The 'Prototype' of the Rosewood Telecaster

This prototype "Rosewood" Jaguar weighs 11.20 lbs. and has a solid rosewood body with a very thin "sandwich" layer of maple in the center - exactly the same as the Rosewood Telecaster. The 24 inch scale maple-cap neck has a medium profile, a nut width of 1 5/8 inches, 22 jumbo frets and is bound in black with black block markers. Headstock with "Fender" logo in gold with black trim, "JAGUAR" in black in bold letters beside it, and seven patent numbers in black below it. With "Offset Contour Body" at the ball end of the headstock. Single "butterfly" string tree with nylon spacer. Individual Fender "F" Tuners with octagonal metal buttons. "F-Series" neckplate with the serial number ("216732") stamped between the top two screws. The end of the neck is stamped "15 MAR 68B". Two white oblong Strat-like pickups with notched metal side plates and balanced outputs of 6.39k and 6.40k. Three-layer (white/black/white) plastic pickguard with ten screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) and jack socket on lower metal plate adjoining pickguard on treble side, selector switch and two roller controls (one volume, one tone) on upper metal plate adjoining pickguard on bass side, and three slide switches on metal plate inset into the pickguard on the treble side. Black plastic Jaguar knobs. The potentiometers are dated: "304 6547" and "304 6617" (Stackpole, November 1965 and April 1966). Jaguar/Jazzmaster-type floating tremolo and bridge. The finish exhibits horizontal checking and there are a few small areas of surface loss to the varnish on the body and some slight wear to the varnish on the back of the neck behind the first five frets. Overall this unique 'prototype' Rosewood Jaguar is in excellent plus (8.75) condition. Housed in its original Fender black hardshell case with dark orange plush lining (8.50).

There are two issues that we should address after taking this guitar apart and having thoroughly examined each component:

1. One screw head (of six) has been broken off on the bridgeplate/tremolo assembly.

2. At one time this guitar was fitted with Schaller tuning keys BUT the re-attachment of the original Fender "F" tuners and the filling of the additional screw holes has been carried out to such an incredibly high standard that it is truly 'invisible'.

Because this is such a unique instrument, we invited our resident expert Joe Ganzler to take this one apart, study it, and write a report. Joe's report is available upon request.