(60's?) Frankenjag

[ainm]

I was in the Pacific Northwest over the past fortnight and had a good prowl about the guitar stores in the area. I'm from the UK, so I had a plan of grabbing myself a Duo-Sonic II as we just don't see many of them over here and it's the one vintage guitar I'd love (reason being that I'm a Mustang nut, but I hardtail them so a vintage one would be wasted on me).

Then I found this, which I've reserved but haven't yet paid.



It's horrendous and brilliant all at the same time. It's got a lot wrong with it:

• Non-original neckplate

• Neck almost certainly not original to body and has been drilled for another guitar. Two of the other drill holes are visible from the back. Can't figure that out at all - what body has that neck been on?!

• Neck is stamped 68, but its dots and no binding? Is it even a Jag neck? It's certainly trying to look like one

• Decal looks okay to my unitiated eyes but also looks off. Not used to seeing the outlines visible and my understanding was Fender cut model script off decals with a straight edge (which this doesn't have)

• Electrics have been messed about with but are somewhat original. Obviously the SD mini-bucker isn't

• Pickguard around the bridge has been cut/is from some other guitar?

• Possibly had a refin at some time. Maybe purple. Long gone

But darn, the thing feels so good. It's light for a Jag and perfect to play. Setup is good, frets are newly crowned (although probably the very last time that'll be a possibility). There's a '62 pot in there. I'm usually the sort of person to keep away from vintages because I believe that you're better off getting a modern reissue, but I just can't get this guitar out of my mind. It has obviously been played to death - or parts of it have. And it looks sick.

It's not exactly cheap, but it's also nowhere near vintage Jag prices (not even those that suspiciously look like partscasters). It's not pretending to be anything other than it is, which is a hot mess of lots of different bits and custom jobs. That it's not a pure vintage really appeals to me as I can enjoy it for what it is and without fear. I've not played many vintage Jags so I'm ignorant, but despite its state and put-together-ness, it's better than any modern Jag I've ever played. But before I complete the deal, I thought it'd be sensible to hear opinions from people who actually know vintage Jags.

***

If anyone's interested about the Duo-Sonics I found, there's one in Aberdeen that's a complete mess - a house paint refin. Thing looked like it had been thrown in a furnace. Had been given a fretboard plane and fret job - seemed to have a pretty flat radius on it and the frets seemed jumbo to me. Original electronics but they'd been resoldered. Was tempted as it was a guitar I really could've done my own thing with.

Found a '66 in Emerald City. Fantastic neck! Everything original. Body a bit chipped. Really nice.

Found an all original '64 in another city. Not saying where because the guy said he'll sell it to me the next time he's in the UK (comes from his own collection and he seemed reluctant, so could've been his out - but taking no chances!)

[Pacafeliz]

Oh god i love it, just my kinda guitar!!!

LONG LIVE THE CRACKWHORES

[graceless]

These are the most interesting guitars. Actual history and use. Do it.
My '63 JM looks like it was dragged behind a truck, painted with spraypaint, pickups routed for humbuckers, etc. Makes me happy every time I use it that I can add to that story - and with any luck will stay in the family/be passed down forever.

Unless you're in the market for a museum piece (zzzzz)

[Embenny]

That looks great. It's rare that a beater with a story to tell looks perfect to me as-is, but this is one of them.

I have a hypothesis about the extra neck holes. Someone probably tried transplanting it onto a guitar with the wrong scale length, and just lined it up so that the nut was in the right spot, drilling new holes to "make it work."

They then strung it up, discovered that absolutely no fretted notes were in tune, and put it back on the original body.

[Axolotl]

Neck is stamped 68, but its dots and no binding? Is it even a Jag neck? It's certainly trying to look like one

It's most likely another short scale Fender neck (duo sonic, Mustang) What does the stamp say? If it starts with an 8 or a 16 (IIRC) then that's the case.

Other than that, what a gnarly, beautiful find. I hope you'll get and either restore it or leave it as it is, as long as you play it a lot!

[Embenny]

Oh yeah, I must have skimmed that part. That's almost certainly going to code out to be a Bronco/MM/DS/Mustang neck.

[ainm]

Thanks for the comments, all. Just had to make sure I wasn’t doing something obviously stupid.

Neck is stamped 68, but its dots and no binding? Is it even a Jag neck? It's certainly trying to look like one

It's most likely another short scale Fender neck (duo sonic, Mustang) What does the stamp say? If it starts with an 8 or a 16 (IIRC) then that's the case.

Other than that, what a gnarly, beautiful find. I hope you'll get and either restore it or leave it as it is, as long as you play it a lot!

Unsure on the neck stamp as I didn’t get the neck off - only going by the notes the seller took when they had it apart, which didn’t include the rest of the stamp. My initial thought before picking it up was it’s a Mustang neck. 12 fret dot spacing suggests a non-Jag Fender short scale? Guess I could’ve drilled further on that, but as soon as I’d taken measurements and verified everything was fundamentally solid, I got a bit lost in grinning from ear to ear. It’s probably had a nut replacement - something fairly modern going by my unscientific tap tests. That will probably be the only thing I change. Everything else is gloriously oddball and can stay that way until such a time as I decide to add my own history to it.

It will be played. Forgive my French, but on the woods, it shits all over my other guitars, so if I can close the deal, it will likely be a catalyst to me moving on quite a few others. I guess there’s a reason why it looks so played.

That looks great. It's rare that a beater with a story to tell looks perfect to me as-is, but this is one of them.

I have a hypothesis about the extra neck holes. Someone probably tried transplanting it onto a guitar with the wrong scale length, and just lined it up so that the nut was in the right spot, drilling new holes to "make it work."

They then strung it up, discovered that absolutely no fretted notes were in tune, and put it back on the original body.

I had that thought too