Longscale or Shortscale??

stilwel · Post by **stilwel** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:38 am

I recently picked up a slightly used sunburst Blacktop JM and I'm really digging the tones...but I can't help but think that the scale length, and overall neck length of a short-scale Jaguar might actually feel more comfortable to me. I feel like when I'm playing in first position that my arm is WAY out there. I've very comfortable playing a strat, but the longer body length of the Jazzmaster seems like it puts the headstock out there farther away. I'm not short (6') or stubby-armed or anything, but it just seems less comfortable than my Strat.

That said, I LOVE the comfortable shape (and looks) of the offset body style.

So, I'm looking around for one of the Classic Player Special HH Jaguars (I think that's the one) with the dual humbuckers and the traditional Jaguar Trem system.

Will this solve the problem for me?

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:56 am

I have an AVRI Jaguar and just sold my 25.5" Jagmaster. I know what you mean about the neck feeling further out, but it doesn't bother me. My Tele is full scale and I never think about. The biggest place I notice the scale length is the fret spacing. I do an A chord with 3 fingers on the second fret and it's slightly harder to fit my fingers in there. Some people are like the shortscale or don't, while myself I like both. and I have long fingers. The difference is real, but its only as big a deal as you make it out to be. I am finishing a Musicmaster guitar and have plans to build a Jazzmaster , Mustang, and a Super-Sonic.

stilwel · Post by **stilwel** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:03 am

The fret spacing doesn't bother me at all. I can easily switch between my Strat and my Les Paul w/o even noticing.
...but the LP has a much shorter overall LENGTH....much more similar to the Strat.
I put all three (LP, Strat, JM) in my mult-stand next to each other and the JM just towers over the other two.

A trip to a guitar shop that actually has a Jaguar in stock might be in order.

I could probably make due with a Vista Jagmaster, but I really want to keep the JM/Jag Trem.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:23 am

One of the reasons I sold my Jagmaster was I didn't like the strat trem. My AVRI Jaguar is my favorite. I used to own a nice PRS but sold it and bought the Jaguar and I have not looked back. Squier just introduced a Jazzmaster and Jaguar with a hardtail bridge you should also check out. There is also the Fender Blacktop Series and Classic Player series Jaguars as well. The only Jaguars that the retailers like Best Buy or Guitar tend to carry is the MIJ Jaguar HH which is great but is hard tail and has those awful Dragster pickups in them. Any of those should be help.

stilwel · Post by **stilwel** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:29 am

The Squiers look nice, but that bridge is a huge turn-off.

I currently have a Blacktop Jazzmaster.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:32 am

I was very close to picking up a J Mascis Jazzmaster over the holidays and I loved everything about. Of course I am about to finish my 1978 Fiesta Red Musicmaster which is 24" shortscale but has the smaller Mustang Style body so it feels smaller than the Jaguar.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:21 pm

Try a 24" scale, and see which you prefer. I fell for the 24" scale length as soon as I picked up a Jag for the first time, and consequently I have a collection of the 24" Fenders. But I am slowly moving back towards the 25.75" scale length, and picking up my DuoSonic today, the frets seemed so cramped, it was bizarre.

Jack