Fender Jazzmaster

This is a "parts" Jazzmaster pieced together with non-original parts. It's a 65 Jazzmaster body, bridge, and trem, Jazzmaster pickups of unknown date/origin, an allparts tortoiseshell pickguard, a Telecaster neck, and non-original finish. Jazzmasters are supposed to have a rhythm circuit like a Jaguar, but mine's missing. Instead, I have a thin switch (Jaguars had 'em, Jazzmasters didn't). Recently, my friend Mel from Los Mel-tones gave me a Seymour Duncan Jazzmaster pickup and I put it in BETWEEN the existing ones, making it a 3-pickup Jazzmaster. I have the old 3-way switch for neck/neck&bridge/bridge combinations, along with another 3-way switch which either turns the middle pickup on by itself or off, or turns it on with whichever pickups are on with the first switch. I can get any one of the three, any two, or all three with this setup...very versatile. What a Frankenstein! Wait, before you get mad, I bought this guitar in pieces and brought it home in a paper bag. I wouldn't do this to an all-original vintage guitar.

This guitar works really well for all the kinds of music I like: surf, garage, rockabilly and real (non-SRV/Clapton/Hendrix) blues. I use it with a Fender reverb from '63 and a '62 Super amp and it sounds really good. It can get really thin or really thick, and a whole lot in between. It's a different sound than other Jazzmasters cause of the third pickup, HUGE telecaster neck and different electronics.

How can you judge the set-up of a guitar you bring home in pieces in a paper bag? I have a set of .13-.56 flatwound strings on it and it feels great. The finish is by yours truly (I painted it white) so it's not perfect but it looks fine from a few feet away. I've worked on this guitar a whole lot so it's set up the way I like it.

This was my main guitar before I got my '65 Jaguar. Now it's #2. I beat the crap out of my guitars, and they survive. This guitar is no exception. I haven't broken strings on it (remember, they're .13s) and it never let me down.

Never needed it.

I've been playing for about 14 years (half my life). My other guitars are a '65 Jaguar and a re-issue Strat. This guitar has seen alot of use on stage and on recordings. I really like it and I'd be sorely pissed if anything ever happenned to it. Anyone trying to steal it would get a Doc Marten boot in the head before you could say "Hold it, you weasel!" The only thing this guitar is missing is a built-in beer keg. Maybe I'll install it and then it would be the "Frat-o-caster." If you want to see a photo of it (before it got a third pickup) go to www.scenemusic.org/artists/treblemakers

* made in 1962, usa. * 21 frets. * solid top. * movable arm w/ plastic knob lock vibrato, lead circuit (volume, tone, 3-way switching), rythm circuit (volume, tone). * s/h pickup configuration. * 2 p-90 cream single coil pickups. * passive electronics. * ash neck and body. * enamle finish. * jazz body style. * rocker bridge. * kluson deluxe non-locking tuners. * jazz tolex hardshell bass case (the previous owner needed the extra space).

it has a jazzy sound, but it would go well with all music types. i am mostly a heavy punk/rock musician, but i play all different types of music. i am in jazz band at my school and we play different varieties of jazz, swing, etc. i have a 170 watt standel bass/normal amp, a small gretch streamline amp, and a kay wah-wah pedal. i'm only 14 yrs old, so i don't usually have any money. i hoping to get a morley pro distortion wah II, a gibson cl-20 standard plus acoustic guitar, and a marshall valvestate vs100r combo amp. the guitar sounds the loudest when the volume is up to 10 (duh) on rythm setting. with my standel amp up to 10 also, it is possible to get loud enough to be heard through almost 2 neighborhoods (i can't explain it very well, you would have to hear it for yourself). the jazzmaster has the best sound i have ever heard coming out of an electric guitar. the guitar comes in real handy when you have a lousy mini recording studio. it can produce a whole bunch of different sounds ina whole bunch of different ways. you have the rythm setting (a little distortion addes to it), the lead setting (a very clean, clear sound), and the whami bar. this guitar would work if you need a rythm and lead guitarist, but only have one. the thing i don't like about the jazzmaster is that it's rather old. it has a few knicks around the bottom edge, i had to take out the whami bar because since the arm is removable, it wouldn't stay in one place. i can't get it to lock anymore either. the pick guard screws are nickel instead of stainless stell, so they are very rusty, same with the frets, bridge, tuners, and pickups. i took it apart, and the wireing is in excellent condition, but the spaces in the body are moldy, so i had to clean that out. the paint is still fairly good. other than that, the guitar is perfect.

the guitar was set up really well, there isn't much i can tell you other than that. i had to go re-adjust the pickups. i might have to replace them sooner or later, but i think that they will probably last another decade or so. the top was bookmatched properly, and the bridge was routed properly also. the flaws was that everything on the guitar that is made out of nickle, is rusted. the whami bar is bad, the pickups aren't very good anymore, but all that is just because the guitar is old.

