ASH/BLONDE '58 JM!! ~ FINIS! ~ must see...

[fullerplast]

Long story. Good ending.

OK, so a few years ago I had a complete '58 JM in ash. Yes, ash. It came to me with an ugly blonde refin and a 13 hole vintage tort guard. The pickup routes had been deepened, but not widened, apparently for humbuckers (which also explains the missing gold guard). Despite the rarity of a first-year ash body, the routes distressed me enough to buy a '59 JM (shoreline refin) and swap the bodies. I also used the gold guard from the '59. I assembled a beautiful Shoreline/GG JM and reassembled the blonde body with a repro guard and all the '59 parts. I then sold the blonde to a forum member for $3250. It was subsequently sold to a shop in Seattle, then again sold on eBay.

In the meantime I acquired an original '58 tweed case, strap, cord and manual for the (now) shoreline JM. Over the years, I began to regret getting rid of that rare (L@@K!) ash body. I decided to have the shoreline refinned in 3TS. To my surprise and dismay, once stripped that body revealed routes in the pickup cavities as well! Talk about being bummed! I disposed of a true '58 ash body for no reason! I had the routes in the alder professionally repaired with alder blocks. But the refin was botched. After a year and two attempts, it still didn't look right. I brought it home and refinished it myself in nitro black over sunburst. I still havent clearcoated the black body and reassembled the '58.

But wait... there's more! Browsing eBay one day, I happen to see a '58 body (still pencil-dated 8/58 in the cavity). its advertised as ash. I thought I had a chance to finally CORRECTLY restore the rare '58 I had. From the pics, I was a bit skeptical it was actually ash, but I was hopeful. At any rate, it was an unrouted verifiable '58 body with lots of grain. It turned out not to be ash after all once the poo was stripped off, but I refinished it in blonde anyway. I never finshed this refin either, it still needs cleared and polished.

I'm still pining for that original ash body. It would be among the rarest Jazzmasters in existence. Why did I stupidly sell it?

Fast forward to this past Monday. Surfing the bay at work (like any good civil servant), what do I see?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWAX%3AIT

Yep... its my old '59 with the blonde '58 ash body! I recognized it even from the thumbnail, although I'd been fooled a couple of times over the years by the '94 MIJ Blonde LE-JMs. The seller was asking a ridiculous $5900 for it. No mention of ash in the description. I contacted him and told him I used to own it. We talked a bit. He said he was open to offers. I told him I wasnt trying to lowball, but I would only pay X amount for it, which is what I feel I could recoup once I sell it with the newly-refinished black body (the body it originally came with!). Don't worry, it wasnt near the $5900 he was asking. He accepted.

The '58 ash body will be here today, according to the tracking number. Funny how things work out...

[zhivago]

can't wait for the pool-side pics

[Keegan]

Awesome! That is one sexy mamasita.

[fuzzking]

oh, hot damn - i remember the excitement when i saw the fs ad and the following dissapointment when i looked into my finances like it was yesterday. i'm glad for you, doug.

pool pics indeed!

[terminalvertigo]

[MattK]

So now - you have the 58 body and neck plus a gold guard from the eBay one, AND the 59 neck from the eBay one, and the 59 body you bought - sounds like you've got a complete 59 to sell and a 58 ash to keep. Outstanding - congratulations!

[fullerplast]

So now - you have the 58 body and neck plus a gold guard from the eBay one, AND the 59 neck from the eBay one, and the 59 body you bought - sounds like you've got a complete 59 to sell and a 58 ash to keep. Outstanding - congratulations!

Exactly... I have a complete ash '58 and a complete alder '59. The best part is both are all original guitars except the pickguard on the '59. I have an 8 hole repro that I'll put there before I sell it. Both have correct parts, electronics, hardware, neckplate, trem arm, bridge cover and cases.

On the bad news side, the seller shipped it requiring a signature... and I found a tag on my door instead of a guitar when I got home.

[OffYourFace]

YAY!!!!


BOOOOO!!!! (sig required)

[painted wood]

yay!

amazing tale...looking forward to the completed gtrs.

[knathan]

THAT IS SOOOO HOT...cool story too.

[Stratelejazzuar]

grats! i'm glad it's all coming together for you!

i also cannot wait for the poolside pics!

[edouglaspratt]

Great story. Maybe a small miracle. Surely a small world. Congratulations, Doug. This story makes me wonder...and this is purely hypothetical...

If I could collect true vintage parts for a 1965 Jazzmaster, from various sources (assume none come from the same guitar) and assemble them, how does the value of that cobbled vintage guitar compare to the value of an intact '65 Jazzmaster?

[MattK]

On the bad news side, the seller shipped it requiring a signature... and I found a tag on my door instead of a guitar when I got home.

You should set up a camera in your front room so that when you get it home, you can time the split seconds which elapse before you get the necks off and swapped over!

[fullerplast]

If I could collect true vintage parts for a 1965 Jazzmaster, from various sources (assume none come from the same guitar) and assemble them, how does the value of that cobbled vintage guitar compare to the value of an intact '65 Jazzmaster?

Leo designed these guitars as modular. My opinion is that it would be the same, as there is no way to determine what all parts all came together on the same guitar. As long as they are all the same year, and all other factors remain the same (refin, etc) then it would be the same. In fact I assembled a '66 this way.

But all that aside, the cool thing about this swap is that the bodies, necks, and most of the parts are going back exactly where they came from. Its not often in life you get to rectify a mistake you've made years back!

You should set up a camera in your front room so that when you get it home, you can time the split seconds which elapse before you get the necks off and swapped over!

hehe... Well I will have the one apart fairly quickly, but as for reassembly it will be awhile. The black body still needs cleared and polished and the blonde body needs a good refin as well.

[edouglaspratt]

But all that aside, the cool thing about this swap is that the bodies, necks, and most of the parts are going back exactly where they came from. Its not often in life you get to rectify a mistake you've made years back!

Yeah, that's the "small miracle" part, all in your hands.