Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

[deoreo]

Hi, First post, but have been reading and learning for a while.
From looking at Google Images I'm pretty certain I have an early double cream 59 Bridge and Jazz Model Bridge.
Looking for more details if available- what time frame were they made, what do the red and yellow dot decals mean, could these have been wound by Seymour Duncan?

They sound great, and both are split with push-pull knobs so you can get nice strat and les-paul sounds.
Hoping the experts here can help!

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Hi, First post, but have been reading and learning for a while.
From looking at Google Images I'm pretty certain I have an early double cream 59 Bridge and Jazz Model Bridge.
Looking for more details if available- what time frame were they made, what do the red and yellow dot decals mean, could these have been wound by Seymour Duncan?

They sound great, and both are split with push-pull knobs so you can get nice strat and les-paul sounds.
Hoping the experts here can help!

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I own two 59B and one 59N, but none of them carries a dot.

These small tags are prior to the ones with the winder initial (e.g. 59NJ). The latter ended in 1983. My guess yours are made end of 70ties.

Can you tell when the guitar was made and whether these pickups are original to this guitar?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

welcome to the forum!

ive never seen duncans with that much wax on the bottom. if they sound great then id button it back up and keep rockin

 

[deoreo]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

I own two 59B and one 59N, but none of them carries a dot.

These small tags are prior to the ones with the winder initial (e.g. 59NJ). The latter ended in 1983. My guess yours are made end of 70ties.

Can you tell when the guitar was made and whether these pickups are original to this guitar?

The guitar is a Strings & Things Custom. Made at their Union Ave. address so it's between 1979 and 1982 (I'm guessing 82)
I believe it is a "prototype" for their production Excalibur V (1983)
The pickups and Kahler are not original to the guitar, and I believe actually pre-date it. The Kahler is "Pat Appl'd for" marked so it dates from 1978 to 1980.

I absolutely love the guitar as is and the pick-ups will not be going anywhere

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Something about those don't add up. Like Jeremy said, all that wax. And the font on those stickers seems odd. Has anyone else seen earlier era pickups like that with those red or yellow "dot" stickers on them?

And the JMB? I've only ever seen JB and then the builders initial, as in JBx. Is the JMB using a different code other than the JBx that more people are more common with?

It'd be interesting if one of Seymour's old timers that have been there since that era could confirm what is going on with those pickups.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Darth, you are on the wrong track. The JM is the first version of the Jazz. Its the John Milner Modell (remember the famous movie American Graffiti). So its basically a JazzB.
The building time in 1982 don't match the timeline. I didn't see waxed pickups in this era either. Maybe a later add-on or the pickups had a shelf life of minimum 3 years.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Something about those don't add up.

Everything adds up, Darth.

Those p'ups are OLD, and intended as OEM. The dots indicate the assembler what p'up should in the neck (yellow)and in the bridge (red) position.

If I'm not mistaken, those are probably made pre-1980, so the waxing must be done as custom order.

HTH,

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

JazzModelBridge

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

JazzModelBridge

Oh, fiddle sticks!

That's it. My noggin had me thinking I was looking at a JB. Well, lemme tell ya, when you're trying to roll out a new super weapon in the shape of an armored space station, it's pretty easy to get distracted.

 

[deoreo]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Everything adds up, Darth.

Those p'ups are OLD, and intended as OEM. The dots indicate the assembler what p'up should in the neck (yellow)and in the bridge (red) position.

If I'm not mistaken, those are probably made pre-1980, so the waxing must be done as custom order.

HTH,

Interesting. Who was Duncan making pickups for as OEM during that time? Something like Mighty Mite, or an actual guitar maker?

As I said above, I'm sure the pickups and Kahler bridge are earlier than the guitar. The Kahler is from 78-80
I'm guessing they were "used" parts that were installed in the guitar.

The guitar body originally had a body mounted telecaster pickup, and a body mounted tele neck pickup, with a 6 bolt strat style vintage trem, and no pickguard.
The flame maple still looks very nice under the current pick guard.

The mid 70's to the late 80's is my favorite "history" era of guitar making- so I love this stuff!! Thanks for the info

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Help I.D. an early 59 and Jazz

Interesting. Who was Duncan making pickups for as OEM during that time?
)

No doubt. That was part of what was throwing me off. I have the regular 80s labels and even as far back as "The JB Model" label. The typeface still seems odd when comparing to those era and I don't get the need for the dots if the position is on the sticker.

Good thing we have pickup aficionados like Pepe around to keep people on their toes.