1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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lemming
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1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by lemming » Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:31 pm

This 1965 Jazzmaster I got recently has an "A-size" neck. Before I got this guitar, I wasn't aware that Fender had a formalized system of different neck widths / thicknesses. After I got the guitar, I started doing some internet searching to help me decipher the various neck codes, so I learned what the A means. I haven't played the guitar enough to decide whether or not I really like the neck. I don't necessarily dislike it, but it's pretty darned thin. Are there people out there who actually prefer these A necks? I mean, do people seek them out?

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by Embenny » Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:08 pm

I have three 60's A-width necks (one jag, two mustangs) and love them.
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by lemming » Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:36 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2020 2:08 pm
I have three 60's A-width necks (one jag, two mustangs) and love them.
Cool. Fender must have made them for a reason. I was a little taken aback by how thin they are. I suppose part of it is just a matter of getting used to the size.

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by Surfysonic » Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:40 am

My '65 Fender Mustang has a B neck and is very thin to me. In your decyphering efforts, is the B thinner or thicker than the A?

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My '66 Fender Mustang neck is a little fuller for these big ol' hands. Just checked photos of my '63 Jaguar - also a B and a perfect neck for my hands. My '63 Jazzmaster's neck has no A or B designation but feels like the '63 Jaguar neck. Were these A and B designations for short scale guitars only?
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by lemming » Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:51 am

Surfysonic wrote:
Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:40 am
In your decyphering efforts, is the B thinner or thicker than the A?
Based on what I've read, A is the thinnest.
Surfysonic wrote:
Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:40 am
Were these A and B designations for short scale guitars only?
Apparently not. From what I've read, Fender put these designations on bass necks as well. Based on what I've read, the sizes ranged from A (the thinnest) all the way to D.

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by lemming » Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:52 am

Surfysonic wrote:
Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:40 am
My '65 Fender Mustang has a B neck and is very thin to me.
By the way, sweet Mustang!

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by Surfysonic » Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:54 am

Cool, thanks for the info and the kind words for the '65 Mustang - it was a special order/promotional blue sparkle that I stumbled across 6 years ago at a used guitar shop here in Maryland. More about that can be found here: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 41&t=81168
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by thisisnickpaige » Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:27 am

All vintage necks have a margin of error/variance, but the general markings stand:

A is thinnest, B is normal, C is thickest.

I've had several A necks and they were all shredders. My 64 Jazzmaster A neck did get a bit tight down by the nut but other than that it had an awesome feel to it. Over the years i have seen a greater number of short scale necks with A markings, but i've also seen a handful of A Jazzmaster necks too. So it may have been a special order thing at the time.

I had never heard of D before. And i've only ever seen or heard of maybe a few C necks. I think one was a Jazzmaster and one a P bass.
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by randym » Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:23 am

From Fretboard.com:

As to the letter designations, "A", "B", "C" and "D". These were stamped on the end of the necks from the early 1960s to about 1973 and refer to the neck width at the nut - not the shape. So when people refer to a "C" neck, referring to its shape, they're wrong. Here's what they represented:

A = 1½"
B = 1⅝"
C = 1¾"
D = 1⅞"
In general, the current production necks have a B nut width; The American Standard is slightly wider, somewhere in between the B and C measurements at around 1 11⁄16"

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by lemming » Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:58 am

randym wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:23 am
From Fretboard.com:
This is great info!
randym wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:23 am
D = 1⅞"
:wtf:

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by thisisnickpaige » Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:47 pm

Also, forgot to mention for all things vintage Fender this website is incredible.
http://www.guitarhq.com/fender.html
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by Embenny » Fri Mar 20, 2020 5:55 pm

randym wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:23 am
From Fretboard.com:

As to the letter designations, "A", "B", "C" and "D". These were stamped on the end of the necks from the early 1960s to about 1973 and refer to the neck width at the nut - not the shape. So when people refer to a "C" neck, referring to its shape, they're wrong.
Well, you're both right and wrong there. You're right about the numerical values of A (1.5), B (1 5/8) etc. You're right that, if someone thought the stamp meant a "C" shaped neck, that they're wrong.

But "C" is absolutely a neck profile in wider guitar parlance, as are "V", "D" and "U". They all represent cross-sectional profiles that resemble the letter, with "C" having no shoulder, "D" having a shoulder, "V" being tapered more sharply, etc. They are definitely valid terms, and a "C"-shaped neck is a thing - it's just a different thing than a C-width neck.
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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by Blomberg » Sun Mar 22, 2020 2:23 am

lemming wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:31 pm
Are there people out there who actually prefer these A necks? I mean, do people seek them out?
Yassss!
I love them.
I don't even have particularly small hands, I'd say medium.

I managed to snag an A width Musicmaster neck, which will be going on my '66 Mustang at some point, even if that will make it less original.

Been looking for an A'ish neck for my partscaster Strat (at an affordable price point) for ages, but the closest I've gotten is a 2003 Squier Affinity neck at 39.7 mm, which is not bad, but the neck has some other slight annoyances that may not be worth fixing on such a cheap neck (needs fretwork, basically). Did also buy a 2013 Affinity neck, but that one's much thicker and deeper, don't care for it.
randym wrote:
Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:23 am
In general, the current production necks have a B nut width
I have to disagree with this. Maybe if you're very lax on tolerances. Most of the modern ones I've looked at universally have 42 mm or 43 mm nuts (on paper, anyway) and a very select few are listed as 41.3 mm (1 5/8"). There's a noticeable difference if you tend towards small necks :)

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by randym » Mon Mar 23, 2020 6:32 am

My post was from fretboard.com, not my opinion. I agree with what they say about American 'Standard' (or whatever the name is this year) being 1 11/16, but I'm not sure when they mention 'In general, the current production necks have a B nut width' if they're talking about current vintage reissues, or what.

I have a 63 Musicmaster with an 'A' neck that I like. And a MIJ 67 reissue neck that's almost an 'A' at the nut.

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Re: 1965 A-size Jazzmaster Neck

Post by offkeyericdee » Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:25 pm

Alternate neck widths on vintage Fenders are a wonderful thing. You don't see the A-neck on a Jazzmaster all that often - hang on to that special lady. I've seen a couple on Jaguars over the years, and a ton on Mustangs, Duo-Sonics, and Musicmasters, plus exactly one on a Strat. My go-to guitar, a '68 Jazzmaster, has a C-width neck.
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