1962 Fender Jazzmaster Sunburst

The Fender Jazzmaster electric guitar was introduced in 1958 and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the Fender Stratocaster, which itself was introduced in 1954 as a higher-priced product than the company's Telecaster series. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Early-1960s-style Fender Precision Bass The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, initially named the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, was started by Leo Fender in the 1940s, and is one of the most widely recognised manufacturers of electric guitars, bass guitars and amplifiers. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic pickups to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... A recent Squier Stratocaster with maple fingerboard, two-tone sunburst finish, and contrasting plastic parts. ... 1950s-style Telecaster with natural finish, with metal bridge cover removed. ...

The Jazzmaster had a mellower tone than the Strat, which gave it a more jazzy sound, although it wasn't embraced by jazz musicians. Instead, rock guitarists used the instrument, especially for surf rock. (The Ventures and The Fireballs were prominent Jazzmaster players.) Fender then recognized the need for a purpose-designed surf-guitar, and introduced the Fender Jaguar -- a similar instrument with simpler electronics. In the early 1960s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was surf rock. ... The Ventures are a surf / instrumental rock band formed in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, two construction workers, who learned of a mutual interest in playing guitar, and started jamming together. ... History The Fender Jaguar guitar was introduced as a surf guitar when the less rock and roll and more mellow Fender Jazzmaster became popular among rock and roll bands in the 1960s. ...

Both guitars, utterly out of fashion among most guitarists by the early 1980s, were later embraced by the American Grunge and Indie rock scene. Sonic Youth are well known for their love of both Jaguars and Jazzmasters, and for their unique customisation jobs (Jazzblaster). Kurt Cobain of Nirvana played a Jaguar customised with humbucking pickups. Robert Smith of The Cure, also used two Jazzmasters (called Black Torty & White Torty) for the majority of the Cure's early work. Tom Verlaine of Television used an old Jazzmaster, as did J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, Elvis Costello, and Mick Jagger during live shows in 1970s. The guitar has also had a large following in the "shoegazer" community. Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine made liberal use of the Jazzmaster, and its picture is featured on the cover of their critically acclaimed album, Loveless. Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... The term indie is short for independent and refers to artistic creations outside the commercial mainstream, without the support of a major record label, major movie studio, or other source of a large budget. ... Current members of Sonic Youth, L to R: Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Jim ORourke Sonic Youth are an experimental rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... Drummer Dave Grohl, left, guitarist/singer/songwriter Kurt Cobain, center, and bassist Krist Novoselic, right. ... A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup. ... The Cure circa 1990s The Cure is a British rock band widely seen as one of the leading pioneers of the British alternative rock, post-punk and Gothic Rock scenes of the 1980s. ... Dinosaur Jr. ... Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus, aka Elvis Costello. ... Mick Jagger, seen here on Box of Pin Ups, 1964. ... Shoegazing is a style of music that emerged in Britain in the late 1980s. ... Kevin Shields (born May 21, 1963) is an Irish rock guitarist and producer who fronted the London-based shoegazer band My Bloody Valentine in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Clockwise from bottom left: Colm OCiosoig, Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields, Debbie Googe My Bloody Valentine were an Irish-British shoegazing rock band. ... Loveless is also a Manga and Anime series. ...

External links

• Guitar-Poll.com 1957 Proto-type Jazzmaster.