NZ made Jansen guitars
I'm looking for any information, preferrably pictures, of the nz made Jansen guitars. The amps they made still seem to be quite common but have found practically nothing on the guitars.
I have an old Jaguar style Jansen I am currently restoring, and would like some material as a reference.
Cheers.
Comments
Hi.
My son was recently given a Jansen Jazzman - it has cleaned up nicely and seems to be very original except for 3 added pick-up switches which I thought were original until I looked under the pickguard and saw the extra routing - from the limited info on the web I would guess at about 1963-64 as it came with a 1962 Jaguar style Simpson string damper - it has the original Simpson whammy and Kluson Deluxe tuners with pre-1964 script - I am happy to send photos - I would like to know if the pick-up adjusters originally had springs because this one has little rubber pads on neck (black and probably replacements) the old bunsen burner tube red rubber on the middle and nothing on the bridge which was wound right up to stop it rattling -it sounds very nice and the original pick-up toggle switch givers the switched pick-up extra grunt.
Cheers
Chris
Recently I came across the strangest acoustic-electric "Jansen" guitar in a Baghdad bazaar and had to buy it...at USD $30, who could resist? It's a curious Ovation/Applause knock-off, and other than the cheap plastic soundhole rosette, the other bits...bridge, fretboard, neck, machine heads, etc...are not bad quality at all. Installed a set of d'Addario extra-light phosphor-bronze strings and now she sings like an orgasmic angel!
I'm thinking some Chinese guitar maker just skimmed some extra parts from their licensed brand-name inventory for the thing and then slapped the defunct Jansen name on it, using the company's recognizable name without any risk of legal action. There's no way it could be a Jansen--the Ovation style debuted long after Jansen broke up, yeah? What do you think fellas? Photos available upon request. The serial number is MFG9710EQ/BK.
I was lucky enough to have a Jansen electric (don't remember if there was ever a model name on it) in 1970. Recently, I tried to buy another one, but they seem rare as hen's teeth, so I settled for a Strat - that I'm VERY happy with. But I'd love to know more about the Jansens ...
Cheers,
I was lucky enough to have a Jansen electric (don't remember if there was ever a model name on it) in 1970. Recently, I tried to buy another one, but they seem rare as hen's teeth, so I settled for a Strat - that I'm VERY happy with. But I'd love to know more about the Jansens ...
Cheers,
Ring around your local guitar shops. I don't know about elsewhere, but in Wellington Weta guitars is the one...
Ring around your local guitar shops. I don't know about elsewhere, but in Wellington Weta guitars is the one...
have you contacted the jansen shop in AUkcland? The folk there are quite friendly, i've heard./ A mate of mine had a lovey old Jansen bass, and after chatting with these folk heard some great stories about their guitar maker. Apparently the quality of the pickups depended on what day of the week it was - if you had a goood sounding guitar it was probably made mid week, but bad sounding ones were usually made on monday, after the fellow had a boozy weekend and was a bit hungover.
There was a good artiucle in NZ Musician on jansen guitars several years ago - contact them and they maybe able to sell you a back issue of it.
i was told that back in the day jansen was a agent for fender. for a few years jansen were making most of their instruments and amps using amost all quality fender hardware. but when the fender lads caught on to this little scheme jansen got the boot and went back to oridinary cheap parts
Cheers guys, didnt realise there was a Jansen store in Ak as I'm down here in Duds. If anybody else has any info it would be greatly appreciated.
Although now that I have a better look at the Jansen site its quite obvious they have stores.
Silly me.
I have a 68 Jansen Jazzmaster which I love. Its been seriously overhauled as it was apparently in terrible condition. It now has a fender neck and new pick ups. the pickups were made yo the jansen speck though...with original jansen coil that was bought up by a few obsessives when ther factory shut down. Mel at Weta guitars did the work and I highly recomend that store for NZ amps and gats.
An old friend of mine has a Jansen Tele- from what I remember it plays & sounds gorgeous.
the jansen tele's are awesome.
jansen teardrops
are as good
or better than
the vox
verss
with good
reason