What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

DeathJag · Post by **DeathJag** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:13 am

Just curious!

jvin248 · Post by **jvin248** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:23 am

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OKKy68FFNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rit7UEjmC4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-aJhZUJuZQ

.

Dieca · Post by **Dieca** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:10 pm

The first fender offset was the Jazzmaster in 1958. Duo Sonics and Musicmasters were introduced before this (1956) and although those models are commonly thought of as offsets and had a short scale length they didn't actually get offset body shapes until 1964. I'm not sure if there was an offset non fender guitar before the Jazzmaster. Love the five-watt world video linked above, here's hoping he covers more offsets.

mgeek · Post by **mgeek** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:49 am

Hoping for some super obscure Bigsby esque efforts from 1955 to show up now guys, don't let me down!

Embenny · Post by **Embenny** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:15 am

Didn't Leo Fender patent the offset waist design when he designed the JM? That suggests to me that it was the first one. Certainly the first in the US, and I'm somewhat skeptical that anyone in Europe had done it prior to 1958.

DeathJag · Post by **DeathJag** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:13 am

I was hoping it was the JM! I wonder if anyone has comprised a chronological list with photos of offsets since 1958? Thanks for the replies!
Dan

mgeek · Post by **mgeek** » Fri May 01, 2020 12:20 am

I don't really 'get' the offset thing tbh... if one sits and draws out a body shape, you just draw out a shape, I'd never ever thought about where the waist was on a guitar til I came on this forum. Obviously Leo Fender was pleased enough with himself to patent it as a concept, but patenting an idea is no guarantee that you were *actually* first with something. He thought he was first to come up with the solid electric bass, and that was Paul Tutmarc in 1935

No idea about a chronological list, perhaps it needs doing! Here's an English one from early 1959 (scroll down a bit, it's the one presented to Marty Wilde)

http://blackguitars.com/burns-weill-foote.html

timtam · Post by **timtam** » Fri May 01, 2020 1:09 am

Leo filed the offset design patent application in 1958 and the patent was granted in 1960. It expired in 1977.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2960900A/en
That really just means the patent assessor thought it was a 'patentable' idea and couldn't find an earlier patent for the same or a close idea. The art in patent writing is to frame it in such a way that it sounds unique, sometimes by obscuring any relationship to previous ideas, and mentioning similar ideas only when differences (sometimes incidental) are clear. Searches for 'prior art' in those days had to be done manually, so relied much more on savvy assessors than nowadays when anyone can do a deep digital search. Patents are somewhat imprecise instruments for acknowledging and protecting real invention. If you look up patents in an area where you have specialist knowledge you will often find ones where you say "how the hell did that get a patent granted ?". Either because it's not a notion that should be protectable, or you know someone else thought of it before.

UlricvonCatalyst · Post by **UlricvonCatalyst** » Fri May 01, 2020 1:18 am

mgeek wrote: ↑
Fri May 01, 2020 12:20 am
Here's an English one from early 1959 (scroll down a bit, it's the one presented to Marty Wilde)

Wilde looking very much like he could've been a member of Japan c.Gentlemen Take Polaroids here.

OffsetGuitars.com

What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)

Re: What model was the first offset electric guitar? (And when?)