NGD - Johnny Marr Jaguar

thermionic

If there’s any signature model I’d ever buy it would be a Marr Jag. I got my first Jag a few years and got on well with its quirks. I think the white ones were a bit bland, and none of the other colour runs grabbed me... until the Lake Placid Blue one came out. So I popped out of work this lunchtime in time-honoured fashion to meet @Blaendulais in a service station Starbucks to pick up this beauty:

https://i.imgur.com/cvlgjAI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HVzlTbj.jpg

First impressions - lovely dark rosewood board, super smooth tremolo action, very useful range of sounds. Slightly darker pickups than the AV65s I’m used to, and a touch lower output (although that could be due to pickup heights and possibly a difference in string gauges). The neck feels great but it’s very similar to my other Jag, surprisingly.

My first US Fender, and I’m very pleased with it. Also great to meet another Fretboarder for a chat about guitars!

MagicPigDetective

Stunning guitar. Are you going to keep your 60’s laquer jag? 

thermionic

I’m no John Prescott, so my one-in, one-out policy will be strictly enforced.

Musicman20

Amazing. 

thermionic

A couple of things I’ve noticed - rolled fretboard edges are very nice, and they’ve sorted out the spacing on the bridge (it’s more or less the same as the Straytrem now).

Musicman20

I bought a Sherwood Green one from Andertons. It sounded stunning and from afar it was stunning to look at.

However, the nitro had clearly been rushed as the pattern of the case had 'set' into the rear of the guitar....there were other areas of poor finish and I was really sad to not be able to accept it.

In fact, that is probably the last time I spent a lot on a guitar with Andertons as they were adamant it passed their 'QC'....which was pretty shocking. 

I STILL WANT ONE 

Seziertisch

Musicman20 said:

I bought a Sherwood Green one from Andertons. It sounded stunning and from afar it was stunning to look at.

However, the nitro had clearly been rushed as the pattern of the case had 'set' into the rear of the guitar....there were other areas of poor finish and I was really sad to not be able to accept it.

In fact, that is probably the last time I spent a lot on a guitar with Andertons as they were adamant it passed their 'QC'....which was pretty shocking. 

I STILL WANT ONE 

I think real nitro, particular when applied thinly, can be quite delicate. I've seen talk on other forums from owners of JM Jags saying that the finish has "reliced" quite quickly on their instruments.

I've also seen some builders saying that minor cosmetic imperfections are part and parcel of nitro finishes done like they were back in the day. Though there are plenty of builders offering nitro finishes who don't feel the need to make disclaimers like that. 

Though the pattern of the case printing into the finish says that something wasn't right, possibly rushed, though it might have been caused by something like a temperature change in transit. 

Funkfingers

thermionic said:

they’ve sorted out the spacing on the bridge (it’s more or less the same as the Straytrem now).

On the Marr signature Jag, the saddle spacing is EXACTLY the same as a Staytrem replacement for the simple reason that it is the Staytrem part.

At Marr’s request, Fender fitted the Staytrem bridge as standard. Around about 2013, Fender also revised the arm and collet to resemble the Staytrem design.

Alterlifeson

Congrats, that's lovely. Never picked up a Jaguar, I think its time.

thermionic

Funkfingers said:

thermionic said:

they’ve sorted out the spacing on the bridge (it’s more or less the same as the Straytrem now).

On the Marr signature Jag, the saddle spacing is EXACTLY the same as a Staytrem replacement for the simple reason that it is the Staytrem part.

The Marr bridges were initially Mustang bridges with 56mm E-E spacing, but they shared the nylon bushings on the inserts with the Straytrem. Fender changed it to around 53mm spacing (the Staytrem is 52mm) at around the same time as the Marr Jags started appearing in LPB (late 2018 I think).

They're not the same part as the Staytrem has offset intonation screws (to make it easier to get the allen key in there) whereas the Mustang bridge on the Marr uses centrally positioned (relative to the saddles) phillips head screws. Also the Marr bridge uses conventional springs rather than the Staytrem's tiny nylon washers/clips to stop the saddles moving along the direction of the string. Personally, I feel that wasn't a problem that needed fixing - standard intonation screws and springs work fine. There may also have been a difference in saddle material (stainless steel vs plated brass), but I'm not certain about that.

fendermadlewis

They look absolutely incredible. Is it bad that the blue lined case makes me as excited as the guitar does?

thermionic

I've been sleeping in that case for the past three days.

BintyTwanger77

I owned one in black, and it was the best guitar I've owned, only sold it because I needed the money. Hope to get one again some day soon. Happy NGD!

Kittyfrisk

thermionic said:

I've been sleeping in that case for the past three days.

Hope you were wearing your black Signet's too 
Lovely guitar.

clarkefan

thermionic said:

I’m no John Prescott, so my one-in, one-out policy will be strictly enforced.

Well played  And congrats on the guitar

chrisj1602

Funkfingers said:

thermionic said:

they’ve sorted out the spacing on the bridge (it’s more or less the same as the Straytrem now).

On the Marr signature Jag, the saddle spacing is EXACTLY the same as a Staytrem replacement for the simple reason that it is the Staytrem part.

At Marr’s request, Fender fitted the Staytrem bridge as standard. Around about 2013, Fender also revised the arm and collet to resemble the Staytrem design.

That is not true, there has never been a Staytrem part on the JM Jaguar, unless the owner fitted it. The E-E spacing on my mine was the same as a Mustang and the low E was always slipping off, Fender were cheap and only copied the nylon bushings off the Staytrem parts.

brojangles

I've got a white one bought from @kjdowd in 2015 which is easily the best guitar I've ever owned. The finish is fragile and has flaked off in places but that's fine. I also picked the signature sticker off the headstock. Since then I've only bought one guitar, a Tele, but then sold it because I didn't really need it. If you're not in to widdly-skree type playing then they're really impressive do-it-all guitars.

kjdowd

brojangles said:

I've got a white one bought from @kjdowd in 2015 which is easily the best guitar I've ever owned. The finish is fragile and has flaked off in places but that's fine. I also picked the signature sticker off the headstock. Since then I've only bought one guitar, a Tele, but then sold it because I didn't really need it. If you're not in to widdly-skree type playing then they're really impressive do-it-all guitars.

And I like them so much I bought another! Great guitars. Glad to know you've still got that one. I rather like the 'natural relic' nature of the finish