77 Jazz bass with 4-bolt...

[lupien]

I just bought a 77 Jazz bass but weird thing is it has 4 bolts. The serial number is S7... and the stamp on the neck butt says it was made in 77'. The neck plate with the big "F" however has a serial of 420000 (rounded number cause I`m at work and don't have the exact serial..but it start with 420) which gives it the date of 1973. Checked all the pots and they too are 1973.

So I figured it was a 73 body and someone swapped out the neck for a 77 (rosewood, block inlays and white binding) but after closer inspection I noticed that it does not have the 3-bolt pattern holes in the neck...so it was never installed on a 3-bolt body like it should have. It also does not have the micro-tilt metal plate thing but the route is there however.

I know in the 70's quality control was poor and they would assemble basses with bodies and necks from different years, but have any of you seen such a gap in time (4 years)

[big evil robot]

It's possible that it was a special order.

[Caca de Kick]

Originally Posted by lupien

It also does not have the micro-tilt metal plate thing but the route is there however.

That's the big clue that it was originally installed on a 3-bolt body. I've seen lots of neck swaps where someone took the tilt plate out of a later neck and installed it on an earlier 4-bolt body.

Hard to know if somone used a bare replacment body and swapped all the parts (hardware and electronics) over to the new body. But you might look at the pot codes and pickup codes to see what they say for a year of those components.

[lupien]

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

That's the big clue that it was originally installed on a 3-bolt body. I've seen lots of neck swaps where someone took the tilt plate out of a later neck and installed it on an earlier 4-bolt body.

But that doesn't seem to be the case since there is no extra hole in the neck. If it was ever mounted on a 3-bolt body it should have that 3rd hole in the center of the neck for that top screw..but it doesn't have that.

[danomite64]

Maybe the original neck warped under warranty and Fender put that neck on it. My dad bought his '78 Mustang new in '82 (the neck's fine), so it's possible that bass wasn't sold until '76, which would mean it was still under warranty in '77.

[Spinal Tapper]

Pics would really help.

Maybe the neck MADE around 77 as a special order replacement for the old 73 neck and they never drilled the 3 bolt because the body would've needed it.

[Caca de Kick]

Yup, all could be possible.