My guitar collection - G&L
The role of John Jorgenson, famously of the Elton John Band and gypsy stylist extraordinaire, as a test player for G&L is discussed on The Hellecasters page. This John Jorgenson Signature has the later laminate pickguard G&L transitioned to after it turned out that the manufacturing of the fully transparent pickguard was too onerous, especially in light of the initially expected high demand. Instead, this pickguard consists of a layer of Silver Flake sandwiched between 2 transparent layers. Initially the JJ Sigs were intended to have S/N’s starting with “JJ” and G&L had such neck plates produced (see picture below). But all guitars manufactured have a S/N’s starting with “G”. The swamp ash body has the Silver Flake finish, about which more below, 2 “ordinary” Jumbo Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pickups, Saddle-Lock bridge, and usual ASAT wiring harness (3-position pickup selector, volume, tone). The guitar further has a gloss finished flame hard-rock maple Bi-Cut neck with 7½” rosewood fingerboard (only a couple JJ Sigs did have maple boards).
No G&L webpage exists for this guitar but it is worthwhile to check out Greg Gagliano’s ggjaguar.com website which contains the most extensive history of all things Leo Fender I know of. He lists both a JJ Sig w/rosewood fingerboard as well as one with a maple fingerboard. The total number of about 190 John Jorgenson Signature in existence also warrant that it has its own Rarebird page on the Guitars by Leo (GbL) Registry.
John Jorgenson Signature Model (laminate) w/rosewood Fingerboard
The story behind this guitar
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Compared to the Silver Sparkle finish seen on this ASAT III w/rosewood board, the flakes in the Silver Flake are much bigger. Even though the risk of polluting the spray booth is hence much lower, the strict Californian environmental laws forces them to outsource the work to Marty Bell in Texas. Marty’s personal stamp in the neck pocket is another defining feature of a genuine JJ Sig. The outside hardly shows any trace of all the grittiness underneath. And this guitar has the second incarnation of the pickguard. The only thing not making any sense is the neck date: Apr 11, 1997!? Was this guitar assembled later? Or was the guitar repaired under warranty when it got this gorgeous flame neck? I honestly do not know; I just report! Through Wayne Richman (aka Thumbs on the GbL site) I was able to get one of the few intended neck plates, with S/N JJ0171, found in a drawer in the G&L factory. A chromed neck plate, as they were supposed to look, can be found on my clear pickguard John Jorgenson Signature page. In all, the JJ Signature is a beautiful instrument but no different from any other ASAT since it is not equipped with the pickups originally envisioned by John.At least his elegant signature adorns the headstock. It barks, it twangs, it rocks, ...
The story behind this guitar
1995
G044249
APR 11 1997
AUG 10 1995
