Are all Firemist Silver Metallic '65 AVRI's Thin Skins?

[Yeahbuddy]

Bought this FMSM JM from GC and am trying to figure out whether its a thin skin. I see where Wildwood was/is selling some that are, but wasn't sure about mine. I'm also not sure where it came from originally, so that could make identifying it even harder. I called Fender but the guy said that the flash coat that is on all '65 AVRI JM and Jags, is the same as the thin skin. Yet Wildwood is calling them thin skin, as if to suggest they're thinner than the other '65's. Maybe just a sneaky marketing tactic?

[Unicorn Warrior]

Pretty sure they were, but someone else on here may correct me. Curious to know about the thin skins actually being thin or not though? That's new to me

[Francer]

Fender made a limited run of regular firemist silver Av65 JMs, myself and a few others here own some of them. As far as I know the wildwood ones have a 9.5 fretboard radius and the regular ones 7.25, not aware of any other differences. If you can get your fretboard radius measured that should tell you what you have.

Also, may be just the colour reproduction on website pictures but the Wildwood ones appear to have mint green or off white pickguards, my Non-wildwood definitely has a white pickguard.

[sunburster]

Just look at the serial number. In the case of Firemist Silver, V13 or V14 serials will be the normal AV65. V16 or V17 will be the thin skin AV65.

Thin skins have 9.5" radius and 6105 frets. Otherwise they are the same as normal AV65s which have 7.25" radius and vintage-size frets.

[Despot]

The whole 'thin skin' name is sort of redundant with the AV65s.

I had an original '62 AVRI 'Thin Skin' (in beautiful CAR - a really dark/deep CAR) and I had an Aztec Gold AV65. The AV65 had at least as thin (if not thinner) a finish than the '62 Thin Skin. Both were thinner skinned than the old AVRIs though - they tend to have quite thick nitro finishes in my experience.

In that sense the only difference between the limited run 65AV in Firemist silver and the Wildwood thin skins is really the fingerboard radius/frets. Personally I prefer the stock 65AV - vintage frets/radius feels better to me than flatter radius and chunkier frets.

[Yeahbuddy]

I forgot to "follow" this posting when I made it, so I'm just now seeing your replies. So first thanks for the input. I thought that all the 65 AVRI JM's had the 9.5 radius and 6105 frets, but apparently not. Also, I had originally contacted Fender about mine and they replied with this message:

"Hello Brandon,
I checked in with my coworker who coordinates the special runs and confirmed that your 2014 American Vintage 65 Jazzmaster would have the Thin Skin Nitro finish. We refer to that as our “flash coat” nitro finish, but they are the same thing,. I modified our standard factory spec sheet for the American Vintage Jazzmasters to reflect your instruments specs. Please let me know if you have any other questions!"

Model Name: American Vintage ‘65 Jazzmaster
Model Number: 0112200859
Serial Number: V1427745
Manufactured: November 2014
Series: Pure Vintage Series
Colors: (859) Firemist Silver, (Fender Flash Coat Lacquer Finish)
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, Mid ‘60s “C” Shape, (Fender Flash Coat Lacquer Finish) (Matching Painted Headstock)
Fingerboard: Bound Round-Laminated Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241mm)
Frets: 21 6105 Narrow Tall Frets
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Nut: Bone 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Machine Heads: Single Line Fender Deluxe Vintage Tuning Machines
Bridge: American Vintage Adjustable 6-Saddle Jazzmaster Bridge with “Floating” Tremolo Tailpiece with Lock Button
Pickguard: 3-Ply Eggshell/Black/Eggshell
Pickups: 2 New American Vintage ‘65 Jazzmaster Single-Coil Pickups (Neck & Bridge)
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle (Lower Bout):
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
Position 3. Neck Pickup
2-Position Slide (Upper Bout):
Up: Rhythm Tone Circuit
Down: Lead Tone Circuit
Controls: “Lead” Circuit: Volume, Tone, (Knobs on Lower Pickguard) “Rhythm” Circuit: Volume, Tone, (Thumb Wheels on Upper Pickguard)
Strings: Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel, Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046)
Case: Deluxe Vintage Black Hardshell Case, P/N 0094798000
Unique Features: Fender Flash Coat Lacquer Finish Recreates the Finish Look and Texture from the ‘60s, Matching Painted Headstock on (805) Olympic White, Mid ‘60s “C” Shape Maple Neck, Comfortably Rolled Neck Edges, White Fingerboard Binding, All-New Pickups Wound to Period-Correct Specs and Sound, Vintage-Accurate Tuner Alignment, New White “Witch Hat” Control Knobs, White Pickup Covers and Tips, Bone Nut, Mid ‘60s Style Oversized 7mm White Pearloid Face Dot Position Inlays, White Pearloid Side Dot Position Inlays, Butterfly String Tree, Vintage Style Heel Truss Rod Adjustment
Source: U.S.

So this seems to contradict some things some of you were saying, but I honestly felt like this dude was possibly just telling me what he thought I wanted to hear.

[Yeahbuddy]

Just look at the serial number. In the case of Firemist Silver, V13 or V14 serials will be the normal AV65. V16 or V17 will be the thin skin AV65.

Thin skins have 9.5" radius and 6105 frets. Otherwise they are the same as normal AV65s which have 7.25" radius and vintage-size frets.

