1961 Fender JazzMaster with original hard case   

• Body newly finished - back to its original Fiesta Red in nitro lacquer
• Headstock-face has a light coat of nitro lacquer and a new period-correct decal
• Original frets replaced with all new frets – leaving plenty of MOJO
• Pretty certain the back of the neck has original nitro lacquer – yet have not confirmed
• Some minor wiring to secure leads on both pickups and some harness grounding points
• Original tuners work great and none are bent
• Original pickups, pots and caps
• Original pickups: bridge reads 8.10 Ohms – neck reads 7.60 Ohms
• Neck profile: .770 at 1st fret - .875 at 9th fret - .962 at 12th fret
• Action set at 1.5mm – low “E” at 12th fret and at 1.25mm – high “E” at 12th fret
• Comes with a few period cords and interesting Fender literature

Unraveling the mysteries of this beauty took time. From the first photographs I received to the many conversations I had with respected authorities and authors in the field of vintage Fender guitars, each new discovery revealed another part of her remarkable story.

Normally, the process would have been fairly straightforward. I receive a lead about musical instruments from an estate, a few photographs arrive by email, and I arrange to inspect the collection—evaluating condition, value and, of course, my own interest.

Among several guitars and amplifiers from the 1980s was a black Fender case—later determined to be an original brown case that had been painted black. Tucked inside was a Jazzmaster wearing a natural lacquer refinish. The refinishing work was not terrible, but it was clearly not original.

I began the examination. The neck plate looked promising: 1961. The slab-rosewood fingerboard was correct for the period, and the neck profile felt excellent.

Then the mystery began to unfold.

When I carefully removed the neck, I discovered that its penciled date had either been sanded away or simply worn off. Without that date, confirming that the neck was original to the body could prove difficult.

Next, I removed the pickguard. On its underside were remnants of the original tan masking tape Fender routinely used to secure the wiring harness. This tape is characteristic of vintage Fender construction and appeared on virtually every original example I had encountered.

One additional piece of masking tape, however, was unlike anything I had seen before. Approximately five inches long, it carried two penciled notations:

“Fiesta Red” and “Show.”

The words immediately raised two questions. Had the guitar originally been finished in Fiesta Red? And what did “Show” signify?

I began searching for traces of the original finish. Fortunately, the evidence was abundant—particularly beneath the copper shielding. Even more compelling were unmistakable remnants of red lacquer fused between the mating surfaces of the neck heel and neck pocket. That evidence gave me complete confidence that the neck and body had been together when the guitar received its original Fiesta Red finish.

The word “Show” remained unexplained.

After further research and conversations with knowledgeable vintage Fender authorities, I learned that this notation was used to identify instruments selected for exhibition. In this instance, the evidence indicates that the Jazzmaster was prepared for display at the 1961 NAMM Show in Chicago.

That discovery may also explain how the guitar eventually found its way to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. At the conclusion of a trade show, manufacturers commonly sold display instruments to attending dealers rather than incur the expense and inconvenience of shipping them back to the factory. It is entirely plausible that a Midwestern Fender dealer acquired this Jazzmaster at the show and brought it home to Wisconsin.

Why pay the freight back to Fullerton when there was a willing buyer standing right there?

A bird in the hand, indeed.