Fender's Jazzmaster model was only two years old in 1960 and not much had changed since its introduction in 1958. While never as popular as the Stratocaster or Telecaster, the Jazzmaster has gathered a cult following as a result of its unique offset styling and proprietary pickups and electronics. The Jazzmaster has been in production in some form since its introduction except for a short hiatus from 1982 to 1986. The Jazzmaster’s pickups are unique in that the coils are only 1/8″ high but extend out to the edge of the almost inch wide bobbin.
This clean vintage 1960 Fender Jazzmaster came through the shop a few years ago and is a fine example of the model. I'm always looking to buy clean vintage Fender guitars so please contact me here to Sell a Fender.
If you're looking for help with vintage Fender guitar dating, check out my article on How to date a Jazmaster.
Fender Jazzmaster 1960
The changes made to the Jazzmaster from 1959 to 1960 are subtle at best. To my knowledge, no gold anodized guard guitars were made past mid 1959, so all of the examples will have either a faux tortoiseshell guard for Sunburst and Blond guitars or a white (mint green hued) pickguard for custom colors like Black. The Sunburst finish in 1960 is slightly different than those from '59. The dark outer edge of the '58 and '59 Sunburst is purple, but the '60 era Sunburst is black. The red pigment of the burst fades more significantly in 1960. The red band in '61 becomes brighter and doesn't fade as easily as those from 1960.
I purchased this 1960 Fender Jazzmaster from the wife of the original owner. It's a nice example of the faded red band Sunburst finish from the '60 era. She said her husband purchased the guitar new and played in a military band until losing a finger in a work accident in 1963. The guitar, marked “6-60” (June 1960) on the neck heel, is in very nice original condition with no modifications or prior repairs. All parts appear to be original to the guitar including the oft missing amber switch tip and bridge cover.
This next 1960 Fender Jazzmaster has an October of 1960 neck heel date. It weighs 8 lbs and 1 oz which is a typical weight for the Jazzmaster model. The neck profile measures 0.76" deep at the first fret and 0.98" deep at the 12th fret. This is quite a thin neck at the first fret! The taper is very significant up to the 12th fret.
How much did a Jazzmaster cost in 1960?
The best place to find out how much a Fender Jazzmaster cost in 1960 is the price list. Fender's price list from 1960 lists a few different versions of the model with different prices for each one. This is why the value of Jazzmaster depends on different features including the color and hardware style as well as the condition. The 1960 Fender price list indicates that the price of a standard Sunburst Jazzmaster guitar was $349.50. I am looking for Blond, custom finishes, and goldplated hardware Jazzmasters: Sell a Fender.
Jazzmaster Guitar (with tremolo) ( dual wide range pickups) with Sunburst finish -- $349.50
Jazzmaster Guitar (with tremolo) ( dual wide range pickups) with Blond or custom finish -- $366.97
Jazzmaster Guitar (with tremolo) ( dual wide range pickups) with Blond or custom finish, goldplated hardware -- $420.20
