Fender and Kim Gordon Team up for Limited Edition Jazzmaster

Alt-rock icon and co-founder of Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon, has teamed up with Fender to produce an exciting new Jazzmaster guitar. Loaded with unique specs and priced with the working musician in mind, this guitar is sure to inspire. Let’s break it down and get to know the Limited Edition Kim Gordon Jazzmaster.

Classic With A Twist

Like Kim, the Fender Jazzmaster has been a key member of Sonic Youth since their formation in the early 80s. Seen as an affordable alternative at the time, the Jazzmaster was the platform they built their boundary-pushing sound on. Catapulting the model from a cult classic to an icon.

This guitar is a blend of traditional and new specs and is made to do one thing. Create. Like a traditional Jazzmaster, the model features an alder body and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. Dressed to impress, the Olympic White finish on the body and headstock, in addition to pearloid block inlays, pays homage to late 60s variants of the model, giving this modern guitar a classic look.

Although the foundation of this guitar is the Jazzmaster we all know and love, many features set this guitar apart. To start, this model is spec’d with a Seymour Duncan JB TB-4 humbucker in the bridge position. This high-output pickup forms a perfect contrast to the classic Alnico V Jazzmaster single-coil pickup in the neck.

This gives the guitar two distinctly different sounds, making it perfect for any musical situation. Additionally, the electronics of this guitar have been simplified from the original design. Wanting the guitar to be immediately approachable, Gordon has removed the polarizing rhythm circuit. A more streamlined layout features a master volume, a master tone, and a 3-way pickup selector switch. 

Finally, a slight upgrade to the hardware and more modern neck dimensions ensure this guitar stays in tune and plays beautifully. The vintage-style tremolo has been moved slightly closer to the bridge to increase sustain. Furthermore, a Mustang-style bridge keeps intonation and tuning stability preserved. Lastly, with a modern “C” profile neck and 9.5-inch fingerboard radius with rolled fingerboard edges, this guitar plays like a dream.

Closing Thoughts

Designed to push your creativity into exciting new directions, the Kim Gordon Jazzmaster is the perfect blend of old and new. From its classic looks and tone wood foundation to its modern playability and simplified circuitry, it’s the perfect embodiment of Kim’s creative spirit.

The Limited Edition Kim Gordon Jazzmaster from Fender is available for $1,099.99

Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images

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