Ever pick up a guitar in the shop and wish you hadn't? Yeah we've all done it. And you wish you hadn't because you find yourself juggling figures in your head to find a way to buy it.
Especially when it wasn't what you thought you'd like.
I gave a test drive to a nice surf green example in my LGS a few days ago, and its a genuinely nice piece of kit. The main reason I went in was to try out a Roadworn Jaguar. Quirky guitar yes, but I've had a soft spot for Jags for years and once you get your head around the switching (and the scale length of you don't like 24 3/4) they're really nice guitars. I always subconsciously saw the Jazzmaster as the uglier sister.
This isn't a full review of anything like that, but give one a bash for yourself. There's a lot of really decent sound to get out of it. I'd need more time playing around with the rhythm circuit (a little too woolly on short acquaintance for me) and the bridge alone was a little too bright (again, some tweaking would probably sort that) but what a nice guitar. The neck and mid positions could almost cover some Tele turf.
The only real gripe I had was the nitro finish on the neck. Fender claim a nitro finish for the guitar, but the Alder body is in poly and the neck in nitro - which is a bit of a cheeky claim. As new its a bit on the thick & sticky side, but nothing a little steel wool etc couldn't sort. They're made in Mexico, but incorporate a fair amount of American Vintage model parts. Price around the R17k mark.
'Scuse me while I go and think about what I could trade or sell to fund one in the new year.
Especially when it wasn't what you thought you'd like.
I gave a test drive to a nice surf green example in my LGS a few days ago, and its a genuinely nice piece of kit. The main reason I went in was to try out a Roadworn Jaguar. Quirky guitar yes, but I've had a soft spot for Jags for years and once you get your head around the switching (and the scale length of you don't like 24 3/4) they're really nice guitars. I always subconsciously saw the Jazzmaster as the uglier sister.
This isn't a full review of anything like that, but give one a bash for yourself. There's a lot of really decent sound to get out of it. I'd need more time playing around with the rhythm circuit (a little too woolly on short acquaintance for me) and the bridge alone was a little too bright (again, some tweaking would probably sort that) but what a nice guitar. The neck and mid positions could almost cover some Tele turf.
The only real gripe I had was the nitro finish on the neck. Fender claim a nitro finish for the guitar, but the Alder body is in poly and the neck in nitro - which is a bit of a cheeky claim. As new its a bit on the thick & sticky side, but nothing a little steel wool etc couldn't sort. They're made in Mexico, but incorporate a fair amount of American Vintage model parts. Price around the R17k mark.
'Scuse me while I go and think about what I could trade or sell to fund one in the new year.