Fender Player II Jaguar – the guitar that will make you a Jaguar convert
$829/£739, fender.com
The original Player Series Jaguar was a strange beast. Like the equally muddled Player Jazzmaster, the Jag seemed to speak of a certain degree of insecurity on Fender’s part about the fundamental appeal of the instrument. So whereas Fender’s two offset icons are well-loved for their unique pickups and eccentric switching, the Player series decided that beginner players would want something more route one. That meant both guitars left Ensenda with bridge humbuckers, with the Jag pairing it with a single coil in the neck and, in what was a weird move at the time – and even more so on reflection – a coil-split on the humbucker.
READ MORE: Fender Player II Jazzmaster review – the new king of affordable offsets?
The result was an instrument that was neither fish nor fowl with it – not a bad guitar at all, but a weird mashup that didn’t really seem to have the clarity of intent and purpose we’re used to seeing from Fender at this end of the market.
For the latest Player II iteration then, the plan is to refocus and refine the recipe to create something that brings more of that quintessential Jaguar magic to the fore, but still with convenience and simplicity at the core.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Player II Jaguar – what is it?
The Player II Jaguar is a late arrival into the new Player II range that was revealed back in the summer. Like the rest of the Player II range, the headline addition here is the return of a rosewood fretboard with nicely rolled edges (introduced on the Player Plus range in 2021) to enhance playability. As this is a Jaguar, the neck is a short-scale 24″ variety, but in common with the rest of the range you get a more contemporary 9.5” radius and 22 medium jumbo frets.
Unlike the rest of the Player II range, there’s actually quite a bit of change elsewhere in the guitar from the Player I incarnation, most notably here with the pickups. Gone is the humbucker that graced the original. It’s been replaced with a proper Jaguar bridge single-coil – complete with metal claw surround – giving the traditional SS arrangement of the model.
The stripped-down electronics have been further streamlined here – the individual pickup switches, the strangle switch and the rhythm/lead circuit have all been removed as per, and without a bridge humbucker there’s of course no need to coil split. All of which leaves us with a three-way blade switch in what is surely now known as the ‘Johnny Marr spec’ and common volume/tone controls.
Personally I’d have preferred a flat-topped switch tip – either in chrome as with the Marr Jag or a plastic one as on the Kurt Cobain model – to the Strat-style conical one here. Not for any practical reason, I just think it would look better. If this guitar were mine I’d probably drop a fiver on one to rectify this, you could too.
Other than that you also get some much nicer looking vintage-style tuners on the peghead, and classic black Jaguar knobs replacing the rather ugly amp-style knobs on the Player I. There’s also a raft of new finish options including Hialeah Yellow and Coral Red. The pick of the bunch has to be this Aquatone Blue however, which hits all the right DuPont colour catalogue notes while not feeling overdone.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Player II Jaguar – build quality
There was nothing much wrong with the original Players in terms of build and consistency, but we’ve also come across a few oversights with Ensenada QC in the last few years, so a close inspection is warranted.
Thankfully, it passes every test with flying colours. Everything is well assembled and finished – the neck pocket is snugly and expertly fitted, all the hardware and plastics are correctly installed and aligned, and the general vibe is that of a very well sorted guitar. The vibrato moves with ease and returns to pitch nicely, while the tuning stability is rock solid. A big part of this is another significant change to the design that feels like a real upgrade.
The barrel saddles on the original Player Jag had thin channels and were very prone to the old scourge of popping out with too liberal an application of your right hand. Here, the bridge has been upgraded with the chunkier and more reassuring Mustang-style saddles, which while not going to offer Mastery or Staytrem levels of string security, are a massive improvement and can stand up to really vigorous playing.
My only slight issue out of the gate with this guitar is that the bridge pickup is set too high – so much so that the balance between the two is impacted. A twist of a small Phillips head screwdriver quickly fixes this, but really it shouldn’t have left the factory with it.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Player II Jaguar – playability & sounds
I’m not going to bore you with yet more chat about the majesty of the Player II’s rolled fingerboard edges – I know, I’ve gone on about this at length in two separate reviews now. However, it’s also the biggest reason to buy this over the Player I right now – the playing experience on that rosewood board is so much better, and so much more enjoyable. It’s almost accentuated by the short scale of the Jag – by pulling everything in a little tighter and making it more condensed, you really feel the benefit of the comfortable edges when working your way around the fretboard.
You may have sensed that I wasn’t a huge fan of the Player I Jag’s pickup arrangement, but nothing could be further from the truth with the Player II – this is a proper Jaguar in the most glorious sense of the word. The Alnico II-magnet single coils here give you all that classic Jaguar tone – the bridge coil is forthright and cutting, and without some amp-side taming of the trebles it can be a bit of a lemon wedge in the eye, but honestly, that’s part of the fun.
Get your setup right however and it’s pure Frusciante with cleans, with a side of Sonic Youth when you turn up the grit. The neck pickup is less piercing, giving a fuller and warmer tone – as is often the case, the secret magic is actually the middle position, which strikes a nice balance between power and warmth to create a very usable sound for arpeggiated cleans.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender Player II Jaguar – should I buy one?
If the original Player Jag didn’t really know what it wanted to be, the Player II iteration is laser-focused on being a Jaguar first and foremost – albeit one stripped of the eccentricities that often put players off Leo’s most beloved short-scale guitar.
If like me you’ve spent a lot of time with the Jazzmaster and gotten in your head that the Jag’s short scale and forthright pickups are a bit of a deal-breaker, I’d implore you to reconsider. The scale length takes a little getting used to, but there’s a lot to be said for the more taught and tight feel you get from having an inch and a half less string travel when you factor in the long distance between the bridge and the tailpiece. And those pickups, while being some distance removed from a Jazzmaster’s, have such snarl and front to them, it’s very easy to envision yourself becoming an altogether rowdier and more angular player as a result. In a good way.
In every way that matters, the Player II Jaguar is a proper Fender Jaguar, and perhaps more than any other guitar in this range, it stands out as perhaps the most usable example of its type too.
Fender Player II Jaguar alternatives
If you’re after a Jaguar that hews a little closer to the traditional recipe, Fender’s Vintera II 70s Jaguar ($1,499/£1,209) gives you the classic Jag recipe, weird electronics and all. For something a bit more overtly rocking, the Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar ($1,549/£1,439) swaps the single-coils for a pair of DiMarzio PAFs. If you want to split the difference and have something that has the classic Jaguar set-up but still keeps things affordable, the Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar ($459/£399) is a great value option.
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