We were fans of Troy Van Leeuwen's first signature Jazzmaster when we reviewed it, now he's got something a little different for the follow-up model with Fender.
It's another stunning finish after the Candy Oxblood of the Queens Of The Stone Age musician's first signature guitar – "the lighter side of Troy Van Leeuwen" as the man himself admits. It's a Copper Age gloss finish influenced by car colours, as all good guitars should be.
Troy “tried to imagine a 1955 copper convertible Corvette with accents of Aztec Gold” for the finish. We like the result!
As well as his own personal aesthetic preferences, in the video above he explains how the sonic evolution of Queens Of The Stone Age has influenced this model.
"It's kind of the perfect guitar for what I do in the Queens," says Troy.
And good news , it doesn't have the original Jazzmaster bridge that splits opinion (read: a lot of people have issues with it) and instead opts for the Mustang design.
Troy's choice of block inlays on a maple neck and fingerboard is a more surprising but welcome move for us to create a distinctive in the Jazzmaster story.
The Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster features an alder body, C-shaped maple neck and bound maple fingerboard, with a 7.25” radius, and block inlays.
Pickups are Pure Vintage ‘65 Single-Coil Jazzmaster pickups.
"I’ve seen vintage Jaguars with this neck, but not very many Jazzmasters"
“To have a Fender signature model is already a dream come true,” says Troy. “So, to be asked to refresh the look is an honour. Aesthetically, it’s a 180° turn from my original Candy Oxblood signature Jazzmaster, which excites me as I was looking to do a colour that has a classic look.
"Guitars and cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s used the same paint colours. So, I tried to imagine a 1955 copper convertible Corvette with accents of Aztec Gold. I think we nailed it.
"The metallic finish really shines on the curves of the offset body shape. I also like the maple fingerboard with the black binding, because it’s a unique look for a Jazzmaster and it adds an attack to the guitar’s versatile tones. I’ve seen vintage Jaguars with this neck, but not very many Jazzmasters.”
For more info on the Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, visit fender.com
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