Fender Jazzmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Item # 12325
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Fender Jazzmaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 164541, sunburst lacquer finish, Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a nice example of an early CBS-era Fender Jazzmaster with a neck date-stamped September 1966, not yet two years after Leo's company had been sold into corporate slavery! The pickups carry hand-written dates of September and October 1966, indicating the guitar was assembled in fall of the year. Although it never won over most jazz artists as Leo intended in 1966 the Jazzmaster was still a popular model, but sales were slowing compared to the resurgent Telecaster and Stratocaster that would dominate the later '60s. Under CBS the prices of fenders had an inexorable climb; the list price of a sunburst Jazzmaster in 1966 was $339.00 plus $52.50 for the case, a full $87 more than a Stratocaster.
The appointments of this guitar show a mix of features specific to this period. The very tight "Target" sunburst finish has a large yellow center and minimal color blending as is typical of 1965-6. The rosewood fingerboard has the binding that came in at the end of 1965 and the pearloid blocks adopted later in 1966. This is an early "Block Neck" Jazzmaster; we have seen others from this serial number area still with bound dot necks. Other features include the gold transition headstock logo headstock decal and pickguard made of tortoise pattern plastic instead of the nitrocellulose used earlier. The old style lacquer finish is still on the body and neck, just applied a bit thicker than the Pre-CBS era. The neckplate shows the CBS style "F" stamp and a 6-digit 160,000 series number typically used in mid/late 1966.
After a period in the shadows the Jazzmaster has been increasingly popular over the last couple of decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This one at just over 8 pounds is lighter and handier than many 1960's Jazzmasters and survives in better shape, with some general wear so it feels played in just enough, ready for the next 55 years.
Length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) across at the widest point, 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.)., 8.05 lbs.
This guitar shows some general wear overall but remains nicely original except for a set of repro Kluson tuners replacing something else once there. There is some lacquer checking with minor dings and dents to the finish overall but very little fade to the bright "target" sunburst. The top has small dings and dents, there are more on the edges and the back of the body had some noticeable belt buckle wear. The neck lacquer has some dinks and scrapes hardly any worn-through finish; there is a splotch of something across the headstock face but the decal shows only some minor chipping.
Everything except the tuners on the guitar appears original including the trem arm; the snap-on bridge cover has gone missing. The foam under the pickups has been re-done so they can be properly adjusted for height. The original frets have some wear in the first position but are mostly well preserved. This is an easy handling, fine-playing and sounding Jazzmaster residing in the original black Tolex HSC which has some wear but is fully solid. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a nice example of an early CBS-era Fender Jazzmaster with a neck date-stamped September 1966, not yet two years after Leo's company had been sold into corporate slavery! The pickups carry hand-written dates of September and October 1966, indicating the guitar was assembled in fall of the year. Although it never won over most jazz artists as Leo intended in 1966 the Jazzmaster was still a popular model, but sales were slowing compared to the resurgent Telecaster and Stratocaster that would dominate the later '60s. Under CBS the prices of fenders had an inexorable climb; the list price of a sunburst Jazzmaster in 1966 was $339.00 plus $52.50 for the case, a full $87 more than a Stratocaster.
The appointments of this guitar show a mix of features specific to this period. The very tight "Target" sunburst finish has a large yellow center and minimal color blending as is typical of 1965-6. The rosewood fingerboard has the binding that came in at the end of 1965 and the pearloid blocks adopted later in 1966. This is an early "Block Neck" Jazzmaster; we have seen others from this serial number area still with bound dot necks. Other features include the gold transition headstock logo headstock decal and pickguard made of tortoise pattern plastic instead of the nitrocellulose used earlier. The old style lacquer finish is still on the body and neck, just applied a bit thicker than the Pre-CBS era. The neckplate shows the CBS style "F" stamp and a 6-digit 160,000 series number typically used in mid/late 1966.
After a period in the shadows the Jazzmaster has been increasingly popular over the last couple of decades with new generations of performers re-discovering its particular charms. This one at just over 8 pounds is lighter and handier than many 1960's Jazzmasters and survives in better shape, with some general wear so it feels played in just enough, ready for the next 55 years.
Length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) across at the widest point, 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.)., 8.05 lbs.
This guitar shows some general wear overall but remains nicely original except for a set of repro Kluson tuners replacing something else once there. There is some lacquer checking with minor dings and dents to the finish overall but very little fade to the bright "target" sunburst. The top has small dings and dents, there are more on the edges and the back of the body had some noticeable belt buckle wear. The neck lacquer has some dinks and scrapes hardly any worn-through finish; there is a splotch of something across the headstock face but the decal shows only some minor chipping.
Everything except the tuners on the guitar appears original including the trem arm; the snap-on bridge cover has gone missing. The foam under the pickups has been re-done so they can be properly adjusted for height. The original frets have some wear in the first position but are mostly well preserved. This is an easy handling, fine-playing and sounding Jazzmaster residing in the original black Tolex HSC which has some wear but is fully solid. Overall Excellent - Condition.