80's Japanese Jazz Basses - Did they make em like this?

TC2112 · #1 07-11-2010, 01:00 AM

I have 2 86 E series Japanese Fender basses that I love - A Precision and a Jazz Bass Special. They are both a metallic pewter color and rear routed with no guard. I know the Specials from this era were all like this, and I have seen the re-issue style Precision and Jazz basses with guards and traditional colors in this E-series period. My question is, did they ever do the Jazz bass rear rout / no guard in these metallic colors in this era? There was a black, a red, the white, this pewter color (that always ended up aging to a green), and maybe a blue (????) in these metallic colors.

I know they did some later like this, like the 24 and some quilted looking tops, but I'm looking for specifically the E series 80's Japanese line

I'm kind of hoping they didn't, because that would just make me want to buy one to go along with my others, but I haven't ever seen one.

And since no pics = no bass, here are the two I'm talking about

Precision

JBS

Spleenface92 · #2 07-11-2010, 01:36 AM

I'm pretty sure they made them like this, otherwise why would we have the Duff McKagan sig bass.

Yakob · #3 07-11-2010, 03:22 AM

These both look legit. They're actually pretty rampant in my area.

TC2112 · #4 07-11-2010, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spleenface92

I'm pretty sure they made them like this, otherwise why would we have the Duff McKagan sig bass.

The Duff sig is the Jazz Bass Special (P and J) - I'm asking about a standard 2 single coil Jazz bass in this styling.

TC2112 · #5 07-11-2010, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yakob

These both look legit. They're actually pretty rampant in my area.

I know these are both legit, but are you saying the standard Jazz bass model (J / J) are rampant in your area? I would love to see some pics.

bigtexashonk · #6 07-11-2010, 08:08 AM

These were great basses for the $.

acebase62 · #7 07-11-2010, 10:09 AM

I have a 1985 all black JBS with the P-J pickups. I saw quite a few of them (black, gray, or whitish) at various stores back then.

I think I once saw the P only version for sale used at a music shop.

I never saw any with J-J pickups, even in 80s Frontline catalogs.

I sure wish Fender would make a J-J bass with P body, something like G&L JB-2.

I love J-J, but never liked J bodies; I ended up going Warmoth.

EighthNotes · #8 07-11-2010, 12:47 PM

He's not asking if his are real, he's asking if they made a Jazz this way so he can maybe complete the set.

JTE · #9 07-11-2010, 01:19 PM

To the best of my knowledge (I was a Fender dealer 1977-1988), they did NOT make a Jazz bass like the P and the JBS. Nothing in the catalogs, nor any mention in any literature then, or since then.

John

Dark Horse · #10 07-11-2010, 01:25 PM

I don't remember them making a Jazz Bass version.

Showdown · #11 07-11-2010, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TC2112

The Duff sig is the Jazz Bass Special (P and J) - I'm asking about a standard 2 single coil Jazz bass in this styling.

A friend of mine has one in a kind of dark aqua color (not sure of the name of the color). Yes, they made them.

onlyoneZ · #12 07-11-2010, 03:52 PM

I saw one on ebay a while back. It was black, no pickguard or control cover( rear routed), and had the black painted head like the Jazz specials. Pretty cool looking.

acebase62 · #13 07-11-2010, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onlyoneZ

I saw one on ebay a while back. It was black, no pickguard or control cover( rear routed), and had the black painted head like the Jazz specials. Pretty cool looking.

Curious, did it have the J body or P body?

I remember that the HM basses were something similar, but had 3 J-style pickups.