Fender Jaguars - thoroughly confused!

iain.reverb

Fuengi said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

Fuengi said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

Fuengi said:

Anyone got any experience of the 90s / 2000s CiJ Reissue Jag's?



Yes, I've owned several. 

Right! So does that mean they are superb and you keep buying more, or that you are still looking for a good one? 

I've owned a lot of various jags over the years.

I liked the mij/cij ones the most (until I bought my custom shop).

The ones I have owned have all been light with good neck profiles and great customer colours. The pickups have always been garbage but the rest of the loom has been perfectly usable. I wouldn't change it unless it's faulty. I always change the bridge to mastery or staytrem.

Ishibashi ubox can be a great place to pick up an used jag for 300-400 quid.

The 62 avri models I've played have always been real heavy and thickly finished. I also think the pickups in those are pretty pony too. They do have a great neck profile though.

I've never played a 65 avri but I hear nothing but good things.

I'm not a fan of the Marr but a lot of people do like those. 

The Mexican ones can be on the heavy side but aren't bad

Thanks, that's really helpful.

The Ishibashi site - you have to order from Japan? What's the delivery time / charge like any import duties? 

Ishsibashi ususally offer free shipping the the UK via Reverb

brooom

@iain.reverb - Ishibashi is my favourite Japan store, great customer support. But they don't currently export rosewood guitars, to avoid dealing with CITES related issues, so I think that wouldn't be too helpful.

Neil

Fuengi said:

The Ishibashi site - you have to order from Japan? What's the delivery time / charge like any import duties? 

You will get clobbered for VAT and possibly duty, also handling fees so budget at least 20% or a bit more on top of the cost of your guitar. 

meltedbuzzbox

Neil said:

Fuengi said:

The Ishibashi site - you have to order from Japan? What's the delivery time / charge like any import duties? 

You will get clobbered for VAT and possibly duty, also handling fees so budget at least 20% or a bit more on top of the cost of your guitar. 

23% or 24% with a handling fee as well from Parcel Farce

I've landed Jags and JMs several times from there between 300 - 400 all in 

rexter

Noticed there's been one of the Classic Lacquer ones on eBay for a bit - £500 local collection from Leeds. If I was in the market for a Jaguar I would grab this one - accepting best offers too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Classic-Series-Jaguar-Lacquer-Fiesta-Red-Rosewood-Staytrem-upgrades/253675801185?epid=2256183973&hash=item3b10418a61:g:E~AAAOSwRRZbGZj1

You will get the nitro finish, correct vibrato placement, AV65 pickups. The standard trem doesn't have the lock button but you could grab an AVRI one and easily install it. I've built a few jags from parts, new and vintage,  and owned two Classic Players (necks are nice on these but the other modern specs not to my taste). Got a body and neck on the go at the moment actually and just debating colour.

Musicman20

A few years back, a few stores were selling NOS to clear out some of Fender's warehouse. Some of those guitars were Jags.

I've picked up two in these types of sales:

MIJ - Thinline Jaguar (poly - but stunning)
MIA - 65 AV in Sonic Blue - nitro

Both are absolute keepers, especially because they were both well under £1000 new....

Sometimes, good sales hit the UK but since the vote we shall not discuss, the sales have been pretty awful.

Keep some money aside and pounce when one comes up.

The Marrguar is amazing. BUT, I've tried two and sent them back as they seemed to be rushed through QC. Very poor fit and finish. I doubt they are all like that. 

rexter

Musicman20 said:

A few years back, a few stores were selling NOS to clear out some of Fender's warehouse. Some of those guitars were Jags.

I've picked up two in these types of sales:

MIJ - Thinline Jaguar (poly - but stunning)
MIA - 65 AVRI in Sonic Blue - nitro

Both are absolute keepers, especially because they were both well under £1000 new....

Sometimes, good sales hit the UK but since the vote we shall not discuss, the sales have been pretty awful.

Keep some money aside and pounce when one comes up.

The Marrguar is amazing. BUT, I've tried two and sent them back as they seemed to be rushed through QC. Very poor fit and finish. I doubt they are all like that. 

Weren't Andertons blowing out the Sonic Blue AV65s for something crazy like £899? or less?! I wish I'd bought one but didn't have the money then. I think '65 the dot and binding era is my absolute favourite for Jaguars. Classier than blocks!

Fuengi

What's the difference between the American Vintage and the AVRI series?

rexter

AVRI is what the older USA reissues were labelled as - I think from the late 90s until 2012. They have a poly undercoat under the nitro finish, vintage specs more aligned with the 1962 models for Jags and JMs. Quite slim neck profiles.

The AV line took 1965 as the inspiration for the Jags and JMs, vintage correct pickguards, new pickups (generally favoured over the AVRI 62 models), D&B necks with vintage specs, bit fuller profile than the AVRIs I think. Thin nitro finishes that check and age very quickly.

