Page 1 of 2
Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 7:53 am
by zhivago
this guitar was on a shop on gbase, years ago....it was listed for a long, long time as a "'57 prototype"
it never had a price attached to it, and after quite a while, it disappeared without a trace from the website....the photos listed were the following two:
later on, I stumbled across the following pic, which I
used to think was of the same guitar....it appears that the decal is different though...might be the angle of the pic...I just can't be sure... :-\
anyone have any more info/pics of the above guitar?
it's one of my favourite Jazzmasters ever
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:04 am
by Soiouz
I think the three pics are of the same guitar, as I found the same photos together about a month ago on the web... The guitar is still up for sale somewhere, but I did not keep track of the website where I found it... :-[
If I find it again, I'll post the link here..
It looks like the trem has a patent number on it?? A later replacement?
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:06 am
by Naturality
I saw the first two of those pics ages ago, about a year or so.
I think it's the same guitar, look at the grain it looks identical
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:08 am
by zhivago
hmmm...yes, a replaced trem is a possibility I guess....I wish the pictures were larger....if you do find the link again, that would be great...I wonder what the price on it is...
mind you, provided a Scotland guard is at hand, building a replica should be quite straightforward
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:18 am
by CLETUStheFETUS
I dont know....but it looks like heaven: Sunburst with the golden god pickgaurd!
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:19 am
by Soiouz
Ok, I found the links....
On one page, they say "Call for price".. Here:
http://www.bestguitars.com/57Jazz.html
On the other, it is part of their gallery, and it says "Not for sale"... Go figure! Here:
http://www.bestguitars.com/collection/57Jazz.html
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:22 am
by zhivago
hehe...I guess there's a price for everything....
the description from the site:
1957/58 Fender Maple Neck Jazzmaster.
Here it is. One of the rarest Fender guitars in the world. An original solid maple neck Jazzmaster with anodized guard. The first few prototype Jazzmasters were seen around the factory with solid maple necks. This is one of those rare guitars. The neck is big and chunky, dated 5/57, and bears what looks like a "clipped" Duo-sonic logo stating only "Fender" [totally original.] Plus, the shape of the headstock is not that of a Strat or a later production Jazzmaster, but somewhere in between. The guitar is all original except for a professional re-fret. Comes with original tweed Jazzmaster case. How COOL is that?? For the serious collector ONLY!
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:30 am
by manwith2brains25
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:37 am
by zhivago
heh...you just reminded me of this Harmony Central review:
Product: Fender Esquire
Price Paid: US $25
Submitted 10/05/2000 at 06:53pm by Joe Franks
Email: kris4johnhome dot com
Features : 7
1950's Fender Esquire(Like Telecaster)Found it at a garage sale for 25 dollars. The seller was an older woman who said she bought it for he late husband sometime in the 1950's...he never played it and it had been collecting dust.
Sound : 7
This guitar had the twangiest sound I have ever heard. It was really thin sounding and did not stay in tune. I put some seymore duncan humbuckers in it(it took a little routing but it fit pretty good. Sort of sounds like Angus Young now...the way a guitar should! I fixed the tuning problem with some old grovers I took off an older guitar...the holes did not line up but I managed to make it work by driling a few extra holes...stays in tune like a breeze now.
Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
I thought the action was kind of high and the bridge was really dorkiy looking so I added a Floyd rose to it...my router really worked well on the installation...I also added a locking nut to keep it in tune when I take a dive on the whammy bar! I would have given it a 3 but with my modification it is now a ten!!!
Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
Must be pretty reliable because it has been around for nearly 50 years.
Customer Support : No Opinion
Don't know don't care.
Overall Rating : No Opinion
This guitar looked ok when I bought it...not many dings and a kind of yellow looking finish...I think it will looke better if I get it refinished. It is overall a great guitar after my modifications. I play really hard rock and mainly play my BC Rich which is a much superior guitar I might say. It is good to have a Fender even if it is just a $25 piece of junk. With a little help it has turned out to be pretty adequete for a backup axe. I would not have paid very much for this guitar but what the hell!
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:44 am
by holy-reverb!!
what about this.
http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/fender.html
this never looked like a 57 to me.
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:11 am
by zhivago
we talked about that one extensively at the old forum....I think the general idea was that the guitar being what mr Fullerton says it is, was not very likely.
plus apparently he's been a bit...."dubious" with all the stuff he's been saying lately.
I reckon he's just getting old and starting to lose it slightly...confusing stories, and then insisting that he's right.
my grandad was the same!...it's kinda cute, in a natural kinda way
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:14 am
by JazzBlaster
that's been on gbase forever and I been drooling over it forever
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:18 am
by JazzBlaster
is that a post cbs headstock?
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:06 pm
by DeadPenny
holy crap!
i work at a music store... and if i meet the fool that did that chop-job to the Esquire, i swear by all that is holy... i'll KILL him.
B.C. Rich, superior guitar... bah
Re: Time to talk about one of the coolest Jazzmasters - possible prototype?
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:36 pm
by burker
DeadPenny wrote:
holy crap!
i work at a music store... and if i meet the fool that did that chop-job to the Esquire, i swear by all that is holy... i'll KILL him.
B.C. Rich, superior guitar... bah
I'd like to think thats a joke (the review) but if not.....
terrible
