Fender did NOT see this coming! | Friday Fretworks

[@johnmac8084]

Realising people were confused by the number of controls on the Jazzmaster, Fender added 3 more switches to the Jaguar, ha ha

[@jeromewagschal9485]

You may be right 😄😄 but I also heard that Leo Fender was trying to boost the Jazzmaster's disappointing sales by making the new ( back then ) Jaguar with a shorter scale length and more controls because it was the craze back then... I mean, all the Italian and Japanese guitars had LOTS of controls on them so he thought it would be cooler to do the same... He may have been right though, the Jaguar sold better than the Jazzmaster...

[@valserrie2122]

I remember the first time I saw a Jazzmaster. I was 16 and my girlfriend's father had a country music TV show. He owned only 1 guitar and it was treasured and spoken about in reverent and hushed tones. I remember him opening the case and revealing a beautiful sunburst Jazzmaster. I was struck by the quality of it. That was 1973. Move forward 40 years to 2013. I was in a guitar store with my wife getting something quick. Just out of curiosity, I wandered over to the vintage section, and they had just taken in a 1975 Jazzmaster in perfect condition for $3,000. I told her about it and so she wanted to hear it. So I plugged it in and played a few minutes, and she said, "OMG, it sounds beautiful. Like bells ringing...". I was amazed by the neck. It was thinner side to side and front to back than any guitar neck I had ever played. Fantastic to play. Great to hear. It was a beautiful guitar. I went back a week later and bought it. It hangs on my wall today and it has a name. "Kitzi's Bells", though I don't play it nearly as often as I should. I have 62 guitars at this point, and most of them have a story behind them. This is the story of that Jazzmaster. I do really appreciate and enjoy Chris's playing. After seeing this, Chris always inspires me. I think I'll use it on an upcoming recording.

[@sboy1955]

Had a short trip over to your channel… ‘Thinking of Home’ is really nice jam 👍🏽

[@paulketchupwitheverything767]

I have a few guitars too and the story that goes along with many of them is what helps me to hang on to them, even if they don't get played very often. Each has a connection with a place, person or phase of my life, or maybe the music I was playing or listening to at the time.

[@cccc7388]

Thank you for making me feel better about wanting my 20th guitar !!!

[@valserrie2122]

@cccc7388 my wife just bought me a T-shirt that says, "I have too many guitars! - said no one ever..." I think she was trying to tell me something. Lol. On the other hand, she likes bring visitors up to my studio to show them my guitar wall and see their faces. I think of it as partly my toolbox, and also partly an art installation. Lol But seriously, I probably only really play 10 or so. I have my favorites. And the others are there "just in case". Part of it is just how many years you've been playing. You can't help but pick some up along the way. I've been playing for 58 years. So....

[@cccc7388]

@@valserrie2122 hehe nice….was amazed recently, my wife suggested putting some of them on the lounge wall …. Because “some of them are so beautiful” my problem is I can’t bear to get rid of any, even the cheap stuff because I can experiment on them!

[@toolittle7204]

Great episode, I think honestly the very main point about Jaguars/Jazzmasters that everyone forgets are the 1meg pots - that's where a solid 90% of the tonal difference comes from IMO, and why many people have a hard time when they first pick one up. WAY brighter and volume/tone knobs that definitely work totally different than what most are used to

[@MarioFromMario]

While I totally agree, for Jazzmasters specifically the different pickup dimensions also contribute a lot to this

[@DavidKennaway1]

This what makes the Jazz Master unplayable. The 1000k pots (on a single coil) is rediculous. When you dial the tone in on your amp to make it playable (turning the treble down), it makes the rythmn circuit so dark it's unplayable. Turning the tone on the guitar down doesn't help as it effects the upper mids muddying the sound. My solution was to add a resistor turning the 1000k pots to 250k. Now dialing a good tone is easy and when engaging the Rythmn circuit it just cuts a little more treble to give those authentic Jazz tones. Now it's a great guitar.

