Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Electric Guitar Metallic KO Rosewood Fingerboard

I really wanted to like this guitar and, unlike some Jag's purists, I liked the customization made by Johnny Marr. However, a brand new guitar I received had buzzing frets due to poor quality of fret work (according to my guitar tech, a persistent trend for modern American made Fenders). Overall this guitar looked and felt cheap. Fender signature name was written on the piece of tape glued to the headstock and the only evidence that this guitar was "Made in USA" was on pliable sticker on the pick guard. My Chinese made Epiphone ES 335 is better quality than this expensive Fender. The sound was good, to be fair, but the guitar was unplayable. The hard shell case was also badly made. I had to return it. Full disclosure: I didn't buy this guitar from Guitar Center. So don't want it to be a bad reflection on the store. Later I bought on Reverb Fender MOD Jaguar professional with 9.5" radius fretboard (which I prefer) and vintage '62 pickups and cannot be happier.

Everything is perfect.

Let's be honest.. a guitar is very much a subjective thing to enjoy. Most companies make quality products at this point. If you're looking at this review you may already love Jaguars, and/or Johnny Marr. Below is what I think is unique about the Marr Jaguar specifically, and why I believe it is a hidden gem in the Fender catalog. Pickups - I'll start with the highlight. The pickups are fantastic, and they seem as nuanced, and full of tone as any I've ever played. I would note, however, that the output of these pickups is low. You will likely need to adjust your setup, but it will be worth it. Neck - I wanted to tackle this next, as it is likely the make or break feature of the JM Jag. The neck is thicker, and deeper than a typical Fender guitar. The frets are lower than a typical Fender. It also sports a 7.25" radius, which rounds the fret board enough to notice -- especially if you're used to a flatter 12" radius of a Les Paul. Coupled with the standard 24" short scale of a Jaguar, this neck is one of the more unique you will ever touch. Don't let any of that scare you. It's a wonderful neck, even if it may take a little bit of adjusting. Hardware - The 4 way switch is incredible, and both simplifies and expands the traditional Jaguar setup. The tremolo is super sensitive, and stays in tune wonderfully. My one gripe is that the volume pot is too sensitive. Rolling the volume from 10 to 7 is too dramatic of a difference for me. I may put a treble bleed circuit on it one day. Other - The body paint is very cool and unique, but will likely show natural wear and damage easier than other guitars covered in polyurethane. The bridge/tremolo can buzz when playing acoustically. As far as I know this is a quirk on every Jaguar ever made, and affects nothing. It comes with a beautiful case. Overall - It is my favorite guitar, and my go-to for my alt-rock band. I don't see either changing for a long while.

I have lots of guitars ranging from cheap to very expensive. They all have their uses but I often have to be in a certain mood to play particular guitars. This one is always fun to play. It's so expressive, precise and full of tone. Each note comes in loud and clear even when chords are played. If you like Johnny Marr's style of play you will totally understand why he likes this guitar and added the features he did. Think bright and punchy like a Telecaster but not as twangy. I love the 4 way switch and the tones you can create are endless. It's a very well built and solid instrument. If it was stolen I would for sure go out and buy another one. I wasn't a super big fan of offsets until I found this one. Now it's my favorite.

The worst part is guitarcenter sent the guitar with missing documents; and a missing tremolo arm! But the tremolo arm is not a regular tremolo arm, It is a limited edition, so a replacement cannot be found. Also: Cheap craftmanship. Poor design. The e string is outside the neck, can not make contact with fret. Scratched up and easily scratched. False advertisement; even Johny Marr had to mod his copy cause of the inadequate bridge.

Normally most people, including me, don't give the Jaguar much attention, at least not as compared with Strats and Teles. There are reasons for that, when looking at the baseline Jag, but this Jag, which was very heavily customized by Johhny Marr, working together with Fender, is not your baseline Jag. In fact, this is simply a fantastic instrument. This guitar has many virtues, from its smooth playability to its fantastic overall feel and simplicity. However, the most distinctive aspect from my perspective has been the cool tones from the custom Marr-designed pickups. The sound is fantastic -- great tones, distinctive from the Fender tones you are used to from Strats and Teles, with an emphasis on brighter tones. The custom 4-position pickup switch adds a humbucking position where the pickups are in series, for a warmer, deeper tone, as well, and there are two high pass treble/bright booster switches on the top horn that really let you manipulate the tone quite well. The pickups are "cool" as compared with the "hot" pickups normally found on Strats and Teles, which means you may need more volume to achieve the sound you want, but the tone variance and distinctiveness is well worth it, in my opinion. Other advantages are the 24' scale length (common to all Jags), the nifty "stay put" trem, the slightly chunkier neck (feels great to play), and the vintage/classic look and feel. I have had no quality issues at all with my model, either, which is what you expect from a US-made Fender instrument. Overall this is currently my favorite guitar for go-to playing, even more than my Strat. It's just a very thoughtfully designed, very playable, guitar with a distinctive tone that keeps me coming back to play it.