Rare Fender Acoustic Jazzmaster JZM Deluxe

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Love it or hate it, Fender makes acoustic versions of their electric icons. I'm not a big fan, but I understand the appeal. That said, I have some love for this abomination.  It's got a "so ugly it's cool" thing going on.

I'll have to do some research and find out just exactly how rare this JZM Deluxe really is.

R.W. Haller







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Odd Reverse Jazzmaster with a giant "why?"

guitarz.blogspot.com:

As a fan of Jazzmasters this reverse parts-made beast caught my eye. Would we call it a Reverse Partsmaster? Generally I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to reverse bodies on guitars. Sometimes it works while other times, not so much.

This falls in the "not so much" category. The inclusion of the Samick neck and the crudeness of some of the woodworking doesn't help the case for this poor guitar.

And, most glaringly, the output jack. How......what.....why? 

The seller is aware of the complete stupidity of this jack location and has decided to sell it as it is. 

So, there's that at least

R.W. Haller

© 2016, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Prisma Toledo Jazzmaster inspired guitar made out of old skateboards

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I came across Prisma Guitars quite by accident. I do love happy accidents. Prisma guitar bodies are made ( partially or wholly depending on the model ) of old skateboard decks and the results are amazing. They remind me slightly of Gibson's Zoot Suit from a few years ago only much more cooler in my opinion.

I particularly love this Toledo as it balances the line between whimsical and sober. It's a great take on the well known offset design. It's also the closest I'll get to a skateboard without fractures or contusions.

R.W. Haller

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Warmoth Telemaster in stunning Blackburst Finish

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I'm fairly surprised that the Telemaster style of guitar is as polarizing as it is. I became a fan when Fender Custom Shop built the prototype for Makin' Music, a Chicago guitar dealer.

Since then, as I've researched and coveted this awesome hybrid, I have found either sheer adoration or pure vitriol for the Telemaster. Not a lot of indifference.

As a Telecaster player and a former Jazzmaster owner ( stolen in 1990.....still fills me with rage to think about it ) I cannot help but love the design.

This Telemaster built with Warmoth and USACG parts borders the line where it almost could have been too flashy or precious yet held back enough to land in a very classy place.

It was listed for $700 OBO in Calgary, but wasn't up for long before someone, sadly not I, snatched it up.

R.W. Haller






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Aria Retro Classics 1532J - A tasty Re-issue of one of their 1960s Guitars

guitarz.blogspot.com:

You just have to love Aria guitars. Even if you don't love them, you have to respect them for not having many boundaries.

They are a lot like that friend you had in your early 20s who was up to do anything on any given night out. Sometimes because of them you had the best night of your life, other times you barely escaped with your freedom.

Even if you look at the diversity in the Aria guitars on this blog you see that they are up for anything.

I love the look of this Retro 1532J. It caught my eye as I thought it was a mint condition vintage guitar. But as it turns out, this is a reissue that they introduced in 2010. The shape is clearly to emulate the Jazzmaster or Jaguar, but it has a more pawnshop aesthetic.

Currently Listed on eBay with a price of $320US

Must fight the urge to click "Buy It Now" button..........

R.W. Haller






© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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1960s Fender Jazzmaster Body Guard - The original Anti-Relic

guitarz.blogspot.com:

In an age where misguided souls with lofty ambitions and access to power tools are a threat to any unsuspecting guitar ( I'm looking at you, Ted ), it's refreshing to see that the generation before us sometimes went to great lengths to keep their precious axes in pristine shape.

I personally fall somewhere in the middle of these schools of thought. Hard played miles are fine but keep the grinder away from your guitar.

I have a vague memory of a something similar to this Fender Jazzmaster Body Guard being marketed in the 1980s. Only then it was made of spandex.

No joke

R.W. Haller



© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Erik's "Third Bridge" Bass VI / Baritone Guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Whoah! Who would do something like this to an unsuspecting Jazzmaster body?

Erik explains:

About a year ago you showed my 'plank guitar' on your blog. I have been building some more strange guitars and here are some pictures of the last project. It is a so-called third bridge guitar with baritone neck and Bass VI strings. Those were the only strings I could find with sufficient length. With a circular saw I cut the body in two pieces, add some wood and glued it all together. The extra wood was necessary to get enough length. There's a slight nod in the body to get enough tension on the strings. In the end I have to say: it plays and sound a lot better than I had previously thought!

Greetings, Erik
Groningen, The Netherlands

Thanks Erik! I'm sure the Guitarz readership would love to hear how it sounds. Do you have any sound clips?

