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Post subject: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:09 am
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Hi, I bought my Fender Jazz Bass somewhere in the seventies from another musician. Does any know what kind of Jazz Bass this is and how I can find out when in what year it has been made?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057396954
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057399314
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057216303


Last edited by pieth on Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:48 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:53 am
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Put your serial number in here :arrow: http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=91658

Try again with your images.

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:04 pm
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You have to give us some pictures and some more information about your Jazz bass for us to give you an educated guess as to its age.

Give us the serial number. The color and if it was refinished or not.
Give us a good description of its features. Does it have block inlay? what color is the fingerboard? Does it have cover plates? did it originally come with them?
There are all kinds of ways to date these things when you know the details.

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:30 pm
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The best way to start is to know the serial number.


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:19 pm
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pieth wrote:
Hi, I bought my Fender Jazz Bass somewhere in the seventies from another musician. Does any know what kind of Jazz Bass this is and how I can find out when in what year it has been made?

Image
Image
Image
Image


It is the modified kind. Without knowing the serial you can't find out what it started out being before it was modified. The serial should be on the neckplate, the chrome thingy that holds the neck on onto the body. Also would help to know whether there are 3 or 4 screws in the neckplate.


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:51 pm
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057396954/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057216303/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13057399314/in/photostream/

You seem to have a post-1974 ash-bodied Jazz Bass with a 3-bolt chocolate tuxedo neck. A Baddass bridge has been installed along with an aftermarket tortoise-shell pickguard, likely from Allparts. The cream-colored pickup covers may or may not be original to the instrument (I'm betting they're not). The serial number stamped on the neck plate will reveal the approximate year in which the instrument was built and the EIA codes embossed on the volume and tone pots may narrow that window down further. The neck heel may be marked with a date as well -- you'll need to disassemble the bass to ascertain these particulars.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:45 am
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Hi Arjay, there's no serial number on the neck plate.
On the headstock I found these two numbers stamped 2,960,900 en 2,968,204
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N03/13078883785/

Are these the serial numbers? Is this enough information?

Piet

P.S. The cream colored pick-up covers were already on the guitar when I bought it in the seventies.


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:54 am
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These EIA code I found on the pots
013446 250K A-1377


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:12 am
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A 74 has a six number serial such as 594064- if there is no serial number on the guitar then it's most likely a parts bass, a stolen bass, or a mish mash of whatever. If the person says it's a Fender then how do you know??

NO SERIAL NO SALE !!!!! ( that is if the person represents the bass as being a stock type Fender even if they say it has changed parts)


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:05 am
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stroker vance wrote:
A 74 has a six number serial such as 594064- if there is no serial number on the guitar then it's most likely a parts bass, a stolen bass, or a mish mash of whatever. If the person says it's a Fender then how do you know??

NO SERIAL NO SALE !!!!! ( that is if the person represents the bass as being a stock type Fender even if they say it has changed parts)


+1!

Absent a serial number, there better be a damn compelling reason for such an omission. And if such reason is not legitimate (such as the instrument being a composite parts bass), then walk away.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:52 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
stroker vance wrote:
A 74 has a six number serial such as 594064- if there is no serial number on the guitar then it's most likely a parts bass, a stolen bass, or a mish mash of whatever. If the person says it's a Fender then how do you know??

NO SERIAL NO SALE !!!!! ( that is if the person represents the bass as being a stock type Fender even if they say it has changed parts)


+1!

Absent a serial number, there better be a damn compelling reason for such an omission. And if such reason is not legitimate (such as the instrument being a composite parts bass), then walk away.

Arjay


This cat, pieth, says he already bought it "somewhere in the seventies". I have grown both weary & leary of such posts that want to know all kinds of information but have no serial number. I started the "No Serial = No Sale" mantra on a simular thread. Perhaps we should consider a 'No Serial = No Info' stance. Why help criminals make better counterfeits?

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:22 am
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Please guys, let's stay with the facts. I was a student in Utrecht, The Netherlands, from 1976 till 1983. I joined the amateur band Dental Floss with 4 other guys and wanted to buy a good bass. I heard a musician in Amsterdam wanted to sell his Fender Jazz Bass. I went there maybe in 1977, '78, '79. I don't know the year for sure anymore. It's such a long time ago. I paid 850 guilders for it and was incredibly happy and proud on my new bass guitar. I played with much pleasure for years. When I started working I stopped playing in the band. I got married, my children were born, and the bass was standing there untouched all the time. I kept it for some day.... for you never know.... for when I start playing again.... for maybe my son or daughter want to have it. But nothing happened and it's still there untouched. I decided to say goodbye to my bass and to investigate if there's a market for vintage bass guitars. A completely new field for me. Till yesterday I didn't even know a forum like this existed. I was surprised there's so much knowhow, passion around Fender Jazz basses. So I was glad with your help to find out how old my guitar really is. Please pay some respect and don't call me a criminal.


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:43 pm
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pieth wrote:
Please pay some respect and don't call me a criminal.


I have not made such an assertion nor even insinuated it.

But the facts of the matter are this:

All genuine Fender instruments receive a serial number at the factory, regardless of when they were made or where.

Your bass seems to lack this significant detail.

It is a crime in most regions of the United States to remove, alter, or deface such a serial number (it's a felony in California).

Lacking a legitimate reason for the absence of a serial number leaves this entire matter to your own devices and how you proceed from here is to be determined by your own discretion.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:17 pm
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Okay, Arjay, Sorry! I know you didn't insinuate that. Some other guy indirectly did.

Thanks for your clear story. I got information from another source that the numbers stamped on the headstock indicate that the bass was produced between October 1976 and November 1977. Apparently the number 2,960,900 en 2,968,204 on the headstock is not the serial number you're referring to. The only other number is on the neck plate, but this seems to be a patent number: FENDER MICRO-NECK ADJUST PAT. 3550496. When I disassemble the bass I only find very unclear black stamps on the inside of the body and the neck heel http://www.flickr.com/photos/26504593@N ... hotostream
It appears - according to your observations - that my bass hs not been originally made as a whole, but as assembled loose parts. That's disappointing for me so I can't really sell it as a genuine Fender Jazz bass.


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Post subject: Re: What's the age of my Fender Jazz Bass?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:58 pm
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On the face of it, I'd opine that your body is a genuine Fender part. The neck as well. Those decal numbers on the headstock are also US patent numbers (just as with the digits stamped on the neck plate). It's quite possible that the guitar is mostly original but missing its serialed neck plate for reasons unknown. It does appear that someone has relocated the upper strap button to the body's neck pocket area (rightfully, it should be on the tip of the upper horn). Another explanation for the instrument might be that it is indeed a parts bass but assembled using mostly genuine Fender components. There few very few aftermarket companies building imitation or counterfeit Fender parts when you acquired this bass so either possibility seems likely. The bridge is definitely not original, neither is the 3-ply tortoise-shell pickguard (Fender's are 4-ply). The pedigree of the remaining parts is left for conjecture.

Arjay

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