OffsetGuitars.com

So around a month ago i ordered myself a Jaguar. I've had a Squier JMJM before in my teens (which i sold) and during the last couple years i developed GAS for another offset. I've been playing a Les Paul (MIJ Tokai) for a couple years now and the scale length made me look at Jaguars instead of Jazzmasters. Also the extra chrome looked very attractive

I've wanted single coil sounds for a while now and i've been obsessed about offsets so it was time to pull the trigger. I sold a guitar and an amp and ordered my Jag. It took a month for it to come in stock and ship to me. The wait was worth it. I opened the box and i finally had a solid Jaguar that i have been dreaming about for a while now. The color is more green in person than in pictures, which i really like. The pictures that i took made it look either very green or very blue. It's interesting how different it can look in different lighting. It almost looked Lake Placid Blue in pictures i found online but i was convinced that it's greener in person. I absolutely love the matching headstock. It was definitely one of the reasons i bought it. I was also intrigued by the pau ferro fretboard. We're all so used to rosewood but i found myself starting to like the idea of pau ferro more than rosewood. I feel like it just "pops" in a way. The grain is beautiful to look at, especially after giving it some moisture with some oil. It was quite dry before that.

The guitar is currently being worked on since the nut needs filing to fit 11-48 strings and to make the tremolo work properly. The setup with the factory strings was impressive, actually. The action was good, relief was reasonable and even the height at the nut was done right. There was some binding at the nut though, even with the stock 9-42 strings.

My main concerns were the neck angle, the need for shims, bridge and saddle issues etc. but everything has been fine for the two days i've been playing it. I removed the strings, oiled the fretboard and took off the neck to take a look at the neck pocket. There were no shims in there and the bridge was a good 1.5-2mm off of the pickguard with good action, which probably means that it has an angled neck pocket. Bridge and saddles stayed in place during playing and there was no fret buzz.

I love the vintage style tuners because it's really easy to put the same strings back on if you need to take them off for any reason and don't feel the need to put on new ones. The volume and tone knobs were not perfectly aligned with each other and the edges of the switches feel quite sharp. The fret ends were okay, but i told the luthier to file those a bit since there probably was some kind of shrinking during shipping.

Now, let's hope i manage to post pictures correctly! Fingers crossed...
IMG_1704 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr
IMG_1694 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr
IMG_1693 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr
IMG_1695 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr
IMG_1696 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr
IMG_1698 by Novae IMGS, on Flickr

that looks so good...and I never see them up for sale used...they must be pretty good.

Beautiful Jaguar! Nice PF fretboard too! Congrats

Love it. It is gorgeous. The Pau Ferro goes good with OTM.

I've wanted to get one of these, but haven't came across one yet.

yep, beautiful color!

All my normally reliable sources (local guitar store, thomann, musicstore, etc. are all still waiting for the shipment... so I could‘t try/look at one yet - but damn it looks so nice!

Enjoy!
Maybe I‘ll join that club one day!

Congratulations! Mine has quickly become my most prized possesion. An overall great sounding, great playing, great looking guitar

Thank you for the kind words everyone.

I forgot to mention the neck, which is advertised as "Mid 60's C-shaped neck". It is round and it is thick. I have small hands but it doesn't feel restricting or too big really. I honestly like the feel of it. Definitely a completely different profile than my old JMJM i had. Also thicker. Having a thick round neck on a short scale instrument makes it feel really interesting for me.

Future plans for the guitar are a parchment white pickguard, or possibly a brighter tort guard and i'm considering saving up for some Curtis Novak Lipstick Jag pickups. I want to get to know the stock pickups first though before i make any decisions since it's been years since i played single coils. Choosing the output i want will be the main thing here. Does anyone have readings of the stock pickups? I don't have a meter for that myself.

Novae wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:52 am

Thank you for the kind words everyone.

I forgot to mention the neck, which is advertised as "Mid 60's C-shaped neck". It is round and it is thick. I have small hands but it doesn't feel restricting or too big really. I honestly like the feel of it. Definitely a completely different profile than my old JMJM i had. Also thicker. Having a thick round neck on a short scale instrument makes it feel really interesting for me.

