'63 Jag... Got some questions....

[useless]

So here is the latest edition to the family... My '63 Jag...
I picked this up when I was on tour in America recently. I'm new here so go easy on me but I've got a few questions for the experts...

The guitar's neck has been refinished at some point (a very long time ago judging from the wear) and a mid '60's jazzmaster decal has been used instead of a jag one. I took it to the licensed fender repair person today to see if he could source a replacement decal from somewhere. He is looking into it but I though I would ask you guys if you know of anywhere I can obtain one? Are the current '62 RI decals the same? And if so will they age the same way on the guitar? And if not is there somewhere I can get an original? All this stuff is pretty scarce in Australia so it's going to have to come from somewhere else.

Also one other thing I haven't been able to work out is if the finish of the guitar is original. The neck pocket is painted over, which is usually a sure sign of a refinish, however the finish is much to thin and there is no colour at all underneath. All the cracking in the nitro is also fitting for a guitar of this age. It had the fender repairman stumped, as to him the finish looked original, and is a fender colour, but he has never seen an original finish with the painted neck pocket. Has anyone encountered something like this before? The other logical explanation would be that it was refinished not long after it was purchased in the mid '60's.

The colour is lake placid blue, however the nitro has yellowed into a fantastic green that looks stunning. I'm going to do a refret and replace the nut, but after that it's going to be amazing I think. Everything under the hood is original and the pickups sound very mellow. The tuners were replaced at some point with Grover Deluxe's and the neck plate isn't right obviously. If anyone here can spare a '63 neckplate I would be a happy boy indeed.

Anyways let me know what you think...

[mongoose]

Whatever the story be, she's gorgeous! A keeper for sure. I'd look into adjusting the intonation though...

[the older brother]

what mongoose said.


Keep as is (except for refret/nut if that is neccessary) and check that intonation - looks way off.

If you don't want to pay crazy $$ for an original neckplate (just because it is good for a strat) there are those who offers "custom stamped" neckplates...

[ChrisFFTA]

another vote for leaving as is... mutts are the best!

[useless]

Yeah the intonation is out... I haven't set it up since I swapped the original bridge back in... I was using a mustang one off another of my guitars. That comes after the refret.
Just really want to know about the decals. I'm not to fussed with the neckplate but want the headstock back to og specs. Keep me posted if you know where to get em.

Thanks all!

[blacktiger]

It's unlikely that finsh is original, unless the tort guard is a replacement. Those typically only came on sunburst and Olympic White guitars. If it is a factory refin, there should be some sort of code stamped underneath the guard, like this:



It looks pretty amazing either way.

[bterry]

Yeah, it looks great - love LPB w/ nice tort!

On Jaguars especially, the custom colors almost always had matching headstocks.

[Tweedledee]

Beautiful! That finish is stunning and you should definitely keep it as it is, though I would cast another vote for it not being the original finish. I bet if you looked around in some of the cavities you would find remnants of an original sunburst finish. As bterry said, if that finish was original it would have a matching headstock, unless that was sanded off when someone applied the Jazzmaster decal, but I would consider that unlikely. And as blacktiger said, it wouldn't have the tort guard if the LPB finish was original, unless it was a replacement. In my mind, the two most logical options are that it was originally sunburst and was refinished a long time ago, or it's a mutt that was assembled from parts. The first option seems much more likely.

Absolutely gorgeous guitar!

[useless]

Thanks for all the info guys..
I poked around under the guard for ages trying to find remnants of and original finish but I couldn't see any signs. I just assumed it was a refin but the fender man and another couple of more seasoned guitar examiners weren't sure. It's no big deal the finish looks stunning and I wouldn't change it for the world.

[terminalvertigo]

Beautiful! That finish is stunning and you should definitely keep it as it is, though I would cast another vote for it not being the original finish. I bet if you looked around in some of the cavities you would find remnants of an original sunburst finish. As bterry said, if that finish was original it would have a matching headstock, unless that was sanded off when someone applied the Jazzmaster decal, but I would consider that unlikely. And as blacktiger said, it wouldn't have the tort guard if the LPB finish was original, unless it was a replacement. In my mind, the two most logical options are that it was originally sunburst and was refinished a long time ago, or it's a mutt that was assembled from parts. The first option seems much more likely.

Absolutely gorgeous guitar!

vouch.

[ChrisFFTA]

as for the decal... i would be careful as the current headstock looks very sweet as is... that is dont relaquer or anything. tym guitars here in brisbane do some great sympathetic resto type work, and tim himself loves offsets

[blacktiger]

Custom Colors didn't ALWAYS have matching headstocks at that point, though most did. And you could undoubtedly have gotten a LPB Jag with a tort guard if you wanted to back then, though it probably would have been a special order. Also, if you look on the hangtag that came with mid-60s offsets, there is a BMM Jag with a tort guard (and no matching heasdstock), so the "only white or SB with tort" thing isn't etched in stone. HOWEVER, that neck pocket should be bare wood where it hung on a paint stick to be sprayed. For that reason, as well as the others, I'd say that I'm 99% sure it's a refin.

[Tweedledee]

Custom Colors didn't ALWAYS have matching headstocks at that point, though most did. And you could undoubtedly have gotten a LPB Jag with a tort guard if you wanted to back then, though it probably would have been a special order. Also, if you look on the hangtag that came with mid-60s offsets, there is a BMM Jag with a tort guard (and no matching heasdstock), so the "only white or SB with tort" thing isn't etched in stone. HOWEVER, that neck pocket should be bare wood where it hung on a paint stick to be sprayed. For that reason, as well as the others, I'd say that I'm 99% sure it's a refin.

Those are good points. You're right that neither the matching headstock or tort guard issues are set in stone, but it is the case that exceptions to those rules are rare enough that any deviation immediately raises red flags. And as you said, the lack of a painting stick mark in the neck pocket makes the refinish idea the most logical explanation when combined with the tort guard and lack of a matching headstock. I've only seen a few custom color Jags with non-matching headstocks, and nearly all of them were Oly White. I don't think I've ever seen a LPB one without a matching headstock, but I'm sure one exists as a custom order somewhere.

[Tweedledee]

And here's a link to a '62 LPB Jag that's quite beautiful.

http://www.nealsvintage.com/images/fend ... b-page.jpg

I prefer the look of yours with all the wear.

Actually, my '65 Jag was originally LPB. When I got it a previous owner had done a horrible refinish job in a transparent red color, including sanding off the paint from the matching headstock. I opted to refinish it in Inca Silver rather than the original LPB, but looking at yours makes me wonder if I made the right decision.

[blacktiger]

Agreed, that guitar looks great, as is, refin or not. I'd leave it alone, JM decal and all.