G L Wilson

© 2014, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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1966 Fender Jazzmaster prototype

guitarz.blogspot.com:

From the eBay listing:

For sale is this vintage 1966 Fender Jazzmaster prototype electric guitar. The prototypical headstock on this unbelievably unique Jazzmaster was hand-carved and finished by Roger Rossmeisl under the supervision of Freddie Tavares, but was never implemented during subsequent production making it the only Fender Jazzmaster of it's kind. Interestingly, Mr. Tavares took a liking to the guitar, and kept it in his office in the Fullerton factory for years to come, even playing it at many holiday parites and other Fender-related events. The guitar wasn't officially finished until 1983 when Steve Grom (Fender and Gibson employee) chose to purchase it as part of Fender's "Employee Sale" program of 1983. At which point the original Lake Placid Blue nitrocellulose finish was replaced with an absolutely exotic Purple polyurethane, and the guitar was finally mated with an appropriate case. The instrument is 100% all original in incredibly pristine like new condition, and includes the singed documentation from Mr. Grom on (ironically) Gibson letterhead.

Currently listed with a Buy It Now price of US $18,999.99.

G L Wilson

© 2014, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Can you help identify this contemporary-looking Jaguar-like guitar?

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Casey writes:

What is this guitar? Some fellas and I are having a conversation about it at the tapeop forum, and we cannot figure it out. Some think it is a Fernandez, but the logo is wrong as well as the headstock and the location of the controls...

Any ideas, guys? I'm sure I've seen something like this myself, but can't pin a brand/model name on it.

G L Wilson

© 2014, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Joe Pass plays the Fender Jaguar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

When we think of the Fender Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars we often associate them with surf and "alternative" rock music, the likes of Sonic Youth, etc. But of course, they were originally conceived by Fender as jazz guitars. Perhaps the styling was too modern to appeal to most jazz players, but as you can see and hear in the above video clip Joe Pass certainly gave the Jaguar a good try out.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Mathias shows us his minimalist Fender Bass VI to baritone conversion and minimalist Jazzmaster

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Mathias writes:

Longtime (years) reader here. I've put together a minimalist baritone take on the Fender VI, with good results. Tuned A E A D F# B, huge sound, like the bottom of a piano. I use it a lot solo for melodies and chords with a bass drone, it really extends the harmonic range of the guitar. That's a Seymour Duncan '59 straight to output. Custom pickguard by Pickguardian. Including a shot of my similarly minimalist Jazzmaster. I use these with my group Sportsman's Paradise in New York City.

Thanks for sharing, Mathias. As you probably know, I'm a big fan of the Bass VI (although I do like to keep it tuned one octave below regular guitar tuning - I can always use a capo for those "baritone" tunings - but, hey, each to their own). I do like your minimalistic approach though. I never did like guitars with too many control knobs on them (and I see your baritone has none); it's so much better to let your fingers and way in which you play dictate the tone rather than farting around with pickup selector switches, separate tone controls for each pickup, etc. I remember the time I tried one of those Line 6 Variax guitars. There's just TOO MUCH choice and you end auditioning different sounds for ages rather than getting on with the creative stuff. But again, that's just me, I'm sure other people will swear by them.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Klira "Jaguar"-stye 1960s vintage West German-made guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's another Klira guitar for you, and it couldn't be more different than the example that Bertram posted on the blog yesterday. This particular Klira has obviously been modelled on the Fender Jaguar, but of course it is a much more modest affair without the fancy circuitry and much simpler hardware - check out that bridge for example, it could almost have come off a hollowbody jazz box. On first inspection the finish appears to be finely cracked with age, but it is in fact a vinyl finish with a deliberate snakeskin effect. It's not going to be everyone's taste, that's for sure, but I think it's cool. Note that the chickenhead pickup selector on the upper horn is original, whereas the other two chickenhead knobs for volume and tone are modern day replacements. I did think that was a tad too much in the chickenhead department there, it's like the guitar is trying just a little too hard to be retro.

This guitar is currently being auctioned on eBay UK, with bidding at £21 at the time of writing. Auction ends next Sunday.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Squier steps up their game with cool new additions to the Vintage Modified series

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Squier Vintage Modified Cabronita Telecaster

Squier Vintage Modified Cabronita Telecaster with Bigsby

Squier Vintage Modified Cabronita Precision Bass

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass V

Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI

It looks like this is a long-overdue bid for Squier to be taken seriously with these latest guitar and bass offerings, and showing that they are not just about entry-level instruments.

Me, I'm a little peeved that they brought out this new version of the Bass VI which is far more faithful to the original than the Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI released earlier this year. The Squier also retails for under half of what I paid for the Pawn Shop version here in the UK.

I'm also very interested in the Cabronita Tele with Bigsby - at last an affordable Tele... WITH a Bigsby. How cool is that?

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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German MIJ Luxor

guitarz.blogspot.com

Luxor guitars were made in Japan in FujiGen Gakki for a German company in the 1970s, and its law-suit Les Pauls are still well sought after. This Luxor model definitely has some Jaguar in its DNA - like many European guitars of the time - but its own personality, and something already 1980s in its outline. 