[@VeniceKing1]

Such a sucker for matching headstocks on Jaguars, love 'em

[@cliftontorrence839]

Always a Pleasure, Sir. Here's hoping your short sojourn in the US bears fruit after the prohibitive expenditures.🙂

[@LUKE_LINDGREN]

Killer episode! From the incredible playing, to researching, recording, video editing, touring, writing… You’re putting in the work, that’s for damn sure! We see you, brother. 🫡

[@sagittated]

The underlying secret to the Jaguar & Jazzmaster being used in punk, wall of noise, & grunge so successfully wasn't just that they were available cheap. (And here's my most controversial guitar opinion. Clutch your pearls...) It's because low output single coils sound better through dirt than humbuckers do.

[@brianmiller3287]

@sagitated It's taken me 50 years to figure it out, but I prefer weak single coils to everything else...

[@noahpauley]

I agree. The reason I never gelled with LPs (besides my one epiphone LP) is because they were always too dark sounding. That’s why now if I want a higher input sound, I’ll just use a single coil with more punch like the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder that I have in my mustang.

[@stuartp8658]

(Not clutching pearls I promise 😁) but I really don't think the punks where considering tonal properties or sonic cut-through, just a happy coincidence. It was price and the fact that prog/classic rock guys played Les Pauls. They played what they could get their hands on as long as it wasn't an LP. (Steve Jones allegedly stole most of his guitars so he could "afford" LPs!)

[@roscius6204]

Witch! heretic, trouble maker Seriously though, I think the word 'Alternative' is at the heart of it. It could, I guess, be argued that low output do better pedal drive tones and high output, better amp tones.

[@JojoFryrocks]

It was definitely about cutting through the mix; grunge albums are as much about the production as anything else and the bands were all about getting the feel and sound they wanted. Kurt hated Butch Vig’s production on Nevermind, it was too clean, he wanted Steve Albini and if he’d played a guitar with humbuckers it would have sounded just too muddy, he needed the clarity of those single coils in the mustangs and strats he played

[@SoCal71RS]

That was really informative! Never cared for all the switches but always liked the body style on these. Beautiful playing!

[@tonyleeglenn]

Monster playing as always. Great work Chris. I love my offsets. I seem to play my Jazzmaster twice as much as my strats recently. Such a fine instrument - and quite inspiring.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I am 77 and I can remember in the pre Beatle days guys laughing at the Jag and the Jazz. What was even the most shocking is that they had a higher price tag. The Pro shops stocked a Strat or two but they literally had a spot within seconds reach for a salesman to get a Tele from about 10 left in their boxes near the counter. Players back then played Harmony semi's, Gibson's, Gretsch and Tele's. New guys started on a Silvertone from the Sears department stores. If a player had a rep as a hot player he had a Tele ....guaranteed. .

[@iasoccerdad]

So true from another almost 77 year old picker… 😎🎸🎶

[@hubbyofmad5122]

Thanks for sharing guys nice insight.

[@WesleyLynch]

On the Jaguar, I love the "if you can play one of these, you will have no trouble flying small airliners" look of the controls

[@natenobrakes6292]

Whenever I need a bit of inspiration to pick up my guitar a dose of Friday Fretworks does the trick every time.

[@nikolaki]

I love the sound of the rhythm circuit. It does make for a great jazz tone! Love it for fingerpicking.

[@DaveBroTube]

It's misunderstood, but useful! I have a J-style guitar (with Gold Foils) from an independent builder, and we chose not to put a rhythm circuit on it. I regret it. (Though an easy-enough mod, now that I think about it.)

[@skipcurtin8546]

Chris.. As a beginner guitar player in 1968 I had chance to play a 1964 Jazzmaster as my first real pro guitar.. (a friends uncle had one). The first guitar I ever played that had low action and I instantly realized I had been playing a cheap crappy guitar!! I'll never forget that day and I didn't even play it through an amp! Also around 1977 Elvis Costello rekindled the Jazzmaster to a younger generation and worldwide audience with his hugely successful first album My Aim Is True. Awesome Playing and Video this week as always Chris! Cheers!

