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Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
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Playability
78
Sound
71
Build
59
Value
79
Score
69
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Playability
78
Sound
75
Build
70
Value
64
Score
74
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar vs Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Reasons to Get
Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar over Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Release Year
2018 vs 2012
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Narrow Tall vs Vintage
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm) vs 7.25'' (184.2mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
79 vs 64
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar over Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Type of Frets
Vintage vs Narrow Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickups Brand
Bare Knuckle vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Switch Positions
4 vs 3
More tone options
Fretboard Radius
7.25'' (184.2mm) vs 9.5'' (241.3mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar vs Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Bridge Pickup
Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil vs Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil vs Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Laurel vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar vs Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Pickups
SS
Beautiful cleans
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar is probably the better product overall with its final score of 74 compared to the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar is the better choice.

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Overview

  • From Fender Squier's 2018 Classic Vibe series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Poplar body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Laurel fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Vintage-Style with Non-Locking Floating Vibrato bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Narrow Tall frets
  • Vintage-Style tuners
  • Weight between 7.8lbs (3.5kgs) and 8.45lbs (3.8kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Overview

  • From Fender's 2012 Artist series
  • Johnny Marr Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 7.25" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 4-way Switch
  • Jaguar Bridge with Mustang Saddles and Vintage Style Floating Tremolo Tailpiece bridge
  • Marr's 65 Jaguar Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Vintage frets
  • 6-in-Line American Vintage tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar

Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel
Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Woods Used in the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Winner: Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are SS. SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

The Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar gives you 4 switch options while the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar gives you 3. This means that the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Multi-Voicing.

Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's switch options
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
Pickups 70
Sustain 70
Versatility 78
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 71
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 75

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar compares to the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar is built in Indonesia while the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar is made in United States.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's are Vintage-Style while the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's are 6-in-Line American Vintage

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
  • Bone Nut
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Multi-Voicing Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 59
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
Quality of materials 56
Features 60
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 70

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar and Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24".

There are advantages and disadvantages to a short scale length like this. This guitar will be very easy to play, especially if you have small hands because the frets will be close to each other. Also, since the distance between the bridge and nut is short, the strings will have less tension, so they'll be really easy to bend. However, this also means that you won't be able to lower the action (lower the saddles and get the strings closer to the fretboard) too much or you will get fret buzz since the strings will be a bit loose.

Also, short scales give less space for the harmonics to 'breath', so this ends up making the tone of the guitar sound more 'bassy' than a loger scale where there's more separation between harmonics, which gives the tone more chime.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Neck Profile
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's neck profile
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Neck Profile
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar and the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's Fingerboard radius
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Fingerboard Radius
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Frets Size
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar's Frets Size
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar Frets Size
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's Frets Size

The Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar has Narrow Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar's Vintage frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78
Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 100
Solo Playability 60
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar vs Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
General Squier Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar
Brand: Fender Squier Fender
Year: 2018 2012
Configuration: SS SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Classic Vibe Artist
Colors: Black, Green, 3-Color Sunburst White, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Alder
Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style with Non-Locking Floating Vibrato Jaguar Bridge with Mustang Saddles and Vintage Style Floating Tremolo Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Vintage-Style 6-in-Line American Vintage
Fretboard: Indian Laurel Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: White Pearloid Block Ivory Dot
Scale Size: 24" 24"
Shape: Modern C Marr's 65 Jaguar
Frets: 22 Narrow Tall Nickel Silver 22 Vintage Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 7.25"
Nut: Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Custom-Wound Bare Knuckle Johnny Marr (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 4 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: Multi-Voicing Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1