Though the Jazzmaster missed the front cover in its debut year (1958), the oversight was addressed by the 1959 Fender catalog (image on the left) cover (the Jazzmaster was introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and most likely there was no time to replace the catalog cover art). Despite the noticeable Stratocaster fingerboard change in 1959, no mention is made of it in the '59 catalog though the catalog photo of the Stratocaster has the then new rosewood board (see the Notes below for more information about rosewood slab boards).
1959 Stratocaster Specs: Rosewood fingerboards introduced at the Summer NAMM Show in July, 1959. They feature a rosewood "slab" fingerboard glued to a maple neck, a "mint green three-layer celluloid pickguard, 11 pickguard screws (variations exist in the early '59 rosewood slabboards - see image below of 11-screw pickguard with inset showing 10-screw pickguard), and the string tree now has a metal spacer at the bottom.
Notes: Some 1959-1960s may appear to be two-tone sunburst due to the red having faded. Corrected in 1961. About rosewood slab boards: From their introduction at the summer NAMM Show in 1959 until mid-1962, the rosewood fingerboards were of a slab construction. The top of the maple neck was planed flat as was the corresponding bottom of the rosewood fingerboard. From 1962 the two surfaces were given a curvature, reducing the thickness of the fingerboad (compare neck date images from 1962 (slab) and 1963 (non-slab). Also note the lack of a date on the neck heel.
Though the Jazzmaster missed the front cover in its debut year (1958), the oversight was addressed by the 1959 Fender catalog (image on the left) cover (the Jazzmaster was introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and most likely there was no time to replace the catalog cover art). Despite the noticeable Stratocaster fingerboard change in 1959, no mention is made of it in the '59 catalog though the catalog photo of the Stratocaster has the then new rosewood board (see the Notes below for more information about rosewood slab boards).
