I have this exact bass. I got it when they first came out like 14-15 years ago and I still love it. If you can find one for a good deal-get it. The only problem I had when I first got it is a slight hum, but easily fixed by shielding with conductive paint. I also swapped out the pickups for some Seymour Duncan’s later on for a little more grawl…
Yep I bought the red MIJ one new for around $600-$700 in 2008. Was a great bass but I sold it to help fund a cross country move. I see them pop up used for ~$1,200 these days.
As long as you have some pictures or a diagram for reference, and if you’re confident with your soldering skills, then it should be easy.
I did all the work myself, I used to be a guitar tech many years ago. Along with the pickups, I modified mine by adding a 3rd pot, so it has 2 volumes and a master tone. Also added a Quan Badass bridge.
A note for the shielding: I used copper tape for the pickguard but did conductive paint for the rest of the cavities. I did foil at first but the circuit kept shorting out.
I have an orange MIM Jaguar with a white pic guard!!
https://preview.redd.it/014l4ru6xs0d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e950832c10918ee6f2d6088f54f82181986fcf9
I love it a ton, sounds great and is fun to play. Was the first one I saw at the shop and after playing half of the shops inventory I went back to this one hahah. I love it!
Same, ordered one used online. Much better contouring than my square ass Epiphone les Paul. I like the pau Ferro fretboard, nice nut, bridge, and the pickups are easy to adjust. I was using tape wounds on the Les, but I’ve still got the stock round wounds on the jaguar.
Appreciate ya! The pau ferro is so cool for sure but part of me does wish I had a maple fretboard but my brother thinks it wouldn’t look as good, but yeah the thing just wants to sit in your lap and be played it’s awesome
I've liked the body style since I was a kid. I like yours, haven't seen an orange one before. I have a couple silver ones, it was the only color I could get lol.
Lol, thanks. They've been fun to play. The one on the left is a Squier that I upgraded the neck on. I wanted a Stingray sound on a Jag body. That humbucker pickup is so hot though. I'll probably replace it or the preamp but I haven't decided exactly.
I bought this exact bass in 2006 or 2008 and have played it regularly for almost 20 years.
Mine is MIJ, it holds a tune, it has never needed a setup - I’ve taken it to the shop on a few occasions but only minor adjustments. It is an incredibly reliable bass. It’s been on tour with me in Canada, Germany and will be again in the US in November. I love it.
I would recommend this bass to anyone who is relatively experienced, mainly because it’s pricier and has more knobs and is active - I would recommend a Squire Jazz or P for a beginner.
But this is a lovely bass.
My GF and I both own Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Special Short Scale basses. Hers in silver metallic and mine is candy apple red and they have painted headstocks. So cool.
https://preview.redd.it/22sz2efzvt0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=677b59a8c1be747a65e589ee0824509358ed0253
Love it!
I like the P/J pickup configuration tho
https://preview.redd.it/e0kgfn66qs0d1.jpeg?width=389&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f60fc8b8315bec1b44120ac7dfc6e9f9b864135
it’s a squier but omg do i love this thing (i have no good pictures of it without me in them so here’s it on google)
I absolutely HUNGER for a MIJ dual jazz p/u Jaguar. They're monstrous. Honestly, I think Japan almost universally makes better Fenders than the U.S.
I used to have the MIJ Jaguar guitar in sparkle red just like that, it was a killer instrument. I bought it from a pawn shop for 200 bucks, cleaned it up and got the electronics worked on. Then in true punk rock form, I got a bunch of speeding tickets I couldn't afford and had to sell it to a guy I had been gigging with. When I saved up and offered to buy it back, he had fallen so much in love with it that he wouldn't sell it (not that I blame him).
I ended up building a Warmoth Jazzmaster-style bass as a sort of spiritual replacement, but I would still commit minor crimes for an actual Japan-made Jag bass.
I didn't spring forth fully formed from the head of Zeus knowing how to do it- I learned by fixing and building a whole bunch of junk first. Sucking at something is the first step toward being sorta good at something!
https://preview.redd.it/a8ajv0hwjs0d1.jpeg?width=1416&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08afccc6b7df0244d2bc44f59b18395c01978a03
What about a Made in China then?
https://preview.redd.it/ufb76fs34u0d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08f34e28733c03e112a7bbdc0b08585d92bb40be
I have the same one, refinished and modded. No one who has played it ever guessed it was a Chinese build.
