What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

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Embenny
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What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Embenny » Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:35 pm

One popped up locally in good shape for basically half the price of a new CV Jag/JM.

I don't need it, but 14 year-old me wanted one of these so badly back in the day, and even the price brings back nostalgia for the days when Squiers didn't cost $600 CAD. How do they stack up quality-wise these days? Were they hits or misses?
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Jan Deal » Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:08 pm

Would that be a Vista series? If so, I'd highly recommend it.
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by vistavision » Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:28 am

Those were the 2000-2004 Chinese-built models with a full 25.5" scale. I'd imagine as an early century Chinese Squier it's probably hit-or-miss. At least if the neck is crap then it's easy to just throw a Strat neck on it. And we live in an era of decent affordable replacement pickups.
Ultimately, would be worth it for that offset silver sparkle body? Sure.

http://www.squierwiki.com/VM-Jagmaster-(1st-Version)
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by s_mcsleazy » Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:29 am

Jan Deal wrote:
Tue Jun 08, 2021 11:08 pm
Would that be a Vista series? If so, I'd highly recommend it.
nah. the vista's never came in silver sparkle.

i have a few jagmasters including one silver sparkle (mines is called lil sparkee after the Q and not U song) i'll say this, the pickups in the non-vista jagmasters are pretty bad. they're low output but don't have much note definition. my first silver sparkle had WRHB's in it but i sold that one when i was 18. my current silver sparkle came with filtertron style humbuckers which i liked in the neck but not in the bridge, i found this univox style pickup (actually sounds like a more modern univox pickup) and stuck that in there. also came with this vinyl covered pickguard which i quite like. the necks are also quite thin too. dunno if that's a deal breaker

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Image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hb0t3VsC8Q

honestly, they look great and when modded, can sound great, but i tend to gravitate towards my affinity jazzmaster or my vista when i want a hardtailed jagmaster. but i only payed £160 for that silver sparkle so hey.
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Lost In Autumn » Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:00 am

I've had a couple that I got for $200 each. Stock, they're a mixed bag- the parts are trash, but the necks are great- they make fantastic mod platforms. I modded 1 with Bootstrap humbucker P90's & a Wilkinson Tremolo and was a bit more extensive with the mods of the 2nd. I sold
Image

the 2nd got a baritone neck, Wilkinson tuners & vibrato, Graphtech nut, Lindy Fralin P92 in the neck and a Blacktop Filtertron in the bridge. It just might be one of my favorite guitars.

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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by ShatoonBringerOfCorn » Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:48 am

I want one just because I love sparkle finishes, I don't expect it to be amazing as it was before the Chinese Squier factories really earned their reputation. Agree with a new neck and pickups it'd be decent, but the only once I've seen listed locally to me is on for more than a new contemporary series Jaguar

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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by cestlamort » Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:27 am

We had one for a while (silver sparkle!!!) but it was basically a budget Squier, with all that entails (uninspiring pickups, etc. Definitely not Vista series) We sold it when I found a Gretsch 5126 (silver sparkle!!!), which is a totally different guitar (of course) but much nicer quality.

I'm sure it's a fine mod platform, but it may be easier to get a guitar you like and have it refinished than to get this one up to snuff. That said, try it out, see what you think.

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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Embenny » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:41 am

Yeah, it's the Chinese one, not the Vista. At $300 CAD, anything with a Vista decal would be an instant buy, but I wasn't sure about the Chinese ones.

I would definitely be looking to mod it - I mean, I have enough good pickups and pots lying in my parts drawer that I could swap electronics without even having to order anything in. I just wasn't sure if the "bones" of the guitar would be worth the hassle of going to check it out (it's a decent drive away) if the consensus was that it's a pretty body with no other redeeming parts.

It sounds like at least some people here like the neck, so that's encouraging. Swapping necks is no big deal to me, but if I'm changing a neck, hardware and electronics on a cheap guitar, that would be a sign to me that I should have just built another guitar instead, and I have enough builds to keep me busy through the summer already.

I might try to find the time to drive down and play it. It still feels like a stupid and unnecessary purchase to be considering, but with new Squiers going for $600 in stores here, a sparkle Jagmaster for $300 feels like it's worth at least checking out. I'm a sucker for anything sparkly, and I remember ogling it 21 years ago.
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by MKR » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:46 am

mbene085 wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:41 am
...but with new Squiers going for $600 in stores here, a sparkle Jagmaster for $300 feels like it's worth at least checking out. I'm a sucker for anything sparkly, and I remember ogling it 21 years ago.
yup. it blows my mind everytime i go through the L&M site. don't get me wrong, they seem like nice guitars, but the prices have basically doubled in a short amount of time. damn

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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by HNB » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:34 am

I hope it isn't that one that is like $750.... Maybe for a vista, but not for one of the Chinese made ones. (Even if the finish is cool.)
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by HNB » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:37 am

Honestly you could get one of the $300 Chinese ones and have it sprayed with a metallic finish if you wanted. Might even be cheaper...
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Embenny » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:47 pm

HNB wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:37 am
Honestly you could get one of the $300 Chinese ones and have it sprayed with a metallic finish if you wanted. Might even be cheaper...
It's local, priced at $300 CAD/$248 Freedom Bux, already in silver sparkle, which is why I was thinking of picking it up.
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Lost In Autumn » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:16 pm

HNB wrote:
Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:37 am
Honestly you could get one of the $300 Chinese ones and have it sprayed with a metallic finish if you wanted. Might even be cheaper...
As nice as metallic finishes are, they're not sparkle/glitter finishes & the quality of the paint on these is astounding- you're not going to get a glitter finish this good for $300, anywhere. after 20-odd years, the poly clear coat acquires a nice patina and the color is somewhere between silver and gold- if it's not beat up, $300 CDN is a great price.

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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by HNB » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:39 pm

Totally. :D Buy it, get bored with it, and then sell it to me. :D

Guitar paint guys will do metal flake work for $350 including return shipping of the body. Price is pretty good in my opinion. :)

http://guitarpaintguys.com/store.html
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Re: What do people think these days of the silver sparkle Jagmasters?

Post by Embenny » Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:02 pm

GPG also won't ship to Canada, sadly.

But yeah, this whole guitar is much cheaper than even a sparkle finish job alone, which is why it caught my eye. They only posted a front photo, but didn't mention any significant damage.

I just worry that it won't last long and that I won't be able to stop by before it disappears. I guess I'll leave that part to fate.
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