Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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joachime
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Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by joachime » Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:58 am

Hi!

I borrowed this Jazzmaster from a friend.
If we get along well, I might end up buying it.

My friend doesn't know what year it's from.
Told me it could be a parts-caster.

I want some help dating this guitar. Or at least the significant parts as neck, body and pickups.

The guitar in full
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Detached body
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Neck heel
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Neck butt
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Neck pocket
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Neck plate
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Body with pickguard removed
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Neck pickup
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Bridge pickup
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Back of both pickups
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Tone pot
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Volume pot
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Tremolo
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Tremolo cavity
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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by countertext » Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:09 pm

It does look like a mix - ‘70s neck, maybe, and ‘65 pickups, at least. Aftermarket guard and a refin. It sure looks cool, though.

Somebody here can break it down piece by piece for you, no doubt.

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Mondaysoutar
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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by Mondaysoutar » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:22 pm

The trem is an AVRI unit, the serial matches mine man. Going by the neck plate serial, it’s 1968 or 69 which maybe works as the neck is blocked and bound.. I’m not positive of when exactly CBS went to BB necks, but I’m pretty sure there was a few kicking around by ‘69. Really good looking guitar, how does it play man?
There’ll be folk on this forum that’ll be able to tell you the colour of the boys hair who built it though, so hopefully it’ll get cleared up for you man.

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by BoringPostcards » Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:30 pm

Mondaysoutar wrote:
Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:22 pm
The trem is an AVRI unit, the serial matches mine man. Going by the neck plate serial, it’s 1968 or 69 which maybe works as the neck is blocked and bound.. I’m not positive of when exactly CBS went wto BB necks, but I’m pretty sure there was a few kicking around by ‘69. Really good looking guitar, how does it play man?
There’ll be folk on this forum that’ll be able to tell you the colour of the boys hair who built it though, so hopefully it’ll get cleared up for you man.
The number on the vibrato is the patent number, and is the same on all JM or Jag vibratos that have the patent number present.
Looks accurate to me.
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by Mondaysoutar » Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:50 pm

BoringPostcards wrote:
Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:30 pm
Mondaysoutar wrote:
Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:22 pm
The trem is an AVRI unit, the serial matches mine man. Going by the neck plate serial, it’s 1968 or 69 which maybe works as the neck is blocked and bound.. I’m not positive of when exactly CBS went wto BB necks, but I’m pretty sure there was a few kicking around by ‘69. Really good looking guitar, how does it play man?
There’ll be folk on this forum that’ll be able to tell you the colour of the boys hair who built it though, so hopefully it’ll get cleared up for you man.
The number on the vibrato is the patent number, and is the same on all JM or Jag vibratos that have the patent number present.
Looks accurate to me.
Ah really? I thought the patent changed dependent on model, my bad. Even though I had a Japanese Jag and checking a picture it had the same trem patent as my US JM haha.

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by timtam » Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:51 pm

"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by WillyP » Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:32 pm

The serial number of the neck plate is 69-70, which makes sense with the big block inlays and the large Jaguar headstock shape. Was it refinished? The pickguard doesn't look original for that time but it could have been custom ordered. The pickups dating to 65 could just mean they had some left over and stuck them in.... Cool looking guitar. I hope you share it here once it all set op.

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joachime
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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by joachime » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:43 am

Thank you all for your feedback.

Refinish
I haven't got any information about it.
Looking at the neck pocket which is covered in paint, I get the feeling it has been refinished.
On the other hand, I can't find any trace of an original finish, under the pickguard or in the tremolo cavity.
Was it common for Jazzmasters to be in Olympic white during this period?

Pickguard
It has a nice fit and nice bevels. But there are no holes cut out for the rhythm circuit controls. Have you ever seen that on a factory pickguard?
And shouldn't there be a metal foil or plate underneath the pickguard?

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by Futuron » Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:40 am

joachime wrote:
Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:58 am
I want some help dating this guitar.
Try taking it out to a nice restaurant

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by zhivago » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:03 am

joachime wrote:
Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:43 am
Pickguard
It has a nice fit and nice bevels. But there are no holes cut out for the rhythm circuit controls. Have you ever seen that on a factory pickguard?
And shouldn't there be a metal foil or plate underneath the pickguard?
I've never seen a vintage guard like that in all my years of looking at Jazzmasters, so my vote is that it is non-factory. :-/

It would be very difficult to prove otherwise. You are right, there should be a pick guard shield underneath the guard that matches the holes of the guard. Sometimes they even have signatures like "Mell" on them.

It is a shame the stamp on the neck is pretty much gone, we could get a better sense of the year of manufacture. :(

I see some "orange peel" I think on the finish which makes me think even more that this is a body refin.

To sum it up, for me it is a refinished body, with possibly the correct neck year wise (ie they both left the factory bolted together), aftermarket pick guard of some sort, non-original to the guitar, but vintage, Fender grey-bottom pickups. You also have non-original knobs, as it should have witchhats. Also non-original tuners as they should be double-line Klusons.

Still, this is a cool guitar, for the right price. Factor in the possibility of a re-fret to get it playing 100%...I always do that when I buy old guitars nowadays. 8)
Resident Spartan.

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by joachime » Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:27 am

Thanks! Great info!
zhivago wrote:
Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:03 am
Also non-original tuners as they should be double-line Klusons.
Regarding tuners
That reminds me that I totally forgot to provide images of the headstock.
I thought f-style tuners were common on Jazzmaster necks with blocks and bindings.

Front
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Back
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Fretboard - lower frets and saddle
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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by zhivago » Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:52 am

Actually, you are right, later in the CBS era you get the F style tuner...sorry about this, I don't follow post-CBS guitars as much.
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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by beauzooka » Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:38 am

That’s super hot!
How much does he/she want for it?

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:57 am

Did someone drill all the way through the headstock fitting an extra string tree?

It's a very cool guitar, nevertheless!
All the cheeses....

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Re: Need help dating Fender Jazzmaster

Post by HNB » Wed Nov 18, 2020 11:00 am

I did that one time. I was horrified. LOL My depth tape on the bit slipped. LOL
Christopher
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