I have been a fan of the Queens of the Stone Age for a long time. My favorite QSA song is Go with the Flow off of the Sounds for the Deaf album. My favorite line from the song is “I want something good to die for. To make it beautiful to live.” Which kind of sums up life in general. They are really a great band and Troy is a great guitar player.

In researching the guitars that Troy plays it is cool to see him on stage playing at least two different Squier Jazzmaster guitars.

• Squier VM Vintage Modified Jazzmaster Special
• Squier Standard Jazzmaster H/H

I am happy that he and Fender have collaborated on a beautiful set of Signature Series guitars that we can enjoy playing and experience.

I do not normally purchase signature guitars because of the premium price that usually come with them. In the case of this guitar, it is just strikingly beautiful to me and I got it for a good price.


The specifications are:

The guitar is a Made in Mexico Jazzmaster that is part of the Fender Artist Series with the artist being: Troy Van Leeuwen

The guitar comes in two colors and neck styles.

The colors are Oxblood Red and Copper Age.

This guitar has a gorgeous color of Oxblood Red with a gloss poly finish. All covering a solid alder body. The front of the headstock is finished like the body and in the same color.

The neck on the Oxblood model is made of maple and has a rosewood fretboard with a C – Shape, 21 Vintage Style narrow tall frets and a:

• Nut Width 1.65"
• Scale Length 25.5"
• Fretboard Radius 7.25"

The neck on the Copper Age model has the same specs except for a maple fretboard that has block inlays and neck binding.

Pickups are Fender Pure Vintage '65 Jazzmaster Pickups connected to traditional Jazzmaster electronics offering two circuits (Lead and Rhythm). One difference with this artist model guitar is that he smartly asked for a toggle type switch for the circuit (lead or rhythm) selection instead of the traditional slider type switch.

Last the guitar has a Brass-saddle Mustang® bridge and Jazzmaster tailpiece.

New the guitar goes for $1649 and used the guitar is $917 to $1253 depending on market and condition of guitar.

I am a huge fan of the Fender Pure ’65 Jazzmaster Pickups and have installed them on four of my Jazzmaster guitars. I think they are the Jazzmaster pickup set that is the best value for the price point of around $150. They are so clear and articulate to my ears, and I have noticed that when both pickups are on at the same time it greatly reduces the typical Jazzmaster hum.

The finish on this guitar is amazing. I have never been a fan of painted headstocks. There is something elegant about the Jazzmaster that pulls it off and especially with this Oxblood Red. The other model of this guitar I think is pretty but has a maple neck which I think is just wrong on a Jazzmaster and at first, I thought it was an unpainted headstock because the Copper Age finish looks like light colored finished maple to me.

There was no fret rocking on the fretboard but I did find the sides of the frets are kind of sharp and need to be filed smooth.