If you mention Fender guitars to any guitarist, chances are the image that flashes through their mind is the Stratocaster or maybe (if they are like me) the Telecaster. While these two venerable guitars are no doubt two of the main reasons that the Fender Music Company has been so successful, the company did make several other models. While the Jazzmaster, Mustang, and Jaguar models may not be as iconic, these axes still have left an indelible mark. This week, we’re going to look at the Fender Jazzmaster.
As it’s name suggests, the Jazzmaster was originally designed for jazz players. Up to this point, most jazz guitarists hadn’t made the switch to solid-body guitars. The jazz player axe of choice was generally something like the Gibson ES-175--a large hollow-bodied electric. Fender hoped that these guitars would be adopted by jazz players but the players that picked them up were surf rockers drawn to it’s staccato sound.
Some of the notable features of the Jazzmaster include the large pickups (often referred to as “soapbars”) that gave it it’s mellow sound, the longer scale length of the neck, and it’s distinctive tremelo system with extra long tremelo bar. The Jazzmaster’s body shape also sets it apart from the strats and teles. Jazzmaster enthusiasts swear that they are one of the most comfortable guitars to play.
The Jazzmaster really entered the rock and roll psyche in the ‘70s when artists such as Television and Elvis Costello started using them: Tom Verlaine of Television is seen playing one on the inside cover of the indie classic Marquee Moon album and Costello posed with his on the cover of his debut album, My Aim Is True. Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, a man who owns more than a few Jazzmasters, would later mention how he first saw them on the Television record.
In the late ‘80s and ‘90s the Jazzmaster found it’s place again with the alt/indie rock set: the aforementioned Sonic Youth, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine all took the Jazzmaster in vastly different directions, all of which the guitar was perfectly suited for. Ranaldo and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth put their Jazzmasters in alternate tunings and made them part of the wall of sonic dissonance they are known for. J Mascis plugged his into a Marshall stack and got the proto-grunge din that became Dinosaur Jr. In the UK, Kevin Shields’ use of Jazzmasters became a crucial element of the My Bloody Valentine sound.
Shields in particular is a noted Jazzmaster enthusiast. He’s known for holding the extended tremelo arm in his hand and using it while he strums, contributing to the dreamy, woozy feeling in his guitar work.
Fender knows a good thing when they have one, so the Jazzmasters have been reissued and are available. There are also several signature series guitars that are named after several of the players I’ve mentioned above: Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, J Mascis, and Elvis Costello. These are pretty nice guitars. If you are feeling generous, I really like the Lee Ranaldo model.
While Fender is known for the Strat and the Tele, they didn’t stop there. The Jazzmaster is just one of the many guitars they made and that have found a dedicated following.
