BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. BUZZ, BUZZ…..

Jerry Jones Electric Sitars are unusual instruments and bit rare. Many guitarists have never seen an electric sitar in the flesh. Some may not even know it existed.

Jerry Jones built quality guitars in Nashville, Tennessee since the 1980s. After some Danelectro guitars came in for repair, Jerry started thinking that the Danelectro guitar was what he would build for himself. He liked the unpretentious simplicity of the Nathan Daniel’s Danelectro instruments. Early Danelectro guitars were made in New Jersey. From that point, Jerry began building high quality reproductions of the original Danelectro designs. In 1991, Jerry Jones even visited the Nathan Daniel founder of Danelectro, who was living in Hawaii building sail boats at the time. As of April 2011, Jerry Jones retired and closed down his Nashville factory. The Jerry Jones instruments are a step above the Danelectro instruments in quality and are have now become quite collectable.

Jerry Jones built several versions of the electric sitar that was originally an invention of studio guitarist, Vincent Bell who worked closely with Nathan Daniel at Danelectro. The first electric Sitar was meant to imitate a real acoustic sitar that is extremely hard to learn to play. Vinny Bell wanted an instrument that could sound like a sitar that could be used in pop music and played by any guitar player. It utilizes a “buzz” bridge that was innovated to give its signature sound on the regular 6-strings that are tuned standard (or drop-D).

We can thank George Harrison and the Beatles plus Brain Jones and the Rolling Stones for starting the “raga-rock” sound when they played real acoustic sitars on their early 1960s recordings. The Beatles Norwegian Wood and the Stones Paint It Black first made many westerners hear what a sitar can add to popular music.

In 1967, after MCA purchased Danelectro, the Vincent Bell Coral Sitar was released to the world. The Coral Sitar has been used on countless hits. Original Coral Sitars are pretty pricey in the vintage market and quite collectable for their uniqueness and history. Many of these are not always in the best condition at this point. Jerry Jones reissues are a good choice for this reason.

Jerry Jones Supreme Sitar

Jerry Jones first electric sitar was the Jerry Jones Master Sitar. Later Jerry Jones built a Supreme Sitar which was a higher-end model and a Baby Sitar which was a less expensive and simpler electric sitar that only had six strings and no sympathy strings. Interestingly Danelectro reissued their version of the Baby Sitar utilizing a Gotoh Buzz bridge.

The Jerry Jones Supreme Sitar features replaces the 13 sympathetic strings of the Master Sitar (or Coral Sitar) with a short, non-fretted neck with 6 drone strings. This short neck has its own tuning keys and “Buzz-Bridge” as well. Now, both necks produce the familiar whirring sound.

Jerry Jones Baby Sitar

The Jerry Jones Baby sitar is a smaller solid body instrument. The Coral Sitar reissue, the Jerry Jones Master Sitar has a hollow body, therefore has a percussive tone when the strings are picked.

Jerry Jones Master Electric Sitar is a refined reissue of the Coral Sitar and allows you to feel like you have returned to early psychedelic ’60s. Jerry Jones precision made sitar Buzz bridge produces that now familiar whirring sound and provides for accurate string intonation. The 13 sympathetic strings can be tuned in a variety of ways and can be played as accompaniment. The sympathetic strings have their own pickup with volume and tone control, so they can be also be turned off if desired.

I am luck enough to actually have two Jerry Jones Master Sitars in my collection. One is an earlier model that looks closer in appearance to the Coral Sitar and the other one is a later version that has some slight changes. So they are a bit different. Which one is better? Answer is BOTH!

It is interesting that Jerry Jones changed the design and build in later years. I can only guess why. Maybe due to cost or access to some parts. Possibly, Jerry Jones was just refining the model? I will not venture to guess as I really do not know.

The earlier Jerry Jones Electric Sitar were closer in appearance to the original Vincent Bell Coral Sitars. Almost a “dead” ringer in fact. The later Jerry Jones Master Sitars had a few slight changes. The headstock had a different shape, the lipstick pickups were mounted without the chrome ring, tuning machines, knobs and the access panel on the back are different. The pickguard has no writing on the earlier ones. The later ones had “electric SITAR” written on it. Both generally shipped with a G&G hard case and harp tuning wrench. The hard case for my earlier one looks to be non-original and tuning wrench is also a bit different. Both versions are well built quality instruments.

