Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar 

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

I bought this guitar because I moved back to the States from overseas and my good gear is still in transit for the next 2 months and i didnt want to be without a guitar. Found this at a local shop for a good price. If youre thinking about it you need to understand that youre getting a guitar that was designed to be sold in a certain price bracket and as such some craftsmanship and quality is sacrificed. ALL of the frets needed extra filing to line up with the neck so they dont scratch up your fingers and the guitar will need a setup, I found the action way too high for my taste. Most other people who reviewed this guitar here have replaced the electronics and I agree that is a must.
However, once you replace the pickups/pots/switch and have it set up, you wind up with a pretty good guitar for what you've spent.

Bottom line: if you're used to high end equipment this probably wont cut it (unless you want something to warm up on backstage) but if youre looking to take a step up from the lower end guitars this could be the one youre looking for, just know it will need some work before its truly ready.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

Picked up a black one a few months ago(the silver looks great online but awful in person). Love the looks, always have been a Jaguar fan. Build quality is great, the finish was flawless, and the overall look is to die for. The electronics are a little on the cheap side, the toggle switch was noisy and the factory humbuckers left a bit to be desired. I replaced the scratchy switch, and replaced the bridge humbucker with a chrome Seymour Duncan JB, and suddenly this became a guitar worth double what I paid (including the upgrades). Think of it as a blank canvas to mold into an incredible guitar. I don't foresee needing any further modifications, and plan on keeping this bad boy for a very long time. At the price point, you won't find a better way to own a Jag, and I personally wouldn't be caught dead with a Squier in my hands.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

I played one at a G.C. a while back and loved the feel, very comfy while playing sitting down as well as standing. I reccommended this to a co-worker who has small hands and "can't play a Strat". Being as this is a short scale, he said it fit great and bought one on the spot.

I got mine for Christmas and would have been delighted except the silver color was more of a greenish-taupey kinda shade and not very silver at all. There was also an issue with the neck having a very rough spot. Obviously both faults were with the QC that day at Fender and not the fault of Musician's Friend.

So I sent it back and ordered the black one as I felt it was a safer color choice. It arrived and looked extremely cool, just stark black and chrome. My other 4 guitars all have single coils so i was amazed at the sound the HBs on this delivered. the tone was creamy and full, very pleasing to hear.

My hands are rather large so things get a bit tight above the 14th fret, but its a real blast to play, easy to move around on and the neck is smooth as glass. couldn't be happier with it. I've played guitars that cost 4 times as much and didin't feel, look, or sound as nice as this.
Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH is a great buy.
---Thank you Fender and Musician's Friend both.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

The price on this guitar was awesome. Tone and playability of guitars twice the price! I changed the nines that came on it for tens and am amazed as was a friend who play a Gibson sg and explorer he didn't want to put it down. Solid weight and feel the blacktop series does it strong deep and loud.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

I bought one of these on CL. I dig the 24" scale because my first "real" guitar was a 1971 Mustang. When I play this it makes me smile. Lower the pickups so that you can EQ your rig with your single coil guitars. This guitar has the bad a zz Amp Knobs just like Albert Collins. Tuning machines are great, bridge intonates fine. PU selector is noisy and has to go. Pots have a taper from another planet. I don't care. Plug it in, put everything on 10 and rage! I consider this my new SG. Maple neck, alder body, just buy one!

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

This is a great guitar but the controls need help. Replacing the volume and tone potentiometers with CTS audio taper pots does wonders. On mine the toggle switch failed because of poor soldering underneath. I replaced it with a Switchcraft which feels better and should be more reliable. I also replaced the output jack while I was in there. It's an easy guitar to work on, and a tremendous value.

I have no complaints about the sound, playability, or looks of the guitar now that these improvements have been made.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

I really like this guitar. And again, it takes some set-up and I like to upgrade it a bit.
Actually less features are good features. I have a regular Jaguar and it becomes a bit cumbersome flipping switches. What I like about this is the one master volume and tone control.
They use undersized nuts for fthe 1/4" guitar jack on Black Tops ... I replace them with better, standard ones. I don't like the amp knobs, so I found a supplier for standard Jaguar volume and tone knobs. On the Black Top Strat I have, I replaced the pots with split-shaft CTS pots and put black, conventional knobs on them as well. I also replaced the jack in that guitar, too.
A really good value ... once set up, very playable.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

