Fender Custom Shop 1966 Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic British Racing Green

Truetone One Off - the Racing Jazzmaster

Ever since the Jazzmaster debuted at the end of the 1950's, it has evolved, even in the earliest days.  The Jazzmaster has continued to change over the years, but for many, stepping back to how it was done in the mid-60's is the way to go.  The Fender Custom Shop excels at recreating the look, feel and sound of these guitars, often with special tweaks.  That's where we decided to go with this guitar.  There's a LOT going on with it, so dig in.  We're excited to present this 1966 Jazzmaster, the only one in existence exactly like it.

The first thing you'll notice is the visually striking nature of it - the color we chose was British Racing Green, with a matching headstock, and adorned with an Olympic White Racing Stripe.  The 4-play tortoise shell pickguard adds a classic touch.  Combined, this results in a Jazzmaster like you've never seen before.  

We opted for a Journeyman Relic finish - the lacquer is aged perfectly, with a lot of finish checking (zoom in on the photos).  There are small nicks, but no major wear.  The idea is to keep it mostly clean, like a guitar that has existed for over 5 decades, played plenty, but also cared for.  One added tweak we made is that the back of the neck was given the Heavy Relic treatment, with most of the finish worn off between the 1st and 12th frets.  This really increases the comfort of the neck - it's smooth with a broken-in feel.  This level of customization is largely what makes a Custom Shop guitar so special.

This '66 Jazzmaster is a testament to the Fender Custom Shop's ability to pull off vintage recreations with modern playability.  It has a two-piece select alder body that is lightweight, a rock solid quartersawn maple neck with a classic '62 Jazzmaster neck shape, dark rosewood fretboard, and period correct vintage hardware.   We went with a 9.5" radius and Narrow Tall (6105) frets for easy playing and bending - this is one of the most common and popular modifications to vintage-styled guitars out of the Custom Shop.  

One thing that really stands out are the Mother of Pearl block inlays on the fretboard - just like you'd expect on a Jazzmaster from 1966.  Another key feature is the RSD J-Bridge.  It provides better stability, with brass saddles for extra warmth.  Most players would agree that this bridge that the Custom Shop developed is a remarkable improvement over the old school Jazzmaster bridge.  We love it so much that we put it on almost every Custom Shop Jazzmaster we do.  

Where we ramped up the customization is the choice of pickups: we went with a Curtis Novak Classic Pickups set.  In the neck position, it's the JM-V.  This is a vintage correct pickup, modeled after the ’63 Jazzmaster with slight mods to suit modern players and styles.  It has a true clear Fender bell tone.  Per Curtis Novak, the JM-V neck pairs well with the JM-Fat bridge pickup for an even, balanced tone.  Therefore, we went with the JM-Fat in the bridge position.  It has a wider tone band, higher fidelity, less mids and more body than a standard Jazzmaster pickup.  Fatter single coil and thicker wire gives it a fuller tone. Full balanced and no shrill, with the tone you expect as you switch from neck, middle then to bridge.

Tied together with ultra-flexible, vintage-style Jazzmaster wiring—including the famous “lead/rhythm” circuit, complete with thumbwheel controls—the vintage styled Jazzmaster single-coil pickups sound mellow and fat; the model’s calling card.  But don't be mistaken, this guitar can definitely rock, as plenty of players have shown with Jazzmasters.

Other features include a vintage style tremolo, tuning machines, neck plate, bone nut and an American Vintage string guide with a nylon spacer. Included is a period correct Custom Shop brown hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.

This is a special Jazzmaster, no doubt about it - and it's the only one out there.  Come to Truetone Music to check it out, or order right here to have it shipped to your home.