Re: Help identify the orginal color of my '61 Jazzmaster...

Post by **Jay** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:31 pm

I'm about to send this body off to Curtis to have the original refin stripped and a new, correct original refin applied. I can't find a trace of dark color on the body anywhere to indicated sunburst. You can see from the pics of the back that the body was stained but it looks like an original blonde in the neck pocket. I can see a distinct line where the white overspray starts from what I would assume was the "paint stick." Looking for additional opinions. Does this wood look like ash? The back has a bit of that old tele look to me. The object is to restore this to how it was when it was brand new or I would probably just go with a red.

Pics are fairly large...
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... /front.jpg
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... front1.jpg
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... front2.jpg
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... pocket.jpg
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... y/trem.jpg
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/j ... y/back.jpg

Post by **daydreamdelay** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:45 pm

well as far as I know ash has a lot of grain.. definitely more than alder and the worn spot in last pic shows a lot more grain than I've seen on alder. I'd say it's ash and judging by what I see in the cavities it certainly looks like it was blonde in it's previous life

CaptainCrunch · Post by **CaptainCrunch** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:49 pm

That is 100% blonde over ash.

There's a good enough look at it in the rhythm circuit cavity to say blonde, and on the belt buckle burn-that wood couldn't be anything else.

Post by **mynameisjonas** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:58 am

i´m usually terrible at telling these things but that definitely looks like ash/blonde to me.

Post by **daydreamdelay** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:49 am

that last pic definitely says it all

Post by **zhivago** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 5:00 am

I'd vote for Ash as well...reminds me of the grain on my Ash Jazzmaster

Post by **fullerplast** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 5:55 am

+5

Ash.

You are a lucky man!

Post by **Jay** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:25 am

Great! Thanks guys... so a Blonde finish it will be.

This probably also explains why this guitar has such a distinct difference in sound from my other two.

Post by **zhivago** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:38 am

this is so cool....taking into account their rarity, we have quite a few Ash slab board Jazzmasters on the forum!!

Post by **fullerplast** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:57 am

Jay wrote: This probably also explains why this guitar has such a distinct difference in sound from my other two.

Most definitely. And ash with a gold guard would sound different yet.

Are you going for a complete restoration (everything matching) or a nice compilation of various parts?

Post by **Jay** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:26 am

Nothing else really needs restored... well, other then the lame fretwork. I was just hoping to get the finish back to what it was originally. Here's the guitar together...

http://jaycollins.com/D50/61_JM/images/_DSC7225.jpg

fullerplast wrote:
Jay wrote: This probably also explains why this guitar has such a distinct difference in sound from my other two.
Most definitely. And ash with a gold guard would sound different yet.

Are you going for a complete restoration (everything matching) or a nice compilation of various parts?

StevenO · Post by **StevenO** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:29 am

Damn that's nice.

Post by **mezcalhead** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:04 am

Nice, so it won't be a big change to go blonde.

You just need a selector switch tip!

Post by **fullerplast** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:51 am

Nothing else really needs restored...

Cool! That will be

with a proper blonde finish...

Edit: Not that it wasn't

already anyway!

Post by **Jay** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:26 pm

mezcalhead wrote: Nice, so it won't be a big change to go blonde.

You just need a selector switch tip!

I've got the tip. It was in the case separate since it didn't stay on very well but I've since remedied that.