[@davidthompson5846]

Chris, your playing is so amazing and inspiring. Thanks for sharing your music with the world. I'm gonna head home after work tonight and not put my guitar down until I can play along with your outro clip. Fantastic. Can't wait to see you live in Omaha! Coming soon!

[@Paul_Abbott_Landsraad_Project]

Mate, I wax lyrical about that 2nd jam at every chance I get, but every single one here and on each a guitar I seemingly adore more and more. How does it feel to wake up in a different league Chris? Phenomenal playing mate

[@paulclark723]

Man, that exit jam was particularly tasteful. Cheers laddie buck.

[@nilsgrafo5999]

Great episode, great playing, great sounds - thank you!

[@walkerscott5716]

I don't know if this is the most accurate way of thinking about these guitars but I've always considered the Jaguar to be a good "rhythm" guitar and the Jazzmaster to be a good "lead" guitar. The shorter scale length and smaller frets on the Jag allow you to grab chords very effectively, and the pickups in conjunction with the bridge/break angle creates a very sharp and attack-heavy sound - like a Strat on steroids. Whereas a Jazzmaster sounds more warm and buttery without losing that bite that characterizes the offsets.

[@grahamnunn8998]

Great video Chris, I think i need to get a Jazzmaster. Whenever I try one, I come up with a new riff.

[@grahamnunn8998]

Great video as always Chris. I think I need to start thinking about a Jazzmaster. Whenever I have tried one I come up with a new riff. Time to sell on one of the Strats!

[@tunnel7]

So look forward to Friday Fretworks thanks Chris love that Squire.

[@KajHeGeHaggman]

Very interesting history - and simply awesome playing!

[@James-wj8eq]

Brilliant upload! However, contrary to your statement regards to first wave of punk, especially U.K... both Brian James and (later) Captain Sensible played SG's with The Damned. And early on, Steve Jones could be seen playing a Les Paul Special with The Sex Pistols, whilst Mick Jones initially played a Les Paul Junior with The Clash. Joe Strummer had his Telecaster, John McGeogh played a Yamaha sg1000 and an Ovation 1618 Glen Campbell 12-string . Apart from.Elvis Costello, there wasn't an offset in sight anywhere until Rob Smith replaced his Woolworths Top Twenty, and later as you stated with bands of Shoegaze and Grunge.

[@sfedroid]

Not really punk, more avant-garde art rock, but Tom Verlaine beat them all to it, and it was nice to see him listed first in the JM player rundown.

[@robertcartwright4374]

Terrific video, and such tasty guitar playing. I'm subscribing to hear Chris.

[@tcause]

Ferociously great playing on this week’s video

[@JustinWoo]

Hot damn, Chris, these jams you're doing. So listenable and exciting. They really make me want to grab my guitar and play.

[@latheofheaven1017]

You get all your straight-up rock urges in this video, Chris! Yahoo! 😁

[@manuelsegoviano1572]

that last gnr jam with the jag was beautiful

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

Great stuff. The guitars and the video both. As a wannabe luthier and owner of a Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI, it inspired the idea of building an offset Tele😎 Now, "That would be something, really would be something"😉

[@donross8725]

Good take here, Chris! Thanks! We can hear through your rig that Fender offsets can do a lot of things well, not just alternative and grunge. I found it fascinating that Chris Stapleton chose the J-Master and Blues Jr for all his country, rock, and blues tones.

[@KalashKat]

Chris can make any guitar sound phenomenal.

[@momogris6159]

Spectacular and tasteful playing as always 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@clive4834]

Amazing sounds and playing Chris. Love a Jaguar.

[@pabloguitar666]

loved the Guns N Roses solo in your style great job as always chris

[@BobPerrone]

Started playing a Jazzmaster a few years ago, and it became my main guitar, so versatile 😊

[@tomas1947]

Love the way you play, dude

[@freewheeler8924]

Here in Australia, the local guitar company Artist have their own take on the Jazzmaster - they call it the *Grungemaster* , with p90s. It's a very finely crafted guitar at a low price. They also have a baritone version with a longer neck and humbuckers. (I have both, heh heh.)

