1959 Fender Jazzmaster - Sunburst

The Jazzmaster featured an offset body shape designed for comfort and ease of playing. The electronics’ unique design consisted of a switch on the upper horn which when moved up offered independent volume and tone control, intended to be the “rhythm” position. When pushed down, it would bypass the upper body controls to provide a “lead” sound. The Fender Jazzmaster was also the first Fender model to offer a separate rosewood fingerboard glued to a maple neck. Additionally, the vibrato unit was an all-new design, offering a locking on/off switch. This switch was intended to help the player stay in tune in the event of a string break – a great idea in theory that proved ultimately impractical.

The earliest models had a gold anodized pickguard, but soon a tortoise pickguard became standard.