Guitar case options for the Jaguar and Jazzmaster
If you just bought a Jazzmaster or Jaguar or already own one, unless you have a case with some extra vertical length, you'll notice the one you have will fit a Strat or Tele, but not the offset body guitars.
The Jag/Jazz's extra length means you have to buy a longer bag or case. If you've shopped around, you've probably noticed some fairly high prices.
Fortunately, you have a few cheaper options.
Let's examine these from cheapest to most expensive.
Option 1: Short Scale Bass Gig Bag
Example: Fender Urban Short Scale Bass Gig Bag
Not the cheapest bag because it's Fender-branded, but this fits the Jazzmaster very well. If you put a short-scale bass and the Jazzmaster side by side, you'll notice the bass is barely longer than the Jazzmaster is. How do I know this? I own a short scale Jag bass and a Jazzmaster.
This bag will absolutely fit the Jazz while at the same time won't flop around in the case since the length of a Jazz is so close to a short scale electric bass guitar.
If you put a Jaguar guitar in this case, yeah it might move around a bit, because that guitar is shorter. However, the point is that the guitar will fit in it.
Option 2: Hardshell
Example: SKB Jaguar/Jazzmaster Type Shaped Hardshell Case TSA Latch, Over-Molded Handle
The first thing you're probably wondering is, "What's a TSA latch?" There are certain locking mechanisms the TSA at the airport will and won't accept. This SKB case has the latch type that is TSA approved, so if you plan on flying and taking your guitar with you, this is the case you want.
But even if you don't plan on flying, it's still one of the best Jag/Jazz guitar cases money can buy.
No, it is not a pretty case. Not at all. But it's rugged and about $40 less than a Fender-branded case.
If you absolutely must have the true Fender look, sure, get the Fender case. But if you want something that can truly take a beating, the SKB case, while uglier, is far superior.
That's it?
For ones worth buying online, yes.
If you want something real cheap, the best thing to do is to call up your local guitar store and ask if they have a Jaguar or Jazzmaster in stock. If yes, go to the store and try the guitar in whatever gig bags they have in stock to see which fits right. When you find one that fits, buy it...
...but don't be surprised if it's not the cheapest bag in the shop, because those usually never fit the Jazz/Jag guitars. You will have to spend a little extra to get a proper-fitting bag.
Adventures with strings on a short scale bass guitar
When you watch this video, you'll say to yourself, "Hey, that's sounds pretty good!"
Yeah, it sounds good now. But to get it sounding good wasn't easy. Actually, that's not true. It was easy once what made it sound bad was figured out.
If you want a bass that always sounds right, use the Fender standard scale length
A Fender standard scale length for an electric bass guitar is 34 inches (864 millimeters).
Compared to the 6-string guitar world which has a few standard scale lengths, in the electric bass world, the Fender standard scale is the only one that matters. Why? Because it's the only one where pretty much any string sounds correct on it.
Overtone issues with short scale electric bass
The most famous short scale bass is a Hofner 500/1, a.k.a. the "Beatle Bass". And yes, there are less expensive models such as the Hofner Violin Bass in Ignition Sunburst.
Anyway, the point is that the 500/1 has a 30-inch scale length, and that very specific length is what defines a short scale electric bass guitar.
Any electric bass billed as a short scale, such as the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass SS I own, will have that 30-inch scale length.
The #1 problem with a short scale electric bass is that they have overtone issues, and unless you know what causes the overtones, it will drive you frickin' nuts.
"What overtones are you talking about?"
The specific overtone I'm talking about is when you fret a single note, and it sounds like two notes are being played at the same time, with one being slightly off key.
No matter what you do to that bass for adjustment, that overtone absolutely will not go away. You can adjust the string saddle height, change the nut, change the electronics, change the pickups, change the tuning keys, etc. Doesn't matter. That overtone will still be there.
There is a cure for it, however. And it's the last thing you would think about.
Properly balanced strings cures everything
The tension of the vast majority of bass guitar string sets is designed for the Fender standard 34-inch scale.
Unfortunately, what a lot of string makers do is that for short scale sets, they simply take a standard long scale set, shorten it, sell as a short scale set and call it a day...
...and that's where the overtone problem comes from.
What happens is that when you string up a short scale set that was originally meant for long scale, the balance goes completely out, resulting in overtones.
The solution to this problem is to buy a string set that is specifically balanced to a short scale bass instrument, and ta-da, the overtones go away.
Namely, La Bella 760FS-S. These are flatwound strings, which is my preferred bass string winding type (much easier on the fingers). The -S on the end of the model name means short scale. 760FS-M is medium (standard Fender length) and 760FS-XL is extra long scale.
And yeah, this is a set of strings that will run you $35 to $45 depending on where you get them from.
