2009 Fender® Sixty-Six R&D Prototype, Daphne Blue

Fender Sixty-Six® Prototype, 2009

Calling all collectors!!! Want to own a real piece of Fender history????

OK,...so I've been holding on to this guitar for years!!! What an unbelievable instrument!!! This is one of two of the original downsized Jazz Bass body prototype guitars made in 2009. I'm calling it a Sixty-Six prototype, however, the name Fender Sixty-Six had not even been conceived of at that time. The project was shelved for many years as the Marketing Department went back and forth as to whether or not to produce guitars on this platform. When I bought it, in 2016, (before I retired from Fender), they had decided not to roll these into production and it seemed they would never see the light of day. Anyway, this is the very first "concept piece" of the instruments that have now been released as the Fender Sixty-Six.

From the minds of the creatives in Fender Marketing and R&D, it's the original/first prototype of this guitar using features and components from several Fender instruments. It has a down-sized Jazz Bass shaped body, a Strat neck with large '60s Strat headstock shape, Strat bridge, chrome Tele Deluxe Wide Range humbucking pickups with a 3-way toggle switch, F-Style tuners and bullet truss rod, and a Mustang control plate and knobs. It's a fascinating piece of work dreamed up by the designers at Fender R&D and the Fender R&D logo is prominent on the back of the headstock.

Only two of these prototypes were ever produced in 2009 and obviously, Fender never put them into factory production until the release of the Fender Sixty-Six limited run.

Just think what something like this will be worth in 20 or 30 years!

DON'T JUST BE A WATCHER, MAKE A REASONABLE OFFER AND I'LL SELL IT TO YOU!!!

Here are the specs of the guitar:

BODY

• Body Material: Alder
• Body Finish: Gloss Polyester
• Body Shape: Downsized Jazz Bass®

NECK

• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Finish: Gloss Polyester
• Neck Shape: Modern "C"
• Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
• Fingerboard Material: Maple
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
• Number of Frets: 22
• Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
• Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
• Position Inlays: Black Dots
• Truss Rod: Standard
• Truss Rod Nut: 3/16" Hex Adjustment

ELECTRONICS

• Bridge Pickup: Wide Range Humbucking
• Middle Pickup: N/A
• Neck Pickup: Wide Range Humbucking
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Switching: 3-Position Toggle:
  • Position 1. Bridge Pickup
  • Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickup
  • Position 3. Neck Pickup
• Pickup Configuration: HH

HARDWARE

• Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
• Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
• Tuning Machines: Fender® Vintage F-Style
• Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
• Control Knobs: Vintage Style Black Plastic Jazz Bass®
• Switch Tip: Aged White
• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt

MISCELLANEOUS

• Strings: Fender® USA 250L Nickel Plated Steel (.009-.042 Gauges)

ACCESSORIES

• Case: Deluxe G&G Tweed Hardshell Case

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