The famous Jazzmaster bucked conventional Fender design norms at the time it was released, as well as expectations of whom it would appeal to.
Even though the FenderĀ Telecaster and Stratocaster were selling well to those playing country, blues, and rock ānā roll, Leo Fender wanted to design a guitar that appealed to serious jazz musicians. Fender introduced this guitar in mid 1958. It was optimistically named the Jazzmaster, and while it was quickly embraced by famed, jazz-informed country session player Harold Bradley, its newly designed mellower pickups and floating vibrato still did not appeal to highbrow jazz musicians. The new model was, however, embraced by young players, like the instrumental group called the Ventures, who played a new type of music eventually known as āsurf.ā
During the modelās first decade, Johnny Cash guitarist Luther Perkins, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, and Bob Dylan were all seen wielding Jazzmasters. Today, amid the offset-body guitar renaissance, those using the model include J Mascis, Radioheadās Thom Yorke, My Bloody Valentineās Kevin Shields, and Slipknotās Jim Root.
Features such as the guitarās floating vibrato arm ended up appealing to surf rockers such as the Ventures.
The 1962āā63 Fender catalog describes the instrumentās special features: āThis remarkable guitar incorporates all the well-known Fender developments, including the new āoff-setā body design, smooth tremolo action, plus, separate rhythm and lead tone circuits. In addition, it offers a comfort-contoured body and truss-rod reinforced fast-action neck with a rosewood fingerboard for effortless playing and faster playing technique. Every convenience is provided, including the tremolo lock, adjustable master bridge channel with individually adjustable two-way bridges and completely adjustable high-fidelity pickups.ā
The January 1963 Jazzmaster pictured has most of the features common to that year, including a 25 1/2"-scale maple neck with a round laminated rosewood fretboard (which replaced the flat laminated āslabā board by late ā62). This neck may be one of the last with wide-spaced clay dots at the 12th fret, as the spacing became slightly narrower in early 1963. This guitar sports a see-through blonde finish over an ash body. While this was a standard finish for a Telecaster, a Jazzmaster usually came with a sunburst finish over an alder body. This custom finish cost an extra $17.47.
The current list price for a vintage Jazzmaster with a blonde finish in excellent, original condition is $10,000.
One of the Jazzmasterās appeals was its then-unconventional circuitry. At the upper bout, there is a switch for rhythm (dark) and lead (bright), separate volume and tone controls for the rhythm settings, and a master volume and tone along with a 3-way switch.
The 1963 list price for a Jazzmaster with a blonde finish was $366.97. The current value for one in excellent, all-original condition is $10,000.
āIt was optimistically named the Jazzmaster, but its newly designed mellower pickups and floating vibrato still did not appeal to highbrow jazz musicians.ā
The rig behind the Jazzmaster consists of a 1964 Showman head and cabinet, and a 1964 Fender Reverb Unit, all in matching white Tolex. The Showman head has four 6L6 power tubes that push 80 watts through the cabinetās 15ī§ JBL speaker. The amp has a normal channel with a bright switch, volume, treble, and bass controls. The vibrato channel has a bright switch, volume, treble, middle, bass, speed, and intensity controls. The Reverb Unit has a dwell, mixer, and tone control, and would be plugged in between the guitar and amp for a lush effect.
The original price for a Showman Amp piggyback, with a 15" JBL, was $600. The current value is $2,500. The original price for a Fender Reverb Unit was $129.50. The current value is $1,500.
Sources for this article include Fender: The Sound Heard āRound the World by Richard R. Smith, Fender Amps: The First Fifty Years by John Teagle and John Sprung, and the 1962āā63 Fender Catalog.The Nashville-based YouTube sensation whoās slung strings with Carlos Santana and Stevie Wonder digs into the surf and Johnny Smith jazz versions of this ā50s/ā60s classic.
The Firstman Liverpool Deluxe looks extreme, but would you believe it once appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show?
I've had this month's story on my shelf for quite some time, because I could really weave so many interesting threads and connections to this guitar. How does one honor a tremendous man with huge contributions to music when limited to a single page? But I'm feeling like it's time to tell at least part of the story behind one of the most interesting people I've ever met through my love of guitars.
Back around 2010, I began researching Japanese guitars in earnest, simply because I was discovering that there was too much speculation, misinformation, and plain-old ignorance floating around, and I found the fire to uncover the truth burning inside me. I started by reaching out to some Japanese internet connections via email, with the hope that we could communicate and that I'd make more contacts.
This Firstman Liverpool Deluxe may look like a battle axe, but it's chock full of warm, surfy clean tones.
Eventually, I found my way to a blog that was operated by a fellow named Kazy. He wrote in Japanese and English, and much of the content related to Mosrite guitars and his connections to Semie Mosely and Nokie Edwards. It turned out that Kazy was the nickname of Kazuo Morioka, and he became one of the most amazing sources I've ever encountered.
The guy was an excellent pianist, and was an early player of electrified pianos and organs. He shunned a cushy job with his family-owned pharmaceutical business to work for Kawai as a demo player, and went on to own a chain of music stores across Japan. He worked with all the early Japanese guitar companies and seemed to know all their employees and histories. After talking with Kazy, I developed a notebook full of numbers, emails, and connections all over Japan.
Mihara preferred a clean but strong sound, so that's what you'll find with one of these old Liverpool guitars.
Kazy spoke perfect English and had even lived in the U.S., near Seattle, for many years. He was friends with Semie Mosely, and together they produced a line of guitars in Japan that were called Mosrite Avengers. Kazy was also great friends with Nokie Edwards, who I missed meeting in person by one day while we were both visiting Kazy in Japan.
This month, I'll highlight one of Kazy's most extreme guitar designs. Kazy started electric guitar production in the late '60s using the brand name Firstman. He had the stellar idea to connect with popular Japanese bands and make custom guitars that would give them a signature look onstage. I suppose it was similar to groups wearing matching outfits in that era.
This Firstman Liverpool was the first, made in collaboration with Tsunaki Mihara of the Blue Comets. In the late '60s, the band had a huge hit called "Blue Chateau." They even played on The Ed Sullivan Show! Kazy and Mihara collaborated over every detail and put all kinds of considerations into the pickup frequency, attack and decay, coil winds, etc. Even the violin body shape was chosen because of its inherent resonance and projection, but, of course, with a more extreme Japanese design aesthetic. The deep, lightweight hollowbody is a rather large 15" across the lower bout, and came with some resplendent details, such as full-body binding and chrome accents. Plus, there was a totally posh scroll headstock.
Columnist Frank Meyers interviews Firstman founder and guitar designer Kazuo Morioka.
Mihara preferred a clean but strong sound, so that's what you'll find with one of these old Liverpool guitars. This guitar projects like a vintage Gibson hollowbody and has simple tone/volume knobs and a 3-way switch. I suppose these shapely black beauties present a menacing first impression, but they have a sweet sound that matches well with surf music and instrumentals.
Two Liverpool guitars were produced as prototypes, and a lot of handiwork went into them. According to Kazy, everything was carved and shaped by hand, from the arched tops and backs to the necks to the scroll headstocks. Kazy and Mihara received these guitars, and then, after the Blue Comets would play shows, there would be orders placed to make regular factory production runs.
A few variations on this guitar were produced, including a Liverpool Junior and a Liverpool Special, and they all came in black. Alas, Firstman guitar production didn't last long, ceasing in 1970. Once again, we're left with these interesting examples of ingenuity and effort, like time capsules waiting to be discovered again by future generations.