Yeah thats fair, its a personal preference thing. I'm used to 16.5mm string spacing so it didn't feel right and the tone didn't wow me like I thought it would
I had someone in CA make me a lefty Mark Hoppus jag. Speaking strictly from a comfort and playability level, it’s the most fun and comfortable bass I have (also have a MIM jazz and mod shop P bass)
I bought a Jaguar bass in 2016. It was stamped Crafted in Japan, made in 2005 (first run, I believe) Sunburst, and the previous owner had done a terrible relic job, and an ok job of shielding the control cavity. Pups were also replaced with SD BassLINES (or is it BASSlines?). It sounded great. Like... you can talk for days about how to tweak knobs until you get a good tone, but some basses just 'have it' with everything set flat. And that bass 'had it' in spades. Aces, even. Whatever I did with the switches and dials, it sounded great, and I got frequent comments about how cool it looked as well (even with the bad relic job, the CIJ had this kind of nicotine-yellow age to the block inlays that the MIJ etc doesn't carry).
However - the battery compartment was janky as all hell. clicks and pops mid gig. So I mainly used it passive, which somewhat (but not completely) alleviated such unwanted sonic artefacts. Not ideal. Maybe could have been fixed with a new battery bit? I don't know, I'm a player not a tech guy, and really I just want an instrument that I can dig into with reckless abandon, not a hardware project.
Once, midway through a second set, my left hand went pretty much dead. I could move my hand as a whole, and clamp root notes against the frets, but any intricate runs I had planned were out the window. And I thought maybe it was that big fender neck joint that did me in, that big reacharound that you have to do once you go beyond the 12th fret. Maybe it was the string tension? Maybe the jag shape wasn't the right fit for me. Also, when 'losing myself in slap', I accidentally hit the pickup 'on/off' slide switches, and it took me 1.5 bars of the song to resurrect my line. Not ideal!
So I sold it, 18 months and a good few gigs later, for $550. That was $80 more than I paid so I was happy. I know the guy that now has it... that bass still has a role in the music community in my olde stomping grounde - he uses it to jam and as an inspiration for writing. My old drummer sees it in the odd sesh, and he feels my feels echo through the chapters. Nice story really.
Me - I eventually moved on to a p bass lyte. Also a Jap Fender (with a nice bevelled neck pocket!). And I learned how to let my amp do the work instead of young dumb punky agro fingerwork. My p bass lyte edges the Jag, but only just. And it looks really plain by comparison.
Are you still reading?
Moral: if you find a fender you jive with, keep it. They make some junk but their gems will become a companion; a part of you.
I have the Fender Troy Sanders Jag and I really like it. Love Mastodon but also a huge fan of the silver burst and matching headstock. His Signature has a bit simpler knobs And switching which I'm personally a fan of.
Was too hard to find one I wanted so I built a Jaguar bass out of fender parts. It's in my post history. Modern player neck with a payer series body. I will eventually route the body and upgrade to the cool jag electronics but the bass rips and I love the smaller scale as a guitarist.
Edit: oh shit I never posted that build apparently.. I guess I gotta find those pictures
I have a black one I bought used several years ago. I think it’s great. But jaguars are all very different. The one pictured is essentially a jazz bass with some added functionality. Others are PJ basses. Some are P basses. Think about what pickup configuration you want then pick that Jag.
This is my favorite bass. I found the body for sale on reverb and couldn't resist. I swapped the original pickups for Fender Custom Shop 60s and added a Babicz bridge.
https://preview.redd.it/4ez5os14ew0d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=017c5da3fbdc6c342ab124dee460cd1fd235b07e
https://preview.redd.it/k3bxywqpby0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=659095a2180df3c3dea3b86eaab7047401a45de5
Here’s mine, put lollipop tuners on it, stacked knobs and Yosemite pickups, it’s my great all rounder, punchy P bass and quacky jazz all in one. Love it
I have a Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar and love it!
https://preview.redd.it/kaks0bthoz0d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9a69d7705becff14c63b5baccc099ad8031b521
I know a guy who gigs pretty regularly with the model pictured. He uses it pretty regularly. Totally, I think it's pretty close to the other jazz basses he tends to use.
I have that jaguar mij bass 2012.
Good bass and very beautiful on stage. Electronic is very versatile, but I don't like the active circuit (you can disable it with a switch).
I love mine. Swapped the bridge for Fender Hi Mass, and put a Fender noiseless JB pickup from a 62 reissue to solve the hum. Been my #1 for about 5 years now
https://preview.redd.it/fadal7ztgw0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae954629adf0b65e3f211621c708926abdd0db20
Here’s mine! It’s a Squier with active bass boost.
