Fake Jazz/P Basses?

[Psychotisis]

I was browsing around threads... and came to find someone saying they had a "Fake Jazz bass"

with that in mind, I applied it to my bass. There is absolutely nothing on the bass that implies it to be of any specific make other then the fact that the body looks like a Fender Precision...


So the question here is, are there in fact "Fake" basses? Or is there a specific term otherwise that should be used?

[EAdanikDG]

Clones?

[Psychotisis]

Okay. well atleast I know its not just some random guitar...

no in all seriousness. why where these made? is it lesser to an actual fender p? can anyone tell me anything other than... "Clone?"

[Woofer]

Technically, the only "real" Precision or Jazz would be a Fender. Everything else would be termed a "J" or a "P".

The two body shapes are undoubtedly the most popular among players, so naturally companies build what the consumers want. Some get made because people want a higher level of build quality, or different electronics or wood/finish options than offered by Fender. Sadowsky, Nordstrand and Valenti come to mind here, to name but a few.

Others get made quickly and incredibly cheaply, and can then be sold as an inexpensive (and usually lesser) alternative to the real thing. Sometimes you find a diamond in the rough, but not often IME.

Hope this helps.

[ThaLowEndTheory]

Or a parts bass. "Partsocaster"

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Woofer

Technically, the only "real" Precision or Jazz would be a Fender. Everything else would be termed a "J" or a "P".

The two body shapes are undoubtedly the most popular among players, so naturally companies build what the consumers want. Some get made because people want a higher level of build quality, or different electronics or wood/finish options than offered by Fender. Sadowsky, Nordstrand and Valenti come to mind here, to name but a few.

Others get made quickly and incredibly cheaply, and can then be sold as an inexpensive (and usually lesser) alternative to the real thing. Sometimes you find a diamond in the rough, but not often IME.

Hope this helps.

Actually, these days, it's quite easy to find good quality iinexpensive Fender copies that can cop a Fender vibe quite well.

[Woofer]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

Actually, these days, it's quite easy to find good quality inexpensive Fender copies that can cop a Fender vibe quite well.

I'm not gonna debate that they're out there. All I'm saying is, if you want a good one on the cheap, they're there but you've gotta look. I've got a Squier jazz 5 that I love, but I did have to play about 10 of them to find 1 that I would buy.

[ThaLowEndTheory]

Originally Posted by Woofer

I'm not gonna debate that they're out there. All I'm saying is, if you want a good one on the cheap, they're there but you've gotta look. I've got a Squier jazz 5 that I love, but I did have to play about 10 of them to find 1 that I would buy.

I think this should be a law regardless of the brand you're buying.

[JRHoch]

There are tons of laws against these repoductions. Problem is, foreign country companies either evade, or just brake these laws. Sometimes going as far as even putting fender's logo on the head stock.

In our present day market, if the serial number doesn't regester, it's a fake. Only way to be sure.

[rmars]

I can't word it any better than Mr. Nash.
http://www.nashguitars.com/IMHO.htm

Scroll down to "I'd rather buy a REAL Fender than some parts-o-caster made by Nash." and read that.

Leo hasn't owned that company since 1964. Not saying they haven't made some good products but what they do today quite unlike what they did in the beginning from a production and construction stand point. A 2010 American Standard Jazz is quite different from one made in between '60 and '64. Even a Custom Shop is just a attempt at making a copy of the original (though it is a very nice copy).

[Gecko 5]

Originally Posted by rmars

I can't word it any better than Mr. Nash.
http://www.nashguitars.com/IMHO.htm

Scroll down to "I'd rather buy a REAL Fender than some parts-o-caster made by Nash." and read that.

Leo hasn't owned that company since 1964. Not saying they haven't made some good products but what they do today quite unlike what they did in the beginning from a production and construction stand point. A 2010 American Standard Jazz is quite different from one made in between '60 and '64. Even a Custom Shop is just a attempt at making a copy of the original (though it is a very nice copy).

I am putting my Lakland JO CS up this week to get a Nash.
Lakland makes some damn fine"fake" Fenders

[Hopkins]

I have a Fake (Counterfeit) Jazz bass that I found on Craigslist. Some jackass got a fender decal and put it on a Squier VM, I called him on it and wound up picking it up for $100. I'm probably going to remove the logo and leave it without one.


He actually did a good job refinishing the headstock.
I put the tort pick guard, threw in some pickups and an OBP-2 I had laying around

[rmars]

Originally Posted by Gecko 5

I am putting my Lakland JO CS up this week to get a Nash.
Lakland makes some damn fine"fake" Fenders

Yes they do. I had one of the early US JO's and IMHO for a "fake Fender" I thought it was a better representation of an early Fender Jazz than a CS, American Standard, or any late model Fender I have played. The neck profile of the early ones was pretty dead on.

All the Nash's I've played have been great. He uses a thicker neck than an early J but his neck finish feels great and tone wise they've all been superior instruments. He makes some of my favorite "fake Fenders".

[Gecko 5]

Originally Posted by rmars

Yes they do. I had one of the early US JO's and IMHO for a "fake Fender" I thought it was a better representation of an early Fender Jazz than a CS, American Standard, or any late model Fender I have played. The neck profile of the early ones was pretty dead on.

All the Nash's I've played have been great. He uses a thicker neck than an early J but his neck finish feels great and tone wise they've all been superior instruments. He makes some of my favorite "fake Fenders".

I played a couple Nashes at Chicago Music Exchange.
OMG, I love those necks. I just made a deal on my Lakland JO5 CS for a US Glaub with a Dark Star. I can easily foresee selling it to get a PB63

[DWBass]

I prefer the term Fake Fenders. Some are better than any Fender produced and some are straight garbage. And there are some kinda in the middle. And oh, I own a 'Fake' Fender Lakland JO5.

[Big_Daddy]

Wasn't there an issue with Mann, a company out of Japan, making fake Fenders or something? Correct me if I'm wrong.

...My first guitar was a Mann moddeled after the Gibson Hummingbird. May aswell have been playing chords on a bass...

[A-Step-Towards]

There is no fake Jazz. A jazz is a jazz bass. There can be a fake fender if its a jazz bass there trying to make look like a fender when its a squier, its still a jazz but its a fake fender.