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1966 Fender Jazz Bass in Firemist Silver The 1966 Jazz Bass pictured this month is finished in firemist silver, a striking custom color introduced the previous year. While this finish is very rare, the rest of the features are typical of a ’66 Jazz Bass. These include a rosewood fretboard with pearl block inlays (replacing the previous dots), white binding (there was no binding in previous years), a three-ply white vinyl pickguard (changed from greenish nitrocellulose in 1964), two volume controls, a master tone (replacing the stacked volume/tone controls Fender used until 1962), and metal pickup covers. The amp in the background is the session player’s dream—the world renowned Ampeg B-15N.
Original price: 1966 Jazz Bass, $285 plus $59.50 for the case; 1963 Ampeg B-15N, $355 Current estimated market value: 1966 Jazz Bass, $12,500; 1963 Ampeg B-15N, $1,400
February 2014 1958 Guild M-75 Aristocrat
The guitar we’re spotlighting here was the first model in the Guild line that was not the progeny of an earlier Epiphone model. The Aristocrat M-75 was Guild’s version of the compact Gibson Les Paul, but with hollowbody-inspired construction. The characteristics of this 1958 Aristocrat are typical of others made that year. These consist of a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a 24 3/4"-scale, two-piece mahogany neck with maple center, rosewood fretboard with block inlays, “lip top” headstock (changed to “center raised” by 1962) with pearloid Guild logo and “Chesterfield” inlay. In keeping with its name, the Aristocrat sported gold hardware, including its Kluson tuners and harp tailpiece. While resembling Gibson P-90s, the single-coil pickups were made by a company called Franz, based in Astoria, New York.
Original price: $265 in 1958 Current estimated market value: $3,500
March 2014 1966 Fender Electric XII
This early 1966 example here has characteristics common to other custom-color late ’65/early ’66 Electric XIIs. These include an offset contoured alder body, a tortoiseshell pickguard (3-ply white on other custom colors), a “hockey stick” headstock matching the body’s color, six Fender “F” tuners on each side, a 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays (bound with block inlays by mid ’66), two split pickups, a 4-way rotary switch, and master volume and tone knobs. The strings are loaded through the body over a fully adjustable 12-saddle bridge. The amp in the background is a 1964 Fender Bassman.
Original price: 1966 Fender Electric XII, $356 with a case costing an additional $59.50; 1964 Fender Bassman, $379.50 Current estimated market value: 1966 Fender Electric XII, $4,000; 1964 Fender Bassman, $2,500
April 2014 1955 Fender Bandmaster
The 1955 Fender Bandmaster shown here has features common to most narrow-panel models made between 1955 and 1960. These include: two channels labeled MIC and INST; a volume control for each channel; treble, bass, and presence controls; and standby and on/off switches, along with a ground switch. The 26-watt amp has two 6L6G power tubes, three preamp tubes (one 12AY7 and two 12AX7s), and a 5U4G rectifier. The 211/4" x 22 1/2" x 10 1/2" cabinet houses three Jensen P10R speakers, the top one with its blue bell cover removed to fit in front of the tubes and chassis.
Original price: 1955 Bandmaster, $289.50; 1961 6120 Chet Atkins hollowbody, $475 Current estimated market value: 1955 Bandmaster, $10,000; 1961 6120 Chet Atkins hollowbody, $7,500
May 2014 1967 Rickenbacker 366/12 Convertible
The 1967 366/12 pictured here was James Gross’ personal guitar. It has most of the features associated with classic Deluxe Rickenbacker models of the ’60s. These include a bound maple neck, a gloss-finished rosewood fretboard with large triangle-shaped inlays, two “toaster” single-coil pickups, a maple body with checkerboard binding on the back, a slash soundhole, and an “R” tailpiece.
This example is finished in Rickenbacker’s most popular color, Fireglo. The main differences between it and a regular 360/12 are the chrome converter comb and the extra pickguard under it, which extends below all 12 strings. The 366/12 rests against a late-’60s Rickenbacker Transonic TS100 amp. The Transonic’s current value is $1,000.
Original price: 1966 list price for Rickenbacker 366/12 Convertible, $579.50 Current estimated market value: $4,500
June 2014 1978 Fender Telecaster and 1079 Stratocaster Antigua
The Antigua finish had been introduced 10 years earlier for the Coronado, Fender’s attempt at a Gibson ES-335-style semi-hollow guitar. Fender had some difficulty applying the binding to these guitars, and scorch marks often appeared in the wood. The Antigua sunburst with darker grey edges effectively concealed the blemishes. The 1977 reintroduction, however, was entirely for visual allure. The guitars receiving the Antigua treatment were the regular Tele and Strat, the Telecaster Custom and Deluxe, the Mustang, the Jazz Bass, the Precision Bass, and the Mustang Bass.
Both guitars pictured have typical late-’70s features, including large black “CBS” Fender logos, thick skin polyester finishes, black pickguards (painted over with Antigua finish), black knobs and covers (the Tele retained chrome knobs). Three bolts secure the Strat neck, while the Tele retained its original style 4-bolt neck plate. The Strat is also equipped with the new-for-1977 5-way switch.
Original price: The 1977 Tele list price, $505; 1977 Strat list price, $595 Current estimated market value: $2,250 for each
July 2014 1959 Gibson ES-225 TDN
In 1955 Gibson developed a line of thin-bodied electric guitars to appeal to players wanting a smaller, more comfortable instrument, but without the weight of a solidbody guitar. This line consisted of three guitars: the upscale Byrdland, the mid-priced ES-350T, and the economy ES-225T.