Why so expensive? Well, when you buy flatwound strings, they cost more to make, so you will spend more on them. Any decent set of flatwounds will be a minimum of $30 for a 4-string set because they are not your typical cheapo $15 roundwound set.
The La Bella set in particular is a stainless steel balanced flatwound set. That means the string will never rust, and the only time you would ever have to change them is if the string started denting. And unless you're a really hard player, it takes a very long time before that starts happening. As long as the strings are kept clean and the bass maintained properly, the 760FS-S set is easily a string that will last at least 2 to 5 years for those who play often, and 10+ years for the hobbyist player.
Tautness
There is only one problem with a balanced short scale set. Its solution to curing overtones by having greater balanced tension makes the instrument feel decidedly different when playing it because of the tautness of the string.
A properly balanced flatwound short scale string set feels tight because it's supposed to. If you want the string to be more bendy without feeling floppy, La Bella makes those too, but not in a short scale set as far as I can tell.
Ultimately, the La Bella short set, while tight-feeling, is the best option available for a short scale electric bass guitar.
Next time around, I'm going with standard Fender scale
Had I known you needed properly balanced strings on a short scale bass, I never would have bought one.
The next time I buy a bass, it's going to be a 34-inch scale. Probably a Squier or maybe a Fender bass if I can find a good used one that's in good shape, not wrecked and priced right.
A 34-inch scale bass gives me way more string choice and I should never have to worry about balance/tension issues. Or at least not worry about them too much.
Some say the Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass are overrated. Trust me, they're not. When you want a bass that's the most hassle-free you can buy that works the way it's supposed to, you get one in Fender or Squier flavor, plug in, play and it will sound correct the first time. As long as the thing plays comfortably and sounds proper, that's all anyone wants out of a bass.
How cheap can you go to get almost every classic Fender design?
A big decision concerning guitar buying is how a guitar looks. Does it influence my guitar purchases? You bet it does. The finish color matters to me as does the logo treatment.
On my Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster for example, that guitar just looks expensive, and even the headstock logo was done correct with the "swooshes" on either side of the logo.
My list is based on the following criteria. Each must:
- ...look like something that would have been made in the 1950's or 1960's.
- ...be under $500 USD.
- ...be instantly recognized as a classic design.
There are 5 affordable designs people can instantly recognize, given the right color combination:
- Stratocaster
- Telecaster
- Jaguar
- Mustang
- Jazz Bass
Jazzmaster is excluded because it's the Jaguar people know. I play a Jazz personally, but I know that non-musician people wouldn't recognize it as "that guitar that Kurt Cobain played", arguably the only reason anyone even recognizes a Jaguar or Mustang to begin with.
Precision Bass is excluded because the most classic P-Bass look, which is sunburst with maple fretboard, is something only Fender makes, and it's over $500 USD.
Let's begin.
Stratocaster: Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster 60s - Candy Apple Red
I'm not particular to the CAR finish on a Strat body, but when it comes to getting the classic Fender Strat look of the 60's, this guitar totally nails it. Even the most non-musician you know would recognize this shape in this color.
A very close runner-up is the Squier CV Strat 50s in Sunburst, as it totally looks like a vintage instrument. However, you may be put off by the fact it has a 1-ply pick guard (no black outline), which is how they did make them in the 50's. If you can get past that, that guitar truly has a classic vibe to it.
Telecaster: Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster 50s - Butterscotch Blonde
It has been said many times by many players that this is the best guitar Squier makes. And it just might be. This guitar absolutely captures everything about what a classic Telecaster is supposed to be and goes far beyond just the way it looks, as many seasoned players on a blind test mistake this guitar as an expensive Fender model.
This is a can't-go-wrong Tele. Butterscotch Blonde finish, maple fretboard, oval button style tuners, brass saddles and black pick guard totally complete the classic look.
Jaguar: Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar - 3-Tone Sunburst
Non-musicians recognize this shape as "the guitar Kurt Cobain played" as far as how it looks. When you want to get a recognizable Jag for cheap, you get the Squier version and specifically get the 3-tone burst finish to complete the look.
Mustang: Squier Vintage Modified Mustang - Sonic Blue
I'm going to be totally honest here. I don't like this guitar, and that's for two reasons. First, the tuner buttons are a white plastic. But even if I could deal with that, I never liked the Mustang pickup switches (which are above the pickups).
However, this is again a "guitar that looks like one Kurt Cobain played." When you compare the Squier version to the actual Cobain Mustang model, you'll see it's very close in the way it looks, which is what counts here.
One could get a Cobain-like Mustang out of a Squier just by getting a red tortoise shell Mustang pick guard that can fit a humbucker, dumping in a black Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker (which is what the Kobain model uses), and you've basically got it while still staying well under $500 USD.
