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Best looking jazz bass?

#441
Ah man... Jazz Bass. Just the form itself is sexy, functional, sticks to you like a weekend fling.

I must say, I remain a 3 tone sunburst and brown tortie shell kinda dude. The '66 lefty Jazz McCartney had... I would love to see a high-res colour photo of it. Mind you, anything late 60s with that TV logo... it's Hippie-ish and optimistic looking at the same time...

original.jpg


Something about this entire combination... sure, it's pretty traditional, but man oh man...
 
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#443
nerkoids said:
Ah man... Jazz Bass. Just the form itself is sexy, functional, sticks to you like a weekend fling.

I must say, I remain a 3 tone sunburst and brown tortie shell kinda dude. The '66 lefty Jazz McCartney had... I would love to see a high-res colour photo of it. Mind you, anything late 60s with that TV logo... it's Hippie-ish and optimistic looking at the same time...

original.jpg


Something about this entire combination... sure, it's pretty traditional, but man oh man...
Click to expand...
Yes I agree.. and,..what's in your picture there?
 
#445
nerkoids said:
Ah man... Jazz Bass. Just the form itself is sexy, functional, sticks to you like a weekend fling.

I must say, I remain a 3 tone sunburst and brown tortie shell kinda dude. The '66 lefty Jazz McCartney had... I would love to see a high-res colour photo of it. Mind you, anything late 60s with that TV logo... it's Hippie-ish and optimistic looking at the same time...

original.jpg


Something about this entire combination... sure, it's pretty traditional, but man oh man...
Click to expand...

I'm guessing late 60's early 70's yes? And a pristine example! CBS ushered in the bells & whistles era of Fender and never more complete of a statement that the block & bound Jazz bass w/the bold logo lettering. Also, is that one of the rare 'sunglasses' brown molded cases? :cool:
 
#447
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#448
JIO said:
I'm guessing late 60's early 70's yes? And a pristine example! CBS ushered in the bells & whistles era of Fender and never more complete of a statement that the block & bound Jazz bass w/the bold logo lettering. Also, is that one of the rare 'sunglasses' brown molded cases? :cool:
Click to expand...
I can't remember where, if it was here or somewhere else, people saying that CBS messed around with the Jazz bass too much to their liking, with all this gussying up, making them look a lot fancier -- thinking it detracted from Leo's original vision of the Jazz bass. Personally, I think the first 9 years of CBS-owned era produced some pretty decent instruments, and considering this was originally called the Deluxe Bass, I'd say CBS at first had the right spirit in mind.

I've been told by more than a few players that the '65-'68 basses were probably the best versions of the Jazz ever produced under the Fender name. Just a combination and improvements and whatnot. Of course, this isn't first-hand knowledge, but those late 60s Jazzes.... to me, they are magical.
 
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#449
nerkoids said:
I can't remember where, if it was here or somewhere else, people saying that CBS messed around with the Jazz bass too much to their liking, with all this gussying up, making them look a lot fancier -- thinking it detracted from Leo's original vision of the Jazz bass. Personally, I think the first 9 years of CBS-owned era produced some pretty decent instruments, and considering this was originally called the Deluxe Bass, I'd say CBS at first had the right spirit in mind.

I've been told by more than a few players that the '65-'68 basses were probably the best versions of the Jazz ever produced under the Fender name. Just a combination and improvements and whatnot. Of course, this isn't first-hand knowledge, but those late 60s Jazzes.... to me, they are magical.
Click to expand...

I'd agree on a few aspects but after playing a '61 Jazz I'd have to say the most important element was lost in translation as the CBS years went on. That would be the neck. The neck on the '61 was heaven - I played one at Chicago Music Exchange recently and never played another like it. The same visit/sitting, I played a '66 and as much as I wanted to love it - it did nothing for me. As a comparison, I distinctly recall sitting with a brand new (heavy) J in a music store in '71 (firmly CBS) and after years of playing my '64 T-bird, I couldn't get over how unappealing the J's neck was. It was a thick poly-finished baseball bat - needless to say I didn't buy it and it turned me off to Fender basses for years. As with anything, another bass from that '65-'69 period could be magic, as you say. My fave is the early '66 dot/bound J. I could never afford one so I built my own - and love it! GAS relieved!

Here's a pic of it w/my '66 P which senses the kinship but is not sure how it keeps it's lovely figure after all these years!

IMG_7238_zps2945e1ea.jpg
 
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#450
JIO said:
I'd agree on a few aspects but after playing a '61 Jazz I'd have to say the most important element was lost in translation as the CBS years went on. That would be the neck. The neck on the '61 was heaven - I played one at Chicago Music Exchange recently and never played another like it. The same visit/sitting, I played a '66 and as much as I wanted to love it - it did nothing for me. As a comparison, I distinctly recall sitting with a brand new (heavy) J in a music store in '71 (firmly CBS) and after years of playing my '64 T-bird, I couldn't get over how unappealing the J's neck was. It was a thick poly-finished baseball bat - needless to say I didn't buy it and it turned me off to Fender basses for years. As with anything, another bass from that '65-'69 period could be magic, as you say. My fave is the early '66 dot/bound J. I could never afford one so I built my own - and love it! GAS relieved!

Here's a pic of it w/my '66 P which senses the kinship but is not sure how it keeps it's lovely figure after all these years!

IMG_7238_zps2945e1ea.jpg
Click to expand...
While you speak about J, please let me keep the P, I'm free for it :D
 
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#451
nerkoids said:
Ah man... Jazz Bass. Just the form itself is sexy, functional, sticks to you like a weekend fling.

I must say, I remain a 3 tone sunburst and brown tortie shell kinda dude. The '66 lefty Jazz McCartney had... I would love to see a high-res colour photo of it. Mind you, anything late 60s with that TV logo... it's Hippie-ish and optimistic looking at the same time...

original.jpg


Something about this entire combination... sure, it's pretty traditional, but man oh man...
Click to expand...

I never saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but that was on the inside, right? :) I mean, Jeez Louise who wouldn't want that bass close at hand?!?
 
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#452
JIO said:
I'd agree on a few aspects but after playing a '61 Jazz I'd have to say the most important element was lost in translation as the CBS years went on. That would be the neck. The neck on the '61 was heaven - I played one at Chicago Music Exchange recently and never played another like it. The same visit/sitting, I played a '66 and as much as I wanted to love it - it did nothing for me. As a comparison, I distinctly recall sitting with a brand new (heavy) J in a music store in '71 (firmly CBS) and after years of playing my '64 T-bird, I couldn't get over how unappealing the J's neck was. It was a thick poly-finished baseball bat - needless to say I didn't buy it and it turned me off to Fender basses for years. As with anything, another bass from that '65-'69 period could be magic, as you say. My fave is the early '66 dot/bound J. I could never afford one so I built my own - and love it! GAS relieved!

Here's a pic of it w/my '66 P which senses the kinship but is not sure how it keeps it's lovely figure after all these years!

IMG_7238_zps2945e1ea.jpg
Click to expand...
Got to agree with this, the earlier 60s neck were much preferable to the late 60s IME, and quite clearly different in feel. I recently sold my all original 68 J as it simply could not come close to the feel/tone of my refin 63. Still a nice bass, but the difference was night and day.
 
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