OffsetGuitars.com

I was browsing through vintage offsets, as one should, and I found an unusual jazzmaster I've never seen before. http://www.ronsvintage.com/Fender%20196 ... 20Gold.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;






Has anyone heard of this run of all gold jazzmasters? I'm amazed that the possibility that this is all original, since it might be the last all original JM that was from this run.

Custom order for King Midas

We had a thread on this once.

My opinion is that this is very unlikely to have happened in '62, as the body routing for that pickguard changed in mid '59. Of course, they could have used old tooling and reproduced that body and the gold guard, but I just don't think it's likely. Leo didn't like the gold guard, that's why it was quickly discontinued less than a year into production. Also, I don't know of any other info out there on this run in books, magazines or on the web. Again, that doesn't mean it's not real but it does point to a big question mark IMO.

I can't remember if anyone came up with another example the last time we discussed this.

sorry I couldn't help myself

FenderBob wrote:

sorry I couldn't help myself

You beat me to it!

fullerplast wrote:We had a thread on this once.

My opinion is that this is very unlikely to have happened in '62, as the body routing for that pickguard changed in mid '59. Of course, they could have used old tooling and reproduced that body and the gold guard, but I just don't think it's likely. Leo didn't like the gold guard, that's why it was quickly discontinued less than a year into production. Also, I don't know of any other info out there on this run in books, magazines or on the web. Again, that doesn't mean it's not real but it does point to a big question mark IMO.

I can't remember if anyone came up with another example the last time we discussed this.

Thinking more about this, what is the possibility that Leo and Co happened to find a box of old gold pickguards, and Leo being a thrifty business man, decided to use up this small batch with shoreline gold paint. Since they were just using the gold guards up, they didn't bother to do the matching headstock. Here is a 1962 Shoreline gold for sale at the same place for color comparison

there is a chance it's a 59 body with a later neck.
Or a 59 that got a new paint job! (and a 59 pat pend tremolo?)
we'll probably never see under that damn guard!
but i think it's a 62 that someone stuck a gold guard on after the fact.....
Leo was not impressed with the gold guard and how it aged- the change in appearance due to wear on the laquer, the anodizing... and probably the cost of making the guard as well.
So yes, he may have had a couple of guards left over, but it doesn't really make sense that he would produce a limited quantity of GG jazz masters in 1962 when he didn't want gold guard jazz masters going out the door at all. they would all end up looking like shit with bald spots in the gold finish and make his guitars look crappy. It's the same reasoning he had when he went to rosewood fretboards in 1959.

In this case, it's much easier to imagine some pinhead putting a 58-59 guard on a gold 62 JM and concocting some bullshit "limited edition" story.

Also, the belly cut is more like that of a 62 guitar, not a 58-59.



59:

Hey, that's my '59

Saw that body on eBay somewhere, with the weird rivet marks on the back.

the funny marks are from a coiled cable whose jacket had a chemical reaction with the lacquer.

Ohhhh I really like that...

Needs case upgrade!

PLUNDER THE TOMBS!

D

I'm really liking that particular shade of gold. It matches the guard and hardware really well. Seems different than shoreline...wish I could find out what the paint code could be...

thanks for posting

I'm not sure if this might shed any light on the subject of whether any gold-on-gold Jazzmasters were produced in 1962.....

Below are a couple of scans of the front and back of a postcard I picked up on eBay a while back. Now, the photo is very small, isn't great quality and is slightly faded, but it's obviously a gold pick guard, and the hardware and paint look gold to me too. The back of the card says it's a '62 Jazzmaster. Make of it what you will.