1962 Fender Jaguar

The 1962 Jaguar is a pre-CBS model — the first year of the Jaguar. The most feature-rich Fender guitar: short 24-inch scale, individual pickup on/off and tone switches on chrome control plates, mute pad, and the Jazzmaster-derived floating tremolo. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Offset alder body. Serial numbers on the neck plate (four or five digits, no letter prefix). For 1962, numbers should fall within documented Fender serial ranges. However, neck plates were not assigned sequentially to bodies, so neck date stamps (pencil or ink on the neck heel) and body cavity dates are more reliable. Look for a hand-written date on the butt end of the neck heel and in the neck pocket or under the pickguard on the body. Chrome control plates with individual pickup switches and tone roller wheels should be original — check for correct screw patterns. Floating tremolo assembly must be complete. Two Jaguar-specific single-coil pickups (with sawtooth metal shielding). Kluson Deluxe tuners. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Mute pad assembly (foam often deteriorated — this is normal). Pot codes corresponding to 1962. Serial number on neck plate. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitro finishes check (develop fine cracks) and wear naturally over decades, showing wood underneath at contact points. The aging pattern should be consistent — even checking across the body, not localized. Refinished guitars often have a 'too perfect' look or inconsistent wear. Under UV/blacklight, original nitro fluoresces differently than modern polyester or polyurethane. Original custom color finishes are verified by examining the color in the pickup cavities and under the pickguard where it has been protected from light. The complex switching system creates many points of modification. Verify all switches, roller knobs, and chrome plates are original. The mute pad foam deteriorates — replacement foam is acceptable, but the metal mechanism should be original. Missing tremolo parts reduce value. Jaguar pickups with sawtooth metal shielding are specific to this model — substitution with Strat or other pickups is common. Pre-CBS Jaguars share the core design. As the first year, 1962 Jaguars are the most collectible. The CBS acquisition in 1965 creates the next value boundary. Short scale and complex switching distinguish the Jaguar from other Fender models.