Fender Jaguar Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Fender Jaguar Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 158769, Orange Sparkle over Candy Apple Red finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
OK, here is a 1960s Hot Rod Weird-Oh, as 1960s California as a custom woodie! This early 1966 Jaguar started life as an already pretty flashy guitar, finished in Candy Apple Red with a matching headstock. Early on (possibly immediately) the body was overfinished in a super striking Tangerine Sparkle metallic finish making for a very unique look! Fender DID fulfill customer orders for this type of finish on a very limited basis; this one is definitely period BUT we cannot verify it as a Fender-ordered job, so it is not priced in the $50K+ range as one of those would be!
Custom sparkle metallic car finishes were a big part of Southern California culture at the time, and if a customer requested one on a guitar Fender outsourced the job to local hot rod shops as their in-house spray guns were not set up to handle the heavier paint. The most prolific was named Dennis Swinden, who shot a number of sparkle instruments for Fender including a set for Dick Dale's Deltones.
Individual players would have their guitars done at local shops as well, and that's likely the story with this one. The Tangerine Sparkle paint was applied OVER the original Candy Apple Red lacquer; under the pickguard the body cavities were masked off and retain the original red finish. The body is die-stamped "ES" which is common on 1966 Fenders, but also has a ink-stamped white sticker reading "SHOW" applied. Oddly the neck pocket was not masked off. There is a thin clear lacquer coat over the sparkle paint, a standard procedure at the time. The headstock was not re-shot, another indicator this was a post-sale customization; it retains the original red finish and Fender decal.
Apart from the body finish this is a stock '66 early CBS Custom color Jaguar, otherwise original and overall nicely preserved. The guitar has "transitional" early 1966 features: a neck dated March 66 with a bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, an "F" marked neck plate with a six-digit serial number, white plastic pickguard, then brand-new "F" plate Fender tuning machines and the older style gold Fender logo on the matching headstock. The flip-up mute is intact but the foam has ossified to the consistency of ancient chewing gum! Within a few months of this guitar being made block inlay would be added to the fingerboard changing the look of the Jaguar for the rest of the decade.
Enjoying a recent return to popularity, the top-line offset Fender Jaguar remains a unique guitar with several interesting features. The 24" scale length is shorter than other professional grade Fenders, intended to be easier to play with the heavy strings common at the time but lass adaptable to lighter gauges. The pickups are optimized for clarity and crispness, another factor that led to the Jaguar losing popularity in the late '60's as twang went out and slinky strings, distortion and crunch came in! This customized Tangerine Sparkle hot rod Fender was undoubtedly somebody's pride and joy in 1966 (having this finish shot was not cheap even then) and survives as an utterly distinctive guitar, a visual and sonic statement of the eternal twang!
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This custom hot rod Jag remains original except for the overfinish on the body and is complete including the trem arm and even the snap-on bridge cover. It was definitely someone's gigging guitar, and has been played but not abused showing some fairly minor wear overall. The clear lacquer overcoat on body finish has yellowed somewhat and there are some chips and dings on the body which have nearly all been patched in, it looks like decades ago. The lower edge is the most affected, and overall the finish looks very clean until closely examined.
The thin finish is worn to the wood on the back and sides of the neck from the first to 12th fret; Fender finishes began getting thicker soon after this guitar was made. The (once) matching headstock has fine checking on both sides with some chips and dings to the edges, particularly on the bass side. The original Fender logo decal is fully intact.
All pickups, wiring and hardware remain original; some areas of the chrome plating show light wear but nothing too serious. The pickguard has a couple of small tight cracks off the lower switch plate and nearest screw. There is some wear to the original small fret wire in the lower positions but not enough to impede playability.
Overall this is simply a WAY cool guitar, all correct to the period if not provably original to the Fender sales department! It comes complete in the original black Tolex Fender case with the original hang tag booklet with the matching serial number still in the pocket, worn but mostly intact alongside a period grey patch cord. For some reason a matchbook and note pad from Chicago hotels of the period are included; perhaps the owner played this glittering Jag there back in the day!
