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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION |
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A Surfing Legend for Cutting Edge Artists! Despite the success of its popular Stratocaster® and Telecaster® models, like most companies, FENDER® was always looking for the "next big thing." And so the Jazzmaster™ made its first appearance on Fender price lists in 1958 at $329 - or $50 more than a Strat® at the time! And at that price, the company couldn't resist the temptation to add a bit of hype by dubbing the Jazzmaster™, "America's finest electric guitar... unequal in performance and design features." The most striking aspect of this new guitar was its offset-waist body (which it would continue with the release of the Jaguar® a few years later). Other "firsts" included a standard rosewood fingerboard glued to the traditional maple neck (Strats got rosewood in about 1959), a new floating vibrato with a locking button and redesigned pickups. In truth, the Jazzmaster was richer and warmer than most Fenders up to that point, and the company hoped that would extend its appeal to (as you'd expect) jazz players. The controls were also elaborate for the time, and players could actually dial in "preset" lead and rhythm tones. This Jazzmaster reissue is a prime example of what Fender was producing in 1962. True, it wasn't the resounding success that the company had with their Strat and Tele®, but even today, some players appreciate its vintage vibe and distinctive tone. On a historical note, the Jazzmaster was the first Fender to feature the larger headstock, later adapted across all the models during the "CBS era." Fender American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster At a Glance:
That Unique Fender Style Fender guitars of the late '50s and early '60s borrowed a lot from the "futuristic" automobile designs of the times - think Chevy Impala or Cadillac El Dorado! The original Jazzmaster was designed with a somewhat radical offset-waist body shape (later adopted in the 1962 Jaguar) along with additional contours and bevels that allowed the guitar to be perfectly balanced when played sitting down (keep in mind that in the 1950s, most guitar players worked sitting, usually up on a bandstand). Another "upgrade" was the separate bridge and "floating" vibrato system. New Pickups for a More "Sophisticated" Sound The Jazzmaster offered up newly designed, wider single coil pickups and special new circuitry that produced a richer, broader tonal palette, but without the brighter tone - or "bite" - of the Tele® or the Strat®. The idea was to appeal to a more "sophisticated" player, hence the more traditional dual pickup design. As it turned out, this new sound would eventually appeal to a much wider audience, as the guitar found its way into the fabric of "teen music" and became the pre-eminent musical instrument of the 1960s - and beyond! Rosewood Returns Fender guitars initially turned heads with their unique "blonde" maple necks. Again, as the Jazzmaster was built from the ground up to appeal to more traditional tastes, Fender decided to adopt the tried and true approach of a rosewood fingerboard, but overlaid this onto their trademark maple necks, though the company would eventually offer rosewood fingerboards across the entire product line. A final touch was the larger headstock which eventually became the standard for all Fender guitars during the 1960s. Vintage Vibe This particular reissue is a dead-on replica of what is considered the quintessential Jazzmaster built in 1962, and in keeping with its vintage, features a nitro-cellulose lacquer finish. American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster Features:
Fender Guitars You could easily make the case that Fender electric guitars were responsible - at least in great part - for the birth of modern rock 'n' roll. Originally designed to be easier to build, and thus more affordable, Leo Fender's masterpieces, which include classics like the Stratocaster (is there a more distinctive guitar shape in the world?), the Telecaster and the original Precision Bass®, were at the core of a musical revolution that spawned everything from surf to country to punk! In the 1960s, when Fender guitars first hit bandstands and stages all around the country, it was astonishing to see that trademark Fender maple neck and fingerboard. Though the company eventually offered rosewood fingerboards as standard or optional on its entire line of instruments, those first "blond" necks really shook things up. Others have picked up on the maple neck theme, but it's clearly yet another of Leo Fender's "firsts." Today, no other manufacturer can match Fender for the sheer number of options available throughout its entire line. While vintage Fenders can command astronomic prices, the company now has the widest range of quality instruments in the world, along with the highest profile players like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, all of whom are legendary.  Tell a Friend About the American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster! Print This PageSee Also: Solid Bodies |
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