Jazz Bass: Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - 3-Tone Sunburst
This won't necessarily be recognized by non-musicians, but bass players will recognize it instantly. A Jazz Bass in 3-Tone burst with the tortoise shell pick guard is something a lot of famous bassists have used for a very long time.
How much for it all?
Before taxes, about $1,650 for all five guitars at the time I write this. With taxes, somewhere between $1,700 to $1,780 depending on where you live.
And yeah, this is where you really start to see the value of Squier. Four 6-string guitars and one 4-string bass, two of which are premium grade (for Squier) and three mid-grade, for less than the price of one Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster.
Remember, with the exception of the P-Bass not included, you've got all the classic Fender designs in all the most-known looks that non-musicians can recognize. Furthermore, Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified series are darned good guitars.
Do you need all these guitars?
Of course not. The point of this was just to see how much it would cost to get almost every classic Fender design, and now you know how much that is.
"I know a cheaper brand..."
You probably do, but I guarantee you that it doesn't match the headstock look. The body can be copied, but when it comes to the headstock, that's where the cheaper brands just don't match up. When you want Fender design for cheap, you go Squier and there's just no way around that.
"I can get China copies for cheaper..."
You probably can, but those guitars are absolutely awful. It's not worth it, and you run the risk of having the guitar seized at the border on shipment into the US - where by the way you lose all the cash you spent and don't get it back. Again, not worth it.
Everything you ever wanted to know about a Bigsby vibrato system
For a really long time you didn't see too many new guitars out there with Bigsby vibrato systems on them. But given the fact that since 2012 there have been a lot of older designs reimagined into new guitar offerings (like the Squier Cabronita Telecaster with Bigsby), we've been seeing Bigsby vibratos making a comeback of sorts.
Is Bigsby a model or a company?
Bigsby is an actual company, named after Paul Bigsby. And at one point they did make guitars, although it's next to impossible to find one because they were basically all prototypes.
Why so many vibrato models?
There are 13 different Bigsby vibrato systems because they're designed for different types of guitars. Solid-body, arch top, acoustic/electric guitars, etc.
The ones you're most likely interested in is the solid-body models made for flat-top guitars, the B5 and the B50, a.k.a. the "horseshoe" design (it resembles a horseshoe in the way it looks).
What are the differences between a B5 and a B50?
The B50 is smaller than the B5. The B5's length is 120.65mm and has a width of 95.3mm, while the B50 model's length is 109.5mm and has a width of 96.8mm.
As far as I'm aware, the B5 is meant for American guitar use and follows Gibson Les Paul USA measurements, while the B50 is meant for non-American guitars and spacing.
It is very easy to tell the difference between a B5 and a B50 just by looking at it. The B50 has "Bigsby LICENSED" stamped right on it while the B5 just has "Bigsby" stamped in there and nothing more.
Can you put a B5 or B50 on any solid-body electric?
NO.
There's a reason that the product description states it's for flat-top guitar use, and that reason is that the guitar's top must be flat, meaning not arched.
If you decided to put a B5/B50 on a guitar with an arched top, the vibrato either won't mount correctly, or it will but you'll have this huge chunk of steel that's supposed to be resting near the body just hanging in the air (which can seriously screw up the intonation).
Another thing to take into consideration is that you must have the space near the back of the guitar body to actually install the thing. Remember, a B5/B50 is just a tail piece and not a bridge. This means a bridge must come after the Bigsby vibrato, and that takes up quite a bit of space. On that Cabronita Telecaster I mentioned, you can easily see that even on a Telecaster body, the B50 system just barely fits - and that's the smaller of the two Bigsby flat-top models.
What does a Bigsby act like?
If you've ever played a Fender or Squier Jaguar or Jazzmaster, the Bigsby system acts similar to that in the respect it's for "slower" note bends, as in the kind where you're actually trying to achieve note vibrato.
What most players aren't prepared for is the size of the vibrato arm of a Bigsby. All other vibrato systems use a small, skinny bar, while the Bigsby uses something significantly larger than resembles a thick butter knife.
At first, you'll find the Bigsby's vibrato arm odd to the touch just because of its size, but you get used to it fairly quickly. What you may not get used to quickly is that swinging it out of the way is always a manual process, meaning when done using it, you have to manually move it out of the way.
Something a Bigsby allows you to do however that no other vibrato can is that you don't have to grab the arm to use it. You can get vibrato out of it just by lightly patting and pressing the the arm. The advantage there is that you can hold your pick, extend your ring and pinky finger and just use those two fingers to pat-and-press while using your other fingers to pick with.
How does a Bigsby compare to a Jazzmaster style vibrato?
The throw of a Jazzmaster's vibrato system is long, if not the longest of any vibrato system that exists for guitar (for mass-produced guitars, anyway). A Bigsby's throw is shorter. Not as short as a Stratocaster, but shorter than a Jazzmaster would be.
