Fender Jazzmaster: A Viable Strat\Tele Alternative

  If you are a "Fender Freak" chances are your dream guitar is a pre-CBS Stratocaster or Telecaster.  Prices of original Strats and Teles are now well into five figures and unless you've got the cash on hand for one of these classics, a good alternative may be the Jazzmaster.

First introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster was initially created to appeal to Jazz guitarists, hence the name.  Because many Jazz artists prefer to play in the seated position the contoured body, which is larger than the Strat's, was designed for comfort. A full 25½ inch scale length and lead and rhythm circuit switching with independent volume and tone controls were also included. The cream colored soapbar pickups were unlike any other single coil Fender had offered up until that time.  The coil was wound flat and wide, unlike those on Strats and Teles which have tall, thin coils. The result is the Jazz having a warmer tone without losing Fender's legendary single coil clarity. The main aspect that deterred Jazz players from embracing the Jazz however was it's tendency to produce feedback. Fender had also intended for it to be a solid body alternative to the large hollow body archtop guitars or "Jazzboxes" as they were called that had become the hallmark of Jazz guitarists. From a marketing standpoint, the idea never caught on.

Fortunately for Fender, the Jazzmaster developed a life of it's own beyond the Jazz genre. In the early '60's  "Surf Rock" as it came to be called took hold in California and began to spread worldwide with the popularity of the Beach Boys and instrumental bands like The Ventures and The Fireballs who became prominent Jazzmaster users.  The Jazz's mellower, jazzier tone worked well for the Surf Sound they were creating.

The original Jazzmaster was discontinued by Fender in 1980 but, in another twist of fate, it achieved cult status when artists like Elvis Costello and Sonic Youth began to use them prominently in their recordings and on stage.  Ironically, the same feedback characteristics that deterred Jazz players from using the Jazzmaster were now being embraced by more experimentally-minded rock guitarists like Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth as a new way to color their music.  As a result, the Jazzmaster was reintroduced in the mid '90s in many variations including signature Elvis Costello and Thurston Moore models.

Vintage Jazzmasters have grown considerably in value over the past several years with some original pre-CBS models fetching as much as $10,000 or more. Newer models (1965 to 1980) are much more affordable but still very collectible.  Check out the early '66 dot neck pictured in our shop at the top of this post as well as on our website.  Let's face it....every Fender Fanatic has a Strat or Tele right?  But if you dance (or play) to the beat of a different drummer you may want to check out the Jazzmaster.

Teisco Gold Foil Pickups: The Search for the Holy Grail

Over the past several years the gold foil pickups used by the Japanese guitar maker Teisco in the mid sixties have been gaining what could be described as cult status. Though Teiscos were inexpensive guitars sold during the period these pickups have become famous for their unique sound especially among slide and blues guitarists. Hound Dog Taylor played a Kawai (Teisco) with gold foils. Ry Cooder has used the gold foils extensively for many years for slide either on Teisco or related brand guitars or has installed the pickups on Fender models in particular Stratocasters . Among aficionados Ry's hybrid models have been given the nicknames of "Frankenstrat" or "Coodercaster"

It is important to note that there are several versions of the gold foil. One has the large screw pole pieces running along the center with a chrome surround. Another type has smaller pole piece screws and a chrome surround with four fixing screws somewhat like a Rickenbacker toaster or a DeArmond. The magnets in these two types as explained by Jason Lollar, renowned pickup designer, are actually magnetized rubber. A third type has small pole piece screws along the edge and are the type used by Ry Cooder. These are pictured at the top of this post on a Teisco SS4L. The third type is considered by many to be the best sounding of the three with a slightly higher output, roughly 5.6k ohms, and alnico magnets in the pole pieces.

As the gold foil phenomenon grows these pickups are becoming more valuable. Whether you are a collector or just a lover of slide guitar or blues in general, check out the gold foils. You won't be sorry you did!

The Pink Paisley Telecaster: Chicken Pickin' goes Psychedelic

In the late 60's country music was in decline and rock & roll had grown into a major cultural force. As a result, the Telecaster, Fender's premier country twanger, fell into disfavor and was not seen as "cool" among the period's rock bands. In what seemed like a somewhat desperate move, Fender, now owned by CBS, decided to make a "hippie" version of the venerable Tele. Taking what is described as "wallpaper" Fender applied a paisley pattern to the front and back of Telecasters in 1968 and 1969. These Teles were not only paisley, but the wallpaper was feathered into the edges of the guitar with a pinkish-red color. Pretty soon, they were known as Pink Paisley Teles. A blue floral design was also developed by applying floral wallpaper to the front and back of the guitar and feathering the edge with blue paint.


Sometime in 1969, Elvis Presley bought a Pink Paisley Tele and gave it to James Burton, his lead guitar player who became legendary for his work with Presley, Ricky Nelson, and many others. Though Burton had long been well respected in the guitar players' world, most rockers at the time had no desire to play a pink paisley axe. Dealers that had taken a chance on the model found the guitars the subject of ridicule and nearly impossible to sell. Many were sold at bargain basement prices just to get rid of them and others were even given away to customers who bought other items. The Blue Floral Tele fared a little better but it too was a failure in the stores so the experiment was discontinued in 1969.

For many years the '68/'69 Paisley and Floral Teles could be bought for much less than comparable Teles with standard finishes. Indeed many were stripped to the natural wood or painted other more standard colors. In the 1980's, mostly due to their uniqueness, the "Psychedelic Teles" started to become collectible, especially the Pink Paisleys. The demand was such that Fender Japan started making both the Pink Paisley and Blue Floral Tele reissues in 1984. Fender USA, having seen the power of the reissue market, started importing the Japanese versions.

The collectability rating of the original '68 and '69 Paisleys and Florals has been on the rise since the early 90′s to where they have become one of the most sought after Telecasters on the vintage market. Because so many were sanded down or stripped, finding one with an original finish is quite rare making them more valuable every year.