Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
Post Reply
User avatar
68 Blackline
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Michigan

Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by 68 Blackline » Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:45 am

My dad passed away a few weeks ago and thanks to my brother we both have a number of guitars added to our collections. My brother did get our dads 63' Stratocaster that he had bought brand new but he grabbed a couple that he knew I wanted (I wasn't able to go to his house while the rest of the family went through stuff).

This particular guitar my brother bought from a coworker back in the late 80's for about $250 if I recall. He never played it but I loved it! I told him back then I wanted it if he ever sold it but instead he traded it to our dad for some other equipment. I was pissed off! Our dad never got rid of anything so this gem finally found its way back to me.

Image

It was really dirty and had some missing strings and so I disassembled it and did a total cleanup and restring. I also polished the frets (for as much play wear and digs and body chips there is remarkably little fret wear) and oiled the board. Just plays soooo smooth now!!

Image

I've been lurking here for a bit before I signed up because before a few weeks ago my offset guitars consisted of one vintage (76' Mustang) and some newer MIM and MIC items. The neck is stamped 13FEB66B and it's dot's and binding with the Kluson deluxe tuners. Everything else is original except it has a mustang tremolo arm for some reason. I don't use tremolo anyway so I locked it. I didn't pull the pickups to look for dates because they seemed to be stuck to the foam and I didn't want to risk tearing it.

Image

It does have a beat up brown early 60's case but that's the way my brother got it back then. At least all the latches work!! This one is going nowhere. I now remember why I loved this thing back in the 80's so much.

User avatar
garyptaszek
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 5095
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 1:02 am
Location: Kent UK
Contact:

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by garyptaszek » Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:59 am

Brothers eh? Beautiful guitar. Sorry for your loss.

User avatar
68 Blackline
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Michigan

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by 68 Blackline » Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:10 am

Thank you very much. He was a different guy.

Vintage wise he also had a 60's Mosrite doubleneck in excellent shape (his ex wife wanted that) a 70's Fender Malibu (one of our sisters wanted that) and a nice greenburst Galanti (another sister wanted that). Nobody else plays at all beside my brother and myself but they wanted those to remember him by I guess.

User avatar
ohm-men
Expat
Expat
Posts: 4321
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:01 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by ohm-men » Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:52 am

That's quiet a nice Jazzmaster. It's really nice this guitar found it's way back to you.
I really like those '65-66 Jazzmasters with the dots and binding neck, it works really nice with the CAR body and the white guard.

User avatar
tequila_in_teacups
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 315
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 1:23 am
Location: Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu New Zealand

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by tequila_in_teacups » Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:15 pm

Sorry for your loss. Beautiful guitar though. Way better than a Strat. Strats are just narcolepsy with strings.

User avatar
68 Blackline
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Michigan

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by 68 Blackline » Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:14 pm

Thanks to all!!

It is a bit quirky in that the slide switch is really hit or miss and the volume pot doesn’t go down to zero, if that makes sense. However as this is all original and all solder joints are intact, and the lead circuit functions fine, I’m going to leave it as is.

Man do I love the neck pickup alone sound!

User avatar
algeriet
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 404
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:29 am
Location: Tibro, Sweden

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by algeriet » Sun Feb 07, 2021 1:38 am

Sorry for your loss.
Amazing guitars, this one and the Jaguar.

User avatar
SignoftheDragon
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2314
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:06 am
Location: Utah, USA
Contact:

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by SignoftheDragon » Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:06 am

+1

Glad your dad had enough guitars to go around among the kids- and that you seem to come out with the best of the bunch! This JM and the Jag are both dream guitars!

I vowed to leave my kids at least one guitar when I go- If it happens any time soon they'll have plenty to choose from I guess- 14 guitars between 3 kids- they'll have to fight it out. (They are good at the fighting part at least :fp: )

User avatar
68 Blackline
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Michigan

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by 68 Blackline » Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:10 pm

Thanks everyone. I can't describe how nice it is finally having this Jazzmaster in my 100% possession. I didn't want my dad to pass away (he was only 76, which isn't long lived in either side of my family) but the person he was meant I hadn't seen it since the early 90's and he wasn't going to pass it on until he was gone. If he could have took it with him (and all of his vast collection of guitars and amps) he would have.

I'm glad I never got a RI Jazzmaster because I'm not sure how it could have lived up to this one. As it is my 2006 CP Jaguar HH probably won't get played very much for a while. Maybe down the road if I can ever retire!

User avatar
Twang
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 540
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:36 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by Twang » Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:40 pm

Sorry for your loss. Amazing jazzmaster! Spray some electrical contact cleaner in the switches and wiggle them around a bit and you should be good to go!

User avatar
d-rock
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1181
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:11 am
Location: Atlanta

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by d-rock » Thu Feb 18, 2021 3:53 pm

Sorry to hear about your dad. I lost mine this year too, its awful. I'm glad you got something you love to remember him by. Cherish it.

User avatar
ohm_mho
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:32 pm

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by ohm_mho » Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:27 pm

Sorry to hear about your father. Otherwise that Jazzmaster is a thing of beauty!

User avatar
mulesing
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 196
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:14 pm

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by mulesing » Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:32 pm

That is a beautiful jazzmaster!

Sorry for your loss man. Good of your brother to make sure that you got the set you did. I bet that neck pickup tone is amazing.

User avatar
68 Blackline
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Michigan

Re: Inherited Offset - 66' Jazzmaster

Post by 68 Blackline » Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:33 pm

Thanks!

The neck pickup tone is really nice! But man, the neck is so smooth and the deep body contouring still used then just hugs me. It’s been said before by better people but this particular guitar just kind of plays itself.

Post Reply