The Johnny Marr Jaguar features Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups, Marr's personal wiring scheme, and a gloss nitrocellulose black lacquer finish.
Fender has released the Limited-Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar, a new twist on the guitarist’s signature model that’s been one of the company’s best-selling artist guitars since its 2012 debut.
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The Signature Special Jaguar builds on Marr’s original signature model, designed closely with Fender’s Custom Shop to mirror his personal 1965 Jaguar. It features a custom gloss nitrocellulose black lacquer finish and refined electronics, custom-wound Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups paired with Marr’s personal wiring scheme. The result is an expansive tonal range, from bright, chiming rhythms to smooth, singing leads.
Vintage-style tuners combine classic Jag aesthetics with modern engineering, while the nitrocellulose lacquer finish adds a premium touch that’ll age naturally over time. Every detail reflects Marr’s exacting standards, honed over decades of session work, solo records, and collaborations.
Key features at a glance
- Custom-wound Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups
- Johnny Marr’s personal wiring scheme
- Custom gloss nitrocellulose black lacquer finish
- Vintage-style tuners
- Jaguar offset body design
- Based on Marr’s personal 1965 Jaguar
Marr is best known as the strikingly dynamic guitarist, arranger, and songwriter behind the Smiths, who redefined and ruled UK pop throughout the 1980s. His jangly, layered guitar work on albums like The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come set the blueprint for British indie rock, and his influence is still clear today.
After the Smiths dissolved in 1987, Marr brought his distinct genius to The The, the Pretenders, and Modest Mouse—where his contributions shaped the sound of We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank—as well as the Cribs’ record Ignore the Ignorant.
Throughout it all, the Jaguar has remained Marr’s weapon of choice, its offset body and unique switching making it the perfect vehicle for his textural, melody-driven approach.
“The Jaguar has been central to my sound and style for nearly 15 years,” said Johnny Marr. “With this new model, I wanted to create an instrument that feels classic but also pushes players to explore new tones and possibilities. Fender has once again brought that vision to life in a way that I didn’t think could be possible until now. From my work with The Cribs playing gritty in your face indie, to the cinematics oundscapes I crafted with Hans Zimmer, the Jaguar has been an incredible asset in helping me expand my sound, no matter the genre or the occasion”
Marr’s original 2012 signature Jaguar featured custom pickups, a unique 4-way switching system, and modified hardware tailored to his playing style. It inspired thousands of players to follow in his musical footsteps and remains one of Fender’s most successful signature models.
The Limited-Edition Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar is available now through Fender dealers worldwide.
