Fender Jazzmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963)
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Item # 12268
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Fender Jazzmaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L26463, Fiesta Red lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original blond tolex hard shell case.
This is a lovely and superbly well preserved original pre-CBS Fender Jazzmaster finished in Fiesta Red, one of Fender's most iconic and desired Custom Colors. It has been lightly played over the last six decades but very well cared for with a beautiful patina and vibe to spare. The body and matching headstock have a beautiful pinkish/red hue, not as "scarlet" to the eye as most later attempts to replicate this color.
While not the rarest, Fiesta Red is in many ways the classic solid-color Fender finish. Solid red was one of the earliest non-standard colors Fender began offering in the '50's and the exuberant hue seemed to particularly suit the futuristic liquid-sculpture look of the company's 1960s solidbodies. To an entire generation of 1960s English players a Red Fender was the ultimate object of desire, courtesy Hank Marvin of the Shadows and his Strat. In the US Fiesta Red was a popular Fender color especially with teen surf and instrumental bands before the "Hot rod" metallic finishes really took over in 1964-5.
This all-original Fiesta Red Jazzmaster would have been assembled at the end of 1963/beginning of 1964, just over a year before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate bondage! The rosewood-faced neck is ink stamped NOV 63 B on the heel, indicating fabrication date during the 11th month of 1963 with the standard "B" nut width. The neckplate carries a fairly early L series number typical of this period.
This beautiful Jazzmaster is loaded with classic pre-CBS Fender features. These include a "round-lam" unbound rosewood fingerboard with the pre-'65 "clay" dot inlay and single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners. The pickguard is the deep "minty-green" 3-layer nitrocellulose which Fender used only on custom color instruments. The pickups are the standard white-covered Jazzmaster units with the two-circuit wiring system introduced with this model.
The guitar still retains the all-original Fiesta Red finish on the body and headstock which shows some fairly minor wear and has not been touched up or oversprayed. The most notable wear is to the back, where it was once fitted with one of Fender's quirkier accessories, the "Go-Around Waist Belt". This seldom-seen add-on was offered in the mid-60s purportedly allowing the player to dispense with a conventional shoulder strap. This dubious piece of equipment is fortunately quite rare as fitting it required drilling two small eye bolts into the back of the guitar; these are present along with a partially scraped ring around the upper one from the dog-clip attachment.
Although it never won over jazz artists as Leo intended the Jazzmaster was seen with many period players in a variety of musical genres and widely imitated overseas. After a period in the shadows from the late '60s through the '70s the Jazzmaster has been increasingly popular over the last few decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This Fiesta stunner is one of the finest we have ever had, showing some wear but in all original shape, played in just enough with a major mojo and sounding fantastic, ready for its next 60 years.
Fender's 1960s pastel finished bodies were generally not heavily clear coated as the metallic colors were and often retain a better hue; this one still shines down through the decades. They also do not wear as well, and many examples were stripped and refinished in the 1970s and '80s before the "relic" look became an object of desire in itself. There is often something special about \late Pre-CBS Fenders; Leo's company had gotten everything perfected and many are among the best of their breed. This Jazzmaster is a fine unmolested example of Fender's stunning 1960s Custom Color work with the classic look, feel and tone of the finest true Pre-CBS examples.
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.).
This Jazzmaster remains beautifully original showing only some minor general wear and no repairs or alterations. The original thin nitro lacquer body finish retains excellent color overall with only minimal fade or yellowing. The body face and more heavily the edges shows some small dings, dents and minor scuffing; as noted the back is more heavily worn with belt buckle wear in the center, the scarring from the "Go-Around' fitting and a spot of "curly Cord Burn" near the tip of the lower horn. The matching headstock face has only some very minor edge chipping.
The neck finish is hardly worn at all except for an area behind the 8th fret with some light denting into the wood but not through the lacquer. The original small-wire frets have been crowned just a bit in the lower positions. The fingerboard has some minor divoting in the first position only. All hardware is original and complete including the trem arm and the small snap on bridge cover that has so often gone missing. This is a really great feeling, fine sounding guitar, a stunning survivor of the pre-Beatle 1960s still resting in the original blonde Tolex HSC. We'd have to rate this simply one of the finest 1960s Jazzmasters we have ever had and a timelessly beautiful guitar ready for surf, twang and whatever else the 21st century brings. Excellent - Condition.
