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I’ve always had a soft spot in my head ... errr .. heart for a Fender Jaguar.
My Dad owned one, a 1963 model. As a young man I was fascinated with it. It was gorgeous, sexy, mysterious and complex. The build quality was good but design points in the bridge/trem and switching were problematic and as a result the guitar was lifeless and troublesome.
Father Leo made the original Jag from the existing Jazzmaster body. I like the “offset waist” body shape. I find it comfortable to hold, and the asymmetry helps the guitar hang naturally with the neck tilted slightly upwards in a playing position. Unlike most electrics of the time, this body wasn’t derived from a
established acoustic guitar shape.
Shrink a parlor guitar down and add a cutaway, you get Lester. Do the same with a dreadnaught and you'll make a Tele, with the Strat as the next evolutionary step. The Jazzmaster's "offset waist" design was
solid-body specific.
After choosing the J-Master body as his springboard Father Leo set out to create a high-end model with greater versatility and player convenience than ever before - and steal Gibson's customers with it
While Fender was known for the 25.5” scale still in use, Gibson’s 24.75” scale length offered less string tension at any given gauge & pitch. Father Leo saw this as a key point and addressed it aggressively. I’ll see your three-quarter inch difference and raise you another 3/4”! Jaguar featured an even more relaxed 24” scale, verging on a "7/8 size" designation.
Jaguar reissues have been plentiful in recent years recreating everything including the problem parts, but a few contemporary variations have addressed the shortcomings of the classic Jag. The resulting models are more practical, if less quirky.
Fender's recent Hecho-en-Mexico "Blacktop" series includes several well known Fender models in grayscale finishes fitted in a no-nonsense way for a businesslike vibe. Bring on the bark and hold the flash. The Blacktop
line includes a Jaguar.
If you’re looking for unique, quirky or complex, sorry. Compared to Dad's Jaguar, Haguar got less of all that and in many ways employs more "ordinary" parts (which are commonly used for good reasons). What Haguar has that Dad’s 63 did not is good, solid, punchy, cojones.
Haguar uses the classic Jag shape and scale, but contemporized with chrome covered ‘buckers and a Gibby style selector. A TOM-style bridge & stop tailpiece replace the godawful floating bridge/trem while a 1V 1T control circuit keeps the wiring simple. The classic Fender amp knobs are a nice touch, with large easy to read numbers.
The Alder body feels quite heavy, I assume that may partially be due to the body's larger overall size but also to fewer routed cavaties as compared to a Strat. The curvy 9.5” radius rosewood board feels wider to me than the 63 did, and has a nice suble edge beveling for comfyness. It is flawlessly fitted with jumbo frets - no sharp fret ends or crude gouges in the finish sanding here. The clear un-ambered poly Neck finish feels smooth, not sticky, even in uncomfortable humidity. Why do some gloss poly necks feel tacky even when they're clean?
Fit and finish overall are very good. We’ve seen Fender's quality range from solid to shoddy at all ports of origin, but if you wanted to convince a skeptic that the Mexico plant turns out topnotch work, this guitar would help make your case.
So what about the sound? Haguar sings with characteristic Fender brightness - almost the brightness of a Tele but with more presence and meat in the middle. Sustain is more robust than on any StratoTele, but not on par with a set neck guitar. The midrange feels present and confident but not humpy and overpowering. If graphed the sound might look like a flat band, tapering down a wee bit on the bass end. Despite the broad, even tonal response the sound is not overly plastic or artificial. A quick pickstroke yields a sound with assertive aritculation, but not the annoying click-tap I hear in many "modern" full-range or active pups. It retains a certain amount of organic feel and responds well to right-hand dynamics. These pickups don't give a face-slapping first impression but the sound proves to be competent and ready for nearly anything.
In summary this is a well made workhorse piece with its own versatile and practical voice, more on the “solid useable” side than flamboyant. If I had to name-drop, the voice of Haguar reminds me of a 335. Think of a 335 with a slightly smaller ass and slightly sharper teeth - a shave less wood and a sliver more steel. Or maybe it is like a Firebird with a smoother hair down the middle of its back.
Maybe that gives us the answer to “Who should try this?”. If you'd like to explore beyond the sound of a Strat but not get far from the comfort of one, try Haguar. If you want a voice similar to a 335 or F-bird but you’d prefer to be feelin' girly-curves when you wear it, I think you should check out Haguar. You’re not going to wow anyone with the way it looks, but in my man-cave it is a pleasure to play.
Now what I wouldn't give to have one of these in flamed antique violin 'burst with a tortoise guard...
