Fender Custom Shop 1961 Jazzmaster Reissue. Burgundy Mist + OHSC

What can be cooler than a Custom Colour Jazzmaster? Not much in our opinion ;-)

Here we have a gorgeous Fender Custom Shop 1961 Jazzmaster reissue in rare Burgundy Mist. Original Pre-CBS Fenders in Burgundy Mist are super rare and highly sought after by collectors, and Custom Shop reissues are also a pretty rare sight being produced in much smaller numbers than some of the other Custom Colours.

What is this ‘Lush Closet Classic’ finish? According to the Fender Custom Shop it means “Well taken care of and religiously polished throughout the years. The owner of this guitar took pride in keeping it clean and shiny. Over time the finish started showing age and like a fine wine it evolved into something complex and refined. Moderate finish checking, oxidation of hardware, and mild discolouration of parts give this finish it’s distinct look and feel.” Certainly the thin nitro finish will wear and age very naturally to produce an authentic looking relic in time.

So how does it sound? We had access to an original 1960 Jazzmaster so we could do a meaningful side by side comparison. Overall the two guitars are very close in tone. The hand-wound pickups on this reissue are slightly hotter so have a little bit more meat to them but they are very true to the vintage Jazzmaster tone. When heard in isolation there are subtle differences in tone between the vintage 1960 JM and this reissue, however, in a mix it’s actually quite difficult to tell them apart. This reissue also has slightly better natural sustain which we would mainly put down to the Staytrem bridge – original Jazzmaster bridges aren’t the best to say the least on a number of levels!

The neck profile on this reissue is extremely close to the vintage Jazzmaster with an early ‘60’s medium oval ‘C’ profile which is very comfortable and easy to play. The only difference from vintage spec is that this reissue has a 9.5” fretboard radius and medium jumbo frets which make it slightly easier for note bending.

The pickguard has been upgraded to a Lavaguards pickguard. These are handmade tortoiseshell guards and have the correct look of a vintage tortoiseshell guard with the right depth to the colour and pattern as well as the correct wide edge bevel. These are the most accurate looking ‘shell guards we’ve seen and are a massive improvement on the stock reissue tortoiseshell guard, which is included in the case. The original bridge has been replaced with a Staytrem bridge by the previous owner. The original bridge is missing but the Staytrem is a great bridge that retains a similar look to an original vintage Jazzmaster bridge but is a big improvement in stability and sustain.

Overall near mint condition with two or three very small and barely visible surface indentations to the thin nitro finish and a small scuff on the upper edge – see pictures.

Comes with the original deluxe hardshell case, Certificate of Authenticity, strap and all of the case candy.

Weight: 7lb 15oz
Pickup readings: Neck 7.7k, Bridge 7.6k