Fender Jag-Stang

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Fender Jag-Stang
ManufacturerFender
Period1994-2001, 2003-2005
Construction
Body typeSolid
Neck jointBolt-on
Scale24"
Woods
BodyBasswood or Alder on re-issues
NeckMaple
FretboardRosewood
Hardware
BridgeFender Dynamic Vibrato
Pickup(s)"vintage style" single coil, "Fender Santa Ana" humbucker
Colors available
Sonic Blue, Fiesta Red

The Fender Jag-Stang is an electric guitar designed by Kurt Cobain, of the band Nirvana, intended as a hybrid of two Fender electric guitars: the Jaguar and the Mustang. Cobain suggested his idea for an instrument to Fender, resulting in two left-handed prototypes built by former Custom Shop Master Builder Larry L. Brooks, only one of which was ever played by Cobain himself.

It has been said that the instrument needed much tweaking before Cobain would have been satisfied with it, and it was shipped back to Fender for repairs before Cobain brought it with him on the European leg of Nirvana's In Utero tour in 1994, where the guitar was seldom played live. Many believe that Cobain was ultimately unsatisfied with the result and hence never completed revisions for the instrument before his death in April 1994.

Cobain's prototype Jag-Stang had a Fender Texas special pickup in the neck and a DiMarzio H-3 in the bridge. (The H-3 humbucker is not available as an individual product but the closest sounding one is the DiMarzio DP158 Pickup.) The production Jag-Stang includes a "vintage style" single coil pickup and one "special design" humbucker, each with its own toggle switch which a player can use to switch from "on", "off", or "out-of-phase" settings. It employs the Mustang's "Dynamic Vibrato" bridge and like both of its predecessors, it has a 24" short scale neck (an exact replica of Cobain's favorite neck, from a Fender Mustang).

There has been some criticism over the quality of the pickups and the overall lack of craftsmanship of the Jag-Stang, but many owners argue that this makes the guitar unique and in a way epitomises the grunge mindset of its designer. Furthermore, many have subsequently modified the guitar from stock level with noticeably impressive results.

Originally produced in the fall of 1995, after Kurt Cobain's death, Fender Japan reissued the Jag-Stang two years after its 2001 cancellation due to popular demand. Fender once again discontinued importing the Jag-Stang from Japan as of May 2006.

Cobain's Sonic Blue Jag-Stang was given to R.E.M.'s Peter Buck by Courtney Love after Cobain died. He can be seen playing it (modified for right-handed playing) on "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" music video. Mike Mills, also from R.E.M., plays this same guitar in concert during the song "Let Me In", which itself is a tribute to Kurt Cobain. An example of this can be seen on their Road Movie DVD.

External links

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