76' vintage vs 62 RI MIA

[baba68]

hi

I am looking at a 62 RI jazz MIA, and a vintage jazz 76 to the same price and don't know which to pick.

The 76's body is two pieces of different wood glued together which you can clearly see through the sunburst finish. Other than that it looks very solid, and is in fine condition, no huge scratches, bumps etc.

Been reading of the "dark era", CBS and the 70's basses bad rep.
But I have also been reading that even though there's a lot of dogs from the 70's there's also a not too small percentage of fine instruments, and I wonder what my chances are.

Are all the 70's basses made with a two-pieced body?
How would the 62 RI compare to a vintage 76?
I don't have the chance to try them, as they are cities away.

 

[One Drop]

There is absolutely no way to tell which sounds and feels better, especially to you, without trying them both.

Almost all Fender basses are and have always been made with two or more pieces of wood in the body.

If you can buy the '70s one for a good price, it will continue to go up in value for a long time, IMO, if that makes a difference to you.

Sight unseen I'd buy the RI over a mid '70s one.

 

[coreyfyfe]

+1. without seeing or hearing the vintage one not much can be said. i found 78 jazz for cheap in a music store and figured something had to be real messed up, but after playing it, its absolutely perfect and 100% original.

that being said, i lucked out. play them both and see what you like.

 

[mikeswals]

Nowadays, 76 J's are priced way higher than 62RI's. So if someone is selling a 76 that low, then he either doen't know what he has, or there's some issue with it. I would persue inspecting it and playing it, and hopefully it's just that he doesn't know what he has as this would make a great investment.

The 62RI is a great bass, and every one I played has been great, and would be a no-brainer as a sight unseen purchase.

 

[DanGouge]

Is the 62 RI new? Because that's the only way I can see it being comparable in price to a '76. Look for a used RI, you will get a much better deal.

 

[SKATE RAT]

with regards to 70s Fenders,TRY IT.some are great,some suck.

 

[Jeff K]

I snagged a '75 P-Bass about 10 years ago, and it sounds awesome. I guess it's hit or miss with the '70's basses. Play it and see what you think. If you're not comfortable looking for specific trouble areas (ie., neck, electronics, etc.), see if you can get a knowledgeable bass buddy to go with you to check it out. (And I don't mean any offense if you yourself are good at spotting problem areas. I just mean you should be careful.)

 

[baba68]

it is a used, almost mint shape condition 62 RI for the same price.
will try the 76 and see. hopefully it is a good bass.
thanks for replies!