2017 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL JAZZMASTER/JAGUAR

[spacecadet]

So, at least it looks like there's now a source of white witch-hat knobs.

There has been ever since the 65 offset reissues came out in 2012...? Sure they're ludicrously over-priced but still.

I thought they were like $12 for two.

Edit: guess not! I see they're $39. I don't think that was the original price.

[ntmanning]

Anyone have ideas on finding replacement pick guards for these? Would love a mint green for the sonic gray or a tort for the white.

[eligit]

a small aesthetic thing:
I really not feeling the white pickguard on sunburst body.
It just looks odd to me having the white pickup covers + white pickguard + dark sunburst body, like a random conglomeration rather than an aesthetic choice. Looks kinda "cheap" for lack of a better word. Tort looks way more cohesive imo.
By contrast I think the new "mystic seafoam" body works much better w white pickguard, especially with the maple fingerboard. That looks snappy.
aside: the high sound quality demos of these online are definitely become more numerous.

[gnoleb]

I tried both a JM and Jaguar yesterday. Both sunburst (the other colors they got sold already). The JM definitely had the strings too close to the edge for my tastes, and I couldn't get a decent overdrive tone out of them through a few different amps. They "fizzed" with a good amount of drive. I don't think those pickups are my type of thing. The rest of it was pretty nice and the toggle didn't bother me too bad.

The Jaguar was pretty cool! It had a lot more vibe and I like the simpler switching (reminds me of my Baja tele). I was getting some cool sounds out of it. I don't know why they chose to string it with 9's, tho...made it overly "plinky" to play. I went back today to maybe see if I might want to buy one and it had already sold.

I'm definitely going to spend some more time with the Jaguar when I can find some in stock.

[Domm]

I also played both at guitar center, they both looked great! the blue jazzmaster and the white jag. I was not impressed by the jazzy, it felt cheap in comparison to the avri's ive owned, the neck wasn't my thing, the string spacing issue was very obvios on the full scale guitar. the jag on the other hand was great! string spacing issue les obvious and pickups had a big sound for a jag. really liked the simple switching options as well!

[minimumnishe]

So, at least it looks like there's now a source of white witch-hat knobs.

There has been ever since the 65 offset reissues came out in 2012...? Sure they're ludicrously over-priced but still.

I thought they were like $12 for two.

Edit: guess not! I see they're $39. I don't think that was the original price.

That's what they have been for the past year or so, for sure before there were even any rumors about new American jags and jazzys
Source: wanted to buy some for my squire before I learned about solid/spilt shaft pots

[tvrf]

Going back to string spacing, I watched the Reverb/Chicago Music Exchange video and they specifically point out that Fender have addressed the E being too close to the edge? SO that's pretty much misinformation on their part or is that what Fender told them? Seems like a really strange thing to overlook.

[shinealight]

Sorry if this is off-topic...but...I feel like Fender need to complete this line by adding a short-scale bass.

[JasonTMays]

I've actually been a long time lurker on this website, ever since I got my first Jazzmaster back in 2010. But I finally made the plunge and signed up because I recently purchased a new American Professional JM. I was originally in the market for a AV65...long story short, so I called up a few folks at Fender to talk about buying one in Olympic white. (I work at a music store and we have the olympic white AV65 on backorder until March) them knowing the kind of music I was going for sold me onto the APJM. I drove over to a local store, played it, loved it and bought it. The neck shape took me by surprise, It's taken me a little time to get use to it, so some people may like it, some people wont. Also,the v-mod pickups are quite different as well when compared to the recent Jazzmaster offerings from both Fender and Squier. But they sound AMAZING!!!!! Overall, while I love this guitar...I realize that this is Fender's take on a modern Jazzmaster and with that said...this guitar might not be for folks who are closed off to anything but a vintage-correct Jazzmaster. But I will say that this is one of the best Jazzmasters currently in production, second only to the AV65. If you're interested in picking one up I say go for it!

