AN OFFSET GUITAR can look like so many different things. As any Jaguar, Firebird or Iceman aficionado will happily tell you, the term lends itself to the “waist” of an instrument rather than its overall shape or cutaways, specifically referring to how its lower half is asymmetrical, tilted or angled. Which, at least at first glance, is what makes these distinguished guitars really pop. To some, such guitars might seem futuristic; to others, they might look like ancient remnants of a long-distant past. Regardless of your take, one thing’s for certain: Instruments of this ilk never fail to leave a long-lasting impression.
Asymmetrical six-strings are undoubtedly an area of great expertise for Fender, who released the Jazzmaster way back in 1958 as their answer to the thicker and darker tones bebop guitarists were dialing in through their Gibsons. Its distinct body shape also afforded a comfortable playing experience while sitting down, as guitarists of that ilk often would be.
And yet, despite its name, the Jazzmaster would end up finding popularity well outside of its intended market, initially with treble-driven surf rock musicians, and then the post-punk, Britrock and alternative movements that followed,
