1963 Fender Jaguar in Lake Placid Blue: The Factory Refinish We Almost Missed

Last Updated: June 2026

A Call Near Phoenix

Some of the best guitars we buy start with a simple phone call, and this one was no exception. We got a call about a deal just outside Phoenix, Arizona: a seller had a Lake Placid Blue 1963 Fender Jaguar and a 1962 Fender Bassman amp that had been put away for decades. A pre-CBS offset in a Fender custom color is the kind of guitar that makes you rearrange your week, so we headed out to see it in person.

When we finally had the guitar in our hands, the first thing we noticed was the color. It was Lake Placid Blue, no question — that deep metallic blue custom color collectors chase — but something about it wasn’t quite adding up.

Something About the Finish Wasn’t Adding Up

The shade was close, but not exactly the Lake Placid Blue we’d expect on a standard factory guitar of that era, and under the finish we could see hints of a sunburst underneath. That raised the question every vintage Fender buyer has to answer before writing a check: was this an old refinish done outside the factory, or a genuine Fender factory custom-color job?

It matters enormously. With vintage Fenders, the difference between an amateur refinish, a factory original, and a documented factory refinish can swing the value of an instrument by thousands of dollars. Get it wrong in either direction and somebody loses — either we overpay for a backyard respray, or the seller gets shortchanged on a rare factory piece. We don’t guess on questions like this. We bring in an expert.

Why We Called Joe

Joe’s shop happened to be close by, so we drove over to Joe’s Vintage Guitars in Mesa, just outside Phoenix, and asked him to look at the guitar in person. Joe Dampt has spent more than twelve years buying vintage guitars full-time, has personally appraised well over 10,000 instruments, and is one of the most trusted names in the country when it comes to pre-CBS Fenders and custom-color finishes. With more than 2,000 five-star reviews to his name, he’s exactly the person you want standing next to you when a finish doesn’t look right.

What Joe Found

Joe examined the Jaguar closely — the finish under the pickguard and in the control cavities, the way the color sat in the neck pocket, and the telltale signs of how and where the paint had been applied. What he found settled the question: the guitar carried markings consistent with a factory refinish. The Jaguar had gone back to the Fender factory, most likely in 1964 or 1965, to be refinished in Lake Placid Blue over its original sunburst.

That’s a crucial distinction. A factory refinish — an instrument sent back to Fender and refinished in a custom color by the same people who built it — is a completely different animal from a refinish done in a garage decades later. The hint of sunburst we’d seen wasn’t a red flag at all; it was part of the guitar’s documented history. Instead of being a problem, the finish turned out to be one of the most interesting things about the instrument.

We Paid the Seller More Than We Planned

Here’s the part we’re proud of. Because Joe was able to authenticate the finish as a genuine factory job, we revised our offer upward and ended up paying the seller more than we had originally planned. He went from worrying his guitar might be “just a refin” to learning it was a legitimate, factory-finished custom-color Jaguar — and getting paid accordingly. That’s a happy seller, and it’s the whole reason we lean on specialists like Joe: getting the authentication right lets us pay people what their instrument is actually worth.

Full Circle, Back to California

The story got even better. Along with the guitar and the 1962 Bassman, we got the original photos of the guitar’s first owner — who, as it turned out, had played the Jaguar in a band in California back in the 1960s. The instrument eventually found its way back to a player in that same California hometown, closing a loop more than half a century in the making. Those are the guitars we love most: the ones with a real story attached, sourced honestly and sent on to someone who will appreciate it.

If You Have a Vintage Fender

Authenticating finishes like this one is squarely in Joe’s wheelhouse. He specializes in vintage and pre-CBS Fenders — Jaguars, Jazzmasters, Stratocasters, Telecasters — and especially custom-color instruments like this Jaguar. If you have a vintage Fender of your own and you’re wondering what it’s really worth, he’s one of the best people in the country to talk to about selling a vintage Fender guitar. A free, honest appraisal from someone who genuinely knows these instruments is worth its weight.

Thinking About Selling a Vintage Guitar?

Whether it’s a Fender like this one, a pre-war Martin, or a vintage Gibson, the most important thing you can do before selling is get it in front of someone who actually knows what they’re looking at. At Edgewater Guitars, we buy vintage guitars across the country, we pay 30–40% more than most local shops, and we’ll give you a free, no-pressure appraisal. Call us at (440) 219-3607 or visit edgewaterguitars.com to find out what your guitar is really worth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a factory refinish on a vintage Fender?

A factory refinish is an instrument that was sent back to Fender and refinished by the factory itself, often in a custom color. Unlike a later amateur refinish, a documented factory refinish is part of the guitar’s legitimate history and is far more desirable and valuable to collectors.

Does a refinish always lower a vintage guitar’s value?

Not always. An amateur or undocumented refinish usually reduces value, but a verified factory custom-color refinish can actually make an instrument more interesting and more valuable. The key is accurate authentication by someone who knows what genuine factory work looks like.

Does Edgewater Guitars buy vintage Fender Jaguars?

Yes. We buy vintage Fender Jaguars and other offsets in any condition — original, refinished, or modified. For specialist Fender custom-color authentication we often work alongside Joe Dampt of Joe’s Vintage Guitars. Call (440) 219-3607 for a free valuation.