Mine is a 2014, and definitely has the 6105 frets and 9.5 inch radius, so I'm guessing it's a "thin skin", but if the guy from Fender is correct, the whole '65 line is a thinner finish, and the thin skins are not anymore thin than the others.

[sunburster]

Just look at the serial number. In the case of Firemist Silver, V13 or V14 serials will be the normal AV65. V16 or V17 will be the thin skin AV65.

Thin skins have 9.5" radius and 6105 frets. Otherwise they are the same as normal AV65s which have 7.25" radius and vintage-size frets.

Mine is a 2014, and definitely has the 6105 frets and 9.5 inch radius.

Thin Skins with the 9.5" and 6105 frets weren't made until last year. In 2014 they only made standard av65s.

If your neck really has 6105 frets, it was refretted by a previous owner.

[Yeahbuddy]

Not only are they 6105, but the radius is definitely 9.5 inch. Im not just going by what the guy from Fender told me, but also it's pretty obvious when you compare it with a '62 AVRI that isn't a thin skin. Wildwood isn't the only company that makes special runs for Fender, so it's entirely possible another company made these first, and you just weren't aware of it.

[sunburster]

Sorry, no, that isn't possible.

65 thin skins were ordered by Wildwood in 2016. None were made prior to this.

Firemist Silver was an FSR color for the AV65s in 2014 (I've heard 150-200 were made). They recently made them again for Wildwood in Thin Skin specs in 2017.

Those are the facts.

I've read several people (who post here) who thought their regular AV65 had a 9.5" radius until they put a radius gauge on the fretboard and saw it was really 7.25". It's the binding that makes it appear flatter than it is, to some people.

Here are original threads detailing the launch of these 65 thin skins, from February 2016:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=96717" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=96511" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Yeahbuddy]

Sorry, no, that isn't possible.

65 thin skins were ordered by Wildwood in 2016. None were made prior to this.

Firemist Silver was an FSR color for the AV65s in 2014 (I've heard 150-200 were made). They recently made them again for Wildwood in Thin Skin specs in 2017.

Those are the facts.

I've read several people (who post here) who thought their regular AV65 had a 9.5" radius until they put a radius gauge on the fretboard and saw it was really 7.25". It's the binding that makes it appear flatter than it is, to some people.

Here are original threads detailing the launch of these 65 thin skins, from February 2016:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=96717
viewtop ... =6&t=96511

Lol. This is exactly the kind of smug arrogance I expected to run into on this site. So when I called the Fender guy originally I only gave him the serial to see what he told me, and he sent me that email with the specs. The only thing I wasn't sure about was whether he was right when he said that the normal flash coat was the same as a thin skin. I've since spoken to Wildwood, and they tell me that although the flash coat is thinner on all 65's, Wildwood's thin skins are entirely nitro, and don't have a poly undercoat. So at this point what I know is that I have a special run but not necessarily a thin skin, because while wildwood didn't make this run, one of the few other companies that do these special runs may have. Even if its not a thin skin, that doesn't mean that another company didn't do their special runs with the 9.5 in radius and 6105 frets.

[Yeahbuddy]

After speaking with another Fender rep, and then finding this ad:http://www.vintageguitar.com/15644/fend ... ge-series/, I'm confident now that the "thin skin" finish is just a marketing ploy that is a carryover from when the finishes were actually thinner than the standard runs. The guy from Wildwood was wrong about the standard '65 AVRI's having a poly coat underneath, as both the Fender rep and that ad have stated there isn't one. So in effect, the only things different about the thin skins are the FSR colors, radius, and fret size.

[spacecadet]

So in effect, the only things different about the thin skins are the FSR colors, radius, and fret size.

You got it.

btw, I also have one of the original FMS AV65's. I like 'em better than the Thin Skins; I like the smaller frets and 7.25" radius (and as you say the TS are otherwise a little redundant as far as the finish goes). The TS line made a little more sense when the original AVRI's were around, which do have a pretty thick poly undercoat.

But, if someone really just wanted a FMS guitar with matching headstock, I wouldn't blame them for buying a TS if that's what was available. It is a beautiful color. The color's the only reason I haven't sold mine

[Yeahbuddy]

So in effect, the only things different about the thin skins are the FSR colors, radius, and fret size.

You got it.

btw, I also have one of the original FMS AV65's. I like 'em better than the Thin Skins; I like the smaller frets and 7.25" radius (and as you say the TS are otherwise a little redundant as far as the finish goes). The TS line made a little more sense when the original AVRI's were around, which do have a pretty thick poly undercoat.

But, if someone really just wanted a FMS guitar with matching headstock, I wouldn't blame them for buying a TS if that's what was available. It is a beautiful color. The color's the only reason I haven't sold mine

I'm with you on the vintage spec's being preferable. I actually like the pickups better on the 62's too. I think I prefer ice blue metallic to FMSM though. FMSM is a little too effeminate for me - I just bought it for resale. I feel the same way about this color that I do when I mistakenly pick up a women's Nike running shoe that I think looks cool, but then realize its not a men's simply because I start to feel there's something too "light" about the look of it.

[Yeahbuddy]

Just got this from Wildwood:

"On the 65 you are correct my apologies. Fender did switch to flash coat on AVRI for this year. So for the 65 jazz masters the only difference is the 9.5 radius and 6105s. I'm not 100% which pick up Fender is using but on the Jazzmasters I think we are using the same pick ups."