True Vintage Guitar Blog

By 1969, the Telecaster model had been relegated to fifth place on the price list for standard solid body electric guitars. The top of the line Jaguar was offered at $429.50 but a standard Telecaster with Rosewood fretboard could be purchased for almost half that at $269.50. It's possible that the Jaguar and Jazzmaster's high prices helped kill their popularity in the 1970s while the Telecaster shined as one of Fender's flagship designs and helped keep the company afloat. As the Telecaster's popularity surged in the late 1960s, Fender started developing unique variations…Read more

The recently purchased Fender company was noticing some complaints about one of their most popular models in 1967: the Telecaster was gaining weight. High quality (read: light weight) Ash to make guitar bodies was becoming scarce while the heavier stuff was readily available. Legendary German guitar designer Roger Rossmeisel was then employed at Fender and set out to design a guitar that could utilize the more abundant (heavy) Ash and yet not break the player's back. Rossmeisel's first design was to route away body material underneath the pickguard. The modification was completely hidden…Read more

This was a really special guitar that came through the shop last year: an early 1966 Fender Jaguar in custom color Lake Placid Blue. Although it was missing the original case, it was in spectacular condition with all original finish and parts. It showed no evidence of prior repair and required only light cleaning and set up. Fender's Jaguar model debuted in 1962 at the top of the electric guitar line, only four years after the Jazzmaster's introduction. It featured an offset body shape slightly modified from the Jazzmaster, 24" scale neck, two…Read more

  The post-CBS buyout Fender Musical Instrument Company was presented with a problem unfamiliar to it in prior years: leftover stock and parts from a model that was a commercial failure. Fender's Electric XII model failed to sell as many pieces as anticipated and the leftover unfinished bodies and necks were piling up at the factory. In 1969, Fender's production manager was tasked with repurposing the stock into something they could sell. Thus, the Custom was born. Long time Fender employee "Babe" Simoni skirted the R&D department and set out to solve the…Read more