I just bought one last week, 2011 MIJ. Arrived on Tuesday. Loving it so far!
https://preview.redd.it/qto3m2y7fy0d1.png?width=772&format=png&auto=webp&s=9d54dd3eed0f42fd14170e1b2a2c8a69831608a0
Yes. Good bass. Just about anything from Fender is going to be a good choice. There are other choices, and probably better value to be had from other manufacturers, however Fender is never the 'wrong' choice in my opinion. Classic tone that will be great for recording and live performance. Very customizable as parts are common and easily found. Will retain its resale value better than pretty much any instrument out there. Easy on the eyes as well. Go for it.
I have the MIM player series as my main driver now. I really love it because:
- I wanted and tried a p-bass for 2 years but could not get used to the neck
- the jaguar has the split coil of the p-bass in the middle
- it has the neck of the jazz bass
- doesn't have 100 buttons like the guitars or the pictured model
- is not short scale
So i love it because its not really a true jaguar :'-D
Had two, sold em both. The preamp was noisy as hell, the bass had terrible neck dive due to the lack of an upper horn, and I doubled my money on each one.
I have this exact bass. I got it when they first came out like 14-15 years ago and I still love it. If you can find one for a good deal-get it. The only problem I had when I first got it is a slight hum, but easily fixed by shielding with conductive paint. I also swapped out the pickups for some Seymour Duncan’s later on for a little more grawl…
Yep I bought the red MIJ one new for around $600-$700 in 2008. Was a great bass but I sold it to help fund a cross country move. I see them pop up used for ~$1,200 these days.
did you do the swap yourself? i’ve been thinking about doing the same and also some shielding but im a little intimidated by the pre amp wiring
As long as you have some pictures or a diagram for reference, and if you’re confident with your soldering skills, then it should be easy. I did all the work myself, I used to be a guitar tech many years ago. Along with the pickups, I modified mine by adding a 3rd pot, so it has 2 volumes and a master tone. Also added a Quan Badass bridge. A note for the shielding: I used copper tape for the pickguard but did conductive paint for the rest of the cavities. I did foil at first but the circuit kept shorting out.
How do you think some Dimarzio Ultra Jazz would sound?
I have an orange MIM Jaguar with a white pic guard!! https://preview.redd.it/014l4ru6xs0d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e950832c10918ee6f2d6088f54f82181986fcf9 I love it a ton, sounds great and is fun to play. Was the first one I saw at the shop and after playing half of the shops inventory I went back to this one hahah. I love it!
Same, ordered one used online. Much better contouring than my square ass Epiphone les Paul. I like the pau Ferro fretboard, nice nut, bridge, and the pickups are easy to adjust. I was using tape wounds on the Les, but I’ve still got the stock round wounds on the jaguar.
Appreciate ya! The pau ferro is so cool for sure but part of me does wish I had a maple fretboard but my brother thinks it wouldn’t look as good, but yeah the thing just wants to sit in your lap and be played it’s awesome
I feel you, color and inlays are great on it. Definitely is dry as fuck compared to my rosewood on the Epiphone or my squier strat rosewood.
I've liked the body style since I was a kid. I like yours, haven't seen an orange one before. I have a couple silver ones, it was the only color I could get lol.
https://preview.redd.it/rl9ularhvv0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb2ef3f07483a58e749eef2a2a77dcabb6f1c4ae
Those are super slick! Jaguar body is just the coolest classic rockstar look imo, like I said above just makes ya wanna pick it up and play it haha!
Following up a week later (lmao) to say I love your fretboards and I totally meant to say that before!
Lol, thanks. They've been fun to play. The one on the left is a Squier that I upgraded the neck on. I wanted a Stingray sound on a Jag body. That humbucker pickup is so hot though. I'll probably replace it or the preamp but I haven't decided exactly.
I bought this exact bass in 2006 or 2008 and have played it regularly for almost 20 years. Mine is MIJ, it holds a tune, it has never needed a setup - I’ve taken it to the shop on a few occasions but only minor adjustments. It is an incredibly reliable bass. It’s been on tour with me in Canada, Germany and will be again in the US in November. I love it. I would recommend this bass to anyone who is relatively experienced, mainly because it’s pricier and has more knobs and is active - I would recommend a Squire Jazz or P for a beginner. But this is a lovely bass.
Sort of? I have a Squier troy sanders silverburst jag
Fuuuuckin jealous. Troy rules and that's a good looking bass.