this guitar will withstand live playing, only i don't thrash with it anymore because i get nicks in it. i would have to replace everything that is nickle eventually, and maybe i could cover up those nicks, but other than that, it will last for a very long time. it depends on how it is being taken care of. the strap buttons are solid, i can depend on it, and i use it on a gig without a backup because nothing bad happens to it unless someone takes it from me and bashes it. it is rock solid if i take out the whami bar.

i haven't had to deal with company, and i don't need to. i never had to get it repaired because i am very good at fixing guitars. if it had a warranty, i think that it would be expired by now.

i have been playing for 11 years. i have 3 patch cords, 3 straps, too many guitar picks to count because i like to collect them, i always keep 2 sets of extra strings with me. usually i use fender 150 extra light, but i have to use mark II for the time being. i have a kay wah-wah pedal, a microphone somewhere, a standel 170 watt bass/normal standel amp, a gretch streamline amp, a casio keyboard, zildjian 5a hickory drum sticks, vic farth 8d jazz drumsticks, and a concord mini recording studio.

This Jazzmaster was sitting in an old auto paint shop for many years. The guy I bought it from, was told to clean up the paint store, he found this guitar. Sure enough, it was a 1958 FENDER JAZZMASTER with all the original parts. The only thing not original was the finish. He found it unfinished, ready to be sprayed. This guitar has a slab fingerboard, gold anondized pickguard, and Pat pend on the tremolo. The body is 2 peice alder. The amazing thing about this guitar is the wiring harness and controls. The remind me of electronics from WW2. In any case, this had a date of December 1958, penciled on the neck, under the laquer. An impressive find INDEED.

My friend has a 1959 Jazzmaster, but it sounds nothing like this guitar. I think the wood, electronics, and gold pickguard help to give this guitar its unique tone. I play alternative, and this guitar is perfect for that. I had the guitar restored by John Warden of Warden Custom Guitars, and he did a beautifal job restoring it back to its 3 color sunburst finish. The sound is Fender Hollow to the extreme. My best Strat will not get this tone. For some fantastic reason, this guitar will stay in near perfect tune and intonation. The pickups are a little noisy, but not as much as you would think (Remember the gold anondized pickuard was used to cancel signal interference). My overall opinion of this guitar is one of the best. It sounds like Clapton meets the Chili Peppers. When it comes to Psychedelic there is no comparison. This guitar has a tone that is as deep as the Grand Canyon.

All the factory work was probably the finest ever instituted by Fender. The Pickups were spun on the same spool, with identicle number of turns (Note to Jazzmaster collecter's: if the Ohms are not nearly identical with the pickups,the pickup or pickups were rewound or replaced). The slab board was used on this guitar in 58' and set the trend for the other models. The bridge and tremolo are not good for Hendrix stuff, but good for 50's style tremolo effects. Overall a fantastic, inovative fat sounding guitar.

This guitar is as solid as they come, but it is an aquired taste. It is best for toneful phsychedelic or grunge. It is not good for any 80's style Heavy metal ( Maybe Elvis Costello). Jazzmaster's tend to vary as far as intonation and tone so I would search hard before spending too much money on the wrong Jazzmaster. Clapton used this guitar with the Roosters back in 63, so it probably can withstand alot.

Wouldn't have just anyone work on this. John Warden is my tech, so he's the only one to work on it. Other than that, I've never had to get in touch with Fender yet.

If you can find a 58' Jazzmaster get it. I was lucky (incredibly lucky) to find a treasure like this. It is like going back in time. I like this guitar for its "tone" which is unlike any Fender Strat or Tele. It pushes more of that Fender Hollow sound, which I love. I wish there were more out there, but I think people have now caught on to the value of this guitar. I remeber when they were cheap. Not anymore!!!

