Hi everyone, I'm new here, never owned a Fender, totally green...

Having played my beloved Gibson SG for some time I've started thinking about getting something Fender sounding to get some variety. A strat would be an obvious choice since I like the Jimi and SRV sounds among others. However, I strongly prefer the short scale feel and even the unique looks of a Jaguar.

I surf but surf rock is not my slice of the pie, so there has to be other sounds too. At the local shop I tested a Jag with a VOX AC15cc just like I have at home and I found some nice neck pickup sounds that could work even for Blues. I didn't have enough time to get a full picture of the possibilities, so I'm asking for views and experiences here.

So is there going to be enough all purpose rock/bluesFender for me in a Jaguar?

Welcome!



Jaguars inherently are nice guitars. Bear in mind though that there's a lot of switching capabilities you'll never use, based on your stated musical interests. I doubt you'll ever use the bridge pickup either. Presuming you're talking specifically about the single coil models, the Classic Player Jaguar Special would be your best bet as this has a decent bridge, similar to your SG's as opposed to the 'vintage' Jaguar bridge which is a real nightmare.

Back in the early 70s, I briefly used to use a 68 Jaguar Custom. I play(ed) for the most part, British Blues and Rock predominantly from back then. I could only get two good sounds out of the Jaguar but when I reverted back to my Strat, it was like night and day! In terms of the short scale neck, the Jaguar is a long guitar and I doubt very strongly you'll notice any appreciable difference between that and a Strat. Rather, I'll bet you'll find the Strat more comfortable and guaranteed, MANY more usable sounds. YMMV.

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Thanks Martian,

What about the Jag Classic Player HH. Humbuckers would definitely make it more versatile but does coil splitting yield similair results compared to the single coil version?

Hi tonewoodstock, welcome to the Forum.

In once sense you can play anything on any guitar. So if the scale length is your pre-eminent concern then by all means fit a Jaguar with your prefered pickups and take it from there.

But looked at a different way I'm doubtful about the idea of "all purpose" guitars. The PRS 513 is one attempt at making a guitar that covers a lot of bases, the Taylor T5 another. And yet many of us would feel there are compromises and limitations involved in both of those.

You already have an SG, presumably fitted with humbuckers or perhaps P90s? Then my suggestion would be to look for a guitar that does something significantly different. Which probably means one with single coils; and so I'd be thinking of a Tele or Strat - or the Jaguar if that scale length is vital.

Otherwise, you're just trying to make a Fender feel and sound as much like your SG as possible - and what's the point of that?

Some thoughts.

Good luck - C

You're quite welcome.

Several immediate thoughts come to mind (in no particular order):

- No Fender full sized (and imported) HB is especially desirable and switching to one half of one isn't going to make it any better.
- There is too much switching required on the Jaguar to achieve too few usuable tones (for what you require).
- You already have infinitely better HBs with the SG.
- The Jaguar will never sustain like the SG unless the OEM HBs are changed.
- In spite of the shorter scale run of the Jaguar, it will still feel stiffer and longer than the SG due to the differences in the two guitars' design and construction.

This is a very 'unscientific' statement but most here will know what I mean when I say, playing your stated stylings on a Fender, be it a Jaguar, Strat, Tele or whatever requires a different approach than on a Gibson. This is NOT to say one is better than the other. Rather, just different. Fenders do take a bit more effort regardless of the scale length which after about two minutes playing time, you'd never know the difference any way.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here but it seems to me that the bottom line is, you are subconsciously trying to obtain a shorter scale SG with HB coil splitting capabilities. If this be the case, like I've already said, you are not going to get an 'easier to play' guitar with a Jaguar, especially vs. an SG and I dare say, you MAY be quite disappointed in the long run.

It should be noted that coil splitting capabilities for the pickups in your SG can be done or even better, you can replace those pickups with ones that are more tailor made to your tonal requirements where of course, they too will have coil splitting capabilities.

Believe me, I'm not trying to talk you into or out of anything here. I'm just trying to put things in perspective. And yes, I'm a "hard core" Fender player of the more vintage ilk but not withstanding, if you are considering jumping from the easiest playing Gibson there is, as stupid as this may sound, I'd make a, "Pros vs. Cons" checklist between the two before dumping all sorts of money on what may or may not be a mistake. I will say this though, if you do choose to take the Fender plunge, again, based on your stated stylings, I'd look real hard at a Strat if I were you.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

I invite any and all who read this to please share your thoughts on all this too..

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Good points yeah,

My problem is that the best sounding guitar for my ears has always been the Les Paul and a SRV style Strat sound comes close second. So far (and by far) the best feeling guitar has been my SG. The SG can sound almost like a Les Paul but Strat sounds are propably beyond reach?

The other guitar would serve two purposes: Firstly it would be tuned half step down and have a set up for that so I can avoid all the hassle when I want to practise with songs in Eb. Secondly it would be nice to have the "single coil maple sound" too.


Before I give up my second goal and just get a Gibson Les Paul, I definitely give another look at the Strats.

A VERY wise decision!

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Hi. Tonewoodstock, welcome to the forum.
Got to start by saying, I've never played a Jag and I've only heard one guy playing blues on one. Mr. Steve Winwood back in the sixties and he was leaning heavily on his fuzz box at that.
Not to say guy's don't use them but I get the feeling they could sound a bit thin, especially after your SG, unless as stated by previous posters, you change the pickup's. P90's could be a good idea.
Above is my Stratosonic. Mahogany chambered body, double coils but can tap to single. Compares very favourably with my SG's but a different variation of tonal colours. More Fender sounding and excellent for blues and a nice comfortable switch, from one guitar to the other.
There is a version of this with P90's that might suit your requirements better. I know of a guy who has one and he said it 'Blew his SG away'.
Well, maybe, maybe not, it's all opinions isn't it.
So anyway, just another idea you might want to consider, other's may come up with other stuff to throw in the hat.
I suggest you try various models. There's a lot out there.
Good luck.

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The Jaguar is my absolute favourite guitar I have ever touched. That said, it is an aquired taste and you have to love playing with the switchiung and the choke, you can get some crazy sounds and quacks and cool $@!& out of it. But I don't think it suits what you want. I play it for powerpop and punk, using the choke to give me some craziness to the sound.

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My one regret in my Guitar-Playing-Life is that I didn't spend much time playing Jaguars and Jazzmasters ... a few minutes at most.

My closets are too full to buy one/some

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My other guitar is a Strat.

You and I were likely old enough to appreciate both of these instruments around the time they were first introduced. Personally, I did not like the 'feel' of either of them but was the beneficiary of my bandmates acquisiton of a Jaguar, year of introduction, because I bought his '58 Strat. {Story already told too many times.).

Now those HB equipped Strats which have evolved since Fender introduced the Big Apple as an FSR for Guitar Center ( had two sets of Red Dually Lace Sensors) is one way to gol. Another is for our OP to audition an Artist Series Eric Clapton Stratocaster and see if that body, neck, pickup and midboost combo doesn't give him exactly what he is looking for.....A Strat which wears a very large football cup when in play.

I've always cited the EC Stratocaster as the 'all purpose Fender'.
But that's my bias.

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"Another day in paradise!"

The Jaguar HH special with the dragsters #$@*&!% SCREAMS. I use it now for my drop D stuff. Got one about a month ago. Not reccomended if you're looking for an all purpose Fender.

You definitely wanna go for a Strat. Jags are very distinct. So are Teles for that matter. Jazzies are alittle more malleable. But I #$@*&!% LOVE the Fender Jaguar-like I said, it is far and away my favourite guitar and is really versatile and underrated . I just think for what you want a Strat is probably the way to go.

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