Vintage Shape. Fewer Vintage Arguments.
I bought the FJG7 after spending months saving for a black 1999 American Fender Jaguar reissue at roughly three times the price.
On paper, the Foals actually suited me better: modern specifications, a stable bridge and a guitar built for a hard attack, alternative tunings, fuzz, delay and far too much reverb. Still, I kept reaching for the Fender because it came with a story. Eventually, I realised that I didn’t need the legacy object. I needed the guitar that would make me want to play.
The FJG7 arrived in tune. The only adjustment I’ve made was lowering one side of the bridge pickup slightly. Everything else worked straight out of the gig bag.
And the fretwork alone? Absolutely remarkable. Clean, smooth and properly finished. Honestly, it puts my considerably more expensive Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster to shame. The fret ends on the TVL can be brutal on the hands, while the Foals felt ready to play from the moment I picked it up.
The vibrato system was probably the biggest surprise. I expected something slightly stiff and old-fashioned, as offset vibratos sometimes can be. Nope. It feels smooth and expressive, and it will happily take near-dive-bomb abuse alongside my Ibanez while still returning to pitch. I genuinely didn’t expect that at this price.
The neck was slightly thicker than I had imagined, but I adjusted to it very quickly. It sits comfortably in the hand and feels substantial without becoming cumbersome.
The pickups are perhaps a little more mid-forward than I expected, but I don’t consider that a negative. It gives the guitar its own voice instead of making it feel like a generic Jaguar imitation. So far, it sounds great with everything from ambient textures to heavy fuzz, riffs and lead sounds.
It also came in a really nice, thick gig bag with a strap, tools, picks and strings. The whole package feels unusually complete.
For context, I’ve played and owned a lot of guitars. I also own Fender’s Mexican-made 2011 Kurt Cobain Jaguar, which was my main guitar during the most professionally active period of my life as a musician. So I’m hardly immune to the mythology surrounding these instruments.
But the FJG7 has reminded me of something important: the player gives the instrument its story - not the logo or the price tag.
My only possible complaint is that the red finish is slightly less vivid than I imagined from the pictures.
Honestly, who cares? It's still absolutely gorgeous to look at!
It plays like a beast. And I absolutely love playing this guitar and I will be playing it for a very long time to come.
Customer Service has been nothing but top notch. I am completely satisfied with my purchase and happily recommend Foals guitars to all my musician friends and whomever it may concern. 🙏
