A player showcasing a G&L Doheny offset guitar, highlighting its ergonomic design and stylish surf green finish.
Offset Guitars have surged in popularity, becoming a staple across genres. But what exactly defines an offset guitar, and why are they so sought after by musicians today? Let’s delve into the enduring appeal of these uniquely shaped instruments.
Decoding the Offset Guitar: Asymmetry and Innovation
Offset guitars are immediately recognizable by their distinctive asymmetrical body shape. This design deviates from the symmetry of traditional guitar shapes like the Stratocaster or Telecaster, featuring an exaggerated waist and contoured horns that create a visually dynamic and often “leaning” appearance. Fender pioneered this design in the late 1950s, starting with the student-friendly Duo-Sonic in 1956. This initial foray into offset contours was quickly followed by iconic models like the Mustang and the full-scale Jazzmaster.
A vintage Fender Duo Sonic offset guitar in desert sand, showcasing its compact body and classic aesthetics ideal for students and professionals alike.
The Fender Duo-Sonic, with its lighter build and shorter scale neck, resonated particularly well with players. The Mustang shared a similar accessibility. However, the Jazzmaster, while innovative, initially found a different path. In 1958, Fender patented the offset body style, receiving the patent a couple of years later. This design was conceived with the seated guitar player in mind. The Jazzmaster, named for its intended jazz clientele, was engineered for comfort and balance when played sitting down. The offset body ensured the guitar rested comfortably, and its groundbreaking pickups and circuitry offered an unprecedented sonic palette for the era.
Upon its release in 1958, the Jazzmaster was anticipated to potentially eclipse the Stratocaster as Fender’s flagship model. Its balanced form, the mellow tones from its newly developed Alnico single-coil pickups, and the introduction of a rosewood fingerboard were expected to appeal to a broader audience than the Stratocaster and Telecaster.
Jazzmaster by Name, Rock Star by Nature
A Fender Jazzmaster electric guitar in sunburst finish, highlighting its offset body, unique tremolo system, and distinctive vintage vibe favored by rock and surf musicians.
Ironically, the Jazzmaster never truly caught on with jazz musicians. Instead, it found its fanbase among rock and roll guitarists. The early 1960s saw the rise of instrumental surf music, and the popularity of this genre spurred Fender to create more offset guitars to meet the growing demand. This led to the introduction of the Jaguar in 1962. The Jaguar retained the Jazzmaster’s offset body but featured a shorter scale neck, a thinner, more percussive tone, Strat-style single-coil pickups, and complex circuitry. While initially intricate, mastering the Jaguar’s controls unlocked remarkable versatility.
The Jazzmaster’s design had a profound and lasting impact, influencing a range of guitars and basses with similar offset contours. Fender’s own creations included the Jazz Bass (1960), the Bass VI (1961), the Jaguar (1962), and the Electric XII (1965). Beyond Fender, the Guild S-200 Thunderbird (1964) emerged, along with countless other imitations, as detailed in this guide to Jazzmaster knockoffs from the 1960s.
A Fender Mustang P90 offset guitar in sonic blue, demonstrating its smaller body size and the powerful P90 pickups that contribute to its unique voice.
The Allure of the Offset: Advantages for the Modern Player
Unmatched Versatility
A primary reason for the modern resurgence of offset guitars lies in their inherent versatility. When encountering models like the Jaguar, Jazzmaster, or the Guild Thunderbird (recently reissued), the array of switches often sparks curiosity. The complex wiring systems found on early Jazzmasters and Jaguars were actually designed to streamline the transition between lead and rhythm tones.
The story goes that Forrest White of Fender witnessed electric guitar pioneer Alvino Rey struggling to switch between rhythm and lead sounds during a performance in Ohio. Later, when Rey visited the Fender factory, White assured him they were developing a solution. The Jazzmaster became the first guitar engineered for effortless switching between rhythm and lead voicings. In doing so, Leo Fender conceived one of the earliest solid-body electric guitars with genuine sonic flexibility.
Superior Balance and Comfort
Traditional guitar bodies often feature symmetrical designs. Consider the Strat, Tele, and Les Paul – their symmetrical shapes can sometimes feel less ergonomic when playing seated. This is largely due to how the picking hand interacts with the guitar body relative to the upper and lower bouts. Offset guitars address this by shifting the waist of the body three to six inches towards the headstock. This subtle yet significant change enhances comfort and ease, particularly for the picking hand’s resting position.
This shift in the body’s waist also contributes to a more balanced feel when playing in a seated position. Instead of the guitar pressing directly against the player’s body, the offset design allows the instrument to rest comfortably with the treble-side horn positioned on either leg. Unlike Les Paul and Strat-style guitars which tend to sit squarely against the body, Jazzmasters and other offset guitars, like the D’Angelico Bedford, offer a more relaxed playing experience. The balanced nature of the offset design allows for extended playing sessions in complete comfort.
