1963 Fender Jazzmaster: The Custom Colour That Got Painted Over

BLAST FROM THE PAST. A guitar that came through our shop at 316 E 84th St, sold, and moved on. This instrument is no longer available.

Here is a small tragedy with a happy ending.

This 1963 Jazzmaster left Fullerton as a custom colour black, with a matching black headstock. In 1963 that was a special order. Somebody paid extra and waited longer to get a black Jazzmaster instead of a sunburst one.

Then, at some point in the next sixty years, somebody refinished it oxblood red.

What it was

A 1963 Fender Jazzmaster with its original hardshell case, listed at $7,500.

• Original finish: custom colour black, matching black headstock
• Current finish: oxblood red refinish
• Parts: all original
• Condition: very good
• Case: original hardshell, included

Why the refinish is the whole conversation

A refinish is the single biggest hit a vintage Fender can take. An original custom colour black 1963 Jazzmaster with the matching headstock, finish intact, is a serious collector piece. Repainted, it is worth a fraction of that.

And that is exactly why a guitar like this is worth talking about. Every part on it is original. The neck, the pickups, the hardware, the electronics, all of it is 1963. The only thing that changed is the colour on the outside.

So you get a genuine early-sixties Jazzmaster, playing and sounding exactly like a genuine early-sixties Jazzmaster, at a price the collector market knocked down for a coat of paint. For a player rather than an investor, that trade is a gift.

Common questions about the 1963 Fender Jazzmaster

What did this 1963 Jazzmaster sell for?
It was listed at $7,500 at Bros Guitar Shop in New York City. Vintage values move constantly. For a figure on your own guitar, ask us for an appraisal.

How much does a refinish hurt the value of a vintage Fender?
A lot, and it is usually the largest single deduction there is. Originality of finish is what the collector market pays for. The flip side is that a refinished guitar with all-original parts plays identically to one that is worth several times more.

Was black a standard Jazzmaster colour in 1963?
No. Sunburst was standard. Black was a custom colour, which meant a special order, a longer wait, and an upcharge. A black body with a matching painted headstock is a more unusual spec still.

Is a 1963 Jazzmaster a good guitar to actually play?
Yes. The offset body balances beautifully sitting down, the rhythm circuit gives you a genuinely different second voice, and the pickups are wide and clear rather than the thin sound people expect from a single coil.

Does Bros Guitar Shop buy vintage Fenders?
Yes. We buy outright, take trades, and take consignments. Details below.

Where it went

Sold. It shipped in the original hardshell case it arrived in.

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Come see us at Bros Guitar Shop

We are a family owned guitar shop on the Upper East Side, and we do more than sell instruments:

• Buying, trades and consignment on used and vintage gear
• Repairs and setups at our bench
• Appraisals. Bring it in or send photos and we will tell you what you have
• Guitar lessons in the studio downstairs
• Pickup and delivery available for a fee. Give us a call and we will sort it out

Bros Guitar Shop
316 E 84th St, New York, NY 10028
646-559-8771 and brosguitarshop@gmail.com
Mon to Fri 12 to 8, Sat 10 to 8, closed Sunday

Got something in a case under the bed? That is usually how the good ones turn up.