My jazzmaster is a 1961 model with the biggest, fattest slab neck I have ever seen (Fender stopped making rosewood slab boards in early 1962). It has the same 25.5 scale, radius, fret count, etc. as vintage strats. It is attached to the body with four bolts. The tuners were kluson deluxes, which were a bit worn, and have beened replaced with good quality replicas (the originals put away).
The guitar has two soap bar single coil pickups and a three way switch (neck/both/bridge). The pickups are noisy, except in the middle sition, which is reverse polarity and hum canceling. There are two nobs on the lower bout, one for volume, and one for tone, which ontrol both pickups. In addition, there is a switch on the upper out, accompanied by two rollers. In the up position, the neck pickup is elected, with tone and volume controlled by the two rollers. Theoretically, then, your switches give you four distinct tones; bridge, middle, and two neck settings. Realistically, few players use the upper bout switch (it's more natural to use the standard volume and tone for a second neck setting).
The vibrato arm is floating. It has a smoother feel than a strat, but lacks the pitch range. It's very comfortable, perfect for half step surf dips and pulls, not good for dive bombing. Tuning stability is typical for a vintage whammy.
Each string can be individually adjusted for height and intonation. Each bridge piece has about a dozen shallow grooves that the string can sit in; I'm guessing the intent is to allow players to micro adjust string spacing. If true, this is a brain dead "feature" -- tring spacing should be the result of a properly installed nut and neck placement. In addition, the grooves are shallow enough so that strings will jump out of the grooves if the guitar is played hard. The bridge design also results in below average sustain. Some jazzmaster players buy an aftermarket gizmo to hold the strings down, which solves the above described problems, but looks goofy.
The bridge also has a switch which allows you to lock down the tremelo for string changes.
When I purchased the guitar, it had all of its original gold hardware, a bit worn but sensational looking, and its original tortoise guard. The guitar had been repainted a ghastly yellow, apparently with a broom. I had it refinished nitrocellulose surf green by master painter Scott Lentz. The results are fantastic, the best looking jazzmaster ever. It has since been gigged pretty heavily, and when the frets completely wore out, I had them replaced with a set made from a super hard swedish alloy recommended by my (excellent) guitar tech, John Warden. It came with the original flat brown case in excellent condition. These old cases are not very practical, IMO, so I generally used a gig bag. Many of the "features" on this guitar, state of the art in 1961, are either quaint or useless. It gets pluses for tonal versatility, great looking hardware, world class slab neck, a good whammy, and individually adjustable string height and intonation; minuses for noisy pickups and below average tuning stability (by modern standards).

I play traditional rock and roll, blues, surf, and swing jazz. My number one amp setup is a '59 reissue bassman and a reissue reverb tank. I don't use any distortion that I can't get by turning the bassman up. The impressions set forth below come after many AB sessions over the years; ie, going back and forth between guitars to make sure of what I was hearing.
This is the best sounding electric guitar I have ever owned. The neck pickup is warm and very guitar like. Each string can be heard clearly. It's perfect for Chuck Berry double stops. The middle setting is, as noted above, hum canceling. It is a bit sterile sounding at low volumes, but has a great blues sound when pushed. The bridge pickup is just great; much more machismo than a strat, more warmth and depth than a tele (not to put down the tele sound). These are three very distinct sounds, all very cool. The volume knob greatly influences the sound; when it's pegged, you get a slightly overdriven sound, and it cleans up when you back down.
The one negative is excessive pickup noise, worse than a strat.

This was a used guitar, and I have no idea how it looked new.

This guitar is rock solid. Tuning stability is good enough for professional playing. The electronics are complex, which increases the risk of interior wiring problems, shorts, etc. I carry a spare, which is humbucker equipped, to use if the room is extremely electronically noisy.

not applicable; 37 year old guitar.

How long have you been playing? 27 years
What other gear do you own? new Epiphone Emperor Regent, 60s Fender Bronco (hotrodded with SD little 59), Jerry Jones 6 string bass, 1934 Gibson L5.
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? They are pretty expensive now. I might be able to get part of the vibe with a reissue jazzmaster, and SD jazzmaster antiquities. I'd sure miss the neck.
Did you compare it to other guitars? I have owned about 20-30 guitars, including many strats and teles. These include a dead original '62 strat and a dead original '52 esquire. Found myself always going back to the jazzmaster, and trading or selling the others. Also used to have a '62 slab jag. Wish I still had that one.

My Jazzmaster is from 1965, and i'm guessing it was made in the USA. it has two p-90 pickups, a neck and bridge, a 3-way toggle switch, volume and tone knobs, one slide switch, and two roller knobs. the slide switch swaps between two different circuits. the roller knobs contol one circuit and the big knobs control the other. the neck is realtively skinny and is rosewood. it has a floating tremolo system, that stays in tune rather well.

The clean sound is amazing, its realy nice. perfect for playing stuff like r.e.m. the distorted tone is the really reason i'm not giving it a ten. it sounds good distorted but its a bit too mellow. i've read that when fender was designing these guitars, they wanted them to have mellow sound so jazz players would use jazzmasters. i play through a mesa/boogie preamp and power amp, and a fender bassman head, both going into a mesa/boogie 1x12 cab. through the boogie stuff and the bassman, it has a mellow sound distorted, more so through the boogie stuff. but other than the distorted tone being too mellow, its sounds great. i play pop and punk, and it suits me perfectly.

This guitar seems pretty dependable, its been around since the 60s so i guess its a durable guitar. i can depend on it.

never dealt with fender

I love this guitar and everything about it. i like mine a lot because whoever had it before me refinished it to ocean turquoise, and it has a tortoise shell pickguard, so its a really nice looking guitar. but it has such a great feel to it and sounds really good, so i suggest this people looking for a good clean sounding guitar or a good punk/grunge guitar. i admit the old ones are a little expensive now, but the newer ones are not. and occasionally you find a cheap one thats vintage.