This guitar is perfect for me. I like simple, awesome sounding guitars, and this one delivers big time for people like me wanting great sound for a reasonable price. While the stripped down aspect is there, this leads for the player to really dig in deep for the sound they want. And while this guitar will force you to find your tone, it will reward your efforts greatly. I love it.
This guitar, for the money, is a STEAL. Having said that, there's a reason that it's at its current pricetag. It's a stripped down, no nonsense, no bells or whitles guitar, that is built around it's two humbuckers. For players like myself, it's what makes this guitar. For others, the rawness of its appearance will be a turn off. They won't like the fact that there's only two controls: a master treble knob and a master volume knob, giving it "limited" options for overall tone. But this simplicity is what makes this guitar perfect for rock and blues. If you like to play bare bones music, this is your guitar. It will shine through, clean or distorted, and will give you the sound you need to cut through the mix of a band. Sure, it doesn't have a ton going on in the variety department, but it does everything else really well.
Make no mistake, this guitar is meant to rock. It is meant to be played loud, and is meant to be played with soul. The fretboard is where it really sets itself apart from other guitars in its class and price range. The neck is smooth and the playability is great. What really surprised me was the unique sounds that both the bridge and neck pickups really have from each other. It can go twangy, or it can go beefy, and when set to the middle blend position, both pickups compliment each other really well. You really feel like you're getting 3 fantastic options when selecting a pickup setting, which for the price, is a real gem for its standard factory pickups. It's a little on the heavy side when it comes to weight, but if you have a good strap, you won't be having sore shoulders from wearing it for an extened period of time. This really is a musician-friendly guitar.
What can I say. For the price, this guitar is beyond a bargain. Out of all of the Fender Blacktop series, this one is the best. Rarely do you walk into a shop and find a guitar that not only looks and plays great, but doesn't murder your wallet. Sure, the upper class of guitars are amazing and have surperior components, but don't be fooled: this guitar deserves to be respected. It's a rare instance where you won't feel like you're buying an inferior guitar, and it goes well beyond the name on the headstock. This instrument is as good as it gets in the value department.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

Out of factory I give this guitar an 8. Modified I give it a 9.9. Perfect 10's don't exist (I live in Hollywood - TRUST ME!) Otherwise see above.
The Jag Blacktop features are very limited - compared to what a NORMAL REGULAR ISSUE guitar is. Here we go. The Alnico 5 pups are muddy in neck overdrive and neck clean, even in a low bass setting. The pickups are overwound and PICK-UP more signal then necessary. The lows are low, but if you raise the tremolo side of the pickup screw (G/B/E), and drop the bass side screw (E/A/D), clarity will come through. Grunge/melody fans - drop your amp gain and turn down the guitar tone slightly. Boring/metal fans - DON'T play this guitar and learn some rhythm. This guitar registers mids and highs, so get higher. The JAG will need to suit your needs in terms of style, sound, and method, but the pickups will have to be replaced. I chose basic Dimarzio pickups. At the neck, THE HUMBUCKER FROM HELL (DP156). At the bridge, SUPER DISTORTION (DP100). I also replaced the Tune-o-matic bridge with a Mustang bridge, and changed my crossover 3-way to a blender pot. If I say anymore my sound may be compromised - SO I WON'T!
Great structual quality.
First of all this is a stripped-down Fender Jaguar. This guitar comes with 1 3/4 balls and 75% ability. TALENT SOLD SEPERATELY. It's not an overcomplicated machine that has to be plugged into another complicated machine to make a overcomplicated sound. Too many effects and cords kill an idea. How many knobs and switches does someone really need to create a signature sound? Guitar/ pedals/ equalizer/ compressor/ amp (tube or modeling)/ PA/ audience? A distinct sound should NOT have to pass through 15 judges before it hits the audience. This guitar has an IN YOUR FACE KICK already built in, but it will require personal modificaition. (Have it your way. You can't buy that off of a wall or out of a factory.) Modify the guitar FIRST. My music will shine from this guitar plugged into a 15 watt amp made from, Experience, integrity, and ability can ALL be played through this guitar- JUST PLAY YOU.

Comments about Fender Blacktop Jaguar HH Electric Guitar:

Overall, fantastic. This Jag's got Swag. A lot of guitar for the price.
To put it in short terms, all of the woods are very nice. The alder sounds really good. It features two humbucking pickups, which I'm guessing you already know. The neck pickup sounds very warm, and with some classic fuzz and reverb, the sound that comes out of your amplifier will be a warm and creamy fuzz. (My personal favorite.) The bridge pickup is still moderately warm, but it has a nice trebly bite to it when used through the proper settings. Also features (As you've already seen) Two knobs: one volume, one tone. Coming from Fender, they're very strong and sturdy, and as always, look great. It's a fantastic guitar for jazz, blues, and rock. A true guitarist's guitar.
The construction of this solid body is... well, solid. Very sturdy. The woods used are very good: The alder body sounds fantastic, and the maple neck (as always) feels smooth and very glossy. The pickups are actually pretty decent. Very warm sounding. The only flaw I've seen (or in my case, felt) is the edges of the frets... they're a tiddly bit sharper than I'd like them to be, but they'll wear down through use. Overall, considering the price, Fantastic quality.
I'd say this guitar has a very high scoring quality for the price. This guitar is capable of many things. My particular model was a little bit more expensive than the normal price you see, because mine was a special edition version of this guitar. My model was exclusive at guitar center...Rather than Blizzard Pearl or Black, my Jaguar is Seafoam Pearl, a minty green. It's a real "California" color, and it's absolutely gorgeous.