(SOLD) Fender American Vintage '62 Jaguar Copper Metallic 2000
Fender American Vintage '62 Jaguar, copper metallic, made in USA 2000. This one has some personality! First up, this started life as a limited run AVRI Jag made for Yamano, Fender's Japanese distributor at the time. These runs were in unusual finishes, like this, and subject to some pretty hectic quality control measures, so they're always made to an exceptional standard. On arrival, this was in quite a sorry state. It was routed for a Gibson size humbucker in the bridge, the guard was a mess, the frets were well past playable and the electronics were not functional. We sent it to our local luthier ninjas and it's come back with a full set of brand new frets, tidied up bridge and neck pocket, a new guard and complete re-wire. We opted to lean into the modded vibe and drop a Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker in the bridge position and use a slider switch to split the coils for plenty of tonal options. Split to a single and in the middle position, the pickups offer a funky out-of-phase quack, or in HB mode, there's a crunchy hi-fi chime with heaps of attitude that eats up hefty distortion with raucous enthusiasm. On the rhythm circuit, the crisp clarity of the neck pickup enjoys a glorious dark and juicy low end... it sounds so good. There's a lot to discover tone-wise, it's a whole lot of fun. The neck is well played in, so it feels very slick and quick in the hands and the slim profile with the short scale make for a pretty effortless feel. The brand new frets mean there's no dead spots or nasty buzz issues and you're off the hook for maintenance for ages. Now, let's talk about the finish: you very seldom see a copper metallic on a Jag at all. All that play wear has lent it a heap of chips, dings and checking, which looks absolutely awesome. This is the first example of this model and finish I've ever seen, so while there might be a few about, this certainly isn't something you're likely to get another shot at buying anytime soon.
Model: Fender American Vintage '62 Jaguar
Made: Corona USA, neck date 1 Aug 2000 (serial plate replaced)
Finish: copper metallic, gloss nitro
Body: alder
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 24" scale, 7.25" radius, vintage C profile
Weight: 3.845kg
Mods: tuners replaced, frets replaced, pickguard replaced, strap pins replaced, bridge and posts replaced, knobs, wheels and switches replaced, bridge pickup replaced, routed for a humbucker in the bridge (single coil size currently installed but there's a bigger route under the hood), completely re-wired with all new pots/switches cloth wire
Pickup: Fender American Vintage Jaguar single coil (neck), Dimarzio Super Distortion rails version humbucker, splittable (bridge)
Switching: rhythm circuit wired up according to factory standard, lead circuit has a standard vol/tone and a three way toggle plus a slider to split the HB pickup
Case: original deluxe Fender hard case, with original case candy and trem arm
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has a minor crack on the back side top edge to the E-tune, it's stable and currently of cosmetic concern only. The headstock also has a bunch of scuffs and dings around the edges and both front nad back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, the board is very clean but the back of the neck has a lot of rub wear and some dimples. The back has extensive checking, dimples and scuffs, as well as a sticker fade mark on the bottom edge and a bald patch around the neck plate. The sides have dimples, minor chips and scuffs on both horns and decent bald patches/chips on both the elbow area and near the jack. The front has extensive checking, dimples, scratches and scuffs, heaps of minor marks but no major gashes. Overall: good condition (6.5/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. Frets . All electrics tested and working properly. Frets are brand new, 10/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.