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.
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