As a devoted Smiths fan, discovering the Johnny Marr Signature Jaguar shortly after its 2016 release felt like a dream come true. Marr’s guitar work was a huge inspiration for picking up the instrument in the first place, making this Olympic White beauty seem like an essential purchase. Fast forward six years, and with a purchase price of $2000 including shipping from the US to Taiwan, I’ve had ample time to form a nuanced opinion. While the Johnny Marr Jaguar Guitar certainly has its highlights, looking back, I’m not entirely convinced I’d make the same decision again. Here’s a breakdown of my experience, focusing on both the pros and cons of this signature model based on my 2016 purchase. Keep in mind that Fender may have addressed some of these issues in later models.
The Pros: Delving into the Johnny Marr Jaguar’s Strengths
The Johnny Marr Jaguar guitar boasts several compelling features, particularly for players seeking a vintage vibe and Marr’s signature touches.
Vintage Tone and Pickups
One of the most significant positives is the exceptional vintage tone delivered by the pickups. They produce a genuinely beautiful clean sound, perfect for capturing those classic jangly tones Marr is known for. However, it’s worth noting that these pickups are relatively low output. This contributes to the vintage character but might require boosting for players who prefer a hotter signal for overdrive or distortion.
Signature Design and Fan Appeal
This isn’t just a standard Jaguar with a signature on the headstock. The Johnny Marr Jaguar is thoughtfully designed with Marr’s specifications in mind. From the unique shape and custom switching system to the specially voiced pickups, every detail reflects Marr’s preferences. For dedicated fans, this makes the guitar feel genuinely special and more than just another artist signature model. It’s a tangible connection to Marr’s iconic sound and style.
Aesthetic Appeal
Let’s be honest, the Johnny Marr Jaguar is a visually stunning guitar. The Olympic White finish (in my case) exudes a classic cool, and the overall design is undeniably attractive. It’s a guitar that draws attention and looks fantastic on stage or in the studio, capturing the essence of vintage Fender aesthetics.
Superior Tremolo System
The tremolo system on the Johnny Marr Jaguar is truly outstanding. It operates incredibly smoothly and is remarkably responsive, making it ideal for achieving those subtle vibrato nuances and deeper dives, perfect for vintage surf guitar sounds and textures reminiscent of Marr’s playing. It stands out as one of the best tremolo systems available on a Jaguar, contributing significantly to the guitar’s overall playability and sonic versatility.
Tuning Stability
Despite the often-complex nature of Jaguar tremolo systems, the Johnny Marr Jaguar exhibits impressive tuning stability. Even with frequent tremolo use, the guitar holds its tuning remarkably well. This reliability is crucial for both live performance and studio recording, ensuring consistent and dependable performance.
Comfortable Neck Profile
The neck shape is generally comfortable and inviting. While described as having a “nice neck shape” in my initial experience, it’s important to note that the specific “vintage style” thin profile might not be universally preferred and ties into a con related to fret size that I’ll discuss later.
The Cons: Where the Johnny Marr Jaguar Falls Short
Despite its strengths, my experience with the Johnny Marr Jaguar hasn’t been without its downsides. Several issues have tempered my enthusiasm over the years.
Bridge String Spacing Issue
A significant design flaw in the stock bridge is incorrect string spacing. This causes the high and low E strings to slip off the fretboard, particularly when playing on the higher frets. This issue is frustrating and hinders playability, especially during fast or complex passages. To rectify this, I had to purchase a Staytrem bridge from the UK at an additional cost of around $80. The Staytrem bridge effectively resolves the string spacing issue, and it raises the question of why Fender didn’t incorporate a properly spaced bridge as standard equipment on a guitar at this price point.
Finish Durability Concerns
The most significant and disappointing con is the finish quality and its poor aging. After only two years, the nitrocellulose lacquer finish began to deteriorate rapidly. This manifested as gooey spots, flaking with bare wood exposed, and a noticeable color change from white to an undesirable beige. Furthermore, the thick clear finish on the back of the neck became sticky and unpleasant to play. This rapid degradation has left the guitar looking prematurely aged and frankly, messy. Considering a costly poly refinish is now a serious consideration to address these cosmetic and tactile issues. While some owners may have had better experiences, online forums and discussions reveal that finish problems are not uncommon with this model, particularly from the earlier production years. It remains unclear if Fender has since addressed these finish durability concerns. This is by far the biggest disappointment and a major drawback.
Fret Discomfort
The thin and tall vintage-style frets, while contributing to a vintage feel, make the guitar less playable for my personal preference, especially for techniques like string slides. I’ve never fully acclimated to these frets and am contemplating a refretting job with a more comfortable fret wire profile. This is a subjective point of preference, but players accustomed to medium-jumbo or jumbo frets might find the vintage frets on the Johnny Marr Jaguar less comfortable for modern playing styles.
Fret Buzz
Fret buzz was present on my guitar, specifically on the G string around the 9th fret and higher up the neck. While fret buzz can often be resolved with a proper guitar setup, it’s still a noteworthy issue out of the box, particularly on a premium instrument. It’s possible a professional setup could alleviate this, but it’s an additional step and potential cost to factor in.
Low Output Pickups (Potentially a Con)
While praised for their vintage tone, the pickups’ low output could be considered a con for players who require hotter pickups for higher gain applications without relying on external boosts. For those seeking a more aggressive or modern sound directly from the guitar, the low output might necessitate adjustments to their rig or pedalboard.
7.25″ Radius Neck (Potentially a Con)
The 7.25″ neck radius is a vintage Fender specification. While some players appreciate this radius for its authentic vintage feel, others may find it less comfortable for bending notes and modern playing techniques compared to flatter radii like 9.5″ or 12″. This is again a matter of personal preference, but it’s a factor to consider, especially for players accustomed to more contemporary neck profiles.
Inconvenient Truss Rod Adjustment
A final, often overlooked, drawback is the placement of the truss rod adjustment at the heel of the neck. This necessitates removing the neck or at least loosening the strings and neck screws to access the truss rod. This makes truss rod adjustments significantly more cumbersome compared to guitars with truss rod access at the headstock. Jaguars are already known for requiring meticulous setup, and the heel-mounted truss rod further complicates the process.
Conclusion: A Mixed Verdict for the Johnny Marr Jaguar Guitar
The Johnny Marr Jaguar guitar is undoubtedly a great instrument, loaded with vintage charm, unique features, and undeniable aesthetic appeal. It excels in delivering authentic vintage tones and boasts a superb tremolo system. However, my experience has been marred by significant finish durability issues and the initial bridge string spacing problem. While the allure of a Johnny Marr signature model was initially irresistible, in hindsight, I believe it might have been possible to acquire a superior instrument for a similar or even lower price point. For die-hard Johnny Marr fans, the signature design and unique features may still justify the purchase. However, potential buyers should be aware of the reported finish issues and factor in the possibility of needing to address the bridge and potentially the fret preferences to fully optimize the guitar’s playability and longevity.
