gig where you need to play lots of different stuff, the Jazzer is just plain more versatile. The middle position on the jazzer can sound like a gretsch or other hollowbody. I love my jag and since I play lots of surf and spy it's the guitar I grab most often, but it's a jag and it's hard to make it sound like anything else...

I say versatile in the fact that, you can get 7 different sounds out of the thing. I never said, it was going to sound like a gretsch, a telecaster, and a les paul.

I've played jazzmasters before. I know the differences.

For the OP, if youve got small hands, get a jag, its part of the reason I got mine, and i havent looked back.

 

[bluegrif]

To address the original questions: if the Classic Player Jazzmasters and Jags are of the same quality as the CP Strats and Tele, I'd expect them to be really nice guitars for their price point. I owned a CP 50s Strat and it felt and sounded better than a slew of US Strats I tried at the same time. I only sold it because it held value much better than my Partscasters and I needed to raise some cash. I'd like to take a look at the CP Jazzmaster myself. I learned to play on an early 60s JM (in the early 60s) and I've wanted another one for quite a while but can't see springing for a vintage one.