Fender Jaguar Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Item # 9679
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Fender Jaguar Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 158805, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This early-CBS-era Jaguar shows some wear for its 55+ years on the planet but remains in fine playing original condition. This was the top-of-the-line Fender guitar in 1966, although the model's popularity would fade soon after. This particular guitar was built just about a year and a half after the Fender sell-out to CBS in January 1965, and is not too far changed from a Pre-CBS example.
The neck heel on this guitar is stamped June 66 (the stamp is amusingly upside down!) and the visibly pots dates are to the 12th week of 1966. Typical late '65-early '66 features include a bound fingerboard with pearloid dot inlay (but not the blocks that would shortly arrive). The body has the distinct 1965-6 "target" sunburst lacquer finish with sharply demarcated colors, in this case showing some typical fade. The neck is still finished in the old style thinner clear lacquer, the heavier CBS Poly finishes still in the future. Other features include the gold transition logo headstock decal, newer "F" housing tuners, and pickguard made of tortoise pattern plastic instead of the nitrocellulose used earlier. Other appointments remain largely unchanged from the Pre-CBS era.
Even having undergone a noticeable revival in recent years, the Jaguar remains a somewhat under-appreciated guitar with several interesting features. The 24" scale length is shorter than other professional-grade Fender guitars, a feature designed to enhance playability. The twin-circuit wiring and floating vibrato are shared with the Jaguar's ancestor the Jazzmaster, but the guitar actually feels and sounds quite different.
The unique Jaguar pickups with the metal "claw" baseplate are optimized for clarity and crispness, factors that led to the guitar losing popularity in the late '60s as twang went out and distortion and crunch came in! It also performs better with heavier strings, due to the combination of a short scale and the low tension vibrato system. Nevertheless, this was the top-of-the line '60s Fender and a very high quality guitar, a flashy chrome-trimmed California hot rod.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a relatively clean guitar overall, showing some typical with no serious damage or alteration. It remains all original except for the trem arm, which is a correct modern repro, and some of the small height adjustment screws in the bridge. The snap-on bridge cover is long gone. The body finish has mostly small dings and chips, especially on the edges but no large areas of wear. The back of the neck is worn down a bit on the back but mostly free of the typical dings and dents.
The fingerboard has some divoting in the lower positions, oddly enough more on the bass side, which is unusual. The original small frets have been recrowned show and some light wear in the same area. The nut was replaced long ago, with a small chip in the rosewood in front of it glued back in.
While this Jaguar shows signs of use, whoever played the guitar generally took pretty good care of it. The original mute is still present; there is no foam attached but this can be replaced if desired. This one came up to us from Shreveport LA so you know it has some vibe! It remains a fine playing and sounding Jag, complete in the original black Tolex case showing some wear but still solid. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This early-CBS-era Jaguar shows some wear for its 55+ years on the planet but remains in fine playing original condition. This was the top-of-the-line Fender guitar in 1966, although the model's popularity would fade soon after. This particular guitar was built just about a year and a half after the Fender sell-out to CBS in January 1965, and is not too far changed from a Pre-CBS example.
The neck heel on this guitar is stamped June 66 (the stamp is amusingly upside down!) and the visibly pots dates are to the 12th week of 1966. Typical late '65-early '66 features include a bound fingerboard with pearloid dot inlay (but not the blocks that would shortly arrive). The body has the distinct 1965-6 "target" sunburst lacquer finish with sharply demarcated colors, in this case showing some typical fade. The neck is still finished in the old style thinner clear lacquer, the heavier CBS Poly finishes still in the future. Other features include the gold transition logo headstock decal, newer "F" housing tuners, and pickguard made of tortoise pattern plastic instead of the nitrocellulose used earlier. Other appointments remain largely unchanged from the Pre-CBS era.
Even having undergone a noticeable revival in recent years, the Jaguar remains a somewhat under-appreciated guitar with several interesting features. The 24" scale length is shorter than other professional-grade Fender guitars, a feature designed to enhance playability. The twin-circuit wiring and floating vibrato are shared with the Jaguar's ancestor the Jazzmaster, but the guitar actually feels and sounds quite different.
The unique Jaguar pickups with the metal "claw" baseplate are optimized for clarity and crispness, factors that led to the guitar losing popularity in the late '60s as twang went out and distortion and crunch came in! It also performs better with heavier strings, due to the combination of a short scale and the low tension vibrato system. Nevertheless, this was the top-of-the line '60s Fender and a very high quality guitar, a flashy chrome-trimmed California hot rod.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a relatively clean guitar overall, showing some typical with no serious damage or alteration. It remains all original except for the trem arm, which is a correct modern repro, and some of the small height adjustment screws in the bridge. The snap-on bridge cover is long gone. The body finish has mostly small dings and chips, especially on the edges but no large areas of wear. The back of the neck is worn down a bit on the back but mostly free of the typical dings and dents.
The fingerboard has some divoting in the lower positions, oddly enough more on the bass side, which is unusual. The original small frets have been recrowned show and some light wear in the same area. The nut was replaced long ago, with a small chip in the rosewood in front of it glued back in.
While this Jaguar shows signs of use, whoever played the guitar generally took pretty good care of it. The original mute is still present; there is no foam attached but this can be replaced if desired. This one came up to us from Shreveport LA so you know it has some vibe! It remains a fine playing and sounding Jag, complete in the original black Tolex case showing some wear but still solid. Overall Excellent - Condition.