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Does anyone own their "Birthday Bass"?

TimWilson

TimWilson

Aug 28, 2007
1,192
24
Southwest Virginia
www.myspace.com
#1
Just lately, I've started to think about how groovy it'd be to have a Jazz bass date-stamped 8OCT1964 (my own birthday)... Probably just old age fomenting an increasing sense of poetic nostalgia ... nonetheless, if I found one, I'd probably want it badly.. I've found a couple Precisions here that are OCT1964 stamped, and several 64 Jazz babys... But I want that date...

Which got me to wondering: Does anyone else own a bass that's exactly as old as themselves?
 
#6
TimWilson said:
how groovy it'd be to have a Jazz bass date-stamped 8OCT1964 (my own birthday)
Click to expand...

You'll have to settle for 7 OCT then, because that first digit is not used on Fender necks for a date. It's a neck model code: 5= Precision, 7= Jazz.

For me though, my birthday is 5. But I'd much rather have a Jazz Bass than a P as a birthday bass. :(
 
#7
Caca de Kick said:
You'll have to settle for 7 OCT then, because that first digit is not used on Fender necks for a date. It's a neck model code: 5= Precision, 7= Jazz.

For me though, my birthday is 5. But I'd much rather have a Jazz Bass than a P as a birthday bass. :(
Click to expand...

Oooo... That's new info to me... So the actual DAY of construction isn't part of the old Fender numbers? The closest you can hope to get is the month and year?

That being the case, then maybe some of the OCT1964 basses I've been looking at are as close to my own born-on date as I can expect to get...
 
#8
I've often wondered if this is part of what drives the vintage market... I don't particularly like old, beat-up stuff, but I always have my eye open for a Jazz as old as I am - it doesn't have to be minty & I'll most likely spend more than it's worth, but I do want a playable bass...

I've almost pulled the trigger twice in the past 2 years, but the price to quality ratio was way off - I test drove a couple of stinkers - bum truss rod (beyond adjustment) on one & a loose neck pocket, bad overall set-up & horrible nut on another. Not "end of the world" issues, but for the asking prices the dealers should have done some repair work & presented a more appealing product... In the end, someone bought them - I guess based on the vintage & not the instrument's merit...
 
#18
born in '52, got a '51 P reissue and put in a better pickup just to try and capture that vibe. To buy a bass that's actually from '52 is probably too expensive and it would be kind of random to even find one.

I got a fretless '78 P because that was a significant year in my life, but also because it's an awesome bass.
 

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