Future plans for the guitar are a parchment white pickguard, or possibly a brighter tort guard and i'm considering saving up for some Curtis Novak Lipstick Jag pickups. I want to get to know the stock pickups first though before i make any decisions since it's been years since i played single coils. Choosing the output i want will be the main thing here. Does anyone have readings of the stock pickups? I don't have a meter for that myself.

Gorgeous! I have an OTM AO Jazzmaster and I gotta say, I think it’s my favorite Fender color!

It’s funny, I was going to say you got one of the nicer stock Pickguards, but I like darker “less busy” tort guards. The stock tort guard on my JM was awful! It was like a confetti explosion. I swapped it with a darker brown guard and it looks perfect to me now. I usually like a red tortoise shell guard but with OTM I like darker brown or else it looks too “Christmas-like”.

Excellent Jag! Have fun!

daysleeperjeff wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:20 am

Novae wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:52 am

Thank you for the kind words everyone.

I forgot to mention the neck, which is advertised as "Mid 60's C-shaped neck". It is round and it is thick. I have small hands but it doesn't feel restricting or too big really. I honestly like the feel of it. Definitely a completely different profile than my old JMJM i had. Also thicker. Having a thick round neck on a short scale instrument makes it feel really interesting for me.

Future plans for the guitar are a parchment white pickguard, or possibly a brighter tort guard and i'm considering saving up for some Curtis Novak Lipstick Jag pickups. I want to get to know the stock pickups first though before i make any decisions since it's been years since i played single coils. Choosing the output i want will be the main thing here. Does anyone have readings of the stock pickups? I don't have a meter for that myself.

Gorgeous! I have an OTM AO Jazzmaster and I gotta say, I think it’s my favorite Fender color!

It’s funny, I was going to say you got one of the nicer stock Pickguards, but I like darker “less busy” tort guards. The stock tort guard on my JM was awful! It was like a confetti explosion. I swapped it with a darker brown guard and it looks perfect to me now. I usually like a red tortoise shell guard but with OTM I like darker brown or else it looks too “Christmas-like”.

Excellent Jag! Have fun!

I do agree that the darker tort guard looks beautiful on there. I really do like it but i'm curious to see what a brighter guard would look like, especially with lipstick pickups. I'm sure i won't be making changes to the guitar for at least a year or so. OTM with tort is such an interesting combo. I honestly just might leave it as is.

Do you have pics of your Jazzy or a post with some? Those AO Jazzmasters are gorgeous.

Novae wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:17 am

daysleeperjeff wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:20 am

Novae wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:52 am

Thank you for the kind words everyone.

I forgot to mention the neck, which is advertised as "Mid 60's C-shaped neck". It is round and it is thick. I have small hands but it doesn't feel restricting or too big really. I honestly like the feel of it. Definitely a completely different profile than my old JMJM i had. Also thicker. Having a thick round neck on a short scale instrument makes it feel really interesting for me.

Future plans for the guitar are a parchment white pickguard, or possibly a brighter tort guard and i'm considering saving up for some Curtis Novak Lipstick Jag pickups. I want to get to know the stock pickups first though before i make any decisions since it's been years since i played single coils. Choosing the output i want will be the main thing here. Does anyone have readings of the stock pickups? I don't have a meter for that myself.

Gorgeous! I have an OTM AO Jazzmaster and I gotta say, I think it’s my favorite Fender color!

It’s funny, I was going to say you got one of the nicer stock Pickguards, but I like darker “less busy” tort guards. The stock tort guard on my JM was awful! It was like a confetti explosion. I swapped it with a darker brown guard and it looks perfect to me now. I usually like a red tortoise shell guard but with OTM I like darker brown or else it looks too “Christmas-like”.

Excellent Jag! Have fun!

I do agree that the darker tort guard looks beautiful on there. I really do like it but i'm curious to see what a brighter guard would look like, especially with lipstick pickups. I'm sure i won't be making changes to the guitar for at least a year or so. OTM with tort is such an interesting combo. I honestly just might leave it as is.

Do you have pics of your Jazzy or a post with some? Those AO Jazzmasters are gorgeous.

