New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.

Which new offset to purchase?

Johnny Marr Jaguar
20
51%
TVL Jazzmaster
3
8%
Am Pro Jaguar
0
No votes
Am Pro Jazzmaster
1
3%
Classic 60s Jazzmaster
4
10%
Classic 60s Jaguar
6
15%
60th Anniversary Jazzmaster
5
13%
 
Total votes: 39

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New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:28 pm

There are quite a few options out there for offsets, I used to play a Classic Player Jaguar, played it to pieces. Have always enjoyed the feel and look.
Some guitars I have been considering are the following;

TVL Jazzmaster

Johnny Marr Jaguar

Am Pro Jaguar / Jazzmaster

Classic 60s Jaguar or Jazzmaster (Seem a little overhyped)

60th Anniversary Jazzmaster (Thrown off by the PF fingerboard)

As a guitarist I typically like to use a couple pedals into a clean amp; Princeton '68 RI or JC-40 for what its worth.

Just curious what is the most appropriate offering as there are so many, I have to say I'm a fan of the traditional control scheme but the new ones are OK. As for feel, I was drawn to the Jaguar because of the comfort and scale, however the Jazzmaster has always been appealing for its flexibility, and electronics, I enjoyed JMs, just could never afford one until now. Hard to choose just one at the time as that is what my budget allows and I try not to have excess stuff hanging around anyway.

Thanks for reading!

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by oid » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:53 pm

I would go with the 60th anniversary or classic 60s JM, I prefer the traditional appointments and find that it is easier to make a JM not sound like a JM than it is to make a Jag not sound like a Jag. Over all I prefer Jags, but I just can not seem to make them sound like anything but a Jag, they tend to be fairly single purpose for me , so I have a JM instead of a jag.
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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by Embenny » Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:55 pm

How many of the above have you played?

The one truth I keep coming back to is that the neck makes or breaks a guitar. Doesn't matter what the rest of the specs are - if the neck doesn't feel right (in terms of thickness, profile, nut width, scale length, and fret size), I will ultimately end up selling or trading it.

Pickups can be swapped. So can hardware. And yeah, technically, a neck can too, but when you're shopping for a "one and only" offset, it makes no sense to consider neck swaps for a guitar you don't own yet.

It sounds trite, but truly, go and get your hands on as many of those as you can.

I could tell you my opinions on all the finer points of the specs of those guitars you listed, but the truth is that I'd happily play any one of them (maybe with a pickup and/or bridge swap on some) if the neck felt right.
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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:09 pm

oid wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:53 pm
I would go with the 60th anniversary or classic 60s JM, I prefer the traditional appointments and find that it is easier to make a JM not sound like a JM than it is to make a Jag not sound like a Jag. Over all I prefer Jags, but I just can not seem to make them sound like anything but a Jag, they tend to be fairly single purpose for me , so I have a JM instead of a jag.
Ah good to know its not just me, that seems to be the camp I have fallen into as well. I loved the character of the Jaguar but it has that one very distinct sound. Thanks for your take, am strongly considering one of the two, the Pau Ferro throws me off. I'm not a tone snob and tried a few out, just grew up used to Rosewood. I know that sounds bad.

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:13 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:55 pm
How many of the above have you played?

The one truth I keep coming back to is that the neck makes or breaks a guitar. Doesn't matter what the rest of the specs are - if the neck doesn't feel right (in terms of thickness, profile, nut width, scale length, and fret size), I will ultimately end up selling or trading it.

Pickups can be swapped. So can hardware. And yeah, technically, a neck can too, but when you're shopping for a "one and only" offset, it makes no sense to consider neck swaps for a guitar you don't own yet.

It sounds trite, but truly, go and get your hands on as many of those as you can.

I could tell you my opinions on all the finer points of the specs of those guitars you listed, but the truth is that I'd happily play any one of them (maybe with a pickup and/or bridge swap on some) if the neck felt right.
Thank you and good call, luckily I have tried all of the guitars I listed. I seem to gravitate towards a few of them, and each for different reasons. I don't know why I think the Am Pro Jazzmaster could be a "safe" choice, obviously I would swap pickups at some point. As you mentioned in my situation its good to be quite specific thus I drift between that, the 60s Anniversary(the Pau Ferro throws me off, but can't tell much of a difference), or TVL.
Money not being a factor, I feel a slight draw to Am Original Jazzmaster in White, but it seems quite expensive for what else is out there.

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by andy_tchp » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:20 pm

The most appropriate choice is surely the one you like the most?

It's not like Jaguars and Jazzmasters are 'the same' aside from looking similar - never mind the variations in specs across the different models offered these days... Go play a few as mbene085 suggested and buy the one that feels right (assuming one of them does - If not, be patient and wait, then play a whole bunch more until you find something that does).
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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by wooderson » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:20 pm

The Marr is the most off the shelf ready, IMO - with the new bridge's string spacing there's nothing to change on it of the regular upgrades.

All the pau ferro boards I've seen have been pretty ugly IMO, that's a deal breaker for me. A used '60s lacquer (with rosewood) or the TVL would be my second choices.

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:25 pm

wooderson wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:20 pm
The Marr is the most off the shelf ready, IMO - with the new bridge's string spacing there's nothing to change on it of the regular upgrades.

All the pau ferro boards I've seen have been pretty ugly IMO, that's a deal breaker for me. A used '60s lacquer (with rosewood) or the TVL would be my second choices.
Ah its like your living in my head!
Thanks for confirming that with the Pau Ferro, I tried my best to like it as the Vintage Blonde was a nice color but ruined by the neck, to a degree.
Anyway your reply is very close to my gut, I've played a Jaguar for years so I lean towards the Marr, considering it seems to be the most solid especially for the cost. The TVL has been a tie or runner up along with the American Original 60s JM.

