Today, my day job required a one hour and 45 minute conference call with a bunch of folks in LA. Upon hanging up, I realized that I was headed to LA again. That in turn reminded me of the day that my new Jazzmaster arrived in Sacramento. I was in LA -- well actually either in the air to Burbank or on the way from Burbank to Encino. Of course, Burbank and Encino are “LA” to us in Northern California and probably the rest of the World.
My travels meant that I had to wait to touch, hold, and admire the guitar. It was a Japanese reissue. Ocean Turquoise with matching headstock and a hard shell case. It had been represented on e-Bay to be “mint, mint.” The serial number (pictured on e-Bay) made it 5 to 6 years old.
My e-Bay obsessing led to pulling the “Buy-It-Now” trigger.
Of course, the decision was neither that simple nor so quick. First, I had to get Paul’s input. Then I bid. More input from Paul. Outbid! Bid again. “Reserve Not Met.” More input from Paul. Check other Japanese reissue Jazzmasters. Check prices of cases. Check the cost of new Mexican reissue Jazzmasters. Outbid! Bid again. “Reserve Not Met.” More input from Paul. Wring hands.
The fretting was the typical e-Bay kind -- particularly when you are bidding on something that you really want. What happens if you get close and lose out? Will you get another shot at something as unique? I was bidding on an unusual color with a matching headstock.
So I just kept wringing my hands, wondering, and worrying. I remained the high bidder but knew somebody was out there who wanted that Ocean Turquoise Jazzmaster. That SOB or those SOBs had outbid me a couple of times. What happened if one of them pulled the "Buy-It-Now" trigger?
So I clicked on “Buy-It-Now.” Just like that, it was mine on a Friday. It was shipped on Monday. And arrived on Wednesday after I was on my way to LA -- actually, as you know from above, Burbank.
Becky took the new Jazzmaster home. She opened the box. She said that she wanted to make sure it was not damaged. She probably was curious to see what had enamored me so the week before. She then sent pictures. Body. Headstock. Instructions.
Instructions? Oh, they were in Japanese. This is truly a Japanese reissue.
My cab ride from Burbank to Encino was text message after text message. From Becky: Look, I opened it. To Becky: Isn't it beautiful? To Paul: It’s here but I won’t see it until tomorrow night. From Paul: Awesome. Back and forth with Becky. Back and forth with Paul about the instructions being in Japanese.
That was a pleasant way to occupy an 1-hour cab ride. During midday, it would be a 15-minute drive. Missing Persons was right - “Nobody Walks in LA.” And more people drive at 4:00 p.m. than midday.
Later that evening in between meetings and dinner, I snuck glimpses of the pictures that Becky sent. I had become a member of the Fender Jazzmaster “Club.” I had a true surf guitar -- P90s, floating tremolo, and “Fender” on the headstock. I wondered if my glissandos would be better. Or my vibrato. Would the new Jazzmaster allow me to play faster? Better?
I did not know. But knew that a night in a hotel, spending time downtown, a cab ride, and a flight stood between me and seeing the new guitar first hand and touching that new Jazzmaster. When I finally arrived home, one look confirmed that that Japanese Fender Reissue Ocean Turquoise Jazzmaster was well worth the wait!