Fender Player II Jaguar - Overview and Best Prices

Fender Player II Jaguar Review
Add to Compare
FIND IT ON:
Amazon logoSweetwater logoMusician's Friend logoFender logo
  • 5 Prices - New from $813.39 >
  • From Fender's 2024 Player II series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Slab Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Player Series Alnico 5 Jaguar Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Player Series Alnico 2 Jaguar Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Jaguar with Mustang Saddles and Vintage Style "Floating" Tremolo Tailpiece with Vintage-Style Floating Tremolo with Tremolo Lock Button and Push-In Tremolo Arm bridge
  • Modern "C" Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Fender ClassicGear tuners
  • Weight between 7.875lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.188lbs (3.7kgs)
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Fender Player II Jaguar Specifications
Fender Player II Jaguar
General
Brand: Fender
Year: 2024
Configuration: SS
Strings: 6
Made in: Mexico
Series: Player II
Colors: White, Sunburst, Blue, Red, Yellow
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Alder
Bridge: Jaguar with Mustang Saddles and Vintage Style "Floating" Tremolo Tailpiece with Vintage-Style Floating Tremolo with Tremolo Lock Button and Push-In Tremolo Arm
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Tuners: Fender ClassicGear
Fretboard: Slab Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple
Decoration: White Dot
Scale Size: 24"
Shape: Modern "C"
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Player Series Alnico 5 Jaguar Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Player Series Alnico 2 Jaguar Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3
Knobs: Bell
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Nickel
Show Diagram
Fender Player II Jaguar pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Player II Jaguar's switch options

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 75
Sound 72
Build quality 64
Value for money 75
Overall Score 70
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Player II Jaguar
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $990, which means that the Fender Player II Jaguar is around 18% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Tremolo bridge that are made in Mexico.

SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

Vote

Tuning stability

Vote

Neck speed (thickness)

Vote

Neck access to high frets

Vote

Neck profile shape

Vote

Fret edges

Vote

Pickups noise

Vote

Pickups power

Vote
No Reviews Yet

Often Compared With

Explore All From Fender >

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Fender Player II Jaguar's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Player II Jaguar meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. 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 to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

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

Videos

Exploring the Player II Jaguar | Player II | Fender
NEW Fender Player II Jaguar Electric Guitar | Demo and Overview with Samm Henshaw
TONE CHECK: Fender Player II Jaguar Demo | Cream City Music
Should you buy a @fender Player II? I got the Jaaaaaaaag...
Is Less More? - Exploring the $799 Fender Player II Jaguar - Stay Tuned! GUT SHOTS & a STRING CHANGE
The Fender Player II Jaguar is BULLSH*T
Why won't Fender make a proper Jaguar reissue?
Exploring the Player II Series | Player II | Fender
Gosha Pinchuk - 1995 (Official Video)
Fender Player II Jaguar

How Lightweight is it?

We found that the Fender Player II Jaguar weighs between 7.875lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.188lbs (3.7kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the instruments they sell.

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Fender Player II Jaguar's 24" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Fender Player II Jaguar Scale Length Comparison
Fender Player II Jaguar's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

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.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Fender Player II Jaguar Neck Profile
Fender Player II Jaguar's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Fender Player II Jaguar has a 9.5" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Fender Player II Jaguar Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Fender Player II Jaguar's fretboard radius compared to others

This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Fender Player II Jaguar has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

24'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.65'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
24'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
24'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
24'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
24'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
7.25'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Fender Player II Jaguar Nut Width
Fender Player II Jaguar Nut Width

The Fender Player II Jaguar has a nut width of 41.9mm (1.65''). 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.

Frets

The Fender Player II Jaguar has 22 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Fender Player II Jaguar Fret Size Comparison
Fender Player II Jaguar's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Fender Player II Jaguar's frets are Medium Jumbo size. These sit somewhere between a Jumbo and a Medium fret. They're not quite as tall as a full Jumbo, so you'll still feel the fretboard, but you won't feel it as much as with medium frets. This is a good size if you want to make it easy to press the strings but would also like a little bit of ''feedback'' to know when to stop pressing so the notes don't go out of pitch.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 75

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood Fretboard

Alder Body: This is a lightweight type of wood that was popularized by Fender. According to them, it's a wood that offers a balanced tone but that favors the upper midrange slightly.

Maple Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Rosewood Fretboard: Since the ban of Brazillian Rosewood, this has become a rare and expensive wood. It's not usually used for guitar bodies because of this, and also because it's heavy. Instead, it's used mainly for fretboards. Sometimes it's also used for necks because it's an extremely hard wood (even harder than maple). Its tonality tends to favor warm tones.

More made with the same wood:

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fender. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Fender Player II Jaguar's configuration is SS. This is the classic Telecaster configuration and it's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion. 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.

Versatility

It comes with the popular 3-way switch that is present in most guitars. For more versatility, players tend to prefer a 5-way switch, although it all depends on what you want to use your guitar for.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with SS configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Country or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Fender Player II Jaguar is made in Mexico. This is the country that some American brands choose for building really good, but cheaper guitars. You can expect a guitar that offers a good price-quality relationship, although they don't get the same quality control as the ones built in Japan or the United States.

Bridge

Jaguar with Mustang Saddles and Vintage Style "Floating" Tremolo Tailpiece with Vintage-Style Floating Tremolo with Tremolo Lock Button and Push-In Tremolo Arm: This type of bridge allows you to change the pitch of the notes by pulling the bridge with the attached bar, which gives you better versatility. Also, since the bridge is not fixed to the guitar body, the bridge will move as you bend the strings. So you'll have to increase the distance of your bends to reach the same tension (note) compared to a fixed bridge. This allows you to perform smoother bends but will also make you slower. Finally, remember that this type of bridge requires a bit more maintenance than fixed ones, especially when changing strings.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The tuners have a ratio of 18:1. This means you need 18 turns of the tuner knob to make the tuner post go around 1 complete revolution. The more turns it takes, the finer and more precise your tuning is going to be. An 18:1 ratio is what most instruments have nowadays. Some high-end ones come with a ratio of 21:1.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Fender Player II Jaguar has a Synthetic Bone nut. One of the best nuts you can have is a Bone nut thanks to their rich tonality and resistance. The problem is that they're a natural material, so different bone nuts will have inconsistent tonal properties. In other words, one bone nut might not sound as well as the other even when they're made from the same piece. Synthetic bone helps with this by giving you a high-quality, consistent nut that resembles the tone produced by bone.

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Bolt-On neck joint. Even though this type of neck was looked down upon for a long time, nowadays bolt-on necks are well built and provide just as much sustain as any other join method. First of all, it's cheap to make because it consists of simply 4 bolts that attach the neck to the body. And you can travel with the guitar more easily, swap out the neck if you damage it, or upgrade to a more comfortable neck later on.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 66
Features 55
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 64