| FENDER JAG-STANGMy Thoughts on what Cobain Thought about his Design |
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It's a funny thing, 30 years after the guy died, and we're still arguing about whether or not he liked a unfinished guitar design. First off, what does it really matter, if oyu like it in it's present state, enjoy it, if you don't like it, then don't bother with it, simple as that. While I'm aware Kurt was the designer, I'm also aware that when you put a guitar on the market other people are going to go places with it other than the intention of hte original designer. Also, Kurt even said it himself "I want a guitar with no preconcieved notions attached to it" ie - if you want to use a Jag-Stang as your "Jazz Box" it should be totally fine with him.
What People THINK Kurt Thought The most perpetuated story, is that Kurt HATED his creation and hardly used it on tour, this is totally untrue. And I have some speculation, clues, and reason as to why. The REAL truth of it is, the guitar was likely sent to Kurt sometime later in 1994, during the Southeastern Leg of the In Utero tour - ie MY territory. Now, while I was not at that show (I was not into Nirvana yet) in my area, I know he DID use it at the Atlanta show, and several other southeastern "Bible Belt" area shows during that time. Implying it was used quite a bit. It seems at first, he was swapping one of the Skystangs out for it mid-set, usually to play the older Pre-In Utero tunes on it. The second leg of the JAg-Stang's touring was in Europe, in particular, one of the biggest proving items of this is the FRANCE show. Kurt plays a large sum of that show in France, so he must have liked the guitar enough in some capacity to keep using it. I have a feeling it made it all the way to that last show - because another thing me and other fans of Nirvana HAVE noticed, is Kurt would rotate guitars around - and this is not that unusual for any guitarist, Kurt or even myself. Kurt probably went back to the Skystangs shortly before his death, and the Jag-Stang may have been in waiting to be shipped back and exchanged for the red one possibly even. I think Kurt was working on it, but just taking his time. People think designing a guitar is simply just slapping a neck on a body shape you like and putting in pickups you like. Thing is, it's way more complicated than that, and it's further complicated when the company you are working with is an internationally known 45+ year old company, and you're an international celebrity rock musician who WILL be seen playing this thing on stage for crowds into the tens of thousands of people. As one who has designed, even just modding a guitar and getting a good result is a lot of trial, error, research, and experimenting, and even road-testing. I have a feeling Kurt KNEW this was an unfinished design,a nd had he lived, and gotten the Red one, we would have seen his final vision possibly come to fruition. I feel if his relationship with Fender stuck it out as well, Kurt would have had the Telecaster he got made as well, and the Jag-STang would have been a 2-3 year run. We also would have probably seen the Jaguar a lot sooner, and it would have been a more accurate recreation because Kurt would have probably had multiples of the Jaguar made (assumign he did not give it up for Ledbelly's Stella).What I Think the ACTUAL Design Process Was I'm going to split this into two parts.....Kurt's Ideas, and then a lengthy explaination of how a internationally known guitar company designs a guitar for an artist, but yet intends to release to the public. I'd liken the design process to be VERY similar to how Paul Dean (Loverboy) designed his "Dean Machine" guitars and got them made by Odyssey/Hondo. What, don't like Loverboy - too bad - the stories are so close, you could say the "Hondo Paul Dean II" was the freakin' Jag-STang of the 80's. First off, Cobain already had his ideas on paper in his journals before Larry Brooks gave him an opportunity. This is neither weird nor unusual. Us guitarists, we get all kinds of cool ideas, and this would have been 1991-1993, so Cobain had ZERO Access to some cool "Flash guitar Builder" on the internet....he had to HAND DRAW these guitars. My Personal Opinions - and the How's and why's of Nikki's Alterations Personally, I like the Jag-Stang CHASSIS as is, it's the pickups and wiring are the ONLY Thing I don't like. To me, and I know this is going to piss some people off, it's like a shortscale Charvel or Kramer JK-1000 with a much more solidly built tremolo unit (c'mon 10-20 years life vs. 5-10 of a Floyd Rose, especially the current ones I can afford, is a winner). But by chassis, I mean the original CIJ models in particular, those made 1995-1997. It's got a Basswood body, a big chunk of wood at hte back of the body (better bridge coupling and more involvement of the wood density in the sound), I think Cobain's design as it ended up is a perfect exercise in form follow function. I've played 4 different Jag-Stangs, including a Lefty, and |
