'78 Jazz with No Date On Neck?

[john nam]

I'm looking to get a '78 jazz, which is my birth year, but it seems like some of the ones I've seen don't have a neck date stamp, is this normal? If so, do the ones with a date on neck have a higher resale value than the ones that don't?

also, what is a reasonable price for an all original '78 jazz in great condition, $2500-$3000?

[godofthunder59]

It is not uncommon for 70's Fenders not to have a neck stamp the further into the decade the more likely it is to be missing. Neck construction details, serial number and headstock logo can all help authenticate a neck missing a date stamp.

[john nam]

thanks for that. what about a reasonable price for an all original '78 in great condition? are mochas more than natural finishes?

[gbazinet]

Hmm.. i'd say $1500-$2000 for a 78 jazz

[Spinal Tapper]

Originally Posted by gbazinet

Hmm.. i'd say $1500-$2000 for a 78 jazz

Agreed.

2500-3k is REAL high for a late 70's Jazz IMO

[godofthunder59]

Mocha in the Fender catalog called walnut. While not everyones favorite color it has grow on me over the years. Walnut finished bodies are Alder ( might be some Ash ones out there but I don't believe so) therefore lighter and more resonant than the heavier Ash bodies. I think players have found the walnut finished basses to be some of the better sounding of the decade. For whatever reason walnut finishes tend to be thinner than other colors of the period. My '75 Walnut fretless Precision.

Originally Posted by john nam

thanks for that. what about a reasonable price for an all original '78 in great condition? are mochas more than natural finishes?

[narud]

If we're talking 78 it's going to be ash by that point regardless of color. The only reason to spend over 2k would be if you are impatient or the thing is abnormally clean and on the lighter side. There's somewhat of a premium paid for a lighter one.

[DJJazzV]

My '76 Walnut color Fender is my favorite as far as tone goes.
This thread has quite a few really nice Walnut color Fender basses:
"Mocha" basses

[DiabolusInMusic]

That fretless P is STUNNING!

OP even $2k is quite high for a 70's Fender, if it had the magic and was light I would pay the $2k for a keeper, but if you look around/hold out you can get them for $1500 quite easily.

[FretlessMainly]

Originally Posted by godofthunder59

Just when I think I've figured this out, a photo like this shows up to confuse the issue. My '76 Walnut P FL clearly shows the wood grain, while GoT's finish looks to be a solid finish with no wood grain visible.

So, either there were two different finishes, walnut and mocha(?) or they are quite inconsistent in how they appear.

[narud]

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

Just when I think I've figured this out, a photo like this shows up to confuse the issue. My '76 Walnut P FL clearly shows the wood grain, while GoT's finish looks to be a solid finish with no wood grain visible.

So, either there were two different finishes, walnut and mocha(?) or they are quite inconsistent in how they appear.

walnut over alder isnt going to have very visible grain like when its over ash as it is on your bass.

[godofthunder59]

There is grain visible though it's not very striking or pretty it's rather bland. The body is 4 piece with one strip of wood only being about 1/2" wide.

[FretlessMainly]

Well thanks; that clears things up.

[73jbass]

IIRC,A 78 should have S8 starting on the serial number,which is on the headstock.

[Caca de Kick]

As mentioned, no neck stamp happens alot. So in that case, the two components to focus on for dating are going to be pot stamps and the date stamps on the bottom of the pickups.

[Caca de Kick]

Originally Posted by 73jbass

IIRC,A 78 should have S8 starting on the serial number,which is on the headstock.

Except that S8 serials were used well into 1982. So never use the serial alone, especially an S8, to date a Fender.

[john nam]

I'm no expert in pricing '78 jazzes, but $1500-2000 for an all-original seemed to be true only 2+ years ago, no? for instance, I don't think i've ever seen one sell for $1600 in the past 2 years.

for that matter, 2+ years ago, very early '80s jazzes we're close to the $400-700 range, now they're around a $1000.