Jazzmaster in 1966 LIFE magazine

[Soiouz]

I've been meaning to post this pic for a long time.... it's out of a June 1966 LIFE magazine, illustrating a story on the business of garage and rock bands. Among other interesting stuff, the article says that the sales of electric guitars had doubled each year since 1963.

I think the pic is pretty cool (I scanned it in sections because the magazine was too large):



The prices for each guitar are stated below the pics... From left to right:

National guitar: 450$
Fender: 356$
Gretsch: 1000$

Epiphone: 190$
Guild: 180$

Red Japanese import: 50$
Kay: 55$

[Sauerkraut]

that is a cool picture

if it where a beauty contest the Jazzmaster would win by a mile for me, but I guess that's no surprise on a offsetforum.

[bubbles_horwitz]

if it where a beauty contest the Jazzmaster would win by a mile for me, but I guess that's no surprise on a offsetforum.

seriously? with that gretsch sitting there?

[spaceghost]

i'd side with mr. bubbles if the Gretsch's hardware wasn't gold. i hate gold hardware.

[bubbles_horwitz]

i'm normally not a fan of gold either, but it does seem to suit some guitars. including that gretsch.

[Taylorplayer]

umm.. yeah... all three on the left are all stunning, the jazzmaster being the probably the least cool.

I'd LOVE to have that national, but the nicest looking guitar there is the Grestch.

Cool pic btw. (Sorry this might spark some healthy debate)

[Soiouz]

I do prefer the Jazzmaster too. Then comes the National. Then the Epiphone and the Kay...  and finally the Gretsch and the rest... I'm really not into those huge hollowbodies at all. Love their sound, but if we're only referring to the looks, it does nothing for me.

[StevenO]

I don't know guys, jazzmasters aren't the BEST sounding guitars in the world They're definitely up there for me, though. They can't do everything, so I'll take the gretsch and the national to go, please.

[Sonicly Duo]

The prices for each guitar are stated below the pics... From left to right:

National guitar: 450$
Fender: 356$
Gretsch: 1000$

Epiphone: 190$
Guild: 180$

Red Japanese import: 50$
Kay: 55$

Wow, in 1966 that Gretsch is equivalent to $6400 today.

[RumorsOFsurF]

Jazzmaster then National, Gretsch, then the rest...  C'mon, that Jazzmaster is awesome!  No question for me  

[1946dodge]

I like the Jazzmaster, the gretch and the National. The epi and the guild were cheap crap and the other two are unplayable junk.
What is really interesting is that the prices are not much different from what they are now. You can get a sweet guitar now for between 350 and 1000, which is what the JM, National and Gretch cost then.
But now for 50-100 bucks you can get a very playable guitar, whereas in 1966, for that price you got a piece of crap you couldnt play.
The guitar market has improved vastly over the years.
And I know how we all love our vintage offsets and strats, but some of them were dogs in those days - twisted necks, and high action.
Fender has never had such good necks as they do now.
For the money, our standard of living regarding guitar quality buying power has gone way up since then.
IMHO

[Stereordinary]

I'd take the National first, but only because I already have a Jazzmaster.  Otherwise, the Jazzmaster would be first and then the National.

[spacecadet]

The more I look at 'em, the more I'm into Gretsch guitars.  I've been somewhat intrigued by them ever since I first got into the Cocteau Twins - before that, I'd always thought of them as twangy, country-sounding guitars.  But now I think they're cool.

This doesn't hurt (and yeah, I posted this in the girls with offsets thread, so sue me) - almost the same guitar as the one above, except for the inlays:

[MelWaldorf]

I find it interesting that the Jazzmaster doesn't have blocks and binding, or at least binding, in an article from June 1966.  I wonder where they got the guitar for the photo?  You'd think that Fender would have provided them with the latest and greatest, ie blocks and binding, for such a high profile article.  Wouldn't that non-binding neck put that JM at least mid 1965 or earlier?  Maybe they got it from an area music store that had an oldie in stock?  I'm assuming it's not a stock photo since the National Jazzmaster and Gretsch look posed together, and besides, that isn't an angle that's common in commercial guitar photography from that time.

Regardless, interesting.  Thanks for sharing Soiouz.

Mel

[RumorsOFsurF]

I find it interesting that the Jazzmaster doesn't have blocks and binding, or at least binding, in an article from June 1966.  I wonder where they got the guitar for the photo?  You'd think that Fender would have provided them with the latest and greatest, ie blocks and binding, for such a high profile article.  Wouldn't that non-binding neck put that JM at least mid 1965 or earlier?  Maybe they got it from an area music store that had an oldie in stock?  I'm assuming it's not a stock photo since the National Jazzmaster and Gretsch look posed together, and besides, that isn't an angle that's common in commercial guitar photography from that time.

Regardless, interesting.  Thanks for sharing Soiouz.

Mel

It's weird, though.  If you look closely, the JM has a matching headstock.  I wondered why it wasn't a new 1966 guitar with blocks/binding too...hmmmm :-\