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Could this be a real 70's jazz neck?

Regardless of legitimacy, I’d probably rather have this neck than a new Warmoth, just as a nice replacement.

I dunno. I can't see this as a 'nice replacement'. There's lots of reasons to pull off the original fretboard and replace...very few of them are good reasons.
 
Here is my original 1974 headstock. Fender transitioned to the Bullet Truss Rod approximately midway toward late '74. Note the plug and block inlay. The white neck binding is hard to see in this pic because of the lighting and the maple board but it extends beyond the nut.

View attachment 4286397

Plug on maple board neck, yes. Plug on rosewood board, no.

Yes the binding is supposed to extend past the nut. But factory binding thins down as it tapers into the headstock. The binding on this one remains pretty thick as it ends.
 
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Do you really want a 50 year old neck, with 50 year old problems?
I already have one of those

man_with_neck_pain.jpg
 
In mid 1962 Fender switched from flat slab boards to round laminated boards.


They did Strats into the late 60's as dome young guitar upstart named Jimi something liked playing maple necks.

Fender made them and they exist, both Gruhn and Elderly have referenced them over the years. But I don't know that they did this for basses, but Strats certainly were made after '62 with slaboards.
 
Did Fender do factory neck repairs back then? I had assumed they were just swapping out necks for new ones but this seems like some kind of aftermarket fretboard replacement from a maple board to this. The dots confuse me the most, they seem like clay?
 
This thread is giving me a headache. Whether or not it was a genuine '70's Fender neck it isn't a normal specimen by any means. There were no elves working magic in the California factory back then (they all worked for Keebler making cookies). The necks were just pieces of maple and rosewood with decals on the headstock. Luthiers, Mighty Mite, All Parts, Warmoth, etc. all had access to the same materials without the yoyos in suits screaming at them to keep costs down. You'd be better served IMHO to find a neck that suits your needs and buy it. Bass necks are like suits. You can buy one off the rack or have one tailored. Regardless of which method you choose, you need to know your size. Get the specs down first. Nut width, depth, profile, number of frets (if any), fingerboard material, tuner arrangement... then shop around for the best one. Note: decals and logos add nothing to the playability or sturdiness of the neck. Always choose a straight grain over a logo. Hope this helps.
 
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I dunno. I can't see this as a 'nice replacement'. There's lots of reasons to pull off the original fretboard and replace...very few of them are good reasons.

I agree 100%. I would add that many necks were removed because they were screwed up. I'd bet this one was fixed and there's no guarantee it is even as good as a Glarry Neck. Just because a bass (or neck) is old Fender doesn't make it worth ANYTHING as a playable instrument. Many people get all worked up over these vintage parts, but to me they're just old parts. Give me a new Warmoth neck any day. I would not buy this Jazz Bass neck at any price, let alone inflated vintage price.
 
They did Strats into the late 60's as dome young guitar upstart named Jimi something liked playing maple necks.

Fender made them and they exist, both Gruhn and Elderly have referenced them over the years. But I don't know that they did this for basses, but Strats certainly were made after '62 with slaboards.

Except we are not talking about Strats here, this is a bass forum, I dont know about those. I only play bass, own and study only the basses.

*edit*
However, I just spent over an hour looking at 63 to 66 Stratocasters on Reverb and did not see any slab rosewood fingerboards, just round laminates. So I still will stick with the detail that '62 was the change.
 
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I agree 100%. I would add that many necks were removed because they were screwed up. I'd bet this one was fixed and there's no guarantee it is even as good as a Glarry Neck. Just because a bass (or neck) is old Fender doesn't make it worth ANYTHING as a playable instrument. Many people get all worked up over these vintage parts, but to me they're just old parts. Give me a new Warmoth neck any day. I would not buy this Jazz Bass neck at any price, let alone inflated vintage price.

Not only is it more likely that the FB is changed out because it was faulty, but any real value taken from it's 'vintageness' is also gone since it isn't original.