Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
- Guitarman555
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Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Hi, I am wondering about quality and type of wood fender and after cbs used in 50´s, 60´s, 70´s. Does anybody knows details? Neck, body, how many part of wood, I am just interested and never studied this stuff.
- Guitarman555
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Any ideas, experiences? Thanks!
- Rob
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
My understanding was that US-made Jazzmasters are almost universally alder bodies with maple necks and rosewood fretboards (with some rare offerings sans rosewood, or with ash bodies). Though I think starting around 1975, they started using ash for all the sunburst and non-opaque finishes. Aside from alder and ash, I think the Japanese reissues in the 90s were primarily basswood bodies.
As for how many parts, CBS-era Jazzmasters transitioned away from the 1-piece and 2-piece bodies. By around 1968, pretty much every instrument was 3-piece or 4-piece.
As for how many parts, CBS-era Jazzmasters transitioned away from the 1-piece and 2-piece bodies. By around 1968, pretty much every instrument was 3-piece or 4-piece.
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Ash was also used in the 50s, particularly for blonde finishes.
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- jeff m.
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Guitarman555,
Mate, there is such a lot of ground to cover in such a question, & so many books ( remember them ) that cover everything & probably more that you wish to know. One I'd really recommend is "FENDER..The Sound Heard 'round the World" by Richard Smith. Goes back to the early days of Fender up to about the early '90s.
Great read..came out in the mid '90s, I think..full of great photos of prototypes, one-offs etc.
Good place to start, & best of all, you can probably pick it up pretty cheap these days secondhand.
Just a thought.
Best,
Jeff.
Mate, there is such a lot of ground to cover in such a question, & so many books ( remember them ) that cover everything & probably more that you wish to know. One I'd really recommend is "FENDER..The Sound Heard 'round the World" by Richard Smith. Goes back to the early days of Fender up to about the early '90s.
Great read..came out in the mid '90s, I think..full of great photos of prototypes, one-offs etc.
Good place to start, & best of all, you can probably pick it up pretty cheap these days secondhand.
Just a thought.
Best,
Jeff.
- Guitarman555
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Many thanks Rob! So 1959 will be probably one piece alder or ash? And 1963-64 will be 1 or two piece alder body?Rob wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:23 amMy understanding was that US-made Jazzmasters are almost universally alder bodies with maple necks and rosewood fretboards (with some rare offerings sans rosewood, or with ash bodies). Though I think starting around 1975, they started using ash for all the sunburst and non-opaque finishes. Aside from alder and ash, I think the Japanese reissues in the 90s were primarily basswood bodies.
As for how many parts, CBS-era Jazzmasters transitioned away from the 1-piece and 2-piece bodies. By around 1968, pretty much every instrument was 3-piece or 4-piece.
- Guitarman555
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Do in 1958/1959 jazzmasters it was ash or alder? Sunburst perhaps more probable alder?PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:31 amAsh was also used in the 50s, particularly for blonde finishes.
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Well, in 50´s there were only sunburst jazzmasters, so this should be all alder?PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:31 amAsh was also used in the 50s, particularly for blonde finishes.
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
^^^ A few 59 suburst Jazzmasters are made of ash (my refin in trans red certainly looks like it). There were also blonde Jazzmasters in 59, those were most likely ash also.
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
It is an interesting information! How I recognize wheather 1959 body is ash or alder? By weight? Is alder hevier, so let´t say 9 pounds? I think alder should be around 8 pounds and something, don´t you think?
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
I think, with blonde Jazzmasters, ash was used as the figuring in the wood was more prominent & showed up through the finish a little more. This is a '59...Guitarman555 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:14 amIt is an interesting information! How I recognize wheather 1959 body is ash or alder?
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Wow this is beautiful! What is weight of your jazzy??PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:29 amI think, with blonde Jazzmasters, ash was used as the figuring in the wood was more prominent & showed up through the finish a little more. This is a '59...Guitarman555 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:14 amIt is an interesting information! How I recognize wheather 1959 body is ash or alder?
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Gorgeous, isn't it?
It's not mine unfortunately, (although I do have a '59 Jazzmaster).
It's not mine unfortunately, (although I do have a '59 Jazzmaster).
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.
- Guitarman555
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
Yeaah, looks so cool, it is really obvious how the wood appears under the finish. So this is the legendary ash jazzmaster! I am wondering weather ash jazzmasters are heavier than the alder ones..it would be interesting to know.PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:41 amGorgeous, isn't it?
It's not mine unfortunately, (although I do have a '59 Jazzmaster).
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Re: Woods used for 50´s, 60´s, 70´s strats, tele´s and jazzmasters
It's arguably the most famous Jazzmaster on the forum.Guitarman555 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:51 amYeaah, looks so cool, it is really obvious how the wood appears under the finish. So this is the legendary ash jazzmaster! I am wondering weather ash jazzmasters are heavier than the alder ones..it would be interesting to know.PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:41 amGorgeous, isn't it?
It's not mine unfortunately, (although I do have a '59 Jazzmaster).
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.