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Sound:
The Jaguar Baritone Custom has a very unique sound, somewhere between a guitar and a bass, great for various lead and rythm purposes -- think The Cure, Joy Division and New Order, surf music, David Lynch and Henry Mancini movie soundtracks etc.
The Jaguar circuitry allows for great versatility with 7 different sound settings! The 2 single coil pickups are very responsive without producing a lot of hum or noise, the volume and tone controls are pretty sensitive and let you fine-tune the exact sound you need.
Sounds good through both my GK guitar amp as well as my Fender bass amp, however I use it mostly with a POD 2.0 direct. Excellent for fuzz-bass and a whole range of alternate tuning/lower octave distorted power chord guitar stuff, or for those days when you just wanna sit back, sip a Vodka Martini, and play the James Bond theme.
Feature:
The Baritone Custom is a brand new model that was just introduced in July 2004. The features are pretty good, but there's still some room for improvements: It would be perfect if Fender put a tremolo on it, like on the original Jaguar guitar and the Bass VI. It should also be available with optional hardshell case, not just a gigbag. And how about some custom colors????
Quality:
Excellent quality! Crafted in Japan, this guitar feels solid and well made. It has a nice wood grain alder body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, beautiful three tone sunburst paintjob, and shiny chrome parts.
The Jaguar Baritone Custom is a reliable, dependable guitar that's built to last. It always stays in tune and is definitely "road worthy."
I own a 1968 Fender Jaguar, and the new 2004 Baritone Custom actually holds up quite well in comparison to its vintage "cousin" in terms of workmanship and materials. The only complaint I have is that the Baritone's brownish plastic pickguard looks kind of cheesy, compared to the much more stylish, reddish tortoise shell pickguard on my '68 Jaguar.
Value:
Excellent value! Compared to other baritone guitars (and there are not that many of them out there), this is an exceptionally good deal. Gretsch and Danelectro have produced a couple of poor quality low budget baritones that I've tried out, and then there is the Fender Bass VI (original 60's models are very rare and usually go for at least $2500 and up, and even the 90s reissues are not that easy to find and quite expensive).
Manufacturer Support:
Not applicable.
The Wow Factor:
I've always been intrigued by baritone guitars with their dry and hollow sound that you just can't get out of an ordinary bass or guitar. Unfortunately baritone guitars are also a pretty rare breed, and I was not impressed with the ones I've tried at the store (Gretsch Electromatic and Danelectro = cheap crap....), and, well, the Bass VI is just a little too expensive for me. So when I first saw that Fender had come up with the Jaguar Baritone Custom, I immediately said "I want it."
I always thought that Jaguars are some of the coolest looking guitars, and therefore aesthetic factors also played a big part in my decision to buy this thing.
Overall:
I think I'm gonna own and enjoy this one for a long long time. Granted, a baritone guitar is not an instrument that you can or want to use for everything, but it comes in very handy when you need some punchy low end to cut through the mix, or when you want to go for a more unusual strumming rythm sound. I'm very impressed with the quality and value of the Jaguar Baritone Custom and I highly recommend it.
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