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When did the first "mint" pickguards show up on Jazzmasters? I understand they were available on custom colors pretty early, but anytime I see one it seems to be on something in the 61-62 timeframe, or much later. On a '59 or '60, I always see tort or anodized gold aluminum.

I ask because I'm thinking about refinishing my (already refinished, in thick Dakota Red poly) 1959 Jazzmaster (NGD from a few weeks ago on the other board). My favorite color combo in the world is Olympic White with a mint PG (and rosewood FB, of course), but I think I'd rather refinish it with an accurate color scheme for a '59. I have a really good reproduction anodized gold PG on there now, so I could go with that, but not sure Olympic White would be my first choice with a gold guard.

Would welcome any thoughts!

Probably not the most informed opinion, but when I think of a 59 JM I imagine either a 2 tone sunburst with gold guard, or Oly white with a tort guard. Mayyyybe a fiesta red with mint.

AFAIK Fender didn't start doing custom colors until 1960. Jazzmasters were only available in sunburst in 1959 - they switched from gold guards to tort about halfway through '59.

adamrobertt wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:14 pm

AFAIK Fender didn't start doing custom colors until 1960. Jazzmasters were only available in sunburst in 1959 - they switched from gold guards to tort about halfway through '59.

Interesting. So no Olympic White in 1959?

Tiny C wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:59 am

adamrobertt wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:14 pm

AFAIK Fender didn't start doing custom colors until 1960. Jazzmasters were only available in sunburst in 1959 - they switched from gold guards to tort about halfway through '59.

Interesting. So no Olympic White in 1959?

I don't believe so, no. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

As far as mint guards go, I'm not totally sure. I am under the impression that the guards were meant to be parchment, or like a slightly off white color. There is some debate as to how the mint guards came to be - some people think that it was just a bad batch of guards that ever frugal Fender decided to use anyway - others say that they started out as parchment but aged to look minty over time. I'm not sure which is true and I'm not completely sure about when this happened. I'm guessing early 60s though.

Usually by the time you get to binding and blocks the guards are white again.

1.) Custom colors were available on Fender guitars as early as 1954. In fact, the rarest custom colors were in the 1950s since they were often literally custom ordered. The custom color program was not standardized until 1962 when a color chart was produced and marketed as an upgrade.

2.) 1958/1959 Jazzmasters were predominantly sunburst, but plenty of blonde (over ash) examples are around, plus Olympic white, shoreline gold and even one in black. Typically these had a tort guard or gold, but some early mint guards exist in this era.

3.) There is no “‘mistake” with the mint guards - they didn’t always have this color. The early guards were made of celluloid nitrate - a volatile plastic that is easily flammable and prone to shrinkage, warping ….. and color changing. It stated out a slightly off-white, then turns a bone shade, then often a vaguely mint color. Recognizing this issue, Fender switched to a stable PVC material in 1965 which we know now as “parchment”