Fender introduced the Jazzmaster in 1958, and Leo envisioned it as a premium model tailored for jazz guitarists. In the '60s, the Jazzmaster's appeal quickly broadened to surf rockers, and decades later, it became the staple for alternative and experimental musicians. Its offset body shape—designed for ergonomic comfort while seated—set it apart visually and functionally from Fender's earlier models. The Jazzmaster also featured a new floating tremolo system, allowing for expressive pitch bending, and its soapbar-style wide single-coil pickups delivered thicker, warmer tone compared to the bright, cutting sounds of the Stratocaster or Telecaster.
This Wildwood 10 '65 Heavy Relic Jazzmaster rolled out of the Fender Custom Shop in 2021. It features a two-piece Ash body that is finished in Nocaster Blonde, and the tasteful Heavy Relic treatment captures sincere vibe and character. On Jazzmasters and Jaguars, Fender's original bridge design can be problematic, especially if you want to dig into the vibrato. But fortunately, this Custom Jazzmaster is outfitted with Fender's RSD bridge, which intonates perfectly and has no buzzing issues like the traditional design. Each RSD bridge is made by hand in the Custom Shop, and Fender has always said they won't sell these bridges individually.
Like every guitar in the Wildwood 10 series, this '65 Heavy Relic Jazzmaster has a 10" fingerboard radius. True to the 1965 spec, it has a rosewood fingerboard and Narrow-Tall 6105 frets. It plays clean all the way up the neck, and as expected rom the Fender Custom Shop, every detail is well thought out and executed with a high level of precision. Although this one is marked as a '65, it has a '59 C neck shape, which many Jazzmaster enthusiasts contend is the most comfortable neck carve for this model.
Because of the Heavy Relic treatment, it's hard to tell if there is anything authentic play wear on this guitar. Based on our experience with the Custom Shop guitars (and that fret wear is absolutely minimal), we doubt that this guitar has been played much at all, but there is some very light pick swirling on the pickguard (see photos).
The Custom Shop doesn't make many Jazzmasters, and this Wildwood 10 '65 Heavy Relic plays and sounds every bit as nicely as you could hope for. It includes its original case, Certificate of Authenticity, paperwork, and case candy. Nice weight, too—8 lbs 1.6 oz with the tremolo arm in.