72 Jazz Bass with a Slab Board??

[shojii]

No block on the first fret? Very G&L!

 

[mikeswals]

Seems to me some repairman had a hand in this neck.

1) the block inlay at the 1st fret is missing.

2) at the heel, the binding is either got a gap or has separated from the maple.

3) that slab seems to be thicker than what you find on a 60-62 slab neck. Look how far it comes down the slope of the headstock, that is super thick.

4) the slot for the nut and nut is super thick.

I'm guessing a tech saved a once broken truss rod.
Probably explains the missing block inlay.

 

[Musicder]

...I'm guessing a tech saved a once broken truss rod.
Probably explains the missing block inlay.

@shojii
Wow, can't believe I didn't notice the missing block as being unique! Something just staring (or not staring) right back at me...lol

@mikeswals, help me understand, if you have another minute, how repairing a broken truss rod would result in missing a block inlay?

Are you thinking the neck started as radius and then someone tore off the old fingerboard, machined it flat and slapped on a slab? Seems like a ton of work for a repair.

I'm going to try to get a hold of an old Tech that I know used to set this bass up for the PO, see if he has any good detail/history on it.

Thanks everyone so far for the insights!

 

[bigmikebass]

Also, is that a rosewood shim in the neck pocket? More evidence of someone working on the bass.

 

[mikeswals]

Yup, that's exactly what I'm getting at.
There's plenty of owners here that have had their fingerboards replaced with entirely different woods. Lots of talented luthiers that can bring things back to life.

 

[Eneade]

It could be the pictures... but I find the blocks to be slightly off.
The corners are a little bit rounded instead of square. And the material is not the same perloid as Fender used.

 

[TomB]

Yup, that's exactly what I'm getting at.
There's plenty of owners here that have had their fingerboards replaced with entirely different woods. Lots of talented luthiers that can bring things back to life.

True, and the likely explanation. The unusual part is the almost identical binding replacement. That IS talent!

 

[micguy]

If the stamp is legit, and it has a slab board, then....it's not the original board. If you need to replace a veneer fretboard, it's probably simpler to route the thing flat and put on a slab board than it is to replace it with another veneer board.

 

[Musicder]

If the stamp is legit, and it has a slab board, then....it's not the original board. If you need to replace a veneer fretboard, it's probably simpler to route the thing flat and put on a slab board than it is to replace it with another veneer board.

Ya, that makes sense. My initial thought was, why go through the trouble instead of just putting on a whole new neck/board combo... but then when I think about how beautiful and effortless it plays, it makes sense that someone did whatever was needed to retain the neck.