[@shanerose5348]

Man what a ridiculously smokin intro. Subbed.

[@robmcd]

Every video has a smoking solo in it. Rock and Roll hall of fame coming up.

[@Ghoster311]

Enjoy watching all the old videos. Just when you think he can’t possibly come up with another eye watering solo he does. I can’t even pick out a favorite there are just to many contenders.

[@maurydoherty5996]

Your lead is exceptional.

[@erikl6988]

Just discovered you. Love your playing! Please make an instrumental album!

[@SixStringShorts-gv5ni]

I second this... you could probably just jam alone for an hour and sell it as an album! I would buy it

[@strangequark420]

Dang, man... you can play!

[@GaveMeGrace1]

God bless you-love your work!

[@JodySinclair]

Great episode cheers Chris!! Stellar playing as always!!

[@geoffreyalder7275]

With reference to the rhythm circuit....it's only the tone control that has a 50k pot, the volume is 1meg,same as the lead circuit.

[@LNROKR55]

Damn dude, some of my favorite sounds this week, I'd like to get ahold of some of those jam tracks for myself. Great playing as always and nice to see the jaguar as well as the jazzmaster getting some due. With some guys playing these it seems a novelty. With you playing Chris, it sounds very much for real and right at home. Keep it up my man, always killer to get to listen to these Friday Jams !

[@donald-parker]

I just bought a Squier Contemporary Jaguar. I was looking for a fixed bridge and short scale. I find the sounds quite interesting for a 2 x HB guitar. Both a single coil tap plus an option that wires the two coils of each PU in series or parallel. Kind of like Fishman Fluence - each PU has 3 voices, but this is passive (which I prefer over active). My biggest beef is that it does not fit my hardshell cases (cases that work just fine with strats and teles). It is also surprisingly heavy (over 3.7 kg / 8 lb). But it is well balanced.

[@gpdllcfun1]

Hey Chris the player makes the guitar sound it's best and you do it

[@surfakimo2674]

Tasty melodies Mr. Chris

[@rcameron4091]

I was mainly a Gibson player until a friend brought over a fender Jagmaster . Opened up a whole new vibe for me .

[@timvandenberg9503]

You're actually so inspiring, man, please keep it up.

[@richardgrassia5225]

My first guitar when I was12 was a Gretch 64 Astro Jet offsset body and ebony fret board and zero fret so many controls! Didn’t really know what they did! You should check one out! It also had suoertron pickups!

[@kjatexas3679]

My first good guitar, was a sunburst Jazzmaster, subsequently refinished white. I wish I still had that guitar.

[@ronnynast]

Chris favorite word is ubiquitous!! Very unique word but I swear it’s in every video multiple times some times! Not hating , just observing. Love Chris’s videos!

[@pedalscapes]

A thoroughly enjoyable watch - cheers 😎

[@smmyers5956]

Learned a lot about the Jazzmaster thanks. Awesome outro jam. Great sounds!

[@mortonwilson795]

Certainly did those 2 guitars justice, sir! Really must try both of these at some point . . . lovely sounding instruments and, yeah, Johnny Marr! Thanks for another great ep.

[@bishimatsu]

After playing guitars for over 50 years, I recently purchased a new Squier Jazzmaster and a Squier Bass VI which I enjoy immensely. I have many other guitars, single coils, P-90s and humbuckers but always gravitate back to my Fender and Squier offsets.

[@lucasdaniels1018]

You should make a video about the Fender Starcaster one of these days

[@markhammer643]

If you think about it, the Starcaster is also an offset guitar, despite being a semi-hollow.

[@MrFluffyBrain]

Stunned.👌

[@ice9snowflake187]

I own a 1966 Jaguar, a 1966 Fender XII 12- string, and a new Squier Paranormal Jazzmaster 12-string, and as far as I can tell their offset bodies are identical in shape and dimension. I'm of the belief that purported differences between the shapes of the different Fender "offset" models are minor differences of execution, rather than of design.

