Squier Contemp Jaguar HH LNSBM

A week before I ordered this guitar, I had my eye on the SQ CV 70-ies Jaguar. I ordered that. Very nice guitar made with the classic Jaguar specs. I liked that guitar so much (Squiers have sometimes been of much lesser quality) that I also wanted to try this 'contemporary' or modern version. The guitar arrived excellently packaged. It is indeed a very different guitar than the CV but in the form of the classic Jaguar. 2 humbuckers this time. A little Jaguar sauce on the sound settings because the well-known sliders at the top provide the possibility to generate sound in series and parallel and to switch the humbuckers to single coil, in fact just a slightly less fat sound. Left below the trhee-way switch for the pickup choices. The body has the shape of a Jaguar and feels just as nice as the CV. The toasted maple neck is very nice and feels great in the hand. It is a so-called shortscale (24") neck. The color of the body corresponds to the pictures on the Thomann website. What also struck me is that the guitar stays in tune incredibly well. This modern version made in China has no tremolo so it doesn't throw a spanner in the works. I don't have to/hardly adjust. Even after hours of playing. I've set it so that the action is super low, which plays great. Despite the shorter neck, I see no reason to increase the string gauge and when the stock strings run out I'm just going to put the Ernie Balls Primo Slinky's 0.95 on it This guitar weighs about 4 ounces lighter than the SQ CV 70-ies Jaguar which weighs 3.8 pounds it's a guitar of excellent quality for a low price I am very happy that this alternative Jag is now part of my collection.

After two months: the pickups started to sound a bit dull to my ears so I changed them to 2 TV Jones Filtertron style pickups. I also changed the option to switch on coil-split and parallel. Got a telecaster 4 way switch in it. Wow, the guitar looks too crazy and the sound is unique!

Given the low cost of the guitar, I was not expecting any miracles, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were no sharp fret ends sticking out, that there were no high frets, that the neck pocket was tighter than spandex, and that the setup and intonation were spot on. The only defects I was able to find upon close examination of the instrument were a few barely perceptible scratches and three slightly crooked control plate screws (and I am really nitpicking here).
The thing I was most anxious about before ordering the guitar was the Indian Laurel fretboard. Since I had never owned a guitar with a fretboard made of this species of wood, I was afraid that it might be noticeably lighter in color than Rosewood or have a bit coarser texture, so I was glad to discover that the fretboard on the guitar I was sent was rather dark (although a bit more orange than most Rosewood fretboards I have seen) and unexpectedly smooth. In terms of how it feels to the touch, it could be likened to Ebony.
Since tone is a subjective topic, I am not going to discuss it at length. All I am going to say is that with the help of the numerous switching options on offer I was able to not only dial in some conventional jazz tones but also a pretty convincing approximation (at least to my ears) of the Stratocaster sound.
With its offset-waist body, which is a real treat to play while sitting down, its sculpted neck heel, its baked-maple neck, and its seemingly inexhaustible tonal capabilities, it truly is an unparalleled value for money!

Update: I liked this guitar so much, that I ordered another one to use as a backup. However, not long after taking it out of the box, I knew that I was going to return it. The first impression was positive, as it was significantly lighter in weight than the one I had purchased previously, but the quality of craftsmanship was nowhere near as good: many times more crooked screws, a gap between the pickguard and the upper control plate, knobs fitted askew, remnants of the buffing compound everywhere. The people who built it must have been in a hurry to meet their quota. In any case, it serves to show how much variation in build quality can occur in a budget guitar such as this. It also explains the discrepancies in customer reviews. Sure, all of those issues are cosmetic, and most of them can be fixed very easily, but I expected something better for the money I paid. My takeway is that the ones that are built well are worth their price, but the ones that are built much more carelessly — not so much.

Hands down the most flexible guitar I have ever had the pleasure of playing. The humbuckers split really good - I can recommend to anyone who wants to have glassy single sound with the option to switch to the beefy fuzz distorted tone.
Spectrum of possible setup experimentation really encourages to play.
Great ergonomics - most comfortable Fender I ever played.
Absolutely gorgeous visually - guaranteed to become a conversation point on a jam session.
Also outstanding value for money - baked maple neck at this price tag is really impressive. I don't see any areas for modding, to be honest.
On a personal note - really happy about the manufacturer's decision to ditch any floating bridge system on this one.

This is a really cool guitar with awesome tonal possibilities and it sounds great! It plays well and the roasted maple neck is lovely but the frets are big, so this is something that might not appeal to everyone. The guitar is also a bit heavy.

Out of the box, the guitar was set up surprisingly well and didn't require much setup. Quality is great, especially at this price. Also, it's gorgeous!