It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 12:40 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 9 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:41 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:16 am
Posts: 1
Hello,

I have a Fender Jazz Bass. Please see image links.

Image
Image
Image
Image

I have detached the neck and unscrewed the neckplate, and the only numbers I can find on the guitar are on the head of the neck underneath the Fender logo:

PAT 2,573,254 2,960,900 3,143,028 2,968,204

Are these numbers specific just to this instrument? i.e its fingerprint.

I would like an approximate valuation and year and country of manufacture.
All help appreciated, many thanks.


Waysidor.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:23 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there should be a serial on either the headstock below the "Fender" script, on the back of the headstock or on the neckplate if it was 100% Fender. So in the absence of a serial my best guess is that this is a parts bass, assembled using parts of various origin. Some may be Fender parts like the bridge cover and some may not be, such as about everything else.

If it was a genuine Fender neck it would have markings on the neck paddle and in the neck pocket of the body of some type. Most aftermarket licensed necks by any licensed replacement neck maker will have markings also. The pickguard, knobs and string retainer next to the tuners (the little round disc) do not look correct to go with the 70's type neck. The headstock "Fender" decal is a replacement made by a counterfeiter. So this is not a Fender Jazz Bass but instead it is a parts bass assembled in the style of a Fender Bass with a counterfeit headstock decal with the intent of resembling a Fender 70's type bass.

This is a copy, counterfeit or knockoff. It is not a Fender bass. That fact doesn't make it sound or play any worse, so as a player it is probably worth about $200 USD here in a private sale. I don't think you'd find this at a vintage dealer as they do not buy and sell knockoffs. Some of the genuine Fender parts like the bridge cover have some value and I'm including that in my estimate of the value here. There it could be worth more or less.

The country of manufacture is probably more than one country. The patent numbers on the headstock are meaningless in identifying the instrument as they refer generally to various patents registered at the US Patent Office by Fender for some design features on various Fender models. They are not unique identifying numbers and when counterfeiters reproduce decals the patent numbers are often reproduced also since they were part of the original decal being reproduced. The decal is a copy of one from the CBS era which is also seen on some reissue type Fender instruments. It fits with the era when Fender was putting block inlays in Jazz Bass necks.

Again, sorry to be the bearer of this news and I hope you didn't pay much for it.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 3:59 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26416
Location: Tombstone Territory
+1......on all counts.

The first thing that jumped out (to me) is the pickguard -- not enough screws in it (a vintage-spec PG uses 11), no provisions for the pickup cover or the tug bar, and not enough plies (genuine Fender tortoise-shell's have four). It may be a great sounding and great playing instrument but it is not a Fender instrument.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:23 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:14 pm
Posts: 3169
Location: Linningrad
No self respecting musician would even consider an instrument without a bonafide serial number. In that light, the bass is worth zero $$$

_________________
2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:49 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
I love Fender basses. So much so that I myself have purchased parts to build Fender copy basses and have done so. I enjoy building custom "Copies". Evidently it's okay with Fender because they license many product makers. Products that all closely conform to certain Fender copyrights and patents. Bodies and necks and parts that can be slightly different or really close to exact. Most times it's easy to spot a copy bass. I own many actual Fenders also BTW. I however would never call one of my builds a "Fender Bass". I always tell someone to whom I may happen sell one to that I built said guitar and I call them a P bass or a J bass. I'm not feeling guilty at all about it. I would value the builds I do at much more than 200 bucks. I do understand that 200 is all someone might want to pay for a copy guitar no matter how much was spent on building it. So it works both ways. I can pay 200 for a copy guitar too. Nice! The reason being is that no matter how bad it makes us feel - some of those copy guitars sound very very good. The biggest thing wrong with all this is when someone presents a copy bass as being a real Fender. That's where everything goes haywire. AND fraud is illegal I think when selling something. Right? Anyway- I hope you didn't buy a fake guitar thinking it was real. Or I hope you won't try to sell it as real. Thank you I've said my piece . Have a great bass playing day!!!! :D


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:55 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:58 pm
Posts: 1051
Location: SW Florida
Nuff said. Sorry.

_________________
Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:39 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:29 am
Posts: 213
I have to admit that is one of the best 'fakes' I've ever seen. Would have fooled me except for the missing S/N.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:15 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:00 am
Posts: 1226
Location: In the pocket north of Washington D.C.
It is an absolute fake Fender Jazz and because of the attempt at fraud, You should be very careful buying anything from this seller. The seller/owner may not know it is fake but it is still fraud to call it a Fender bass.

There are many " copies' by other makers that sell for big bucks. ($1000 plus)

They are not sold as Fenders.

_________________
If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Year/Valuation of my Jazz Bass
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:03 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:17 pm
Posts: 2
I bought a '57 "reissue" P-Bass back around 1993, sunburst with an all maple neck. The neck had more dead spots than a corpse, so I bought an all rosewood neck from Warmoth. What a difference! Didn't put any Fender decals on the Warmoth. If I ever sell it, the original neck goes with it to make it all legitimate.

_________________

JJD
LH P-Bass 1957 reissue (1993) Sunburst
LH J-Bass 1964 Fiesta red
LH J-Bass 1990 Olympic white
LH J-Bass 2013 Am Std sunburst[/color]


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 9 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: