I was worried that there would be flaws that cannot be easily repaired but fortunately this was not the case. After a few easy fixes this guitar became really good. Very basic tools and skills were needed.
I have played Mexican and American jazzmasters/jaguars in the past. I think that this one is as good as the Mexicans. If you can overlook the "squire" logo, this feels more expensive than a classic player Mexican jazzmaster I played recently.
Keep in mind that Mexican Fenders and Squires can have big variations from one guitar to another. Having said that, here is my detailed review.
Frets:
The top of the frets was rough and needed to be polished. There was no need for leveling or recrowning. It was easily done with a fine sandpaper and minimal effort. The fret ends were properly cut and dressed without sharp edges.
Binding:
The binding had some dark stains near some frets (maybe it was just dirt). This was easily fixed with a wet scotch brite sponge. Other than that the binding was perfect.
Nut:
The nut was cut properly with correct spacing and height. I replaced the strings with 10’s without any problems. My only complaint is that the nut is bright white and it looks out of place. The binding and the back of the neck are tinted. The nut looks too “new” in comparison..
Neck:
There is very little shimming. I did not remove the neck to confirm that, but it looks that way. Even so, the action is low and the strings stay put. There may be a little buzzing but this is the case with most vintage spec’d jaguars/jazzmasters. It is part of the charm! I might experiment with the shimming angle in the future but for me it is ok as it is.
Fretboard:
The laurel fretboard is not dark. It does not look like a rosewood fretboard. Other than that it is very good looking. The inlays are fine with no scratches, gaps or height differences.
Tuning machines:
They look good and work properly. But the screws on the back of the headstock needed to be tightened. 2 of the 7 screw heads were stripped, so it was hard to tighten them. I will replace them asap. BTW this was also the case with a Mexican Baja telecaster I bought a few years back. The tuning machine and pickup screws were so badly stripped that it was very hard to remove them. (I mention this for comparison purposes between Mexican Fenders and Squiers)
Pickups:
These are 100% jaguar pickups. You can probably get even better performance with an upgrade but the characteristic jaguar sound is definitely there. I was impressed. They have low noise and correct “body” and output level. Not too hot nor too weak. And they are very well balanced with each other (neck vs bridge).
Bridge:
This is a mustang bridge. The strings remain firmly in the slots, even without significant shimming. There is no height adjustment for each string. This is not a problem but it would be better if the saddles were height adjustable.
Tremolo:
The tremolo feels solid and works well. The only problem I found is that the arm is not firmly mounted to the slot so there can be a very small annoying “delay” between starting to move the arm and the actual spring movement. It is very easily fixed with some masking tape. Maybe a threaded arm would have been a better option, although not as “authentic”.
Pots/switches/chrome plates/pickguard:
All 100% functional, firm and good looking.
Strap buttons:
There are small round pieces of black felt mat between the strap buttons and the body. Impressive!
Body:
The body finish is flawless and the internal cavities are painted with graphite for electrical shielding. Again very impressive. The sum weight of the guitar is 3.5 kg.
Pros:
Good value
Great as an upgrade platform
Very good looking
No major quality issues
Has real jaguar character
Cons:
Needs proper set up and some fixing before it is ready to play
Does not come with a gig bag
I hope this helps!
