In the process, Leo Fender invented one of the first solid body electric guitars with a truly versatile sound. The Jazzmaster was the first guitar designed for easy switching between rhythm and lead voicings. Later, when Rey visited the Fender factory, White told him that they were coming up with a solution to his problem. The story goes that Forrest White of Fender had seen pioneering electric guitarist Alvino Rey at a gig in Ohio struggling to change from rhythm to lead sounds. When first encountering offset guitars like Jaguars, Jazzmasters, and the Guild T-Bird (which was recently reissued), the first thing you wonder is what is up with all of these switches? The complex circuitry found on early Jazzmaster and Jaguar models was actually meant to make switching between lead and rhythm tones easier. Offset guitars are so popular today largely because of the distinct advantages that they offer players. The Jazzmaster’s design would be very influential in years to come, spawning guitar and bass models with a similar offset body design including the Jazz Bass (1960), the VI (1961), the Jaguar (1962), and the Electric XII (1965) from Fender, as well as the Guild S-200 T-Bird (1964), and a series of knock-offs that are too numerous to list which you can read more about here. This led to the release of the Jaguar in 1962, with its short scale neck and thinner and more percussive sound, which combined the Jazzmaster body style with traditional Strat-style single coil pickups, and complex circuitry that made it extremely versatile once you mastered all of the knobs and switches it was initially outfitted with. In the early ‘60‘s, Rock n’ Roll music bloomed into instrumental ‘surf’ music, and the popularity of the ‘surf’ sound led Fender to introduce new offset guitars to capitalize on the demand. With its balanced body style, and mellow sound coming from newly designed Alnico single coil pickups, and brand new Rosewood fingerboard, it was thought that it would ultimately have a wider appeal than both the Stratocaster and Telecaster.ĭespite its name, the Jazzmaster would ultimately never catch on with Jazz guitarists, appealing instead to Rock and Roll guitarists. When the Jazzmaster came out in 1958, it was thought that it would replace the Stratocaster as Fender’s top selling model. The exaggerated asymmetrical waist and horns of the offset design made the Jazzmaster balanced and extremely comfortable to play while seated, and its innovative pickups and circuitry gave it a sonic versatility that was brand new at that time. The offset body style was initially designed for Jazz players who played in the seated position, which is where the Jazzmaster got its name. In 1958, Fender applied for a patent for the offset body style, which was granted a year or two later, featuring a design that was concerned primarily with the needs of the seated guitar player. Don't mistake the Duo-Sonic for the Duo-Sonic II - the II is bigger, featuring a 24-inch scale length.With its lightweight design and short scale neck, the Duo Sonic was a hit, and the Mustang had a similar appeal, but the Jazzmaster wasn’t quite as well received. The Duo-Sonic, released in 1956, is notable for its small body and short scale length, and sports two pickups, unlike the single-pickup Musicmaster. The Duo-Sonic features typical Fender construction techniques with a bolt-on maple neck, attached to a solid body.Īlong with the Musicmaster and the Duo-Sonic II, the Fender Duo-Sonic electric guitar was released as one of the brand's first student-level guitars. The “Duo-Sonic” features two single-coil pick-ups and a vertical switch on the lower horn of the body to select bridge, neck or both pickups in a humbucking style configuration (as opposed to the blade switch more common on Fender guitars). As you can see the guitar is in excellent and original condition. This is a Vintage Fender Duo-Sonic natural refin? Electric Guitar.
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