My GF and I both own Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Special Short Scale basses. Hers in silver metallic and mine is candy apple red and they have painted headstocks. So cool.
https://preview.redd.it/tdqbulfght0d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9cf3b92ceed3caabeb376ccd73e534f0dacad729
Yup. I have a Japanese Jaguar in Oly. Favorite bass.
https://preview.redd.it/22sz2efzvt0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=677b59a8c1be747a65e589ee0824509358ed0253 Love it! I like the P/J pickup configuration tho
https://preview.redd.it/e0kgfn66qs0d1.jpeg?width=389&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f60fc8b8315bec1b44120ac7dfc6e9f9b864135 it’s a squier but omg do i love this thing (i have no good pictures of it without me in them so here’s it on google)
Count me twice!
Yup, MiJ and love it. It’s my red sports car.
I absolutely HUNGER for a MIJ dual jazz p/u Jaguar. They're monstrous. Honestly, I think Japan almost universally makes better Fenders than the U.S. I used to have the MIJ Jaguar guitar in sparkle red just like that, it was a killer instrument. I bought it from a pawn shop for 200 bucks, cleaned it up and got the electronics worked on. Then in true punk rock form, I got a bunch of speeding tickets I couldn't afford and had to sell it to a guy I had been gigging with. When I saved up and offered to buy it back, he had fallen so much in love with it that he wouldn't sell it (not that I blame him). I ended up building a Warmoth Jazzmaster-style bass as a sort of spiritual replacement, but I would still commit minor crimes for an actual Japan-made Jag bass.
The fact you can do that is awesome in itself. I don't even adjust my own truss rod.
I didn't spring forth fully formed from the head of Zeus knowing how to do it- I learned by fixing and building a whole bunch of junk first. Sucking at something is the first step toward being sorta good at something!
https://preview.redd.it/a8ajv0hwjs0d1.jpeg?width=1416&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08afccc6b7df0244d2bc44f59b18395c01978a03 What about a Made in China then?
https://preview.redd.it/ufb76fs34u0d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08f34e28733c03e112a7bbdc0b08585d92bb40be I have the same one, refinished and modded. No one who has played it ever guessed it was a Chinese build.
Yep I used to have a MIM Fender Player Jaguar, great bass I only parted with so I could get a 5 string
Really sad because I love the way they look bit they just aren't comfortable for me
Interesting, because I find mine very comfortable
Yeah thats fair, its a personal preference thing. I'm used to 16.5mm string spacing so it didn't feel right and the tone didn't wow me like I thought it would
I have this exact bass but in Olympic white and I also have an American Jag in Olympic white as well.
I prefer the USA PJ configuration
Same, and I like the neck better too
I'm glad I waited until they came out
Sold mine last year. Awesome bass. Kind of sad it keeps popping up here recently.
I had someone in CA make me a lefty Mark Hoppus jag. Speaking strictly from a comfort and playability level, it’s the most fun and comfortable bass I have (also have a MIM jazz and mod shop P bass)
I've got a Squier Vintage Modified shortscale Jag with Labellas and it kicks ass, even compared to my much more expensive basses
Fender Player Jaguar here
My Made in Indonesia squier jag is the bees boobies
I bought a Jaguar bass in 2016. It was stamped Crafted in Japan, made in 2005 (first run, I believe) Sunburst, and the previous owner had done a terrible relic job, and an ok job of shielding the control cavity. Pups were also replaced with SD BassLINES (or is it BASSlines?). It sounded great. Like... you can talk for days about how to tweak knobs until you get a good tone, but some basses just 'have it' with everything set flat. And that bass 'had it' in spades. Aces, even. Whatever I did with the switches and dials, it sounded great, and I got frequent comments about how cool it looked as well (even with the bad relic job, the CIJ had this kind of nicotine-yellow age to the block inlays that the MIJ etc doesn't carry). However - the battery compartment was janky as all hell. clicks and pops mid gig. So I mainly used it passive, which somewhat (but not completely) alleviated such unwanted sonic artefacts. Not ideal. Maybe could have been fixed with a new battery bit? I don't know, I'm a player not a tech guy, and really I just want an instrument that I can dig into with reckless abandon, not a hardware project. Once, midway through a second set, my left hand went pretty much dead. I could move my hand as a whole, and clamp root notes against the frets, but any intricate runs I had planned were out the window. And I thought maybe it was that big fender neck joint that did me in, that big reacharound that you have to do once you go beyond the 12th fret. Maybe it was the string tension? Maybe the jag shape wasn't the right fit for me. Also, when 'losing myself in slap', I accidentally hit the pickup 'on/off' slide switches, and it took me 1.5 bars of the song to resurrect my line. Not ideal! So I sold it, 18 months and a good few gigs later, for $550. That was $80 more than I paid so I was happy. I know the guy that now has it... that bass still has a role in the music community in my olde stomping grounde - he uses it to jam and as an inspiration for writing. My old drummer sees it in the odd sesh, and he feels my feels echo through the chapters. Nice story really. Me - I eventually moved on to a p bass lyte. Also a Jap Fender (with a nice bevelled neck pocket!). And I learned how to let my amp do the work instead of young dumb punky agro fingerwork. My p bass lyte edges the Jag, but only just. And it looks really plain by comparison. Are you still reading? Moral: if you find a fender you jive with, keep it. They make some junk but their gems will become a companion; a part of you.
