1966 Fender Jazzmaster

This vintage 1966 Fender Jazzmaster guitar in original Sunburst finish came through the shop last year. It was a fine playing electric guitar and an excellent example of an early post-CBS buyout Fender. I'm always a Fender guitar buyer but I especially love the Jazzmaster model. Please contact me here to sell a Fender guitar. 

Check out this page for help with Fender Jazzmaster guitar dating: How To Date A Vintage Fender Jazzmaster Guitar.

Or check out a few other vintage Fender Jazzmaster guitars that have come through the shop:

Vintage 1960 Fender Jazzmaster Blond

Vintage 1961 Fender Jazzmaster Sunburst

Vintage 1962 Fender Jazzmaster Lake Placid Blue

Vintage 1971 Fender Jazzmaster Black

"Fender Jazzmaster: There is no more convincing proof of the fine playing qualities of the Fender Jazzmaster than its rapid acceptance by guitarists throughout the world during the past few years. This remarkable guitar incorporates all the well known Fender developments including the "off-set" body design, smooth tremolo action plus separate rhythm and lead tone circuits. In addition, it offers a comfort contoured body and truss rod reinforced fast action neck for effortless playing and faster playing technique. Every convenience is provided including the tremolo lock, adjustable master bridge channel with individually adjustable two way bridges, and completely adjustable high fidelity pickups. The Jazzmaster represents one of the finest additions to the Fender line and far surpasses other instruments in its price class."   -- Fender catalog, 1965-1966

Make and Model: Fender Jazzmaster

Year: 1966. Neck stamp: (13 = Jazzmaster model, Sep = September, 66 = 1966, B = 1 5/8" nut width), Serial number 164xxx

Specifications: Original factory applied Sunburst finish with ES stamp, Rosewood fretboard with neck binding and large block inlays, 25 1/2" scale length, .85" neck depth at the first fret, .95" neck depth at the 12th fret,  8lbs 5oz

Originality: This fine 1960s Fender Jazzmaster came to us from the second owner who purchased it in the early 1970s. He wanted an updated look so he replaced the pickguard with a black Fender pickguard and the knobs with domed Telecaster style knobs. I sourced an original 1960s Fender Jazzmaster pickguard, reproduction volume and tone knobs, repro tremolo arm, and repro bridge cover to return it back to factory specifications. I removed a couple of added ground wires that were added at the time of the black pickguard installation. The bridge intonation screws were replaced at some point.

Condition: Very nice! Neither of the first two owners seemed to have played this one very much. There are the typical nicks, bumps, and scratches present throughout but nothing serious. The pickguard has shrunk a bit but I've fitted it around the pickup covers nicely so it doesn't interfere with pickup height, etc.

Playability: 100%! My cleaning and setup procedure included: disassembly and inspection, replace pickup height foam, clean and lubricate all electronics, lightly clean and reassemble body, disassemble and clean bridge and saddles, lubricate truss rod nut, clean fretboard, restring with Thomastik-Enfield strings, adjust neck relief to .003". The guitar is a dream to play with smooth tremolo action and nice intonation throughout.

Notes: This nicely preserved Jazzmaster has survived in wonderful condition and is ready for a new life (outside of its case this time!). It far exceeds the quality and value of comparably priced examples. Not only that, but this is a professional instrument throughout that's ready to go to work for you. It's currently strung with flat wound (11-47) strings because I love the way they feel and sound on an offset guitar but you could easily swap to to standard 11s without having to change the setup. I'm including this killer 1960s hippy strap because I liked the way the colors complimented each other. I'm confident you'll love this clean 1966 Fender Jazzmaster!