72 Jazz Bass with a Slab Board??

[Musicder]

Hello,
Recently purchased a '72 Jazz that checks all the boxes for being original, pickups & pots both dated 72. S/N, late 71 to 72 so maybe an older plate was used, not surprising. Neck is stamped Oct. 72... but the unique thing is what appears to be a slab rosewood fingerboard.
Is this even possible since data says they were phased out in 62ish? What is the likelyhood of this coming out of the factory this way in '72??

I did actually find another thread on talkbass where there's images of a very similar board on a '73, but the OP, nor commenters even mention the idea that it looks like a slab!
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/73-jazz-bass-u-shape-neck.869674/

 

[mongo2]

Hmm, the transition of the fingerboard to the headstock does look very slab-like.

 

[ole Jason]

Fender did all sorts of wacky things so who knows. Looks like a nice bass either way, I'd be happy with it.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

That sure as heck looks legit, sweet old bass.

 

[PaperbackRyder]

That's beautiful!
It seems to me that slab boards are simpler to produce, using just a flat cut on the bottom..
They used slab boards for many years on the vintage RI's. My '62 Jazz reissue from 1982 has a slab board.

 

[Matt O]

Have a look inside the truss nut channel, slab will have rosewood at the top, lam would be all maple.

 

[Ghastly]

How does it look on the body?

 

[Smooth_bass88]

What makes you think this is a slab board? You’d have to remove the binding at the bottom of the neck to confirm.

 

[70spbase]

Hello,
Recently purchased a '72 Jazz that checks all the boxes for being original, pickups & pots both dated 72. S/N, late 71 to 72 so maybe an older plate was used, not surprising. Neck is stamped Oct. 72... but the unique thing is what appears to be a slab rosewood fingerboard.
Is this even possible since data says they were phased out in 62ish? What is the likelyhood of this coming out of the factory this way in '72??

I did actually find another thread on talkbass where there's images of a very similar board on a '73, but the OP, nor commenters even mention the idea that it looks like a slab!
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/73-jazz-bass-u-shape-neck.869674/

View attachment 7213034

View attachment 7213044

 

[70spbase]

That is not a slab board that is the binding all the way around. Because they stopped using slab in early 60’s. They started used a thin veneer on every single bass that I’ve owned which is over 26 of them from 64-65 through 1981

 

[dougjwray]

Maybe someone at Fender found the neck in a box of old parts in a closet and decided to use it!
They often did things to confound future historians.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

Hello,
Recently purchased a '72 Jazz that checks all the boxes for being original, pickups & pots both dated 72. S/N, late 71 to 72 so maybe an older plate was used, not surprising. Neck is stamped Oct. 72... but the unique thing is what appears to be a slab rosewood fingerboard.
Is this even possible since data says they were phased out in 62ish? What is the likelyhood of this coming out of the factory this way in '72??

I did actually find another thread on talkbass where there's images of a very similar board on a '73, but the OP, nor commenters even mention the idea that it looks like a slab!
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/73-jazz-bass-u-shape-neck.869674/

View attachment 7213034

View attachment 7213044

I’m dying to see it put back together!

 

[Matt O]

The convex curve of the rosewood on the headstock just past the nut is what makes it look like a slab. These are strats, but it applies to basses as well:

 

[Matt O]

For reference, here’s another ’72, note the difference with the concave curve of the rosewood.

OP’s bass is likely not slab, but it is very odd for sure.

 

[Musicder]

Have a look inside the truss nut channel, slab will have rosewood at the top, lam would be all maple.

Excellent Idea, didn't think of that!

Yes, it's rosewood on top.

 

[Musicder]

What makes you think this is a slab board? You’d have to remove the binding at the bottom of the neck to confirm.

Agree, though Matt O had a brilliant idea to just look around the trussrod, so I just posted that.

Also, take a look at the example in this link. This example didn't have binding and looking at the end, it sure looks flat, so I think this is another example from a '73. https://www.talkbass.com/threads/73-jazz-bass-u-shape-neck.869674/

 

[Matt O]

Excellent Idea, didn't think of that!

Yes, it's rosewood on top.

well I’ll be… that’s a slab board right there.

 

[Musicder]

I’m dying to see it put back together!

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Agree, though Matt O had a brilliant idea to just look around the trussrod, so I just posted that.

Also, take a look at the example in this link. This example didn't have binding and looking at the end, it sure looks flat, so I think this is another example from a '73. https://www.talkbass.com/threads/73-jazz-bass-u-shape-neck.869674/

Unless i'm looking something incorrectly, that's a maple fretboard with black binding

 

[Musicder]

Unless i'm looking something incorrectly, that's a maple fretboard with black binding

Ah, now I see it, yep, you're correct!