Fender Jazzmaster, Sunburst (1965)

1965 Fender Jazzmaster in its original Sunburst finish just in on consignment!

This is a wonderful playing and sounding example of an early CBS-Era offset electric, with just the right amount of natural play wear and patina we love to see coupled with nearly 100% originality. It's also one of the lightest vintage Jazzmasters to come through our shop, weighing in at 7.5lbs on the nose.

What we can assume as a Spring of '65 build based on the neck stamp, pot codes, and pickup dates, this Jazzmaster shows off all of the hallmarks of Fender's flagship offset. The original 3-tone Sunburst finish has faded and ambered nicely, presenting as a warmer overall 'burst than what we typically see from this era. The original tortoiseshell guard remains break-free despite typical shrinkage in areas.

Under the hood, we find completely original electronics throughout. A combination of CTS and Stackpole pots for the Lead circuit show date codes of the 50th week of '63 and 8th week of '65, respectively. The grey bottom pickups feature their original covers, with the bridge pickup showing the most legible date of '4-9-65' in pencil on the underside of the bobbin. A clean neck pocket reveals the proper Fullerplast sealer and shadow mark of finish application per the paint stick method that had been adopted a couple of years prior. The clear ink stamp of '4MAR65B' on the end of the neck tells us that it's a factory Jazzmaster neck completed in March of 1965 with a standard 'B' nut width of 1 5/8".

The neck features a comfortable Oval C profile with a meaty taper that feels nicely broken-in. A refret was completed at one time with slightly larger wire that still provides enough height for an easy playing experience. The original transitional Fender decal is bold and clear with the exception of the 'Jazzmaster' portion that has partially rubbed away. The lead circuit 3-way toggle switch tip is replaced, but all other hardware and plastics present as original to the guitar.

The guitar includes its original "no logo" hardshell case, complete with vibrato arm and bridge cover. The underside of the accessory lid is branded with a prior owner's name, which is always a fun way of identifying a guitar's history.