I can't say in words what the throw will feel like because everyone feels differently. What I can say is that it is something you'll get used to over time.
How does a Bigsby compare to a Floyd-Rose system?
FR systems are a totally different animal with a totally different feel. All I can say about that is that if you prefer FR, you won't like Bigsby. But if you like the "slow" vibrato style of the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, you'll feel very much at home with a Bigsby.
Does a Bigsby make the guitar go out-of-tune?
That depends on the guitar it's used on, and what kind of strings you're using.
For any guitar where the strings are on an angle after the nut (Les Paul, SG, Explorer, etc.), that always causes tuning problems because there's extra pressure at the nut where strings can get caught. You can compensate for that by lubricating the nut slots.
For guitars where the strings are straight after the nut (almost any Fender guitar), tuning problems don't happen as often.
Where string choice is concerned, using strings that have less tension when tuned to pitch will help out in keeping the guitar in tune.
D'Addario strings are usually a bad choice for Bigsby use because the core is hexagonal shaped, resulting in stiffer tension. Ordinarily, players want that, but that can make for going out-of-tune happen often when using a Bigsby vibrato. DR strings unless stated otherwise use a round core and suit a Bigsby vibrato better.
After that there are string types sure as pure nickel, which several companies make. They don't last too long, but those would also work well with a Bigsby.
Ultimately, when it comes to string choice, you'll have to try out a few different types to see which works best for your Bigsby-equipped guitar. If you find the string you usually use just doesn't work, don't be surprised. What works on a Strat or a Jazzmaster or whatever you normally play may be inappropriate for the Bigsby-equipped guitar.
Just remember that when experimenting with different string types, pay attention to things like material (nickel-plated steel, pure nickel, coated, etc.), core type (hex-core or round-core) and winding type (roundwound, half-round or flatwound). It's not just string thickness that counts.
Weight considerations
Both the B5 and the B50 are just over 10 ounces (290 grams) in weight, which is under a pound. On its own, that sounds light. But when added to a guitar, it can make it a heavy beast.
If your guitar is 8 pounds now, adding on the Bigsby basically makes it a 9-pound guitar, and you will notice that when playing it standing.
Is there any way to make it lighter? No. In the way a Bigsby is made, it's just a chunky piece of metal and there's no way around that.
However, for some guitars, the extra weight back there is beneficial. For example, if you have a Gibson or Epiphone SG guitar that has neck dive problems, slapping on a Bigsby should cure that. True, you end up with a heavier guitar, but that's certainly better than dealing with neck dive.
When is the last time you saw a C battery?
I'll bet that there are two battery types you haven't seen in a long time, and one you didn't even know existed.
The ones you haven't seen in a long time are probably D and C, while AA, AAA and PP3 (usually called a 9-volt) are very common. You use AA and AAA in remotes and PP3 in fire alarms among other things.
AAAA does exist, and a typical application is a Streamlight stylus pen light. Pen lights like that are used for things like forensic investigating, forged document detection, seeing HVAC leaks and things like that. So unless you've ever used a Streamlight stylus pen light, you've probably never seen an AAAA battery. But now you at least know what they're used for.
A battery I've not seen in years is the C size. The last time I saw one was probably 30 years ago when I was a kid. I'm not kidding. I used them in Casiotone keyboards that my parents bought me, and maybe a portable stereo "boom box" or two. Other than that, I've not seen a C battery since.
The C is still made, and cheap to buy. But don't ask me what electronic device uses C these days, because I can't think of one.
Will the C ever stop being made? No. Take the oldest electronic device you own that uses a battery, like a really old cordless phone, and chances are very good you'll be able to find a replacement for it easily. You could have a cordless phone that went out of production 30 years ago, and you will find new replacement batteries for it today. That battery will probably cost anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks, but the point is you can get one. Someone made it, and you can buy it.
And if you want to talk about things that use ultra-proprietary batteries, that would be old laptop computers. But I'll bet that even if you own something really old and obscure, a new replacement battery for it will be available.
Concerning the C, I can see it at some point becoming special-order-only, because like I said, I can't think of a single thing that uses that battery size.
Why the size difference in AA, AAA, AAAA, C and D when they're all 1.5 volts?
The answer is current. The bigger the battery, the more current it can give, and that pretty much explains why almost nothing is made that uses a C anymore.
An electric device that needs strong current, like a portable radio with larger speakers, will require D size to work properly. For electric devices that need minimal current, like a remote control, AA and AAA work fine for that.
C is that size that's too big to be compact and too small to deliver enough current in larger electrical devices.
I don't pine for the days when the C was common and actually needed. But it is interesting that size hasn't been shelved back to just a special-order-only type.