Fender Introduces the Johnny Marr signature Jaguar

Fender introduced the Johnny Marr signature Jaguar guitar today with an overview and full specs on their website along with a video of Johnny explaining the development over the last few years of his signature Jaguar from changing the tone circuit, adding a Mustang saddle, changing the way the bridge works, copying vintage ’62 pickups, changing the polarities to be the same as a Telecaster, changing the chamfer by copying a very unusual 1963 Lake Placid Blue Jaguar and a mid 50′s Stratocaster, putting on a 1965 type neck and developing a trem arm system.

Fender® Johnny Marr Jaguar® Signature Model Guitar (Full Interview) – Video by Carl Lyttle

The things that I liked – I like the short scale. I like the way it felt for me and my size. Definitely love the sound. Aesthetically, I think they’re absolutely beautiful, I love all the chrome. I love the shape of it, this kinda of early 60′s idea of space age, that classic sort of Fender thing. The tremolo system which I use quite a lot – over the years I’ve just developed this kinda of flourishing in a way and I miss it when I’ve got a guitar that doesn’t have it – is to me the best tremolo system on a Fender guitar, without a doubt, with the moving bridge and everything. So I love so many things about it. Primarily though, I was driven, I was attracted by the way it sounded.

So my white on white Jag with my pick up configuration, which has now become the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, is the instrument I’ve been using for the last few years, almost exclusively. And the reason I’ve been using it exclusively is to try and road test it in almost every situation, cause I figured that if I’m going to my name on a guitar, what with Fender on building an instrument, I just want it to obviously be as good as it can be. And in my case, I’ve been pretty ambitious about it, cause I’ve tried to get it to do everything it can possibly do. I’ve not just gone “Its a Jag.” I’m trying for it to be an all encompassing instrument.

Photo by Carl Lyttle

To someone who has grown up from being a little boy, like thinking that guitars are the greatest object in the world bar none, to have designed your own and for it to be a successful design to me, and one that people like, it’ a little bit like designing the space ship that went to the moon. It’s a little bit like doing that, you know. It kinda feels pretty historic, you know. It’s great cause it’s something different from the accolades you get for writing songs. Well it’s kinda amazing, absolutely amazing.

johnnymarr.net
Fender
Carl Lyttle