1965 Fender Jaguar (Lake Placid Blue)

Lake Placid Blue is one of Fender's most endearing custom colors, and stylistically it is quintessentially '60's. While the color was introduced as a paint option for Cadillac cars in 1958, many a household furnishing (and outfit) was made in a similar color to Lake Placid blue (such as this couch).

 Thanks to a lacquer clear coat over the painted finish, often times Lake Placid blue turns green, due to cigarette smoke exposure or too much UV light; thankfully this guitar retains its original hue very well. In guitars that have seen discoloration, the area under the pickguard will typically tell the tale of the original color, and as we see here the unexposed area "under the 'guard" is nearly the same as the exposed areas. It's relatively unusual to see a guitar of this age that has been played this much that still retains the original color, as we must remember that, previous to the last 20 years, smoking was allowed practically EVERYWHERE that music was played.

 Of course as the Jaguar was Fender's highest level model of the era, it was given a matching headstock when built with a custom color finish.

Pearloid dot inlays were introduced sometime in 1964, and for many this signifies the end of the pre-CBS era. Sure, clay dots (those dark inlays that we see on 1964 and previous Fenders) look cool and have never been duplicated properly, BUT, I once had a harrowing experience on stage in a very dark club where the non-reflective clay dots all but from view, giving me no idea where I was on the fretboard other than muscle memory. Give me pearl dots ANY day.

 Also, this guitar has no buckle rash. Who played this thing?

 As we see from the back of the neck, it was played often, as the finish is worn away in several spots.

 The light lacquer checking that's seen on Fender guitars of the era is some of the most delicate and pretty patina fodder out there.

 Notice the yellow area- this is where the so-called 'paint stick' was screwed onto the body to suspend it and allow handling during finishing. The yellow color is the sealer that was applied first, then the color coat, then the clear coat.

"1" designates Jaguar, Mar 65 is self explanatory, and the "B" is the width of the neck at the nut (1 5/8", the most common Fender nut width, up until the 1980's).

Table Of Contents

c1968 Coral Electric Sitar
1966 Epiphone Texan
1967 Epiphone Bard
1967 Epiphone Casino
1960 Fender Telecaster
1962 Fender Jaguar
1963 Fender Jazzmaster
1966 Fender Bass V
1966 Fender Jazzmaster
1969 Fender Jaguar (firemist gold)
Fender Jazzmaster love
1961 Gibson J-160E
1964 Gibson J-50 with Hummingbird pickguard
1965 Gibson Hummingbird
1965 Gibson J-160E
1966 + 1968 Gibson ES-335-12
1964 Gibson SG Custom
1965 Gibson SG Special
1965 Gibson SG Custom
1967 Gibson J-50
1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom
1968 Gibson SG Standard
1970 Gibson ES-355
1961 Gretsch 6120
1967 Gretsch Country Gentleman
1967 Gretsch Nashville
1967 Gretsch Monkees Rock N Roll Model
1967 Hagstrom III
Harmony Hollywood
Hofner Galaxie
1966 Maestro FZ-1A Fuzztone
1965 Martin D-28
c1969 Mosrite "Post Ventures"
1967 Rickenbacker 450/12
1965 Silvertone 1454
1967 Standel
1968 Vox Aristocrat
1968 Vox Starstream
1966 Vox Bulldog


About this site: Your host Derek See is a bay area musician and writer (Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Fretboard Journal, Premier Guitar); the instruments seen here are not for sale, and the site is intended to inform and celebrate guitars of the 1960's. Special thanks to Richard Johnston and Frank Ford of Gryphon Stringed Instruments for allowing me access to their photo archives to present many instruments shown on this site.

1969 Fender Jaguar (firemist gold)

 As a 1960's guitar buff, I thought I'd seen it all until this incredible, one owner Jaguar was recently unearthed. In the world of custom colors, firemist gold (known as shoreline gold before 1965) is one of the rarest and most elusive colors used by Fender. Adding to rarity is a matching headstock, which was all but phased out by late 1966. It doesn't stop there; this guitar was also ordered with a maple cap neck; an incredibly rare option which was offered first in 1968.

Behold the incredible condition of this guitar; Fender's early catalyzed finishes had big problems with flaking, yet the finish is completely intact here. If it wasn't for some guitar stand damage on the bottom edge, I would venture so far as to call this instrument new old stock. Even though it's downright frightfully clean, the guitar WAS played as there is some minor fretwear. Playability is excellent, and the tone is pure vintage Jaguar. Probably one of a kind.

images used courtesy of Gryphon Stringed Instruments.

Fender Jazzmaster LOVE

In anticipation of an upcoming article that I have in the upcoming issue of Fretboard Journal, here's a gallery of some of my favorite images of my all time favorite solidbody guitar- the Fender Jazzmaster!

Hendrix with The Isley Brothers, 1964

 Hendrix with Wilson Pickett, 1966

Tom Verlaine

 Luther Perkins (w/ Johnny Cash)

 B-Movie maven Arch Hall

 (a very stoned) John & Paul

 Elvis Costello

 Pete Townshend, 1967

 Nels Cline and his '59

 Clarence Carter

 Thurston Moore (photo by me, taken in Katowice, Poland summer 2012)

 Kevin Shields

 perhaps the coolest picture ever taken of Bob Dylan

 Lee Ranaldo

 Adam Franklin

 James Best (w/ Andy Griffith)

 Mickey Baker

 Rick Nelson

 Yours truly (w/ candy apple red '65)

 J Mascis

 Syl Johnson

 Pops Staples

 Tom Verlaine

 Roy Lanham

 Thurston 'n Lee

 Lee Mavers (The La's)

...here's a track of mine that features the Jazzmaster as lead guitar
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...and a live clip showcasing the beautiful clean tones of the JM:
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