The 1959 ES-225 TDN pictured has all the features typical of that model: 24 3/4" scale, maple-laminate construction (top, back, and sides), single-ply binding (top, back, and neck), mahogany neck, 20-fret rosewood fretboard, and two P-90 single-coils. The strings are held in place by an original Les Paul-style combination bridge/tailpiece. The amp behind the guitar is 1961 GA-20T Ranger. The tweed-covered amp has a power rating of 16 watts and is equipped with tremolo and a Jensen 12-inch speaker.
Beatle John Lennon acquired his natural-finish 1958 325 while the Beatles were in Hamburg, Germany.The Beatles’ growing popularity caused a sudden demand for Rickenbacker guitars, initially in England. To meet this need, the British company Rose Morris became Rickenbacker distributors. The export version of the 325 was known in Rose Morris’ catalog as the Model 1996. Like most other export models, it had a Fireglo finish and a traditional f-hole. Lennon used one of these as a backup to his more famous solid-top Jetglo (black) 1964 325.
The 1964 325 pictured has the features most often associated with the export Rose Morris Model 1996: 3/4-scale, a one-piece maple neck with an unbound, 21-fret, lacquer-finished rosewood fretboard, three “toaster” single-coil pickups, a hollow maple body, f-hole, and Ac’cent vibrato tailpiece.
Original price: $389.50 Current estimated market value: $10,000
September 2014 Late-’70s Mesa/Boogie Mark I and Mark II Combos
The four Mesa/Boogie amps pictured this month date to about 1978. The two on the left are Mark I models, while the two on the right are early Mark IIs. Featuring a hardwood cabinet and wicker grille, each amp has Mesa’s classic ’70s look. Santana received one of these amps (eventually known as a Mark I) and used it both onstage and on the epic Abraxas album in 1970. Hearing Santana’s sound, other top guitarists wanted Boogies too. Because Randall Smith personally assembled and inspected every amp, the wait time in the late ’70s could be up to seven months. Keith Richards contacted Smith in 1977 and eventually purchased several Boogies over the years. (While most companies gave the Stones amps for free, Smith charged the band for his handmade Boogies due to the small size of his company at the time.) Boogies remained the Stones’ go-to amps through 1993.
Original price: $1,200 Current estimated market value: $1,500
October 2014 1965 Gibson Firebird III
The unusual construction of the Firebirds made them difficult and expensive to produce. Once the guitars had shipped, the headstock/neck area was found to be weak and easily broken. Unfortunately, the heavy banjo tuners exacerbated this problem. These issues, along with poor sales and pressure from Fender about copyright infringement on its “offset waist” design, caused Gibson to revamp the entire Firebird/Thunderbird line using more conventional and less costly construction methods. The overhauled versions used a traditional glued-in neck on a more conservative offset body that looked like a flipped over—non-reverse—edition of the earlier guitars.
The rare 1965 Firebird III pictured here has features of both the original reverse Firebirds and the redesigned non-reverse versions of that year. It retains the reverse body style and neck-through construction of the original series, yet has a flat headstock, rather than the earlier two-level sculpted style. It’s also equipped with conventional Kluson tuners instead of banjo tuners. The neck is unbound, like the non-reverse models, and P-90 pickups replace the original mini-humbuckers.
Original price: $249.50 Current estimated market value: $10,000
November 2014 1959 Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
The March 1959 Gibson catalog describes the features of this jazz beauty: “Arched top and back of highly figured, curly maple with matching curly maple rims – alternate black and white ivoroid binding – modern cutaway design – three-piece curly maple neck with Gibson Adjustable Truss Rod – bound rosewood fingerboard with block pearly inlays – Tune-O-Matic bridge – three powerful, humbucking pickups with individually adjustable pole pieces – separate tone and volume controls which can be preset – four-way toggle switch to activate each of the three pickups separately, in combination of any two, or all three simultaneously – gold-plated metal parts – exclusive new tailpiece design – laminated pickguard with attractive border – individual machine heads with deluxe buttons.”
This pristine 1959 Switchmaster matches the original catalog description except for its Grover Rotomatic tuners, which replaced the Kluson Super tuners seen in previous years.
Original price: $450, plush-lined No. 600 Faultless available for an additional $52.50 Current estimated market value: $12,500
December 2014 1956 Gibson Les Paul
Except for the custom all-black finish, in most ways the Les Paul featured here is a typical 1956 goldtop. A deep ebony black lacquer had been used on various Gibsons since Orville’s time, and was then standard on the Les Paul Custom. But it’s very rare to see the regular Les Paul Model with anything but the usual brilliant gold (bronze powder mixed with lacquer) shade.
This guitar was assembled with the customary creme-colored plastic for the pickup covers, pickguard, and “Rhythm-Treble” pickup selector surround. Black knobs were substituted for the standard gold ones. A one-off black finished Les Paul may very well be worth more, but it’s hard to assign a value with so few known examples. The amp behind the guitar is a 1956 GA-20. Two 6V6 power tubes send 16 watts of power through a Jensen P12R speaker.
Original price: List price for 1958 Les Paul was $247.50, plus $42 for a case; 1956 GA-20, $137.50 Current estimated market value: 1956 Les Paul, $35,000; 1956 GA-20, $650
For your viewing pleasure, we’ve put together this abbreviated gallery of the vintage gear highlighted last year by Laun Braithwaite, Tim Mullally, and Dave Rogers of Dave’s Guitar Shop in their monthly column, Vintage Vault. To read the full context behind each of these stunners and their parent companies, visit the Vintage Vault page under the “Premier Blogs” section above. What models do you want to know more about in 2015? Let us know in the comments below.
Dave Rogers' collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite and Tim Mullally and is on display at:
Dave's Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601 davesguitar.com
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