Bertram D

  © 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Res-O-Glass Supro Arlington S655

guitarz.blogspot.com

This beautiful and quasi-mint Supro Arlington S655 may have a a classic (though inevitably elegant) Jaguar-style body - being not as radical as some other Supros and neighbour brands (it's a vast topic)  - but it has two Supro characteristics that make it cool and rare: a fiberglass body (aka Res-O-Glass) and a piezo pickup under the bridge that make it sound like no other guitar. 

This makes it not only a collector's treasure but also a desirably playable instrument! And of course you cannot not love the big faux-tortoise pickguard and the six rectangle switch in line - the guy who will buy this guitar will be a lucky fellow indeed!

Bertram D

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

Vintage & Rare Guitar of the Week: Framus Strato Bass from 1974

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Whilst we're in a Framus state of mind, here's another Framus I'd like to show you, currently being offered for sale by Guitar Point in Germany and listed on Vintage & Rare. Again, I am not sure of the exact model. Its Jazzmaster-like styling is shared by several Framus Strato and Strato Star basses listed on the Framus Vintage Archive website, but they don't appear to have one with these pickups and pickguard. It's possibly just a variation of the Strato Bass.

It's interesting also to note that Framus made a Jazzmaster-styled bass three decades before Fender (or rather Fender Japan) decided to produce such a model.

This particular 1974 bass in near mint condition is being offered for sale via Vintage & Rare priced at €675.

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Fernandes JG-series Made In Japan Jazzmaster-esque offset-waist guitar with Sustainer

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Francis writes:

I'm glad to see that the Guitarz crew take the time to listen to their readership. Thank you for featuring the Grass Roots bass, by the way. I was finally able to identify it thanks to a comment by a fellow reader!

Anyway, here's a treat for you since you seem to be interested in Japanese guitars. Fernandes have been known for their takes on the Fender shape and have remained in the business producing non-lawsuit guitars well after the time of those old Fernandes/Burny copies. This particular guitar is part of the Fernandes JG series. Their spin on Fender's offset guitars. I'm not too sure about which came first but the Fernandes JG came out around 1996, right when Fender put out the Jagmaster as part of Squier's Vista series.

This model didn't appear on any of the catalogs Fernandes have on the internet. It has three single-coil pickups, a two-point tremolo bridge with roller saddles, a three-way toggle switch by the lower horn instead of the blade switch usually found on the Fernandes JGs and no tone knob. This also features a Fernandes Sustainer pickup, but not the same one found on their Sustainer Lite-series JGs. The two knobs are for guitar volume and Sustainer intensity. The two toggle switches below the knobs are to switch between regular and some other harmonic feedback setting or something, the other switch is for the Sustainer pickup.

This is a mix of all the features found on their various JG models. Something I was unable to find in their regular catalog. Eventually, I stumbled unto this Japanese site that lists two finishes with identical features as the Fernandes JG-85s EV. One has the regular black finish with weird pearloid-type pickguard found on the other JG models. The other one was this, what appears to be a transparent finish that shows the guitar's grains. A higher-end (well, it's around $1000, a bit more than the usual $500++) model JG, most likely a signature model for this band called Eins Vier (hence the EV in the model name).

I have questions for the readers though. I still don't know everything about this guitar. Does anyone have one? If so, what pots are in this? I could check mine but it could be possible that they could've been swapped out. Also, if you see that grain/top, could anyone identify what wood this is? I'm not that adept at identifying wood by grain. Thanks, if ever! Just sharing what information I have about an underrated guitar that has little to no information floating around the internet.

Francis

Hi Francis, thanks for showing us another one from your collection. It interesting to note some of the features on this guitar. For example, the spaces around the pickups and volume and tone controls in the pickguard. The Pickups and pots are not mounted on the guard as on Fender guitars; it looks like the pickguard is only there for aesthetics. This is reinforced by the fact that there is a plate covering the control cavity on the back of the guitar. Some would say this is messy, having plates on the front AND back of a guitar. Me, I think it just makes it all the more curious.

You mention that the guitar has three single-coil pickups and a three-way toggle switch. Surely three pickups are usually selected via a five-way toggle. (Not on early Fender Stratocasters, I know, before anyone comments). I suspect that the neck pickup is not a pickup at all, but is purely a sustainer unit. This would make sense with the three-way switch, as there are only actually two pickups to select.

Later Fernandes Sustainers have dual sustainer and pickup functions on the unit in the neck position; I have owned three Fernandes Sustainer guitars over the years and I always thought that the later combined sustainer/pickup units were rather weak. The current Fernandes that I own, like yours, is an older Japanese-made example and appears to be a three pickup guitar (albeit with a humbucker in the bridge position), but actually only has two pickups - with a three-way switch - and a dedicated Sustainer ONLY unit in the neck pickup position. The particular Fernandes guitar I am talking about is the only one I have ever tried that wasn't a disappointment. It's my personal belief that the earlier Fernandes Sustainers were the best. (Incidentally, didn't I read somewhere that the very earliest Fernandes guitars with the sustain feature used the Sustainiac rather than their own proprietary system?)

Anyway, despite all that I still prefer the EBow!

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!