Would you like to own an electric guitar designed none other than the legend himself, Mr. Kurt Cobain? The Fender Jag-Stang is a popular electric guitar model with a distinct shape. Many aspiring guitar pros dream of playing a Jag-Stang, and it’s not just about its popularity.
When Cobain designed the Jag-Stang, he called it a fusion of contemporary features to create a new masterpiece, Fender. The name was also a combination of two of the most awesome Fender models: a Fender Jaguar and Fender Mustang. It was the same way that Cobain thought about the actual design of the guitar. The star took photos of the Jaguar and the Mustang and then put these together, making a guitar with an upper-body that looks like a Mustang and the lower half looking like a Jaguar. Also, Cobain asked for two colors: a blue (Sonic Blue) and a red (Fiesta Red) Jag-Stang.
When Cobain died, there were no more developments made to the guitar, and it was produced in an unfinished form. This electric guitar was not produced from the factory using a genuine Fender Texas Special single-coil system and the vibrato tailpiece from the Mustang.
Things to Consider Before Buying an electric guitar
But before you consider purchasing any kind of electric guitar or guitars similar to a Fender Jag-Stang, consider the following important points:
- Consider the guitar grip
An electric guitar has to be easy on your fingers and hands. You don’t have to strain yourself and hold it like a vice just to play the basic chords. - Try a few sample tunes
Find out if the guitar is indeed the best fit by playing it and holding it. Play basic tones as you stand up or while you’re sitting down. A good trick is to stand in front of a mirror and hold it high and then low. Your eyes and your ears will help you look for the best one. - Consider a set
A beginner should get a complete set so you’ll have all you need to practice and play well. The most common accessories included in a set are a guitar strap, tuner, gig bag, picks, extra strings, and cable. You may also find sets with stands, chord books, and DVD instructions. - Your guitar setup
You must understand how a good guitar setup works because it’s natural for a guitar to change its setup even from a short trip from the store to your home. Take time to learn how to adjust and tune your instrument before you play. - Guitar amp
The guitar amp affects the sound, and if you’re checking out different guitars in a music store, check each one out using the same amp. Also, the amp you will use to test the guitar must be similar to the amp you have at home. - Pricing
Be ready to pay more if you’re buying a new instrument. But don’t be a hurry to purchase a new one, compare prices and specs of new, slightly-used, and second-hand electric guitars to get the best value for your money.
Features and Benefits
Here are the features of the famed Fender Jag-Stang.
First impressions
Although this is a very popular guitar, a few players are not so thrilled about its hybrid design. It has an unusual shape, but you can’t really appreciate it unless you listen to how it’s played. The sound is rich with harmonic overtones, which are from the long strings located at the back of the bridge. When plucked, it creates a chime-like sound that seems to sound eerie. And because of its solid maple neck and rosewood fretboard, you’ll get a full, impressive sound.
Lovely maple neck and rosewood fretboard
Maple is very durable and dense, and this produces impressive bright and snappy tunes. Meanwhile, the rosewood fretboards are a real deal because this wood is naturally shiny, so your guitar won’t need any finish. Rosewood comes with a natural feel, and thus, it is chosen by more guitar players than other types of wood like maple.
Basswood body
The 24-inch scale neck is made of durable maple with a stunning rosewood fretboard. It has 22 jumbo frets and a basswood body. Basswood is an abundant type of wood that’s used in medium-level or affordable guitars. Aside from the cost, basswood is a preferred tonewood and may also be seen in the works of high-end electric guitar manufacturers.
Single-coil pickup
Single-coil pickups have more bite and can attack better compared to humbuckers. These will also sound grittier when matched with tube amplifiers. And depending on the kind of amp, the effects, and your techniques, single-coil pickups can produce a distinct glassy and chiming tone that’s synonymous with classic pop guitars.
Dynamic tailpiece
The tailpiece holds the strings and keeps them perfectly in tune, even despite the abuse of the whammy bar. A strong tailpiece keeps everything in place despite dramatic playing common in soul, rock, and country tunes.
All-chrome hardware
Chrome is very durable and will retain its shine and beauty despite constant use and abuse. The Jag-Stang has all-chrome tuners, tailpieces, pickguards, and input jack. This ensures that the Jag-Stang looks good as new even after years of constant use.
Cool colors
The Jag-Stang comes in two awesome colors Sonic Blue and Fiesta Red. If you find a Jag-Stang electric guitar in another color, then you’re probably looking at another edition of the original Jag-Stang, but be careful with outrageous color combinations since these are most likely fake Fenders.
Conclusion
The Fender Jag-Stang is a classic electric guitar designed to blend to popular and awesome instruments: the Fender Jaguar and the Fender Mustang. It has a stunning maple deck and a warm rosewood fretboard, large jumbo frets, and a durable basswood guitar body. The machine heads have a classic design with chrome hardware and a dynamic floating tail-piece. If you’re looking for a classical electric guitar to rock on, then the Jag-Stang won’t disappoint. As long as you don’t mind its unusual shape. If you think that the Fender Jag-Stang is the classic electric instrument for you, check this cool guitar out from the Fender official site.