Remember a Purple Custom Shop Jaguar?

[curtiz]

Hello Dear Jag-Meisters :-)

I have a question for the older aficionados in this group (more of an archaeology thing, really).
Anyway, here goes:

Years ago (2000-2005?), in one of the British guitar mags (Guitar? Guitarist?) one of the writers had an offset guitar made especially for him by the Fender Custom Shop. I can’t help but still being intrigued by this specific guitar, but to my dismay I must have thrown out the magazine long ago.

What was it all about?
Well, it had:
- offset body in PURPLE or BLUE metallic flake
- maple neck with reverse headstock and pearloïd tuners
- 3 pickups: a P90, a standard Jag-like PU and a lipstick PU in the neck position (if I remember correctly)
- a “modern” bridge
- a simplified switching system
- it had a JAGUAR decal but the body could have been a Jag-Stang body.

It was such an oddball (yet exciting) guitar, with a bunch of “risky” decisions in the configuration and I’ve always wondered if the owner (the writer in that magazine) still had it, still used it… or whatever became of the guitar.
I can’t find any info online, so this is a message in a bottle kind of question, in the hope it will trigger someone’s memory.
I'd be excited to see a pic of it again - or even better to hear if the guitar is still in circulation :-)

Have a great day - stay safe!

[GreenKnee]

This is of a similar ilk, but not the guitar in question

New Fender Custom Shop Floyd Jaguar NAMM 2019 Purple Sparkle Burst Masterbuilt By Kyle Mcmillin! https://reverb.com/item/19561157-new-fe ... e-mcmillin

[curtiz]

Exactly, it had that kind of vibe. Thanks!

[Loobster]

I remember this, it was in Guitarist magazine about 1998/1999 or so. Perhaps his name was Dominic something? I remember he had the process chronicled. You might get in touch with Mick Taylor or Neville Martin. Either one of them was the editor at the time.

[Loobster]

Also very keen to see it.

[curtiz]

@Loobster
Good call, will try that!
Thx,
Paul

[Loobster]

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussi ... nt_2785828 this might yield some results, I posted it here.

[MatchlessMan]

Found it! Guitarist March 1998. It was commissioned in March 1997 and there were a couple of progress articles along the way.

[curtiz]

Fantabulous. Thank you so much.
As a matter of fact I just received a reply from Neville Marten:

"Hi Paul.
Yes I remember it well. It was Dominic Hilton. But the guitar was a bit of a monstrosity in a way. But he did it just to see how bonkers Fender would go. And they did exactly what he asked.
It would probably be a six grand Master Build now. I don’t know where he or the guitar is, other than he moved to America.
Take care
Neville."

So now I will try to track down Dominic Hilton and find out what became of the guitar.
The search continues!!!
Thanks guys. I'm somewhat relieved my memory of it wasn't too far off, and that my recollection of thinking "whoa, is that going to work out?" was somewhat confirmed by Neville. Ha ha ha

[Loobster]

Ask and you shall receive. I actually think it's pretty hideous. I remember 12 year old me thinking it was super exotic and cool, though! Track him down! I couldn't find anything about him online, it's like he dropped off the face of the earth in 2000....let's hope he didn't.

[smjenkins]

Nice find! This thread is reason 10,465 why I love this forum.

WRT the CS Jag in question: If you replaced the trem with a JM / Jag setup, flipped the headstock and used a standard nut, that guitar would be pretty rad. If that would be a $6k build today, it actually seems like a pretty good deal. 3500 1998 UK pounds is about 6200 2020 UK pounds taking inflation into account.

Edit: "good deal" relative to the 1998 price. Still a fuck load for a new guitar.

[JVG]

Oh man, that’s awful, but a great bit of research work there.

Each to their own

[andy_tchp]

Wow, that's hideous in so many different ways. Quite the achievement.

[HarlowTheFish]

NGL I hate that way less than I expected. Reminds me of the Wagakki Band's guitarist's signature thing with the Floyd and pickup combo, but looks way less tasteful.

[Veitchy]

I'm really on board to se what ended up happening to this guitar.