[@breifne555]

I got my Jaguar in '72 and was a special order from Fender through the record company. It really was really bad when I got it and needed a lot of work. I also got a WR humbucker from them with a nice note from Seth Lover. That went in the middle. The bridge was helll for a touring guitar and took me many years to sort it out properly... its now on a roller bridge and good for hard work. It's been a love/hate relationship from the start but that pain came through in the tunes. It will be going back on the road with my son at some point in the future.

[@j.g.digital]

Killer tone!!!

[@soundssimple1]

Excellent history lesson, explanation of guitar functions and playing examples as always. All in 15 minutes. Brilliant , thanks. And just a week before my birthday...mmmmmm?

[@caprise-music6722]

I have a Fender Pawnshop series “Jaguarillo” Jaguar with a slanted Atomic humbucker and 2 slanted standard Strat single coils. (with 5 way switch) I absolutely love that thing. It’s different but it has great sounds and plays really well. Also love the Original standard Jaguar

[@gcvrsa]

The reason why the offsets are so popular today is because they became the guitars of choice for many Gen X alternative rock players, for the very simple reason that they were disfavored in the market and therefore cheap to buy in the 1980s and 1990s. Players like Johnny Marr, Robert Smith, J Mascis, Kevin Shields, Kurt Cobain, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, among many others of the 1980s and 1990s who went on to great critical acclaim playing Fender offsets, are the reason they have experienced a rebound.

[@kernelkole]

just bought that same Squire (exclusively for slide, for now)

[@SandauxBeats]

Siiiick!!! 🤘🤘🤘

[@sboy1955]

Another great episode.. 👍🏽👍🏽

[@michaelschneider7590]

Fascinating! But from the perspective of the 90s or since, do you find there reasons to prefer a Jaguar to a strat, in terms of voice or playability?

[@dongonzulman6478]

Jaguar is closer to Gibson scale than a Strat. Frets are closer together. No "2 or 4" positions. Strangle switch (high pass filter). different feeling trem

[@MrDblStop]

Jangly shoegaze/ambient on the Jaguar.

[@Soulfulfrog]

You are unbelievable dude. Wow. That squire jazzmaster couldn't have sounded better😮

[@deronwitmer3937]

The playing on this video is just unbelievable.

[@blackout8845]

5:45 holy F*ck! what a Solo!

[@MrDblStop]

Yeah that one really stood out for me too.

[@GuitarGearGyan]

Rocking it out as usual 👍

[@steverolfeca]

Stephen Stills' Bass VI solo on Deja Vu is the only offset tone that has ever caught my imagination. I went shopping at one point, and was saddened to find the instrument almost unplayable for my chunky bass-player fingers...

[@bkmeahan]

Always thought the offset guitars were ugly and was never interested until one day I played a Squier CV jazzmaster and I was hooked. Now I have more offset guitars than any other body style. I still hate the tortoise shell pickguards though.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

Tone shape?

[@ectoplasma5]

I love the shape of the offsetsbut i agree on the tortoise pickguard ,i replaced it.

[@TheAshleywiggins]

Just a theory .. I think Fender was using a Gretsch layout originally (being a fan of country) using their scale length and the "presets" as Gretsch would have with the 3rd volume,and tremolos. I think the Jaguar was his try at a Gibson layout. I think his last design was the Mustang, which as a "beginner" guitar ,but was actually an amalgamation of all his designs together.

[@christophervincent8420]

Yeah. I've been wanting more offsets in the 24inch scale length. Haven't gotten one yet.

[@KozmykJ]

I bought both a Squier Jaguar and a Jazzmaster recently, Jaguar first then a few days later ... I must admit that Your use of the Jazzmaster was influential in my choice. I'd had a bad Epiphone experience, 3 horrors returned in a row !!, and was looking to sate my Birthday G.A.S. with something more reliable. Much happier with these Squiers. A few fret ends to file but I was expecting some 'little' setup work. Well done Squier.

