New for 2023, the Fender Custom Shop introduces the ’59 250K Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic. 65 years after the model debuted in 1958, this striking 1959 model is loaded with looks, sound and vibe that expertly evoke the Jazzmaster in its original era, plus some modern modification discerning players will appreciate.
The sleek two-piece select ash body wears a Closet Classic lacquer finish in desert sand. This special treatment imparts the look of a guitar that has changed hands or been handed down over the years, mostly played around the house and the occasional jam session or weekend gig. This generally well-cared-for look includes light finish checking. The look of a very lucky find, in short.
The 5/4 quartersawn maple neck has a ’62-style Jazzmaster “C” profile, topped by a compound 7.25-9.5″-radius flat-lam AAA rosewood fingerboard with 21 medium vintage (47095) frets and a bone nut. To add more vintage flair, there’s a single-ply gold anodized aluminum pickguard (a prized early Jazzmaster appointment), two Custom Shop hand-wound ’62 Jazzmaster Pickups with a three-way pickup switch, vintage dual-circuit (lead/rhythm) wiring and, in a special modern touch, 250k volume and tone potentiometers that enhance tone and playability.
Other premium features include a Fender “floating vibrato” tailpiece with a modern Custom Shop RSD (Research Special Design) bridge for greater sustain and tuning stability, vintage-style tuners, wing string tree, deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.
Condition: New, closet classic; Body: Ash; Neck: Riftsawn maple, 62 Jazzmaster profile (.820/.900), 7.25-9.5 compound radius; Nut: 1.650; Color: Desert sand; Pickups: handwound Jazzmaster flat magnet; Scale: 25.5; Orientation: Lefthanded (of course)