Serial numbers and dating Jerry Jones Guitars, Basses and Sitars:
From 1988 to about Mid 1990 – Serial numbers were hand lettered in black ink at lower back of headstock. Black or dark colored instruments may be numbered inside control cavity or backside of white pickguards. Some in neck cavity.

Mid 1990 to about Mid 1993 – Silver and black serial number labels applied to top back of headstock.

Mid 1992 to late 1998 – Serial number engraved on metal jack plate. Models without jackplates have serial number engraved on lower edge of bridge. Sitars engraved number is located on metal string guide at rear of bridge.

Jan 1998 to end of production around 2011 – Printed white label inside control cavity on all instruments. First two digits indicate year of production.

NOTE: I found this information on a guitar forum and it appears correct as I have seen this displayed on various Jerry Jones instruments. I cannot totally verify however, as the company is closed and Jerry is retired and has not provided information.

Going by the serial number and dating info I can find, it seems to indicate that my earlier Jerry Jones Master Sitar was produced in 2000 and the newer one was produced in 2004. Both have the printed white label inside the control cavity. The earlier version has a different shape access panel with the later one being round.

Early Jerry Jones Master Sitar

Later Jerry Jones Master Sitar

Here I will do a side-by-side comparison between the two versions of the Jerry Jones Master Sitars I own. Going by the label dating – The Jerry Jones Master Sitar on left is from 2004 and the one on right is a little earlier from 2000. Both look to be totally original, except former owner swapped out the strap buttons with Dunlop locking ones. Both Master Sitars are in excellent condition with no repairs, breaks, scratches, dents or other issues. The solder on the pots are untouched. Both use Alpha Pots. I was not able to see pot dates.

Jerry Jones Master Sitars with 2004 on left and 2000 on right

Jerry Jones Master Sitars

They have a different headstock shape with the older 2000 model looking more like an original Coral Sitar shape. Not sure why it was changed, but the waterslide decal is same. The tuners are different as well.

Note different headstock shape

The earlier model has Kluson style tuners and the newer one has Gotoh tuners. The neck carve and profile are basically the same. Neck joint and bolt-on are also the same.

Jerry Jones Master Sitars were available in a few different colors. Jerry Jones even offered some custom finishes. Both of the Jerry Jones Master Sitars in my collection are crackle red which was like the original Coral Electric Sitar. Notice below that the access panel is quite different. The one on left is the 2004 model and uses a round one screw with a piece of rosewood to hold it in place like I have seen on many Danelectro guitars. The earlier one on right used a piece metal cover with six screws.

Jerry Jones Master Sitars – 2004 model left and 2000 model right

The knobs are different. Below in the earlier model and the knobs look more like the knobs on the original Coral Sitar.

The 2004 Jerry Jones Master Sitar knobs are shown below.

The cases most Jerry Jones guitars shipped with were G&G USA made. The 2004 model has an original case, but my 2000 model hard case looks like a non-original TKL case made in Canada. Nice case, but not original.

2004 Jerry Jones Master Sitar – G&G case

Notice the writing on the pickguard on the 2004 model. The earlier model has no writing, but pickguard is same otherwise.

2000 Jerry Joneds Master Sitar

Notice no writing on pickguard on earlier model.

Specs for both:

  • Dark Red “crackle” gator-style finish
  • 3 x lipstick pickups
  • 1 11/16″ nut width
  • 25″ scale length
  • 21 fret neck
  • Indian rosewood fingerboard with 14.5″ radius
  • Trussrod adjustment accessible at the heel
  • Enclosed Gotoh tuners for 2004 and Kluson style tuners for 2000
  • Intonated sitar Buzz-Bridge
  • Six main strings light gauge
  • 13 sympathetic strings (all .010)
  • Both weigh 7-lbs exactly

Here are some random pictures of the earlier 2000 Jerry Jones Master Sitar. It is a very cool instrument.

Some random pictures of the later 2004 Jerry Jones Master Sitar.

Since Jerry Jones closed their doors, there are a few other makers producing their version of the Master Sitar or Coral Sitar. Agile, Rogue, Star and Italia come to mind. Danelectro is only making a solid body Baby Sitar using the Gotoh buzz bridge currently. Danelectro has reissued the Coral Sitar in the past. These are not very expensive, but the quality of Jerry Jones is a notch above.

The original Vincent Bell Coral Sitar

More info on Electric Sitars and their impact on popular music here.