Both Thurston Moore and Lee Ronaldo from Sonic Youth have released their own signature series Fender Jazzmasters this week.
Both guitars are stripped back Jazzmasters, with just a three-way pickup switch and a volume knob, but the guitars differ in the pickups, the bridge, frets and pick guard.The blurb on the official website says “Thurston Moore + Lee Ranaldo. Jazzmaster guitars slung across seminal shoulders. In the hands of both men, the sound of Sonic Youth is the sound of that guitar used as part paintbrush and part cluster bomb. Introducing the new Thurston Moore Jazzmaster and the Lee Ranaldo Jazzmaster guitars from Fender.”
Also thrown in is a 24 page Sonic Youth ‘zine, which will feature “photos, set lists, tuning charts, illustrations, tech info and extensive interviews”. (Tuning charts?! Awesome!)
The “exclusive interviews” include interviews with four guitar techs, Nic Close, Eric Baecht, Jim Vincent and Matt Zivich who are pretty much the only four guys to look after Moore and Ronaldo’s guitars in 20 years.
As of yet there is no word on an Australian release date, although fans usually have to wait around 3 - 6 months before it will make its way down here.
If you live in the states, the MSRP for either guitar is $1880.