> Overall Excellent - Condition.
OK, here is a 1960s Hot Rod Weird-Oh, as 1960s California as a custom woodie! This early 1966 Jaguar started life as an already pretty flashy guitar, finished in Candy Apple Red with a matching headstock. Early on (possibly immediately) the body was overfinished in a super striking Tangerine Sparkle metallic finish making for a very unique look! Fender DID fulfill customer orders for this type of finish on a very limited basis; this one is definitely period BUT we cannot verify it as a Fender-ordered job, so it is not priced in the $50K+ range as one of those would be!
Custom sparkle metallic car finishes were a big part of Southern California culture at the time, and if a customer requested one on a guitar Fender outsourced the job to local hot rod shops as their in-house spray guns were not set up to handle the heavier paint. The most prolific was named Dennis Swinden, who shot a number of sparkle instruments for Fender including a set for Dick Dale's Deltones.
Individual players would have their guitars done at local shops as well, and that's likely the story with this one. The Tangerine Sparkle paint was applied OVER the original Candy Apple Red lacquer; under the pickguard the body cavities were masked off and retain the original red finish. The body is die-stamped "ES" which is common on 1966 Fenders, but also has a ink-stamped white sticker reading "SHOW" applied. Oddly the neck pocket was not masked off. There is a thin clear lacquer coat over the sparkle paint, a standard procedure at the time. The headstock was not re-shot, another indicator this was a post-sale customization; it retains the original red finish and Fender decal.
Apart from the body finish this is a stock '66 early CBS Custom color Jaguar, otherwise original and overall nicely preserved. The guitar has "transitional" early 1966 features: a neck dated March 66 with a bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, an "F" marked neck plate with a six-digit serial number, white plastic pickguard, then brand-new "F" plate Fender tuning machines and the older style gold Fender logo on the matching headstock. The flip-up mute is intact but the foam has ossified to the consistency of ancient chewing gum! Within a few months of this guitar being made block inlay would be added to the fingerboard changing the look of the Jaguar for the rest of the decade.
Enjoying a recent return to popularity, the top-line offset Fender Jaguar remains a unique guitar with several interesting features. The 24" scale length is shorter than other professional grade Fenders, intended to be easier to play with the heavy strings common at the time but lass adaptable to lighter gauges. The pickups are optimized for clarity and crispness, another factor that led to the Jaguar losing popularity in the late '60's as twang went out and slinky strings, distortion and crunch came in! This customized Tangerine Sparkle hot rod Fender was undoubtedly somebody's pride and joy in 1966 (having this finish shot was not cheap even then) and survives as an utterly distinctive guitar, a visual and sonic statement of the eternal twang!
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This custom hot rod Jag remains original except for the overfinish on the body and is complete including the trem arm and even the snap-on bridge cover. It was definitely someone's gigging guitar, and has been played but not abused showing some fairly minor wear overall. The clear lacquer overcoat on body finish has yellowed somewhat and there are some chips and dings on the body which have nearly all been patched in, it looks like decades ago. The lower edge is the most affected, and overall the finish looks very clean until closely examined.
The thin finish is worn to the wood on the back and sides of the neck from the first to 12th fret; Fender finishes began getting thicker soon after this guitar was made. The (once) matching headstock has fine checking on both sides with some chips and dings to the edges, particularly on the bass side. The original Fender logo decal is fully intact.
All pickups, wiring and hardware remain original; some areas of the chrome plating show light wear but nothing too serious. The pickguard has a couple of small tight cracks off the lower switch plate and nearest screw. There is some wear to the original small fret wire in the lower positions but not enough to impede playability.
Overall this is simply a WAY cool guitar, all correct to the period if not provably original to the Fender sales department! It comes complete in the original black Tolex Fender case with the original hang tag booklet with the matching serial number still in the pocket, worn but mostly intact alongside a period grey patch cord. For some reason a matchbook and note pad from Chicago hotels of the period are included; perhaps the owner played this glittering Jag there back in the day!
> Overall Excellent - Condition.