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Post subject: WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 1:59 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Albemarle, NC
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Very scarce Fender! It is not modified and is stock. Anyone? Anyone?


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Post subject: Re: WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 2:17 am
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Rock Star
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Location: Albemarle, NC
Gave you guys four days, so time is up.

This is a photo of a stock Fender Boxer Bass model PJ-535 made by Fujigen in Matsumoto for Fender Japan in 1985. There were four Boxer Bass models that year and all were standard production models. This is the only one with the angled PJ pickup pair though. Boxer isn't a nickname, it was the actual Fender Japan model designation which they promoted in sales literature, even though the headstock decal said Jazz Bass. Boxer models used a TBX tone circuit, which is about as much tone control as you can get with a passive bass. The rounded body on the Boxers have a very comfy feel. Frets were medium jumbos. Boxer pickups have massive alnico pole pieces, which I always suspected was the origin of the Seymour Duncan "Quarter-Pounder" concept which is so darn similar. These were really nice, sounding darn near active.

Today they are really scarce. One in this type of condition (better than 9 out of 10) will bring anywhere from $750 to $900 or a bit more with the original case and are worth it if stock like this one. One of the nicest playing and sounding Fender Japan basses you'll ever find and a good companion piece to a Fender Japan Performer Bass. List price in Japan for any two pickup Boxer Bass was 60,000 Yen, which today would be worth about $580. The single Precision pickup version was 5,000 yen less. In comparison the top of the line then state-of-the-art Fender Performer Bass in production at the same time cost one-third more at 80,000 Yen or just shy of $800 USD today. The Boxers were not all that expensive but were excellent playing and sounding full 34 inch scale instruments. They had an incredible tonal range compared to any other bass with a similar pickup arrangement.

The other Fender Boxer Bass models were the PB-555 which had two sets of P-Bass pickups both angle mounted, the PB-551 with a single straight mounted Precision pickup pair and the JB-555 with a pair of Jazz pickups mounted straight.

So if you ever run across a Boxer, now you will know what you are seeing!


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Post subject: Re: WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 7:59 am
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Hobbyist
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I do remember seeing these back in the 80's. I think that the fact that they said Jazz Bass on the headstock rather than Boxer added to the paranoia around the issue of Fender off-shoring all of its production outside of the U.S.
Maybe there was a corporate philosophy in the 80's that started with New Coke where you could drum up headlines and rally customer loyalty by discontinuing a perfectly good product. I don't know.
My perception was that the quality of Fender U.S. Basses was not great in the early and mid 80's and Fender Japan basses were comparable in quality but not prestige.


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Post subject: Re: WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 4:13 pm
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Professional Musician
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I haven't been hanging out lately as life has gotten in the way - but I would not have gotten this one. Nice one BD!! The angled pups kind of remind me of the once thought about Lead Bass...except those were all jazz.

Nice stumper!!

Steve

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Collector of vintage Fender 4 string basses.


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