Just swapped the guard so I don’t have any posts with the new one yet, but here she is with the “confetti” guard that’s gone now:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFU5MMPBbTo ... fjqw3oehdg

https://www.instagram.com/p/CESiSayhzzY ... o81gqcfkpw

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAjGTlIBfhI ... tibsgubk7y

daysleeperjeff wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:30 pm

Novae wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:17 am

daysleeperjeff wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:20 am

Gorgeous! I have an OTM AO Jazzmaster and I gotta say, I think it’s my favorite Fender color!

It’s funny, I was going to say you got one of the nicer stock Pickguards, but I like darker “less busy” tort guards. The stock tort guard on my JM was awful! It was like a confetti explosion. I swapped it with a darker brown guard and it looks perfect to me now. I usually like a red tortoise shell guard but with OTM I like darker brown or else it looks too “Christmas-like”.

Excellent Jag! Have fun!

I do agree that the darker tort guard looks beautiful on there. I really do like it but i'm curious to see what a brighter guard would look like, especially with lipstick pickups. I'm sure i won't be making changes to the guitar for at least a year or so. OTM with tort is such an interesting combo. I honestly just might leave it as is.

Do you have pics of your Jazzy or a post with some? Those AO Jazzmasters are gorgeous.

Just swapped the guard so I don’t have any posts with the new one yet, but here she is with the “confetti” guard that’s gone now:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFU5MMPBbTo ... fjqw3oehdg

https://www.instagram.com/p/CESiSayhzzY ... o81gqcfkpw

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAjGTlIBfhI ... tibsgubk7y

Wow, that is a busy guard. Definitely a love it or hate it type of situation.

Forgive a stupid question, but do these pau ferro necks ever darken or even out over time? If so, we're talking years of steady playing, huh? Is there something you can apply/wipe on to get a more traditional (for this particular model) darker rosewood look? I've yet to come around to that streaky, chocolate milk-looking appearance. I don't mind it on contemporary models, where it actually makes sense and there isn't that disconnect. But it looks odd/off on reissue type models blatantly positioned as 60's era guitars. I wish, on those types of models, Fender would dye them or something so they look the part a little better, the way they used to before that CITES(?) stuff kicked in.

Still a gorgeous guitar, don't get me wrong. I love that color! I just love how a good, dark rosewood neck looks on a guitar that is positioned to be a 60's type of vibe.

pscates wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 22, 2020 2:39 pm

Forgive a stupid question, but do these pau ferro necks ever darken or even out over time? Is there something you can wipe on to get a more traditional (for this particular model) darker rosewood look? I've yet to come around to that streaky, chocolate milk-looking appearance. I don't mind it on contemporary models, but it looks odd/off on reissue type models blatantly positioned as 60's era guitars. I wish, on those types of models, Fender would dye them or something so they look the part a little better, the way they did before that CITES(?) stuff kicked in.

Still a gorgeous guitar, don't get me wrong. I love that color!

Pau ferro will not look like rosewood and vice versa. I do agree that it feels out of place on something that is marketed as vintage/traditional spec. This is a time where guitar manufacturers are just trying things out because they have to. I don't feel the need to try and make pau ferro look like rosewood. It's like trying to make rosewood look like ebony but it's still rosewood regardless of the color.

Well I'm not hung up on the wood species as much - I love rosewood just fine and have no particular desire for ebony; I don't think those were on early/mid-60's stock Fenders anyway - as I am the appearance/coloring. I know PF could never be rosewood, but if it could fake it a little, looks-wise, I wouldn't mind...

That's why I was curious about just something - some sort of oil or conditioning stuff - that could be applied to just get it a bit darker/richer-looking. It's kinda all over the place, I've noticed over the past year or two. I've seen some examples of PF on these 60's reissues that are a bit darker and not so streaky. But I've seen some of those Stratosphere necks on eBay where it looks like a zebra fell into a vat of chocolate milk and redwood deck stain. Quite a range of appearances, unlike before.

And touching on what you said about companies trying things because they have to. I guess Pau ferro was the closest to rosewood in feel, sound and workability (and easy to acquire), so that's why Fender went with it, with period accuracy for a few models being a lesser concern.

But the U.S. Fender stuff still uses rosewood, so it's for the things being made elsewhere (Mexico, Asia) where they're having to substitute Pau Ferro?

You've still got a cooler guitar than I'll ever own, so please take nothing I say as any sort of slam or dig whatsoever.