This Fender Jaguar 1965 in original Fiesta Red finish is one of my favorite guitars I've ever purchased. Of the three Red colors Fender offered in 1965, Fiesta Red is the one that looks equal parts pink, red, and orange. It's the color that many call Salmon Pink, but Fender never used that term to describe Fiesta Red.
As a Fender guitar collector, I'm always on the hunt for nice examples of Fender Jaguar guitars but especially in custom colors like Fiesta Red, Lake Placid Blue, Candy Apple Red, and more. You can contact me here to sell a Fender guitar.
If you're looking for more information on vintage Fender guitars from the 1950s and 1960s then I recommend The Fender Archives by Tom Wheeler. It's got loads of great insider information with price lists and catalog scans. It's one of my favorite books on vintage Fender guitars.
Fender Jaguar Dating
The Fender Jaguar bears all features typical to early to mid 1965. Here's a great resource for help dating vintage Fender guitars: How to date a Fender Jaguar. There are so many great ways to find the year of a Fender Jaguar.
One place to start for dating Fender guitars is the serial number. The serial number range for this Fender Jaguar is during the L series prefix (1963-1965). The serial number L83xxx was used during 1965, but since the serial numbers are easily swapped, it's best to use more than just this one data point to date a Fender Jaguar.
The neck date of this Fender Jaguar reads "1APR65B" where 1 = Jaguar model, APR = April, 65 = 1965, and B is the standard nut width. Fender's model codes changed in mid 1965, so this is the pre-CBS model code for Jaguar. This neck was stamped in 1965, but the guitar didn't leave the factory until likely a few months later.
Fender Jaguar 1965 Value
The value of a vintage Fender Jaguar guitar from the 1960s can depend heavily on the exact year it was made, the color, condition, and originality. 1965 is a significant year for the Fender company since the man who started Fender in 1946 sold his company to CBS in January. Fender guitar collectors know that the quality of Fender guitars dropped significantly in the late 1960s and production numbers increased. Still, not much changed at Fender until mid to late 1965, so many collectors would still consider this early 1965 Fender Jaguar a pre-CBS Fender.
Fender models have a standard color which was the least expensive to purchase. The standard color for the Jaguar was Sunburst; most guitar players liked Sunburst and didn't feel the need to pay the upcharge for a different color. There are far more Fender Jaguar guitars in Sunburst finish than any other color. The supply of custom color Jaguars like this one in Fiesta Red is much lower, which is why Fender guitar collectors are willing to pay more for them. Here's a link to the Fender custom color chart from 1964. I am looking for all custom color Fender guitars so contact me if you're considering selling.
The condition of a vintage Fender Jaguar guitar is a bit subjective, so it's easier to compare two guitars side by side. This Fender Jaguar 1965 Fiesta Red appears to be in very fine condition with very few miles on it.
Fender Jaguar Collector
As a Fender guitar collector, I am looking for the nicest examples of vintage Fender guitars in all colors on the custom color chart. Fiesta Red is my favorite of the three reds, but there are so many great colors that Fender used. If you're curious about how much I would value your vintage Fender Jaguar at then you can contact me here: Sell a Fender. You can send pictures to the contact information below for me to take a look.