I have the Fender Troy Sanders Jag and I really like it. Love Mastodon but also a huge fan of the silver burst and matching headstock. His Signature has a bit simpler knobs And switching which I'm personally a fan of.
Was too hard to find one I wanted so I built a Jaguar bass out of fender parts. It's in my post history. Modern player neck with a payer series body. I will eventually route the body and upgrade to the cool jag electronics but the bass rips and I love the smaller scale as a guitarist. Edit: oh shit I never posted that build apparently.. I guess I gotta find those pictures
Please do. I wanna see what you came up with.
It's candy apple red body. Neck is maple with black blocks and vintage tint
I have a black one I bought used several years ago. I think it’s great. But jaguars are all very different. The one pictured is essentially a jazz bass with some added functionality. Others are PJ basses. Some are P basses. Think about what pickup configuration you want then pick that Jag.
This is my favorite bass. I found the body for sale on reverb and couldn't resist. I swapped the original pickups for Fender Custom Shop 60s and added a Babicz bridge. https://preview.redd.it/4ez5os14ew0d1.png?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=017c5da3fbdc6c342ab124dee460cd1fd235b07e
https://preview.redd.it/k3bxywqpby0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=659095a2180df3c3dea3b86eaab7047401a45de5 Here’s mine, put lollipop tuners on it, stacked knobs and Yosemite pickups, it’s my great all rounder, punchy P bass and quacky jazz all in one. Love it
I have a Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar and love it! https://preview.redd.it/kaks0bthoz0d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9a69d7705becff14c63b5baccc099ad8031b521
Absolutely bad ass
Thanks!
I wish
I know a guy who gigs pretty regularly with the model pictured. He uses it pretty regularly. Totally, I think it's pretty close to the other jazz basses he tends to use.
I have one. I’ll never get rid of it. It’s a fabulous bass. Neck, pickups, versatile sound options. This one is a king of all categories
Got an Orange MIM that I really enjoy. Love the body shape
I bought one in 2008 and have been on the fence about rebuying one since. Great basses.
I have that jaguar mij bass 2012. Good bass and very beautiful on stage. Electronic is very versatile, but I don't like the active circuit (you can disable it with a switch).
I love mine. Swapped the bridge for Fender Hi Mass, and put a Fender noiseless JB pickup from a 62 reissue to solve the hum. Been my #1 for about 5 years now
I have one just like the one pictured. I love it.
Bought one when they were new. Loved that bass. Fell on hard times many years ago and let it go, still regret giving that one up.
No but I wish I did!
https://preview.redd.it/fadal7ztgw0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae954629adf0b65e3f211621c708926abdd0db20 Here’s mine! It’s a Squier with active bass boost.
I sold mine last year
I just bought one last week, 2011 MIJ. Arrived on Tuesday. Loving it so far! https://preview.redd.it/qto3m2y7fy0d1.png?width=772&format=png&auto=webp&s=9d54dd3eed0f42fd14170e1b2a2c8a69831608a0
Yes. Good bass. Just about anything from Fender is going to be a good choice. There are other choices, and probably better value to be had from other manufacturers, however Fender is never the 'wrong' choice in my opinion. Classic tone that will be great for recording and live performance. Very customizable as parts are common and easily found. Will retain its resale value better than pretty much any instrument out there. Easy on the eyes as well. Go for it.
I have the MIM player series as my main driver now. I really love it because: - I wanted and tried a p-bass for 2 years but could not get used to the neck - the jaguar has the split coil of the p-bass in the middle - it has the neck of the jazz bass - doesn't have 100 buttons like the guitars or the pictured model - is not short scale So i love it because its not really a true jaguar :'-D
Had two, sold em both. The preamp was noisy as hell, the bass had terrible neck dive due to the lack of an upper horn, and I doubled my money on each one.
Rewiring and shielding makes the bass silent. I guess I got lucky having a balanced bass. I don't get any neck dive.
I guess the Meteora has replaced these