NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:21 am

Hi all,

A couple of weeks ago I bought an old refinished Jazzmaster. I absolutely love the guitar - just a really different sound and a bit bigger bag of tricks available than my Telecaster. I play it through a Princeton Reverb reissue and it's just magic. Really enjoying the smaller neck and have never had such a usable tremolo. So happy to have come across this guitar and can't believe it took me 30 years of playing to realize how fun these Fender offsets are.

Anyway, as for specifics on the guitar, it was sold as a 1959, with replacement tuners, a newer volume pot, custom shop PG, and a rewound bridge pickup that is a bit newer but still a black-bottom. And of course, a refinished body and neck (including decal). This is my first vintage guitar of any kind, so I'm far from an expert, but that mostly seems right to me. I am on the fence as to whether I like the paint - it looks like a pretty heavy poly finish, and has a few battle scars for sure.

I'm curious as to whether it's a 1959 or 1960. I have not had the stones to take the neck off or remove the pickups or shielding yet, but I figured I would share some pics for your enjoyment, and would welcome any thoughts from you all on what I'm looking at, what looks original or not, etc. I know it's a player and not something you'd see in a museum - I'm just curious and want to learn more about it.

Thanks!

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

User avatar
Axolotl
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1267
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:06 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Axolotl » Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:40 am

Nice find!! Looks amazing. That gold guard :?

Since there is probably no neck heel date and the guard is a repro, the only way of approximately dating it would be the pot dates and neckplate number? But Most likely a 59 because of the Pat. Pend tremolo plate. It looks like it's got a refret with bigger frets, it probably plays itself!

From what I see everything checks out. What's the deal with the finish? It looks like a thick poly-ish type of paint in the photos.

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:09 pm

Thanks axolotl! I do love the gold guard.

Neck plate is 426xx which the internet says is usually 1960 - of course, I have also read that that numbering can be unreliable.

The tone pot is dated "937" which would put it at Sept 1959, from what I read.

The seller said the neck heel said 10/59 but he didn't have any pictures and like I said, I haven't taken it off either. I since read that there usually is not a neck heel date on late '59 JMs at all, so who knows - slightly sketchy for sure, but based on other factors (like the slab FB, the tremolo plate, the amber switch, the serial #) I assume it's in the right ballpark in any case.

On the finish, I think you're right. Something thick and poly-ish, but it's a pretty cool color. It's kind of freeing to have a crappy refin, because I can just get it refinished if I fall out of love with it.

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3569
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by MattK » Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:55 pm

It looks so thick you could probably take it off with a heat gun and a credit card. Awesome guitar otherwise!

User avatar
Pacafeliz
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 18518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:34 pm
Location: Cococologne, Germany

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Pacafeliz » Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:15 pm

Nice! :-*
The volume pot is dated 1973, other than that seems all ok. Beautiful. A dream of mine.
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

User avatar
supersonicjazzmaster
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 389
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:10 pm
Location: Berlinesia, Germanifornia

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by supersonicjazzmaster » Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:04 am

Nice find! Congratulations!!!
Looks cool.
Do you know the weight of your Jazzmaster?

If this is your first vintage guitar, and it plays and sounds as it should, you got it.
Play iiiiiit!

At first I thought you talk about this one here: https://mmguitarbar.com/products/rev-39 ... 3283369146
It starts... when it begins.
Ralf Kilauea

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:00 am

MatthewK wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:55 pm
It looks so thick you could probably take it off with a heat gun and a credit card.
I'm tempted!

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:04 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:15 pm
Nice! :-*
The volume pot is dated 1973, other than that seems all ok. Beautiful. A dream of mine.
Thank you! I am very happy to have found it and am playing it constantly!

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:50 am

Axolotl wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:40 am
It looks like it's got a refret with bigger frets, it probably plays itself!
That's interesting - seller said frets were original but I was surprised at how easy it was to play, bend, etc. So if it had a refret that would explain it! Here are a few closer-up pics if they make it easier to tell if the frets are original:

Image
Image
Image

This last one cracks me up b/c it looks like the guy putting the side dots on the 12th fret may have been hitting the sauce on his lunch break: :D
Image

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:52 am

Trying again with those pictures:

Image

Image

Image

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24464
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:32 pm

It'll be really interesting to see the neck date (if any) of this guitar.

I have a similar "59-60" Jazzmaster with slightly different stories to yours.
It lived for quite a while with a "Scottish" gold guard that I (regretfully) sold.
That repro guard looks pretty convincing. Do you know who made it?
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.

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:03 am

supersonicjazzmaster wrote:
Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:04 am
Nice find! Congratulations!!!
Looks cool.
Do you know the weight of your Jazzmaster?

If this is your first vintage guitar, and it plays and sounds as it should, you got it.
Play iiiiiit!

At first I thought you talk about this one here: https://mmguitarbar.com/products/rev-39 ... 3283369146
Thanks! I just weighed it: 7lbs, 9.6 oz. It’s 3 oz lighter than my Baja Telecaster. I wonder how much of that weight is the finish! Haha

I had seen the mmguitarbar one on Reverb when I was looking. That one looks a bit more clean/original than mine - of course, it has the price tag and (epic) poetic description to match!

User avatar
Tiny C
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:19 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Tiny C » Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:58 am

PorkyPrimeCut wrote:
Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:32 pm
It'll be really interesting to see the neck date (if any) of this guitar.

I have a similar "59-60" Jazzmaster with slightly different stories to yours.
It lived for quite a while with a "Scottish" gold guard that I (regretfully) sold.
That repro guard looks pretty convincing. Do you know who made it?
I don't know who made it - the seller said it was a "custom shop" guard, but I don't see anything on it that indicates it is from Fender. It doesn't have any markings at all. My guess is it's a pretty well-done custom guard but not a Fender Custom Shop guard. It does fit VERY snugly against the neck heel - the heel has some scratches on it toward the treble side from folks taking the PG on and off.

So, did you decide whether to call yours a 59 or a 60?

User avatar
Axolotl
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1267
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:06 am

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by Axolotl » Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:36 am

Could that be the original guard? Or at least an original vintage Fender one? Maybe the/one previous owner didn't know much about jazzmasters and thought the metal pickguard was odd and assumed it was custom made? When I saw the pics before reading your OP I thought it was an orginal 59 anodized guard, which were coming the first part of that year.

User avatar
PorkyPrimeCut
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 24464
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
Location: Leipzig
Contact:

Re: NGD: 1959/60? Jazzmaster

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:15 pm

Tiny C wrote:
Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:58 am
...So, did you decide whether to call yours a 59 or a 60?
All the pots on mine are late '59 so I'm going with that year. Neckplates tend to be less accurate.

It's a bit of a partsmaster as I had to buy an 11-hole tortoiseshell guard & I picked up an early 1960 neck (I bought it with a bad paint job & a 2000 Squier Affinity neck). It also came with odd pickups (a '59 and a '63).
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.

Post Reply