Gear: Fender Player Jaguar


When I thought “I think I have enough guitars to cover my needs.”


So what happened was.. I really wasn’t looking for a new guitar. I already had my Squier Strat, my Tele, agreed with EP Guitars on a custom Strat that he would build for me, and bought his underused Ibanez jazz guitar. It may have started off with the rookie error of me signing up to Fender newsletters and regularly browsing different guitars, although the Jag always escaped my notice. When the 60th anniversary series came out, I watched a few videos of it, learnt a bit of it’s history, but that was it. I must admit I really liked what I saw and heard, plus I remembered Kurt Cobain and Noel Gallagher had them as well, but I stayed strong.


A couple of days later I required a guitar case at a short notice to transport my Squier Strat to EP guitars for a good clean and adjustments. This happened while I was in Lincoln for work. Thankfully, I had about an hour until my train back home and there was a music shop 4 minutes away from the station. When I got there, the chap showed me to the guitar section and said he would get the Chris the guitar guy and suggested I took a look around while I wait. And there it was. A brand new black Jaguar discounted from £629 to £499. Obviously the chap saw the way I was looking at the guitar and plugged it into a nice combo to try. Thankfully Chris turned up before I could I get too carried away, and gave me the case that I came for before leaving. He did say the Jag would fit in the case I bought though - just in case.


So I left, and sat outside the shop for around 20 minutes, thinking. I believe in signs. It all happened in a matter of days, plus I will need a  rock guitar while my Strat is with EP Guitars, there are no coincidences, surely this is a sign. Yeah, but do I need it? Hmm no, not really. Plus it’s still £500.


20 minutes later I filled my brand new case with a brand new Jaguar. I don’t regret it.


What’s it like? It’s heavy. Really heavy. And it’s constantly asking to be treated like Cobain would, more distortion and overdrive. It’s raw. I still feel its main territory is rock (on the heavier side) but on the rare occasions you are not beating it like there’s no tomorrow, it certainly has a nice mystery in its tone. Absolutely love it.


Here it is on Fender’s website, currently at £659. Good sign.


And below is the moment:


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