The Fender Jazzmaster debuted in 1958 as the most expensive and feature-rich guitar in the Fender lineup — a deliberate attempt to capture the jazz market with a guitar that offered more sophisticated electronics than anything else Leo Fender had produced. Jazz guitarists largely ignored it, but the Jazzmaster found its audience anyway, becoming the defining guitar of California surf music in the early 1960s and, decades later, the instrument of choice for indie and alternative players who valued its tonal complexity and unconventional character. The 1960 Jazzmaster is a first-generation instrument from the heart of the pre-CBS era, and this example is as complete and original as they come.

The Jazzmaster was the first Fender production guitar with a rosewood fingerboard, and in 1960 that fingerboard was a thick slab of Brazilian rosewood glued onto a flat-milled maple neck — a construction method that produces a different feel and tonal character than the thin veneer fingerboards Fender transitioned to in spring 1962. The slab board is the defining feature of the most collectible pre-CBS Jazzmasters, and the 1960 slab is Brazilian rosewood, the material that became unavailable for new production after CITES restrictions decades later. The clay dot inlays are the warm brown, matte, non-reflective material that collectors identify immediately and that no reproduction has convincingly replicated. The spaghetti logo on the headstock carries no patent numbers — patent numbers begin appearing on Fender decals in mid-1961, making their absence a reliable indicator of 1960 production.

The Jazzmaster's circuit is unlike any other Fender production guitar, before or since. The lead circuit uses 1MΩ potentiometers — a departure from the 250kΩ standard used on every other Fender guitar of the era — contributing directly to the instrument's distinctive tonal character. The floating tremolo and rhythm circuit complete the system: the rhythm circuit selects the neck pickup with separately preset volume and tone controls via the thumbwheels on the upper bout, allowing instant switching to a preset rhythm tone without touching the main controls. The pickups reading 7.82k bridge and 7.81k neck are matched and original — the wide-coil Jazzmaster single-coils with their distinctive warm, fat tone that players have been attempting to replicate with boutique pickups for decades.

The completeness of this example is exceptional. Original case. Original hang tag. Original Fender pick holder. All hardware original — bridge, tremolo assembly, tuners, knobs, switch. Original tortoise "pepperoni" pickguard. Original pots. These accessories are almost always absent from surviving examples — a Jazzmaster with its complete original case accessories intact after 65 years is a genuinely rare find. Action is set at 2/32" on both strings at the twelfth fret. At 7 lbs 9.5 oz this is a light, resonant instrument.

The guitar plays extremely well after getting a killer setup here in the shop.  We did a little bit of work on the pickguard to counteract shrinkage.  The pickguard had shrunken enough to prohibit pickguard adjustment, which is typical on guitars of this era.  The neck is straight, the truss rod has room for future neck relief adjustment, and the frets have lots of life left.

The only change was the addition of a ground wire that was run from the shielding in the control cavity to the bridge area.  You can see it in the pics.  We removed it during inspection.  Otherwise, every screw and part are original.

Mahar's Vintage Guitars is a brick-and-mortar and web-based retailer. We are happy to talk with you before you make a purchase.   Please reach out if you feel so inclined! We cross market our items here and on our own site, so items are subject to sale elsewhere at any time (however we will never cancel a sale if it happens here first). See our profile here, our Google reviews as well as our 100% positive Reverb feedback. Also, Reverb limits us to only 25 pictures of our items. There is a good chance we have more. Contact us if you’d like to see them.

No sales tax for direct sale customers outside California. Reverb sales are always taxed.

SPECS:

• Color: Sunburst
• Weight: 7lbs 9.5oz
• Body: Alder 
• Body Date/Code: See Pic
• Neck: Maple
• Neck Profile: C
• Neck Date/Code: See Pics
• Fretboard: Brazilian Rosewood
• Inlays: Clay Dot
• Frets: Original
• Fret Count: 21
• Nut: Original
• Nut width: 1-5/8"
• Radius: 7.25"
• Scale: 25.5"
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .788"
• Neck thickness at 12th Fret: .975"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
• Overall length: 40 1/2"
• Lower bout: 13 3/4"
• Waist: 9 1/2"
• Upper bout: 10 1/2"
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1 5/8"
• String gauge: .010-.046"
• Hardware Color: Chrome, Nickel
• Pickguard: Original
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: Fender 
• Pickup Reading: 7.82k
• Original?: Yes
• Neck Pickup/Brand: Fender
• Pickup Reading: 7.81k
• Original?: Yes
• Bridge: Original
• Tuners: Original
• Knobs: Original
• Switch: Original
• Pots: Original
• Case: OHSC

Shipping policy:

There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for Eastern states - customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air.  Otherwise, ground shipping will be used.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to .  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.