Help me understand matching headstocks

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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aliendawg
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Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by aliendawg » Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:24 pm

So are they always come with the custom colors right?
Are there exceptions? On which years? I've seen black and white jags without matching headstock so I'm confused.
"With the resurgence of offsets it seems like we're also seeing a resurgence of people who don't know what to do with them" - 601210

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by kracdown » Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:25 pm

They started in 1962. Blond never came with a matching headstock, though. Everything else did to my knowledge after some time in 1962.

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by sunburster » Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:41 pm

When did the matching headstocks stop? 1970? I know in the 70s they didn't have them anymore, but I don't know the exact year.

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by aliendawg » Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:32 pm

What does it mean when you see an olympic white Jag from the 60's without a matching headstock? Is it possibly a refin?
"With the resurgence of offsets it seems like we're also seeing a resurgence of people who don't know what to do with them" - 601210

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by Maulden7 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:46 am

kracdown wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:25 pm
They started in 1962. Blond never came with a matching headstock, though. Everything else did to my knowledge after some time in 1962.
I have a 1963 dated all original CAR (with all gold hardware) Jazzmaster that does not have a matching headstock.

As always with Fender "never say never"!

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by Paul-T » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:02 am

aliendawg wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:32 pm
What does it mean when you see an olympic white Jag from the 60's without a matching headstock? Is it possibly a refin?
Possibly, yes, a non-matching headstock would always need to be inspected more carefully.
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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by Maulden7 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:32 am

Regarding the end date, I can say that matching CAR headstocks on offsets seems to have stopped by 1971 (I have a Mustang & Mustang Bass from this year - don't have anything from 1970)

In between ... a late 1965 CAR Bass VI with a plain headstock (but a 1966 is painted)?

Also a CAR Swinger from 1968 with a plain headstock (but given the origins of this odd guitar perhaps that's nothing to go on)

Regarding other Fender lines, CAR P Basses do not seem to have had matching headstocks at all as a matter of routine, but Jazz basses certainly did through to at least 1967 / 68 (I have a 68 model with no paint) & by the 70's these guitars had only plain headstocks.

Trouble is that you could probably had ordered anything with matching paint (or not) at any time as a one-off!

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by kracdown » Fri Oct 19, 2018 10:28 am

Maulden7 wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:46 am
kracdown wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 4:25 pm
They started in 1962. Blond never came with a matching headstock, though. Everything else did to my knowledge after some time in 1962.
I have a 1963 dated all original CAR (with all gold hardware) Jazzmaster that does not have a matching headstock.

As always with Fender "never say never"!

This is a good rule. There are weird inconsistencies. But they became "standard" sometime in 1962.

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by bterry » Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:23 pm

In general after spring 1962 through early 70s:

blonde = never + tort

oly white = mostly never + tort

all others = always + white guard unless it was a true custom order or other special circumstance

Fender would try to do any finish in any configuration (tort or white guard) if desired by a customer, but production guitars almost always follow the format above.

Always verify in person or make sure you can return it ;)

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by Baracus » Fri Oct 26, 2018 5:13 pm

I'm new here, but this seems relevant, recently picked up a '62 with matching headstock:

Image

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by morkov » Fri Oct 26, 2018 5:48 pm

Sweet!
Free to those that can afford it, very exspensive to those that can`t.

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Embenny
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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by Embenny » Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:09 pm

Maulden7 wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:32 am
Regarding the end date, I can say that matching CAR headstocks on offsets seems to have stopped by 1971 (I have a Mustang & Mustang Bass from this year - don't have anything from 1970)

In between ... a late 1965 CAR Bass VI with a plain headstock (but a 1966 is painted)?

Also a CAR Swinger from 1968 with a plain headstock (but given the origins of this odd guitar perhaps that's nothing to go on)

Regarding other Fender lines, CAR P Basses do not seem to have had matching headstocks at all as a matter of routine, but Jazz basses certainly did through to at least 1967 / 68 (I have a 68 model with no paint) & by the 70's these guitars had only plain headstocks.

Trouble is that you could probably had ordered anything with matching paint (or not) at any time as a one-off!
Well, Mustangs are a different matter entirely. They only came in 3 colours in any given year, and from '64-early '68 they never had matching headstocks.

Then, with the competition stripes and redesign (e.g. contours), they introduced matching headstocks in late '68, which lasted until '70. Then, in '71, the matching headstocks were discontinued although the other changes (colours, competition stripes, contours) remained.

That's a very different timeline from the custom colour Fenders from '62 on that had matching headstocks.
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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by blacktiger » Thu Dec 06, 2018 11:43 am

From the never say never file:

Image

Note the BMM Jag with tort and non-matching headstock.

All non-matching, actually, so maybe this is from early ‘62?
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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by DeathJag » Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:14 pm

How’s they get those guitars to stand up by themselves like that? Fender is magic!

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Re: Help me understand matching headstocks

Post by zepset » Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:42 pm

Just to be clear, this conversation only applies to Jaguars & Jazzmasters, right?

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