Fender Custom Shop 1959 Jazzmaster Relic Black

The Classic Jazzmaster

Crafted specifically for jazz artists (yet embraced by surf enthusiasts) and unveiled in 1958, the Jazzmaster blended sophisticated aesthetics with a smooth, lyrical tone and innovative tremolo mechanism. It underwent changes over time, but the 1959 Jazzmaster remains the most groundbreaking model that shaped contemporary styles of music - that was our inspiration behind this Custom Shop replica, with a few contemporary modifications for current musicians.

We love coming up with Fender Custom Shop builds here, and while some are really unique, some are meant to be simple and classic - this is one of them.  Everyone here gets to spec some out, and this one in particular was cooked up by longtime Truetone vet Mark Pritchard.  He kept it real, doing a vintage style Jazzmaster with a touch of modern playability.

The two-piece alder body sports the iconic offset curves designed for guitarists who usually played seated, and also wears a Relic lacquer finish, giving it the look and feel of a guitar that’s survived over six decades of playing.  The Custom Shop nailed the aging, as they always do.  While we love doing a variety of colors, and can get a little crazy with that, Mark knows that sometimes going traditional is the best.  Therefore, he chose to do this one in Black.  When it landed, we realized it was the right move, especially with the Relic treatment.  It creates a gorgeous aesthetic, completed by the anodized gold pickguard and black pickup covers.

The tinted, maple neck sports a 59 Large C profile (.894 - .970"), which is perfect for players that want a vintage feel with a good amount of grip.  The modern tweak is that the rosewood fingerboard has been updated to 9.5” radius with Medium Vintage frets, which are just a bit wider than Vintage and just a bit lower than the commonly used 6105's (Narrow Tall).  The guitar is super comfortable to play, and the aging on the back of the neck enhances the worn in feel that players love.

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.  If you want a classic sounding Jazzmaster, with all of the original functionality, this is the way to go.

 Other features include period correct, vintage-style tuning machines and the classic bridge/tremolo. The guitar includes a deluxe hardshell case, strap and Certificate of Authenticity.