Enhanced Playability
Many offset guitars, including the Duo-Sonic, Jaguar, and Mustang, alongside contemporary models like the reissued Guild Thunderbird, the D’Angelico Premier Bedford, and the Eastwood Liberty MS150, feature shorter scale necks. These shorter scales are designed for enhanced playability and comfort. A shorter scale reduces string tension, making bending and vibrato techniques easier to execute, lending these guitars a remarkable expressiveness. Many offset guitars also boast necks with smooth finishes that facilitate effortless navigation across the fretboard. Furthermore, the offset body shape with its contoured horns provides easy access to the upper frets, regardless of playing style, offset guitars often feature neck profiles and scale lengths that prioritize player comfort and ease.
Distinctive Tone
The Jazzmaster, upon its arrival, possessed a uniquely identifiable tone. While innovative pickups and advanced switching options broadened its sonic palette, they also endowed the Jazzmaster with a richer, fuller sound compared to the Strat or Telecaster. This sonic richness contributed to its popularity among instrumental artists, particularly those seeking a novel sound for surf music.
This full and rich tonal character remained a desirable attribute over the years. Although offset guitars experienced a dip in popularity during the 1980s, when Strat and Super Strat styles dominated, the 1990s witnessed a resurgence. Guitarists like Kurt Cobain, alongside alternative icons from Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and My Bloody Valentine, championed offset guitars, sparking a revival that continues to this day.
The vintage aesthetics, full, versatile tone, and smooth playability of modern offset guitars render them adaptable to virtually any musical genre. This adaptability is a key factor in their continued rise in popularity, a trend expected to persist.
Explore Offset Guitars at Adirondack Guitar
Today’s music scene, particularly within indie circles, sees offset guitars enjoying ever-increasing popularity. Consequently, more and more manufacturers are releasing offset models, providing players with an expansive range of choices. Originally conceived with pickups voiced for mellow jazz tones or bright, twangy sounds, contemporary offset guitars are available with diverse voices suitable for blues, rock, alternative, shoegaze, and even metal.
Adirondack Guitar offers offset guitars across all price points, from accessible entry-level instruments to custom shop creations, featuring a wealth of premium appointments. Explore the selection below to discover the perfect offset guitar for your musical journey.
Sterling by Music Man StingRay SR30
The Sterling by Music Man StingRay SR30 offset guitar in fiesta red, showcasing its modern design and versatile humbucker pickups for diverse musical styles.
The Sterling by Music Man StingRay SR30 is a classic offset double-cut powerhouse, remarkably versatile for any musical scenario. Dual Music Man spec humbucker pickups with a 3-way toggle switch enable blending pickup voicings for rock, blues, jazz, or metal. Premium features like a Music Man spec fulcrum tremolo and a silky smooth Hard Maple neck elevate the StingRay SR30, providing a luxurious feel uncommon at this price point.
Eastwood Liberty MS 150
The Eastwood Liberty MS 150 offset guitar in metallic teal, highlighting its retro vibe and P90 pickups for a blend of classic and unique tones.
The Eastwood Liberty MS 150 faithfully recreates a classic Japanese design from 1968, drawing inspiration from the Jazzmaster and other surf-era offset guitars of the early ’60s. Featuring the same distinctive offset double-cutaway body, the Eastwood Liberty boasts a bolt-on maple neck with a 24 ¾“ scale length and a highly playable 22-fret rosewood fingerboard.
Electronics on this offset double-cut deliver a tone and versatility that’s both classic and unique. Equipped with impressive Vintage EW P-90 pickups, independent volume controls, on/off pickup selector switches, a rhythm/individual volume control, and a master tone knob, the Eastwood Liberty offers remarkable sonic flexibility. It produces full, rich jazz, blues, and rock tones that will inspire hours of playing.
D’Angelico Premier Bedford
The D’Angelico Premier Bedford offset guitar, a Grateful Dead collaboration, showing its elegant body shape and versatile Seymour Duncan pickups with coil-splitting for a wide tonal range.
The second design in D’Angelico’s exclusive Grateful Dead partnership, the Premier Grateful Dead Bedford, is a modern sonic marvel. Its unique offset body is both lightweight and balanced, coupled with a super-slim, satin-smooth, and incredibly playable neck, ideal for serious guitarists. Seymour Duncan designed pickups with coil-splitting capabilities ensure this guitar can produce any sound imaginable, from blues and jazz to hard rock. Simply put, this guitar is a powerhouse, appealing to Deadheads and beyond!
G&L Left Handed Doheny
The G&L Left Handed Doheny offset guitar in surf green, emphasizing its lefty design and innovative MFD Jazz pickups for a blend of jangle and warmth.