This is a lovely and superbly well preserved original pre-CBS Fender Jazzmaster finished in Fiesta Red, one of Fender's most iconic and desired Custom Colors. It has been lightly played over the last six decades but very well cared for with a beautiful patina and vibe to spare. The body and matching headstock have a beautiful pinkish/red hue, not as "scarlet" to the eye as most later attempts to replicate this color.
While not the rarest, Fiesta Red is in many ways the classic solid-color Fender finish. Solid red was one of the earliest non-standard colors Fender began offering in the '50's and the exuberant hue seemed to particularly suit the futuristic liquid-sculpture look of the company's 1960s solidbodies. To an entire generation of 1960s English players a Red Fender was the ultimate object of desire, courtesy Hank Marvin of the Shadows and his Strat. In the US Fiesta Red was a popular Fender color especially with teen surf and instrumental bands before the "Hot rod" metallic finishes really took over in 1964-5.
This all-original Fiesta Red Jazzmaster would have been assembled at the end of 1963/beginning of 1964, just over a year before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate bondage! The rosewood-faced neck is ink stamped NOV 63 B on the heel, indicating fabrication date during the 11th month of 1963 with the standard "B" nut width. The neckplate carries a fairly early L series number typical of this period.
This beautiful Jazzmaster is loaded with classic pre-CBS Fender features. These include a "round-lam" unbound rosewood fingerboard with the pre-'65 "clay" dot inlay and single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners. The pickguard is the deep "minty-green" 3-layer nitrocellulose which Fender used only on custom color instruments. The pickups are the standard white-covered Jazzmaster units with the two-circuit wiring system introduced with this model.
The guitar still retains the all-original Fiesta Red finish on the body and headstock which shows some fairly minor wear and has not been touched up or oversprayed. The most notable wear is to the back, where it was once fitted with one of Fender's quirkier accessories, the "Go-Around Waist Belt". This seldom-seen add-on was offered in the mid-60s purportedly allowing the player to dispense with a conventional shoulder strap. This dubious piece of equipment is fortunately quite rare as fitting it required drilling two small eye bolts into the back of the guitar; these are present along with a partially scraped ring around the upper one from the dog-clip attachment.
Although it never won over jazz artists as Leo intended the Jazzmaster was seen with many period players in a variety of musical genres and widely imitated overseas. After a period in the shadows from the late '60s through the '70s the Jazzmaster has been increasingly popular over the last few decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This Fiesta stunner is one of the finest we have ever had, showing some wear but in all original shape, played in just enough with a major mojo and sounding fantastic, ready for its next 60 years.
Fender's 1960s pastel finished bodies were generally not heavily clear coated as the metallic colors were and often retain a better hue; this one still shines down through the decades. They also do not wear as well, and many examples were stripped and refinished in the 1970s and '80s before the "relic" look became an object of desire in itself. There is often something special about \late Pre-CBS Fenders; Leo's company had gotten everything perfected and many are among the best of their breed. This Jazzmaster is a fine unmolested example of Fender's stunning 1960s Custom Color work with the classic look, feel and tone of the finest true Pre-CBS examples.
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.).
This Jazzmaster remains beautifully original showing only some minor general wear and no repairs or alterations. The original thin nitro lacquer body finish retains excellent color overall with only minimal fade or yellowing. The body face and more heavily the edges shows some small dings, dents and minor scuffing; as noted the back is more heavily worn with belt buckle wear in the center, the scarring from the "Go-Around' fitting and a spot of "curly Cord Burn" near the tip of the lower horn. The matching headstock face has only some very minor edge chipping.
The neck finish is hardly worn at all except for an area behind the 8th fret with some light denting into the wood but not through the lacquer. The original small-wire frets have been crowned just a bit in the lower positions. The fingerboard has some minor divoting in the first position only. All hardware is original and complete including the trem arm and the small snap on bridge cover that has so often gone missing. This is a really great feeling, fine sounding guitar, a stunning survivor of the pre-Beatle 1960s still resting in the original blonde Tolex HSC. We'd have to rate this simply one of the finest 1960s Jazzmasters we have ever had and a timelessly beautiful guitar ready for surf, twang and whatever else the 21st century brings. Excellent - Condition.