Really nice reissues, with amazing attention to detail. I think some of the nicest guitars Fender has put out in recent years. I love the strats and teles from this series too!

francer

rexter said:

Weren't Andertons blowing out the Sonic Blue AV65s for something crazy like £899? or less?! I wish I'd bought one but didn't have the money then. I think '65 the dot and binding era is my absolute favourite for Jaguars. Classier than blocks!

yes, was a couple of years ago I think. I seem to recall they had some strats as well, an amazing deal!

francer

Fuengi said:

What's the difference between the American Vintage and the AVRI series?

Most of this comes from what I know about Jazzmasters, but should also apply to Jaguars, I'm sure others will correct me if I'm wrong.

The AVRI series was based on the 62 model, you get an unbound slim profile neck, 62 voiced pickups, different finish (nitro over poly basecoat I think), brown hardshell case. There are also Thinskin variants of AVRIs, usually with 9.5 radius, matching headstocks and thinskin nitro finish.

The American Vintage (aka. AV65) series superseded the AVRI models and Fender made more effort to be as vintage accurate, to the actual year - 65 for offsets - as possible. You can find their own marketing gumph about this online, I won't rehash it here.

On an AV65 you get a mid 60s chunky neck profile with dots and binding, thin nitro finish which is quite delicate, 65 voiced pickups, and a black hardshell case.

On the Andertons FSR sonic blue jags, they have a satin finish neck.

meltedbuzzbox

I always thought the neck on my old 62 jag was quite thick

Musicman20

rexter said:

Musicman20 said:

A few years back, a few stores were selling NOS to clear out some of Fender's warehouse. Some of those guitars were Jags.

I've picked up two in these types of sales:

MIJ - Thinline Jaguar (poly - but stunning)
MIA - 65 AVRI in Sonic Blue - nitro

Both are absolute keepers, especially because they were both well under £1000 new....

Sometimes, good sales hit the UK but since the vote we shall not discuss, the sales have been pretty awful.

Keep some money aside and pounce when one comes up.

The Marrguar is amazing. BUT, I've tried two and sent them back as they seemed to be rushed through QC. Very poor fit and finish. I doubt they are all like that. 

Weren't Andertons blowing out the Sonic Blue AV65s for something crazy like £899? or less?! I wish I'd bought one but didn't have the money then. I think '65 the dot and binding era is my absolute favourite for Jaguars. Classier than blocks!

I went to Peach and it was even less than that!

Andertons had the Thinlines though....as did a few other stores.

Edited my post as it is a AV65....

Musicman20

francer said:

Fuengi said:

What's the difference between the American Vintage and the AVRI series?

The American Vintage (aka. AV65) series superseded the AVRI models and Fender made more effort to be as vintage accurate, to the actual year - 65 for offsets - as possible. You can find their own marketing gumph about this online, I won't rehash it here.

On an AV65 you get a mid 60s chunky neck profile with dots and binding, thin nitro finish which is quite delicate, 65 voiced pickups, and a black hardshell case.

On the Andertons FSR sonic blue jags, they have a satin finish neck.

This seems spot on to me...the finish on mine is thin. 

Musicman20

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINT-Rare-2015-FENDER-FSR-JAGUAR-American-1965-Reissue-USA-Thin-Skin-SONIC-BLUE/183242326911?hash=item2aaa18037f:g:BakAAOSwafZaiBGl

£1900!

Fuengi

Musicman20 said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINT-Rare-2015-FENDER-FSR-JAGUAR-American-1965-Reissue-USA-Thin-Skin-SONIC-BLUE/183242326911?hash=item2aaa18037f:g:BakAAOSwafZaiBGl

£1900!

Or £1795 if you buy it on Reverb!

https://reverb.com/uk/item/10457696-immaculate-rare-2015-fender-fsr-jaguar-american-1965-reissue-usa-thin-skin-sonic-blue

This sort of thing is causing the confusion! It is labelled as FSR (which i though was only Japan?) 62 Reissue and 65 Reissue.

No wonder it's RARE!

dindude

francer said:

rexter said:

Weren't Andertons blowing out the Sonic Blue AV65s for something crazy like £899? or less?! I wish I'd bought one but didn't have the money then. I think '65 the dot and binding era is my absolute favourite for Jaguars. Classier than blocks!

yes, was a couple of years ago I think. I seem to recall they had some strats as well, an amazing deal!

Yup, I picked up my Sonic Blue ‘65 AVRI for £850 from peach 2 and a bit years ago. Occasionally I think maybe I’ll sell it as it gets less play than my more mainstream guitars, but when I do pick it up I absolutely love it. And it’s such a lot of guitar for the money. Also, as Fender slowly eradicate 7.25” radius from the catalog, proper vintage spec jags and the line will get rarer and rarer.

punchesjudy

That sonic blue Jag is massively overpriced. You can get them used around a grand still. I picked one up last year for £900. 

There is actually one of the new American Original jags on eBay at the moment for £1175 or soemthing. Someone buy it so I'm not tempted please. 

Babones

You get MIM and MIA FSRs too. It's not exclusive to Japan.

francer

Here's OSGs version of this discussion ... 
http://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=77834