62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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sounderstudios
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62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:17 am

Can someone point me towards the changes in Jazzmaster bodies from 1962-66? Have one that has been refinished (poorly). What features would point towards a 1962 body? I can't get much data on nail holes or neck pocket stick line due to the refin. The one remaining shield (top control cavity) was held in with metal points. Anything else to check?

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by MrFingers » Thu Aug 17, 2017 3:11 am

Maybe the way it is grounded? Is there a connection from the control cavity going to the tailpiece or not? IIRC, the 1962 will not have such a connection, where the '66 will. (the '62 is grounded via the bridge thimble, using a piece of string connected to the bottom of the bridge pickup cavity).

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by mcatano » Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:40 am

A '66 is often more than 3-pieces, often with a laminate top and back to hide the construction.

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Axolotl » Thu Aug 17, 2017 9:47 am

mcatano wrote:A '66 is often more than 3-pieces, often with a laminate top and back to hide the construction.
Laminate top and back? On vintage Jazmasters? I don't think there is such a thing ???

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by FrankRay » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:04 am

Earlier bodies have a really smooth curve around the contours; slim, almost pointy. By 66 the bodies were much less rounded and curvy... more like blocks really. Some barely even have an arm contour at all. Just much cheaper finishing on them.

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:05 am

Let's see some pics of the body (contours and cavities) There will be differences, some of them will be on the cusp depending on if its an early or later 62. Or if its' a 62 at all.

One big thing, there should be a pencil date in the trem cavity or under the bridge pickup shield if it's a 62. I think they stopped doing that around mid-63, maybe a tad later.

The backside of the upper horn on earlier bodies (where the horn meets the tummy cut) will have a much more sculpted and smooth transition. Compare the contours on the back of a few 66-80 with a 59-64 for example.

Is there a hole going to the trem cavity from the main control route?

FYI - mcatano: I think you might be referring to some bodies that were cobbled together from multiple pieces in the late 60s. A lot of these were eventually sprayed solid colors or faux burst. But I don't think it was too common.

Most of this stuff was on Jim Shine's Jazzmaster and Jaguar pages but I see it's no longer active.
Wish I'd have saved those pages.
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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:41 am

[quote="kosmonautmayhem"]Let's see some pics of the body (contours and cavities) There will be differences, some of them will be on the cusp depending on if its an early or later 62. Or if its' a 62 at all.

Thanks! I knew there was info elsewhere. That's a shame about Jim Shine's page. I'll get some photos of the body. It's had no less than 4 refinish jobs over the years so the pencil date if there, is obscured. As is the hole to the trem cavity, which if there, is filled with paint. Kind of thinking it's not though. I'm hoping to strip the finish in a few areas to see what I can find. The upper horn may be the place to look for now. Thimble height, is that a thing too?

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:10 am

Not likely the hole to the trem cavity is totally blocked. Unless the paint is really gooped in there. !! :o You can also look in the main cavity for a hole that should be around the bridge pickup area somewhere in the wall leading to the trem. But then again, the thats not a sure fire way to know exact date. Just that it's early.

Thimbles are a better indicator. Are they tall or short? If they're tall, it's not later than early-62.

re: the pencil markings, you could get some citrus strip and just strip away the paint in the cavities. It will expose the pencil markings and shouldn't harm them. I did this with a mid-late 64 body only to realize it was after they stopped dating bodies. All I found under years of refins (mine had like four layers!) was a "circle C" which I can only assume was to mark the body for a custom color - since the pickguard was mint. ;)
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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:36 am

Here's a link with the initial pictures I took. Neck date is MAY 62, pots 61, pick guard looks correct for a 62. I'll take some more shots of the back and will look for any ground wire holes. PS Short thimbles. Thanks for the assistance.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B87iq ... DdOb3d3aXM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:47 am

Woah, last of the slab boards. I have no reason to doubt the body is original to the guitar. I don't see any holes or remnants of a hole in the trem cavity. You'll probably find a pencil date if you use some mild paint stripper. Nothing under the bridge pickup? It looks like who ever painted it, did so over the cavity shields. If the pickup shields are still in there you may have something intact underneath.

Also - looks like pickup lead wires are replaced. You probably caught that already though. ;)
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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:58 am

I added a few more photos to the drive and a short video from last week. Three of the four shields were missing. I removed the one remaining which was held in place with steel points (almost like the broken tip of razor knife blade. solder connection for ground was made here as well). Shot the video after that. Started scraping with a straight blade and found in order: lt blue metallic, green metallic, some sort of red, then a salmon color (original?), then what appears to be the Fender off white primer. As you can see the clear over the yellow refin is very thick. Looks like Varathane if you remember that product. A heat gun may take it off quickly. Would the pencil date be under the white primer if that is indeed what I am seeing?

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Ursa Minor » Thu Aug 17, 2017 12:07 pm

Pencil marking are right on the bare wood. Not sure if that's before or after the sanding sealer, if they even used sealer?

I liked the citrus strip method best since you can apply it, wait a little bit and try to use a flat scraper to wipe the paint away. It won't gouge the wood and won't delete the pencil.
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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Fri Aug 18, 2017 5:40 am

Posted a few shots of the full body in the google drive. Hoping to make some progress with Citristrip this weekend.

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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by Ursa Minor » Fri Aug 18, 2017 5:43 pm

Excellent!
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Re: 62 or 66 Jazzmaster?

Post by sounderstudios » Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:44 am

A capital "A" written in pencil in the trem cavity under all of that paint!

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