[windmill]

Going back to string spacing, I watched the Reverb/Chicago Music Exchange video and they specifically point out that Fender have addressed the E being too close to the edge? SO that's pretty much misinformation on their part or is that what Fender told them? Seems like a really strange thing to overlook.

Hoping that people who see and play them will post about it so there will be actual firsthand information available.

At this point it seems some are and some aren't

Hope Fender has actually addressed it as it reflects poorly on the whole development process and their quality control to have released these guitars with an obvious problem.

[eligit]

Going back to string spacing, I watched the Reverb/Chicago Music Exchange video and they specifically point out that Fender have addressed the E being too close to the edge? SO that's pretty much misinformation on their part or is that what Fender told them? Seems like a really strange thing to overlook.

Hoping that people who see and play them will post about it so there will be actual firsthand information available.

At this point it seems some are and some aren't

Hope Fender has actually addressed it as it reflects poorly on the whole development process and their quality control to have released these guitars with an obvious problem.

that's what i never quite get. With so much automated in the process you'd think all the guitars would have identical spacing. I guess it's not quite as automated as i thought....

[spacecadet]

That's what they have been for the past year or so, for sure before there were even any rumors about new American jags and jazzys
Source: wanted to buy some for my squire before I learned about solid/spilt shaft pots

I almost bought a pair before I knew anything about the American Pros... I definitely would not have even considered them at that price. (You can get real ones for not much more!) I'm pretty sure they were something like $12 or $15 for a pair originally, when the AV65's first came out.

[Shiells]

I've been really checking these guitars out, and might buy one.

I'm more of a Jazzmaster player, for a number of reasons, but for starters, I tend not to like the feel of short scale instruments. Knowing that, I'm trying hard to avoid a sort of confirmation bias in choosing between these two. But, I think I still would buy a USA Pro JM over a USA Pro Jag.

In general, I really like Fender's V-Mod pickups. The US Pro Jag's pickups are the biggest exception to that. I don't think it improved the sound of the Jag to mess with the magnets. In fact, it seems to have done the opposite.

I've always loved the sound of Jags and wished they played better for me. But the new Jag p'ups lack the same soul. They are really difficult for me to get a good sound from. They often reminded me of their relation to the Stratocaster, but seldom did their sound have enough Jag.

I like that Fender has included a Marr selector on this Jag, but I don't think the phase control helps with those pickups at all. The phase selector, no matter how I had it, made it sound as if it were a Jag trying to sound like all Fenders besides a Jag, but also doing a bad job at that. It was kind of Squire-ish.

The US Pro JM sounds cool and sounds like a JM. The rhythm circuit is gone, but what is left feels more organic and honest even if it is less traditional. It's got a good vibe.

As for the new fretboard options, again, I don't think the Jag was helped, whereas the JM with maple is really interesting. I'm not saying I would buy one with maple over one with rosewood, but for the JM, I kind of want one of each and the reason why kind of relates to that honest, organic vibe.

Maybe there were just too many big changes made to the Jag, which already has very complex appeal.

[tammyw]

I didn't see where anyone dissected one of these yet, so here you go:

Micro-tilt neck pocket (didn't see that mentioned in the specs).


The E and A strings were buzzing a bit at the bridge, maybe it was the lousy way they filed out these saddle slots. (WTF? this was fresh out of the box from fender.)


Close-up with the plastic thimble inserts.


Vibrato comparison, new one on the right. It's got a grub screw in the end of the collet that holds a little spring captive for the screw in trem arm. (Same other than the collet.)


How about these pickups... (8.56k bridge)


That's really the new v-mod jazzmaster pickup, not just MIJ surplus. (7.71k neck)


The money shot everyone's been waiting for (there's black shielding paint under there somewhere, too):


And a close-up of the pots, both 500k AUD (the main cap is a 223K, and the treble bleed is a 471K cap with 150kOhm resistor).

[Embenny]

Wow, so the "v-mod" JM pickups are just overwound strat pickups with big bobbins? In other words, just overwound MIJ JM pickups? That's disappointing to see. I'm sure it's because it'll pick up less noise and sound more familiar to all the strat and Tele players - probably a good business move. Definitely not for me.