Vintage Cases and Colors

[Gill]

Hi Everyone,

I realize that they overlaped from time to time, but....in general, anyone know which color cases shipped out with which JMs?

Tweed, brown, and blonde...were these cases paired with individual guitars from the factory or were they ordered seperately and then matched up with whatever guitar at the retailers?

I've always wanted to know...

Gill

[zhivago]

This is from Jim Shine's website:

    *

      1958-fall1959 Tweed Style with Gold interior. These have gold hardware as well.
    *

      1959-1960 Brown tolex, gold interior, gold hardware, center latch under handle
    *

      1961-1963 Brown tolex. This era has lots of changes that overlap each other. Chrome Cheney latches (what we see today on reissues) begin, interior changes to orange, center latch moves out from under the handle.
    *

      1963-mid 64 White Tolex, orange interior Black ends. It appears that some dark green ends appear on some cases.
    *

      1964-5 Black Tolex, orange interior
    *

      Late 1965-1967 Black Tolex, orange interior, Fender logo added. These have the logo sitting farther away from the edge than any other year or reissue. No tail on the logo
    *

      1967-1971- Black Tolex, Fender logo gains a tail. Orange lined
    *

      1972-to the end The logo loses the tail again. The interior varies quite a bit too. Some range from bright orange short piled to old style golden orange with medium pile. I have seen at least 3 different linings used in the different cases, so expect any variation here. 

[Gill]

Cool, Zhivago, thank you...I'll check out Jim's site.

Additionally, anyone know how the cases were shipped/distributed out?  Paired up or not?

Gill

[fullerplast]

I believe that within the US they were shipped out from Fender with the case. But what happens is that the store would remove it from the case and hang it up. They weren't too concerned about which case went with what. When the guitar sold, which could be a year or more later, they just went into the back and grabbed any case. That's why it is feasible that the "wrong" case could be the one it was originally sold with. This whole scenario could happen again later in life when it became a used guitar. So it's nice to have the correct era case, but it's only now in retrospect that it's become important to some people.


We just had a thread on this not long ago, where someone had posted a quote from Jim regarding basically what I've said above.

[Gill]

Ah, cool...thanks.  I didn't realise this had already been covered!

Gill

[hobb_masta_flex]

Has anyone seen the new silver tolex G&G cases Fender put out with their 6oth Anniversary? They are awesome! Kind of remind me of the blond tolex cases with the black trim and Fender badge... it took me awhile, but I found one for my new Jazz bass.

[momunist]

i guess i understand why people would do it if they are trying to increase investment value in a collectible, but it always seems so strange to me to see people drop $500 or more on old cases.  like i can't picture walking up to a dude after show and being like "man your show was awesome tonight and your case sounds fantastic, incredible effect it has on your TONE!" 

no offense intended to anyone searching for period correct cases.  i wouldn't mind having one for the 59 i just bought, but i could never see paying so much for one.

[fullerplast]

I know exactly what you mean... BUT

I'm one of those anal nutsacks that will pay $500 for the correct case if I have to. And I can barely play...   

It's people like me driving up the price on all this crap.   

[sookwinder]

Doug, I am that way with bridge covers...

can't stand how the AV covers look .....  you would have thought that fender would have at least made some effort to reproduce the correct covers.

So even for this parts project I am doing (copying idea from Jetset's 3 pup 25.5" jaguar) I still will put on a vintage bridge cover...

so I too am forcing up the prices of those items ....  does nothing to the sound, and is only a visual thing.  But I can't play an offset unless it's got an original vintage cover...

[fullerplast]

Geeks and nerds, that's what we are... 

As for not reproducing things correctly, I think it's purposefully that way, and probably a good thing. I think Fender doesn't want folks to be taken. It's the same reason (IMO) that MIJ pickguards aren't interchangeable. On Teles, the reissue bridges have a tiny dimple stamped in them under the Fender lettering. Strat saddles say FENDER FENDER instead of FENDER PAT PEND. AVRI logos used to not have patent numbers under them (although I think they do now). There's lots of other examples.

It would have been just as easy (and no more costly) to have reproduced all this stuff spot on...

[Gill]

Yeah, there's something about having the "whole enchilada" so to speak...and as you say, Fullerplast, the new parts aren't made like the old for good reason.

Gill

[i love sharin foo]

Yeah, there's something about having the "whole enchilada" so to speak...

Gill

That is the main reason I like to have things ascorrect as possible. I think it is neat to have a nice little complete package  Whenever I have parts that aren't correct, I try to wait it out and pickup  a piece here and there when I can find them for what I think are decent prices. It is amazing what some pieces are going for lately though.

Justin

[zhivago]

Yeah, there's something about having the "whole enchilada" so to speak...

Gill

That is the main reason I like to have things ascorrect as possible. I think it is neat to have a nice little complete package  Whenever I have parts that aren't correct, I try to wait it out and pickup  a piece here and there when I can find them for what I think are decent prices. It is amazing what some pieces are going for lately though.

Justin

I'm exactly the same...putting together this second '61 to vintage specs is not gonna be a walk in the park.

I've decided to use some reissue parts for now to get it up and running ASAP, and then pick up the real pieces and replace in the future

[i love sharin foo]

That sounds like a good plan to me    I can't wait to see the photos when you have it all finished and together. Some things bother me more than others when they aren't corect. One of the main ones is tuners! I don't know why, but it drives me nuts! New ones that turn smoothly just don't seem right somehow   

Justin

[zhivago]

That sounds like a good plan to me    I can't wait to see the photos when you have it all finished and together. Some things bother me more than others when they aren't corect. One of the main ones is tuners! I don't know why, but it drives me nuts! New ones that turn smoothly just don't seem right somehow   

Justin

hehe...oddly enough, tuners is the only one I don't mind as much...I'm even considering selling mine, and putting the money towards the other '61!!