Fender Jazzmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962)
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Item # 11665
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Fender Jazzmaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962), made in Fullerton, California, Blonde lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original blond tolex hard shell case.
This special 1962 Jazzmaster shows some general wear but is a lovely and very rare variation, with a blonde finished ash body. Telecaster-style blonde was a catalog option on the higher-grade models, one of the custom color schemes available in the early '60s. ONLY the blonde version was built of ash, however, making this guitar different from the pack sonically as well as visually. We find that ash-bodied Fenders from this period often have an extra resonance compared to their much more common alder-bodied brethren, and this one certainly bears this out.
Beyond being a swingin' blonde, this early-'62 Jazzmaster is loaded with all the classic pre-CBS Fender features. The rosewood fingerboard with "clay" dot inlay is the early slab version, the headstock topped with the gold "Spaghetti" logo decal with the little "swoosh" marks particular to the Jazzmaster. The pickguard is the earlier nitrocellulose tortoiseshell style nicknamed the "pepperoni" pattern which was a Fender trademark at the time. The standard Jazzmaster offset body, wide-coil pickups, rhythm circuit wiring and floating trem are all present, of course.
The penciled date on the neck heel is 3-62, done JUST before the introduction of the ink-stamp system that would last into the late '60s. The electronics are all original with a visible pot date of the last week of 1961. The guitar was likely assembled in the spring of 1962, just over 61 years ago. In this pre-Beatle "Camelot" era the Jazzmaster was the state-of the-art solidbody on the cutting edge of "modern" electric sounds.
These early '60s Jazzmasters are often exceptionally fine instruments. After mid-'62 they ranked below the newly-introduced short-scale, chrome-trimmed Jaguar in the Fender line, but still offered a unique feel and sound. While never a hit with the jazz artists Leo intended them for this was an influential and quite successful guitar at the time, seen with many period players across a wide variety of musical genres from surf & instrumental rock to chitlin' circuit R&B.
This guitar has evidence of some serious play time but remains well cared for, original inside and out and sounds exactly as it should, with the bright but slightly wider-range tone character specific to the Jazzmaster and that famously flexible vibrato system. After a long period in the shadows the Jazzmaster has enjoyed renewed popularity over the last few decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This prime Pre-CBS blonde beauty survives in fine playing condition, a natural relic veteran of the '60s with loads of sound still to offer.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)., 8.02 lbs.
This is a moderately worn-in but all original Jazzmaster, used but never abused over the last 60+ years. There is a wear to the body overall, with yellowing to the finish and some heavy checking particularly on the face. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall, heaviest on the body edges but not so much on the face. The top/back edge of the body above of the waist looks to have been sanded just a bit, but this is not overly conspicuous. The back is relatively clean with less belt buckle wear than many. The neck lacquer is smoothly worn down partially to the wood with that glorious "played-in Fender" feel.
The headstock is relatively clean with some light checking and the original decal is completely intact. The pickguard has less shrinkage than many with no cracked or broken corners. The hardware is all original; the trem arm is intact only the snap-on bridge cover has gone missing. The metal parts show some light corrosion, especially (as usual) the bridge saddles. The bridge posts are shimmed not to rock, easily reversible if desired. The original small frets have been crowned down a bit with some light wear but still play well. This is a really superb played-in old Fender, a great feeling genuine relic with the character that many modern builders attempt to artificially replicate. It rests in a 63-4 era original (and matching) Blonde Tolex Fender HSC with some noticeable wear but still serviceable. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This special 1962 Jazzmaster shows some general wear but is a lovely and very rare variation, with a blonde finished ash body. Telecaster-style blonde was a catalog option on the higher-grade models, one of the custom color schemes available in the early '60s. ONLY the blonde version was built of ash, however, making this guitar different from the pack sonically as well as visually. We find that ash-bodied Fenders from this period often have an extra resonance compared to their much more common alder-bodied brethren, and this one certainly bears this out.
Beyond being a swingin' blonde, this early-'62 Jazzmaster is loaded with all the classic pre-CBS Fender features. The rosewood fingerboard with "clay" dot inlay is the early slab version, the headstock topped with the gold "Spaghetti" logo decal with the little "swoosh" marks particular to the Jazzmaster. The pickguard is the earlier nitrocellulose tortoiseshell style nicknamed the "pepperoni" pattern which was a Fender trademark at the time. The standard Jazzmaster offset body, wide-coil pickups, rhythm circuit wiring and floating trem are all present, of course.
The penciled date on the neck heel is 3-62, done JUST before the introduction of the ink-stamp system that would last into the late '60s. The electronics are all original with a visible pot date of the last week of 1961. The guitar was likely assembled in the spring of 1962, just over 61 years ago. In this pre-Beatle "Camelot" era the Jazzmaster was the state-of the-art solidbody on the cutting edge of "modern" electric sounds.
These early '60s Jazzmasters are often exceptionally fine instruments. After mid-'62 they ranked below the newly-introduced short-scale, chrome-trimmed Jaguar in the Fender line, but still offered a unique feel and sound. While never a hit with the jazz artists Leo intended them for this was an influential and quite successful guitar at the time, seen with many period players across a wide variety of musical genres from surf & instrumental rock to chitlin' circuit R&B.
This guitar has evidence of some serious play time but remains well cared for, original inside and out and sounds exactly as it should, with the bright but slightly wider-range tone character specific to the Jazzmaster and that famously flexible vibrato system. After a long period in the shadows the Jazzmaster has enjoyed renewed popularity over the last few decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This prime Pre-CBS blonde beauty survives in fine playing condition, a natural relic veteran of the '60s with loads of sound still to offer.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)., 8.02 lbs.
This is a moderately worn-in but all original Jazzmaster, used but never abused over the last 60+ years. There is a wear to the body overall, with yellowing to the finish and some heavy checking particularly on the face. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall, heaviest on the body edges but not so much on the face. The top/back edge of the body above of the waist looks to have been sanded just a bit, but this is not overly conspicuous. The back is relatively clean with less belt buckle wear than many. The neck lacquer is smoothly worn down partially to the wood with that glorious "played-in Fender" feel.
The headstock is relatively clean with some light checking and the original decal is completely intact. The pickguard has less shrinkage than many with no cracked or broken corners. The hardware is all original; the trem arm is intact only the snap-on bridge cover has gone missing. The metal parts show some light corrosion, especially (as usual) the bridge saddles. The bridge posts are shimmed not to rock, easily reversible if desired. The original small frets have been crowned down a bit with some light wear but still play well. This is a really superb played-in old Fender, a great feeling genuine relic with the character that many modern builders attempt to artificially replicate. It rests in a 63-4 era original (and matching) Blonde Tolex Fender HSC with some noticeable wear but still serviceable. Overall Excellent - Condition.