Dubious failure by Fender Custom Shop!

[FenderP]

Cool. Gary’s 1972 jazz bass neck is from 1972. What does that have to do with a 1975 neck?

The same options were available in 1968, 72, and 75 (and other years) aesthetically. You claimed "Impossible: They didn’t use black blocks in 1975".

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I wish production Custom Shop basses deviated from historical accuracy even more; and provide relatively recent features like easy-access truss rods, locking strap buttons, etc. and even come in 5 strings.

But I understand the marketing point of view - they probably use production CS basses as showcases of alleged quality, and want to direct people to custom orders for convenient features.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

So the Fender CS unveiled some gorgeous new models for this past holiday season; one of which is a “Journeyman relic 1968 jazz bass”. Relic’ed nitro body, quartersawn neck, blocks and bound…. You know the works.

It’s all great, but the Fender Custom Shop chose to use a decal from the late 70’s/early 80’s era, instead of the “period correct” late ‘60’s/mid 70’s decal. All this historic Fender mojo for well over $4,000!!

View attachment 4929197
View attachment 4929199
Fender Custom Shop 1968 Jazz Bass Journeyman Relic Vintage White #CZ564685

talk about a missed detail!

Here's the logo that was on my 1965 Jazz Bass. Picture is from late 1971 while I was touring with it. Very hard to see from this shot which I took out of a pic of me playing it, but it had the patent numbers under the Fender logo; is smaller than the one on the '68; and starts farther up the headstock. The style of writing is similar but it's an outlined logo as opposed to filled in with black. That's the head of my Standel amp behind it.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

The same options were available in 1968, 72, and 75 (and other years) aesthetically. You claimed "Impossible: They didn’t use black blocks in 1975".

As far as I know, the maple necks with black blocks were not in regular production in 1975… perhaps “impossible” is too strong of word.

Let’s just say it would be “improbable” to find an original 1975 Fender jazz bass with maple neck and black blocks.

 

[Grinderman]

Funny enough — the bass pictured on their website does in fact sport a period-correct (albeit “transitional”) logo for 1968:

View attachment 4929872

OMG, those are the WRONG F%#$@^& tUniNg mAchiNe HEaDS and the FRETS are

GDammit 6105s!!!!! Where's the auThEnticiTy!?!?

First they put stacked knobs on '62s and now this S*#t.

 

[Grinderman]

Here we go.

Here WE go.

HERE WE GO!

A '62 with stacked knobs, 9-1/2"-radius fingerboard, and 6105 frets? This is REEEEEEdiculous.

The Time Machine Series, they say...

 

[fhm555]

It’s a relic copy of an old Fender bass. Seems like a neck swap somewhere down the line after some time in the wild would only add to the authenticity of such a reproduction. They put fake cigarette burns on some models so why not fake a neck swap on a fake 68 J?

 

[Yahboy]

i think the CS team wanna make something different than before, they make " Custom Shop Part Bass ".

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Considering the font of the '70s decal is heavier, bolder than that of the '68-correct font I'm concerned about weight.

And what about possible neck dive ??? Oh my gosh !!!

 

[Grinderman]

And what about possible neck dive ??? Oh my gosh !!!

I'm concerned. Would these Hipshot Ultralite tuning machines be a drop-in replacement?

//I'm getting this moved to Hardware, Setup, and Repairs.

 

[jamro217]

Let's be reasonable. A "journeyman" who got a '68 Jazz Bass probably ruined the original neck by yanking out the frets with a weedwhacker and putting in a brass nut. Totally trashed at this point, he had to get a new one. The only one available was a mid '70's three bolt model which got hastily redrilled (crooked) and slapped on. This IS the perfect "Journeyman" bass.







A "journeyman" is the guy who everybody knows, but nobody wants to work with "since the last time".

 

[TrustRod]

What if it's a '68 body with a '75 neck? Has that ever happened?

That's what I was thinking. This is a replica of a Jazz with a warped and replaced neck.

 

[Bix]

I like it a lot. I'd probably think of it as having had a replacement neck if I bought it .... which I won't be doing at the price they'll be asking.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

There should be an option on the CS order forum:

□ Pre-CBS mojo
□ Post-sale weariness

 

[TrustRod]

First they put stacked knobs on '62s and now this S*#t.

I remember when the first '62s came out and thought that was odd.

To be fair Fender never made a 1968 model. The concept of certain specs being specific to certain year models is a collectors creation mimicking cars, not something Fender did back then. They changed specs whenever they felt like it and often took years to fully transition.

 

[TrustRod]

Is the decal too close to the edge?

Down by the river.

When will they ever learn?

Where have all the flowers gone?

I think I may have discovered some kind of secret messages here.

 

[TrustRod]

You’re point is spot on, however for $4,500 I’d expect a 1968 re-issued jazz bass by the vaunted Fender Custom shop to at least have the correct logo.

There is no reason to have that expectation given Fender's history.

Tremelo bars on Strats? It's a vibrato!

New Old Stock, that they just made and isn't old stock.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Impossible: They didn’t use black blocks in 1975… (please don’t bring up the “1975” reissue jazz bass they did in the mid-2000’s that had black blocks, 1978 logo, and 3 bolt-neck plate!! Ha, ha….)

Fender. There’s occasional consistency at least.

 

[Grinderman]

Let's be reasonable. A "journeyman" who got a '68 Jazz Bass probably ruined the original neck by yanking out the frets with a weedwhacker and putting in a brass nut. Totally trashed at this point, he had to get a new one. The only one available was a mid '70's three bolt model which got hastily redrilled (crooked) and slapped on. This IS the perfect "Journeyman" bass.







A "journeyman" is the guy who everybody knows, but nobody wants to work with "since the last time".

Keep'n it real, authenticity. 50% chance it got the hippy natural treatment too.

 

[Indiana Mike]

Well, it doesn’t say re-issue.
Although it isn’t explicitly clear what it’s supposed to be.