Which Fender Offset as my first guitar?

[figgypudding18]

Greetings Everyone! I'm new to this forum, and new to the world of electric guitars. I've been playing acoustic for a little while and decided it's time to get an electric guitar. I know that it probably isn't practical for me to have several guitars, so I'm realistically only going to allow myself my current acoustic and one electric. As with my acoustic, I want my electric to be something that is of good quality and will last a lifetime, not need replaced and upgraded in a couple of years etc.

It's not an immediate need for me, so I would be willing to save for the right guitar. However, if I were to buy the guitar in the near future, I could not go over $1700ish, considering I would need an amp/maybe some pedals etc., and would preferably like to spend less, if there are quality options available - I know I'll stick with it so no point in getting a starter guitar that I'll need to upgrade later.

I've been looking at Fender Offsets (Mustangs and Jaguars). I like the idea of the short scale, appearance, and overall sound (as best as I can tell from youtube vids). While I'm a little more picky with the sound of acoustics, I'm thinking I will probably be pretty flexible when it comes to electric. I have to say, it's just a cosmetic thing but I'm not a big fan of the look of Pau Ferro (looks orange).

I know this will limit my options, but I am thinking of going with just new stuff. This isn't because I'm a snob or whatever, I just honestly don't know a lot and I'm not super handy, I feel like I would be taking a huge risk to buy a used piece of equipment having no idea of it's background. While I can totally understand why people would go after old instruments, I just don't think this is the option for me. Feel free to try to persuade me otherwise .

Not sure if this matters, but in case someone asks, some of my favorite artists/bands that use electric are Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Nirvana, Coldplay, Pinegrove, Marika Hackman, Bon Iver, The Japanese House to name a few. So I guess my tastes are somewhat Indie/Alternative-ish.

I know I don't know a whole lot right now, I'm thinking I will give myself at least a month or so to make a decision.

Any help or guidance you can give me is appreciated!

[Danley]

A Traditional Mustang might be just a bit too much of a pain if you don’t have familiarity and devotion to Offsets already. But the American Performer Mustang looks like it put a lot of the difficulty factor on ‘easy mode’ without compromising its Mustang-ness. I’ve never tried one, but they look awesome.

That said, American Performer Jaguar is probably my default ‘safe’ answer; should be a great guitar out of the box.

[marqueemoon]

I’ve played electric guitar for almost 30 years and love me some indie rawk. If I could have only one electric guitar it would be a Telecaster, no question.

A lot of the great recorded guitar sounds that people assume are something else are a Telecaster (Jimmy Page, J. Mascis, Johnny Marr, etc...).

[blackbox]

At first I was thinking a Jag isn't a good first electric, but I suppose, why the hell not. Given the bands you mentioned, I would probably be a bit concerned about the ability of the Jag to get you the sort of gain response that you might be looking for. Big question is the vibrato bar. If you don't plan on using it, then you're prolly better off with the Tele

[figgypudding18]

Great points, thanks so much! I'm also going to look into the Telecaster line based on this feedback.

[Futuron]

My first electric was a Strat. An all-time classic for a reason. Unless you get a humbucker version you're probably not going to get the sound you want as easily, so I'd set that option aside.

Teles are great but can be chunky and don't look as cool, and no vibrato. Also it isn't short scale or offset. Go Jag/Mustang!

The American Jaguar sounds great to me. It has additional series & phase options and sounds Tele-like. Feels good, looks good. One of my favourite guitars.

American Mustang I don't have experience with, it looks good, it would feel good, probably sounds good but doesn't have sounds besides the standard 3-way.

The "Offset" Mustang has only a 3-way and no vibrato. I have the similar Duo-Sonic, which is an okay guitar for the price. It has no contours. I'd personally be replacing it down the track with something nicer, if I was sticking to only 1 guitar. So put that at the bottom of the list.

1: American Professional Jaguar
2: American Performer Mustang
3: Offset Mustang

Of course that is also the order of most expensive to cheapest, so adjust that accordingly!

