LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Bringing your older offset back to life.
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jagjaguar
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LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jagjaguar » Thu Sep 19, 2019 2:29 pm

Hi,
My latest "project" is now finished. I came across a refinished LPB 1963 Jazzmaster earlier this year that I couldn't resist. I found it through Reverb and there were quite a few mods but the price was fair. Most obvious is of course the "hippie" butterfly on the head. As they told me the original owner had done that way back, probably in the late sixties or so. Some other mods are the extra switch between the volume and tone knobs (not year correct either), a radio switch in the rythm position and also changed the bridge pickup to a 69-70's strat pickup.

Some pictures (taken by the Reverb seller) from how it used to look:
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When I got it delivered only the rythm position worked on one of the pickups. The other pickup was dead on arrival.

So, my goal was to restore it as much as possible and try to find year correct parts where needed. As with my Jaguar I left it to Ad Lib Guitars (Hans is world class!) in Stockholm for a refinish and help with getting rid of the (what I guess) kill switch and so on.
He did some work on tracing the production year more closely. Serial number points at '63 but pots and the neck pickup are stamped late '61. Neck is a slab! The neck had been refinished earlier with some lacquer and the neck stamp had been polished off so there was no help there.
He could find traces that pointed at Olympic White as the original color. That would also explain that the pick guard had been changed (probably a '64-65 guard on it now). Original hardcase as used until '62, I believe (the pictures on the finished guitar below is taken in a newer case).

Concerning color decision I had a hard time choosing. Love a pale Fiesta but I decided on going with a Lake Placid Blue with a tint to the yellowed/greenish and some relicing. J Mascis greenish LPB Jaguar in the "Out There" video was once the guitar that got me into offsets in the first place.

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After a couple of months of long waiting a got this (mind it's nearly impossible getting a color correct picture of LPB...):

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I'm looking for a time correct bridge pickup but put a Antiquity in meanwhile. eBay action prices are killing me...! :'(

I'm really happy with the result and it plays and sounds like a dream. Great sustain. Rather different in sound from my Oly '66, I must say. Thanks for reading.

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marqueemoon
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by marqueemoon » Thu Sep 19, 2019 3:14 pm

Nice!

How did the cost of this save compare to buying a typical refin of this era off the shelf?

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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jakeisjake » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:05 pm

the matching headstock is awesome!

and that old case is great, too!
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by zhivago » Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:15 pm

I love the LPB on this one, looks very nice indeed! :-*
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jagjaguar
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jagjaguar » Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:47 pm

marqueemoon wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 3:14 pm
Nice!

How did the cost of this save compare to buying a typical refin of this era off the shelf?
Thanks!
Hm... savings.... yeah a bit hard to tell. It’s so much more expensive these days buying from the US as the currency rate is at an all time low and then you have the customs etc. Sticking to within EU it’s a little bit easier but the euro is still too expensive.
So most typical refin guitars will end up being too expensive. Haven’t seen any nice LPB in a while.
But, bying a guitar like that you’ll miss out on all the fun! 😁
It’s also two different budgets. One my wife can see. One she don’t... 😅

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supersonicjazzmaster
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by supersonicjazzmaster » Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:24 am

Ah, supernice Jazzmaster!
Nice story.
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marqueemoon
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:16 am

jagjaguar wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:47 pm
marqueemoon wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 3:14 pm
Nice!

How did the cost of this save compare to buying a typical refin of this era off the shelf?
Thanks!
Hm... savings.... yeah a bit hard to tell. It’s so much more expensive these days buying from the US as the currency rate is at an all time low and then you have the customs etc. Sticking to within EU it’s a little bit easier but the euro is still too expensive.
So most typical refin guitars will end up being too expensive. Haven’t seen any nice LPB in a while.
But, bying a guitar like that you’ll miss out on all the fun! 😁
It’s also two different budgets. One my wife can see. One she don’t... 😅
Good points. I hadn’t considered the EU market/exchange rate factors.

I imagine the change to CITES to exempt instruments will level the playing field a little.

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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by BornToHula » Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:21 am

That an smashing result I must say!!!🌟🔥
Wow great looks. ❤️

Nice subtle relic

Never seen a strat pickup ‘modded’ in a jazzmaster cover before. Was that a common mod in the early days?

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jagjaguar
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jagjaguar » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:49 am

BornToHula wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:21 am
Never seen a strat pickup ‘modded’ in a jazzmaster cover before. Was that a common mod in the early days?
Never seen that either. I was guessing if the original owner maybe got a bit in to Jimi, Flower Power and did that butterfly etching on the head and put a strat pickup in the bridge position. ::)
Someone else seen a strat pickup in a Jazzmaster like this before?

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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by N0_Camping4U » Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:03 pm

Man that's killer! Who did the refin? They did a great job.

Where are you located at? (if you don't mind sharing, of course)
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jagjaguar
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jagjaguar » Wed Oct 09, 2019 10:51 pm

N0_Camping4U wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:03 pm
Man that's killer! Who did the refin? They did a great job.

Where are you located at? (if you don't mind sharing, of course)
I’m located in Stockholm, Sweden. Happy you like the refin! His name is Hans Larsson and is one of the best you could find out the regarding refin, relicing and has a master knowledge in vintage guitars. He is the owner of a small shop called Ad Lib Guitars in Sundbyberg (Stockholm).

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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by blacktiger » Wed Oct 16, 2019 5:44 am

Was there something wrong with the finish it came with? It looks pretty awesome in the pictures. I even like that damn butterfly...
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by Paul-T » Sat Oct 19, 2019 1:40 am

That's lovely work. Very nice. It's great that you have the white guard to go with the LPB.

Let us know if you're selling the old case! I'm in London.
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by postchrist » Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:17 pm

looks so lovely! lpb is maybe my favorite color... so nice.
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Re: LPB Jazzmaster '63 restoration

Post by jagjaguar » Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:27 am

blacktiger wrote:
Wed Oct 16, 2019 5:44 am
Was there something wrong with the finish it came with? It looks pretty awesome in the pictures. I even like that damn butterfly...
No not really anything wrong with it. I've never been a fan of the LPB as that new and unaltered color but always loved it when turned greenish/yellowed.
The old refin was ok on this but not sure if it was done by a professional. Didn't look that way.
The butterfly was nicely done but not my thing on a jazz... ;D

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