[@stephenbreitling2327]

your second solo is outstanding! one of the best i’ve heard from you so far. is it from an existing song? if not, you should write one around it!

[@stephenbreitling2327]

i just listened to it again and yes, this could be the showdown of a great song, something you would want to end your show with.

[@MrDblStop]

That was awesome. I always like Chris' playing, but that one was a 'wow' moment.

[@niccololaforteza7983]

was that dave grohls drums from play in the opening jam? sick

[@kevinetches5482]

Hi, love the show just a bit of advice if you would, my Fender Mustang V 111 is on its last legs, our band gigs on a infrequent basis but only in pubs and clubs so to speak ,my question to you is l want to buy another amp, Fender GTX 100 or 50 Watt l only play rythm and up to now have only ever had my exsisting 100 Watt amp on volume 5, do you think l would be pushing the 50 W version too much all the time ? sorry to be a pain Kind regards Kevin

[@keiranbradley3238]

The Mustang was the last Leo Fender design. He also redesigned the Strat head stock post-Dec-65 a la Jimi.

[@TempusDan]

Love the channel and Cardinal Black. Are you still using radio shop pickups? Is it a Brit thing for guitarists to wear Rolex Subs? I see them on a lot of UK players.

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

Did I miss any mention of Elvis Costello playing a Jazzmaster, starting in 1977..?

[@ZitherBeast]

Stellar guitar playing.

[@daviddalziel884]

When I see these offsets I always think of the Mexican made Fendef Sergio Vallin which was a hybrid of a Strat and a Jazzmaster with a Jazzmaster style trem and a HSS Strat pickup configuration. Didn’t have the Mission Control style switching of the Jazzmaster only a volume and what appeared to be a tone switch was a six position switch which for me was hopeless if you were looking for a quick change of pickup . I played one and the sound was decent but the frets were rough and that put me off . The humbucker was impressive and gutsy and not a sound you’d expect from a guitar of that style . The humbucker was the default setting on the selecter switch if you pulled it out which was a total puzzle and really impractical in a live gig situation.

[@schmargle]

Such great playing.

[@efx245precor3]

Are we getting another FF? yay!

[@davidyelland908]

Never liked the Jag or the Jazzmaster but what you played today was something else!

[@StephenLewisful]

Punk wishes it sounded like that!!! 🤠

[@paulcormack9238]

Absolutely awesome sir 👏🙏

[@danielbarbieri8199]

On those guitars, offset bridges are often an issue, that can be solved shimming the neck in the pocket.

[@andrewbecker3700]

I'm convinced 90% percent of the perceived tonal differences that a given example of ANY guitar has, comes down the neck/trussrod tension, and how it's attached to the body. Getting them mated together properly so they transfer any of the inherent goodness that lies within them, can be hit or miss. Sympathetic frequencies is the goal. It's my humble opinion, bolt on necks aren't the best way to build guitars. That given, just jamming a shim in one that jacks the neck up out of the pocket. Should be done carefully. It can drastically effect the guitars performance. I'd advise trying to fix any perceived problems with another method. Like upgraded hardware.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Before I knew anything about either guitar I favored the Jaguar, maybe for the name. Now I’m older and understand the controls and would rather have a jazz master, maybe that squire model one day

[@jonathanhorne6503]

You need to try a bass vi sometime. It’s a gas.

[@kevinwest657]

Great stuff and I love seeing (and hearing) the Sqquier.

[@orpheus3342]

Guys does anyone know how to achieve a tone in this ballpark, referring to the start jam. I'm at my wits end after trying countless different setups with my Boss IR-200 amp and cab sim, I know it's not going to get all the way there but I just want to achieve something that has the same sort of sustain and attack. Any tips would be helpful, or if anyone knows of a reddit sub or something similar where this is discussed that would be great also.

[@TheWelhaven]

Had a brilliant Haar JM-type guitar once. Looked like a 5 year old playing it 😅 In retrospect it was one of my best guitars.

[@seabertotter4325]

No remarks about the Mastery Bridge?