The Left Handed G&L Doheny takes the offset bolt-on guitar into new sonic territory with G&L’s newly designed Magnetic Field Design™ (MFD) jazz pickups and PTB passive tone circuit. This combination allows players to dial the twang up or down, resulting in a surf guitar with enhanced jangle and a full, warm, harmonically rich tone. While retaining the classic twang, the Doheny offers increased output and sonic range compared to its predecessors, making it an excellent choice for diverse musical styles.
Reverend Jetstream 390 Oceanside Green Electric Guitar
The Reverend Jetstream 390 offset guitar in oceanside green, illustrating its sleek design and versatile P90 pickups suitable for blues, jazz, surf, and rock.
Perfect for blues, jazz, surf, or rock, the highly versatile Jetstream 390 Oceanside Green Guitar from Reverend delivers superior playability with a unique design and a striking oceanside green finish. This amazing and surprisingly affordable premium guitar offers both clean and distorted tones, providing enough twang for surf and enough punch for rock. Available in lefty and righty versions, this offset sonic marvel delivers the versatility and playability sought by modern musicians, complemented by premium features that make it a joy to play.
Reverend boasts a wide array of offset beauties — far too many to list exhaustively here. Explore our website to discover more! Models include The Buckshot, Airsonic, Sensei, Super Rev, and Trickshot to name just a few.
A Reverend Lefty Trickshot offset guitar in a striking finish, showcasing its unique body shape and versatile pickup configuration for diverse playing styles.
Ernie Ball Music Man Left Handed Axis Super Sport Electric Guitar – Trans Gold Flame
The Ernie Ball Music Man Left Handed Axis Super Sport offset guitar in trans gold flame, featuring its luxurious quilted maple top and DiMarzio humbuckers for high-performance playing.
The Ernie Ball Music Man Left Handed Axis Super Sport, in an eye-catching Trans Gold Flame finish, features a lightweight basswood offset body with a quilted Maple top and a sculpted neck joint for unrestricted access to the upper frets of its 22-fret maple fingerboard. The Maple neck is treated with a hand-rubbed oil finish and features a 10“ fretboard radius, providing exceptional comfort and effortless playability.
The versatile tone of this incredible Ernie Ball Music Man Axis stems from its custom DiMarzio humbucker pickups and a 5-way pickup selector switch. This switch allows coil-splitting on both bridge and neck humbuckers, enabling unique blended sounds. If you seek a guitar capable of handling everything from blues and country to alternative and hard rock, the Axis is an ideal choice.
Completing this powerhouse guitar are premium hardware appointments, enhancing its luxurious feel and professional studio-quality sound. Featuring a Music Man designed Floyd Rose style tremolo with Schaller locking tuners, the Music Man Axis Super Sport ensures stable tuning and solid intonation, regardless of tremolo use.
Explore Used Offset Gems at Adirondack Guitar
Used Fender Duo Sonic HS Electric Guitar – Daphne Blue
A used Fender Duo Sonic HS offset guitar in daphne blue, a vintage-inspired student model turned modern classic with versatile sound and smooth playability.
Developed in the 1960s as a student guitar, the Duo Sonic HS is now a modern classic, offering versatile sound and smooth playability comparable to much pricier instruments. Featuring a 24“ scale length and a scaled-down offset body, the Duo Sonic has a light, comfortable feel with buttery playability and sonic versatility, granting enhanced playing control and command over your sound. While compact enough for students and beginners, this used Duo Sonic is sonically versatile enough for players of any skill level to enjoy.
Used Fender American Professional Jazzmaster
A used Fender American Professional Jazzmaster in mystic seafoam, showing its modern features, versatile pickups, and classic offset design favored by diverse musicians.
This used 2017 Fender American Professional Jazzmaster, in Mystic Seafoam, is in excellent condition, delivering the versatile tone and sophisticated styling cherished by musicians across genres. Featuring a resonant Alder body, a silky smooth Maple Neck, and highly versatile Michael Frank-designed single-coil Jazzmaster pickups with a proprietary Treble Bleed circuit for enhanced tonal control, this Fender American Pro Jazzmaster offers a full tone and smooth playability, making it a favorite among professional musicians across diverse styles.
Used Guild ST-200 T-Bird
A used Guild ST-200 T-Bird offset guitar, a faithful reissue in black, presenting its iconic asymmetrical body and versatile LB-1 Guild pickups for classic tones.
This gently used Guild ST-200 T-Bird reissue is remarkably faithful to the original in tone and aesthetics. Featuring an iconic and quirky asymmetrical ‘offset’ double-cut body with versatile LB-1 Guild pickups, this used T-Bird delivers the classic sound you crave, with electronics allowing for a wide range of tonal settings. The Mahogany neck offers exceptional comfort and playability, while the Hagstrom Style Tremolo system completes the picture of a revolutionary guitar with unique features that have cemented its status as an underground classic.
