This Guitar Is Available As A
Fabulous Fake
J. Mascis formed Dinosaur Jr. in Amherst, Massachusetts, after his hardcore punk
band Deep Wound broke up in 1983. Hooking up with fellow high school student Lou
Barlow (bass), Mascis initially played drums in Dinosaur, but shortly afterward,
former All White Jury drummer Murph (b. Emmett "Patrick" Murphy), joined the
group, and J. moved to guitar. Over the next year, the group developed a local
following, and in 1985, the trio released their debut album, Dinosaur , on the
Homestead label. The record and the group's crushingly loud concerts developed a
cult following over the next year. By the end of 1986, a hippie-rock group
called Dinosaur -- featuring former members of Jefferson Airplane and Country
Joe & the Fish -- sued the band, which changed its name to Dinosaur Jr.
In 1987, Dinosaur Jr. signed to Black Flag's indie label SST and released You're
Living All Over Me , which became an underground sensation, with groups like
Sonic Youth championing Mascis' wild, feedback-drenched guitar. Early in 1988,
they released the seminal single "Freak Scene," a song that captured the feeling
and tone of the emerging American post-punk underground. "Freak Scene" became a
college radio hit, and it led the way for their acclaimed 1988 album, Bug .
Although the band's popularity continued to grow, tensions were developing
between Mascis and Barlow, who rarely talked to each other. In 1989, Mascis told
Barlow that the group was breaking up; the following day, he "re-formed"
Dinosaur Jr., this time without Barlow, who went on to form Sebadoh.
In July of 2007 the J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster was released
by Fender. The instrument comes in a Purple Sparkle finish and while otherwise
visually similar to a standard Jazzmaster, it features a number of modifications
J requested such as a tune-o-matic bridge (for improved intonation), a
reinforced tremolo arm housing (for higher durability when subjected to repeated
heavy bending, which the original Jazzmaster was never designed for), vintage
style pickups, jumbo frets, and a satin finished neck and customised wiring.
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