Fender Unveils Brand New J Mascis Signature Guitar

When people think of J Mascis, they often imagine him with a Jazzmaster surrounded by a wall of Marshalls. Can’t think why…

Indeed, Mascis has already been honoured with two signature Jazzmaster electric guitar models: the Fender J Mascis Jazzmaster, released in 2007...

Followed by the Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster in 2011.

But Mascis’ love for Fenders goes a lot further than the Jazzmaster. In fact, his original intention was to pick up a Stratocaster. Alas, “I couldn’t afford it,” he says. “I could get a Jaguar for $200 or a Jazzmaster for $300, so I got the Jazzmaster. Although I liked the look of the Jag better. [The Jazzmaster] had big Grover tuners on it and the neck felt like a baseball bat. It was worn down and I liked that.”

Eventually, however, Mascis was in a position to expand his guitar collection to include Stratocasters. “The first Strat I got was a Roland Ready Strat to play guitar synth with back in the 90s,” he continues. “Then I got a Rory [Gallagher] Strat. I’ve got a ’59 Strat. It’s got gold hardware and it’s been refinished black – well, almost black, it has a bit of a grey tinge to it. I saw a video of Stevie Ray Vaughan playing a Strat in the studio and it looked like the same guitar. Maybe it was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s!

“The problem is, I find myself playing stuff that just sounds too much like a Strat. I like Teles and Jazzmasters better. I don’t always feel like myself when I play a Strat. It makes my fingers go a certain way. My ’59 Strat has got a tiny neck. Sometimes I like a bigger neck, but I don’t have a preference; it just depends on the guitar. I don’t know until I pick it up. It’s more about the whole guitar.”

Tele Vision

Mascis’ inimitable lead lines are normally recorded using a Fender – often his blue sparkle (re)finish 1958 Telecaster. “It’s my favourite guitar,” he points out. “I play most of the solos on my records with it. It was refinished when I got it, so I painted it blue sparkle. It had a ’56 pickup put in which has a really nice kind of P-90 quality. It’s a top-loader guitar. There are no holes in the back. I’m used to top-loaders. It’s a little easier to bend [strings]. A lot of Tele people pooh-pooh the top loader, but I don’t know why.”

Based on the alt-rock icon’s “favorite guitar,” Fender will be releasing the J Mascis Telecaster next month. Priced at $1,349.99 this dazzling Tele features a Blue Sparkle finish, mirrored, chrome pickguard, custom J Mascis Telecaster pickups, top-loader bridge and Road Worn maple neck and hardware.