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:30 pm

andy_tchp wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:20 pm
The most appropriate choice is surely the one you like the most?

It's not like Jaguars and Jazzmasters are 'the same' aside from looking similar - never mind the variations in specs across the different models offered these days... Go play a few as mbene085 suggested and buy the one that feels right (assuming one of them does - If not, be patient and wait, then play a whole bunch more until you find something that does).
Yeah having had the chance to slowly try them all out (have a nice guitar shop near me) I seem to gravitate between those Sig Jags & JMs, but having tried them all its hard to choose one. There are a lot of pros and cons I could begin to list off but I don't know how useful it would be. My instinct has been the Marr Jaguar, even Am Pro Jag, or the TVL, Am Pro JM with a pickup swap. The American Original seems to fit the bill then I wonder if that is too much cost-wise, plus its Fenders first run of these seemingly..

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by timtam » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:46 pm

Coincidentally I was watching this last night. Nice comparison of the Marr (stock Barenuckles) vs AVRI JM (stock vintage 65's .. same as on Classic 60's and TVL and Am Original). Although not exercising all the sounds on each it does distil some obvious differences...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLmKlWnYVpI
Last edited by timtam on Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:58 pm

timtam wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:46 pm
Coincidentally I was watching this last night. Nice comparison of the Marr (stock Barenuckles) vs AVRI JM (stock vintage 65's .. same as on Classic 60's and TVL). Although not exercising all the sounds on each it does distil some obvious differences...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLmKlWnYVpI
Thx really good comparison between the two, much appreciated! Tough because I liked both, the Jag is what you expect from a Jaguar, and same for the JM. I wish they didn't change the Jazzmasters so much, an AVRI would work, but I'm done hunting down used guitars and fixing them, just for now. haha

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by oid » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:07 pm

station_2_station wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:09 pm
Ah good to know its not just me, that seems to be the camp I have fallen into as well. I loved the character of the Jaguar but it has that one very distinct sound. Thanks for your take, am strongly considering one of the two, the Pau Ferro throws me off. I'm not a tone snob and tried a few out, just grew up used to Rosewood. I know that sounds bad.
To my ears (and technique) most of the character of the JM sound is in the sound of the attack, which is easy to change or downplay with tecnique, by picking away from the active pickup(s) and/or changing ones picking technique. The Jag sound is the overall frequency reaponse, which is more difficult to alter through technique.


As too Pau Ferro, it tends to look much better once it has been wiped down with a coat of oil.
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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:13 pm

oid wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:07 pm
station_2_station wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:09 pm
Ah good to know its not just me, that seems to be the camp I have fallen into as well. I loved the character of the Jaguar but it has that one very distinct sound. Thanks for your take, am strongly considering one of the two, the Pau Ferro throws me off. I'm not a tone snob and tried a few out, just grew up used to Rosewood. I know that sounds bad.
To my ears (and technique) most of the character of the JM sound is in the sound of the attack, which is easy to change or downplay with tecnique, by picking away from the active pickup(s) and/or changing ones picking technique. The Jag sound is the overall frequency reaponse, which is more difficult to alter through technique.


As too Pau Ferro, it tends to look much better once it has been wiped down with a coat of oil.
I concur with your sentiment regarding how they sound, having owned a Jaguar that must be it, it definitley required a lot of EQing, sometimes effects compared to the average guitar and none the less always had a distinct frequency response as stated. Nice observation!

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by Jaguar018 » Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:49 pm

I don’t EQ any of my guitars or amps when I switch them up. #1 is a Jag. They all sound pretty decent through my Princeton.

If you were used to playing a Jaguar, don’t let some other person who didn’t get along with them influence your decision too much. If you feel like you sounded like ‘you’ with the Jag, get another one. If you found the Jaguar’s scale easier to navigate, get another one.

Jazzmasters are different beasts. I love them, but they are different. If you want something different, that feels different and sounds different (than a Jag), get a Jazzmaster.

I discovered after owning and playing both, that I was really more of a Jaguar person, but you can see how other people here tried both and went with Jazzmasters.

Be smart and patient. Listen with your ears. Feel with your hands and use your brain and heart to make the right decision.

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Re: New Offset, Poll.. too many options.. new purchase, missing my old Jag!

Post by station_2_station » Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:00 pm

Jaguar018 wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:49 pm
I don’t EQ any of my guitars or amps when I switch them up. #1 is a Jag. They all sound pretty decent through my Princeton.

If you were used to playing a Jaguar, don’t let some other person who didn’t get along with them influence your decision too much. If you feel like you sounded like ‘you’ with the Jag, get another one. If you found the Jaguar’s scale easier to navigate, get another one.

Jazzmasters are different beasts. I love them, but they are different. If you want something different, that feels different and sounds different (than a Jag), get a Jazzmaster.

I discovered after owning and playing both, that I was really more of a Jaguar person, but you can see how other people here tried both and went with Jazzmasters.

Be smart and patient. Listen with your ears. Feel with your hands and use your brain and heart to make the right decision.
Thanks really good call there, must be something with people who prefer Jags, a lot of my friends would wonder why whenever they played my old one. Since I had gotten rid of it, I tried to get on with a Strat but it was only "OK", as you mentioned JM's are very different in their own respect.

Having been able to try them, I really do find myself naturally going for a Jaguar at this point, I have been holding off for a long time and quite frankly its a blessing and a curse to have this instrument "be my thing" because its very hard to find something else that really feels the same.

Very good hearing from a fellow Jag player, out of the current line-up which do you prefer? I'm between the Marr and the American Original as the votes come through, haha. Still have an open mind towards other things. I like the Am Pro but for the extra money the electronic upgrade alone seems worth it. Plus the Marr, I believe has an extended tremolo, which I could find useful.

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