[Ceylon]

With an almost 2000$ budget you should be able to get a second hand or discounted Johnny Marr Jaguar, which apart from offering a default solution to a lot of the common bridge issues Jazzmasters and Jaguars have also gives you the option of using the pickups in series, in effect as a humbucker, covering just a bit more sonic ground. They're regularly lauded on here for being amazing guitars too. I'd say if you're mainly an acoustic guy, your one electric should REALLY be electric, you know, with a vibrato and everything. Essentially everything your acoustic is not.

Addendum: I should mention in relation to this that the AmPro Jaguars seem very heavily based on the Johnny Marr formula, so they do do similar things. I think the JM one has one additional switch, and I like switches.

I might push the Jaguar a bit extra, because I own one myself and I think it has tons of charm and fun to it. But I'm sure you wouldn't be unhappy with a Telecaster as others have suggested. I'm slowly coming around to the ingenuity and ubiquity of a design which has appealed to guitarists of all genres for nearly 70 years by now without any major changes.

[marqueemoon]

With an almost 2000$ budget you should be able to get a second hand or discounted Johnny Marr Jaguar, which apart from offering a default solution to a lot of the common bridge issues Jazzmasters and Jaguars have also gives you the option of using the pickups in series, in effect as a humbucker, covering just a bit more sonic ground. They're regularly lauded on here for being amazing guitars too. I'd say if you're mainly an acoustic guy, your one electric should REALLY be electric, you know, with a vibrato and everything. Essentially everything your acoustic is not.

I'm also a fan of these, provided it has the bridge with the correct string spacing. The neck is definitely on the chunky side though.

Anyway my best advice to the OP is go play some guitars. A whole bunch of them. Play guitars you think you won't like. Play guitars you can't afford.

IMO there's really nothing to be afraid of with buying a recent issue used guitar in person at a reputable shop. There are definite things to watch out for with vintage instruments, but that's really not what we're talking about here.

I nearly always buy guitar stuff used. Let someone else take the depreciation.

[thenewromance]

With an almost 2000$ budget you should be able to get a second hand or discounted Johnny Marr Jaguar, which apart from offering a default solution to a lot of the common bridge issues Jazzmasters and Jaguars have also gives you the option of using the pickups in series, in effect as a humbucker, covering just a bit more sonic ground. They're regularly lauded on here for being amazing guitars too. I'd say if you're mainly an acoustic guy, your one electric should REALLY be electric, you know, with a vibrato and everything. Essentially everything your acoustic is not.

I'm also a fan of these, provided it has the bridge with the correct string spacing. The neck is definitely on the chunky side though.

Anyway my best advice to the OP is go play some guitars. A whole bunch of them. Play guitars you think you won't like. Play guitars you can't afford.

IMO there's really nothing to be afraid of with buying a recent issue used guitar in person at a reputable shop. There are definite things to watch out for with vintage instruments, but that's really not what we're talking about here.

I nearly always buy guitar stuff used. Let someone else take the depreciation.

That's sound advice. I'd especially recommend playing non-Fender makes of Fender models, such as Reverend or Godin or Japanese brands. Also, look out for non-classic pickup combinations, such as HH Teles or "fat" Strats (humbucker in the bridge). Maybe try guitars with P90s.

[gypsyseven]

Have a look at the American Original Telecaster!

[pikmin]

Hi !
Happy to see someone who likes Pinegrove here ...
It’s probably my favorite band of the decade. I saw them live 3 times and each time was awesome ...

For the choice of the guitar , if you like short scale guitars , an American pro jaguar or a Johnny Marr Jaguar should be great . With the 4 way switch, you’ll be be a able to have the 2 pickups in series which is a great feature to add to the sound .

Or if You don’t need the vibrato and a full scale is ok , you can do the same with a Telecaster with a 4 way switch ...

[Mechanical Birds]

I assume someonealready said it but you really should go try a bunch of guitars because if you’re going into this based solely on visual aesthetics it inevitably will disappoint but at the same time if you’re buying something because there’s at least a vague chance a song you like used that one guitar on a single track on their record, and you’re take it or leave it toward how it looks, you’ll be less inspired and willing to play as much/try to push yr limits.

Until a few years ago I was completely clueless on this shit. I knew I wanted a Jaguar because they had the coolest shape and bands I liked used them and I’d always loved them, but honestly wouldn’t have been able to list any of the differences between a Jag and a Jazzmaster - and yes, that’s even with pictures in front of me. I remember looking for like 10 minutes and being like “OH SHIT THE PICKUPS ARE DIFFERENT OK I GET IT NOW” and the chrome and mute and switching and guard shape and all that might as well have been invisible. I got an old friend to trade me his JagStang for a crappy Dano 12 string and basically thought it was the same as a Jaguar or Jazzmaster, like I was that checked out and uninformed. Totally one of those dudes who would ask questions on forums about the Offset Vibrato and would refer to it as the bridge repeatedly (which is something I somehow have heard a ton of people, like lots of them have been playing for decades say the same thing so maybe we’re all idiots?) and only after getting my hands on a few and spending at least a little bit of time with them, did I really start to understand.

The first tome I played an actual offset had to have been an AVRI Jaguar at GuitarCenter Pittsburgh. I always pictured a Jag as being this wooly/thick sounding hunk of wood, which is hilarious because they’re the exact opposite. It sounded so brittle and thin and felt weird, I went from (at least thinking I was cuz of aesthetics and who I’d seen play them) pining over one to being completely turned off. Obviously I’ve come around but it was a weird time.

Dunno if this is shitty to suggest, but you have a decent chunk of money - if I were in your shoes, I’d maybe take advantage of a big box guitar store and their great return policies. Since it’s just for experimentation and you finding what you’ll actually like the most, I see no reasons why you couldn’t just order a Classic Vibe Jaguar, if for any other reason just to experience the feel and see how it sounds and if you appreciate it or not, then exchange it for one of the Jazzmasters and do the same thing, then with the Mustang, Strat whatever and you’re on your way. When you figure it out enough you might already have a thing you love and if not, you’ll have a way better idea and can exchange whTever the last one is toward the thing you truly want. Without knowing where you live it’s kinda obnoxious to just assume you live some place where you can access things like vintage guitars or big piles of used ones of every make and model - cuz I sure as hell cant, but if you live in/around a city, maybe spend a day off going into as many stores and trying as many different things as possible. If not, the musicians friend suggestion I made applies good luck

[ThatGuyOverThere]

Ha... I see you’ve emigrated over here from TGP... I’ll just go ahead and vote for the same option. That Ocean Turquoise Vintera Jaguar is one of the coolest guitars Fender has put out in years. Get into it.

[figgypudding18]

Hi !
Happy to see someone who likes Pinegrove here ...
It’s probably my favorite band of the decade. I saw them live 3 times and each time was awesome ...

For the choice of the guitar , if you like short scale guitars , an American pro jaguar or a Johnny Marr Jaguar should be great . With the 4 way switch, you’ll be be a able to have the 2 pickups in series which is a great feature to add to the sound .

Or if You don’t need the vibrato and a full scale is ok , you can do the same with a Telecaster with a 4 way switch ...

So awesome! I feel like I don't run into PInegrove fans ever! Need to see them live at some point now!!!

I'm thinking I should definitely try the Tele when I go to the store this weekend now..especially since maybe the scale length will help with alternate tunings vs the Jag or Mustang?

[figgypudding18]

Ha... I see you’ve emigrated over here from TGP... I’ll just go ahead and vote for the same option. That Ocean Turquoise Vintera Jaguar is one of the coolest guitars Fender has put out in years. Get into it.

What can I say, I seek the opinions of the experts haha. Thanks again!