Here are the white pearl blocks on my '78 maple j bass:
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and on my rosewood '72 j:
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Fender AVRI 74 or 75 Jazz Bass?
- Thread starter Amplified
- Start date
Here are the white pearl blocks on my '78 maple j bass:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
and on my rosewood '72 j:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I have the 74 American Vintage. For slapping or fingering, it's an awesome bass !
I got an AV Reissue '75 brand new in 2000. During the 15 years I've had it, a lot of basses have come and gone in my arsenal, but the '75 remains. It was my go-to for years; and despite the concerns voiced by some about the neck joint, I've never had any trouble whatsoever. And I've always dug in pretty hard on some of the rockers. Very well-built and gets a lot of compliments.
I almost sold it a couple months ago. I had been storing it at my son's house for awhile. (I always keep a bass at his house and one at my daughter's house just in case anything ever happens at my house. Then at least I wouldn't be "bass-less".) Anyway, I posted it for sale in the classifieds (only because I have so many Jazzes). Then I went down to Mississippi and brought it home from my son's house. As soon as I plugged it in again I remembered why I loved it so much. I promptly closed the ad and have been enjoying it again ever since! I'm sure you couldn't go wrong with either of them; but personally, I'd save some money and go with the '75. And I actually prefer the black blocks/binding. Except on the sunburst model - then I love the white blocks on rosewood.
I almost sold it a couple months ago. I had been storing it at my son's house for awhile. (I always keep a bass at his house and one at my daughter's house just in case anything ever happens at my house. Then at least I wouldn't be "bass-less".) Anyway, I posted it for sale in the classifieds (only because I have so many Jazzes). Then I went down to Mississippi and brought it home from my son's house. As soon as I plugged it in again I remembered why I loved it so much. I promptly closed the ad and have been enjoying it again ever since!
I'm sure you couldn't go wrong with either of them; but personally, I'd save some money and go with the '75. And I actually prefer the black blocks/binding. Except on the sunburst model - then I love the white blocks on rosewood.
You really can't go wrong with either one, IMO. A lot of it boils down to personal preference: the '75 has black blocks, bullet rod, 3-bolt neck, less chunky neck. I own a real 1974 and the AVRI '74, and I'm very happy with the AVRI. Very similar to the original '74, except frankly the reissue is better quality, fit, etc. My '74 AVRI has a beefier, almost P-Bass tone than most Js I've played.
I own both (AVRI 74 and 75) ... They're both great basses. Great tone out of each. The 74 has the chunkier neck ... I don't think you could go wrong with either
Yeah the 74 has a chucky U neck, I think it's what Fender is putting on the new USA Geddy Jazz. Funny how for years the big deal for that bass was the extra thin neck and now they've gone in the opposite direction.
A CS '70 vs an NAV '74 or an AVRI '75? If money isn't a problem, there is nothing to question.
Got a NOS 1970 CS. Waited for the logistics and I have it now......thanks all for all the info and assistance.
Congratulations!
Don't forget to post a lot of pics either here or here - and take your number, too!
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Well mine was finished in nitrocellulose but I think mine was a late production "one off" since the usual description of the 75 AV says they were finished in polyurethane (like the current 74 AV reissue). The 75 was discontinued in 2012 and mine has a 2012 serial number but it showed up for the first at Sweetwater last year, two years after being discontinued. My Sweetwater sales rep had no idea why it showed up so late, we speculated it was just late production from left over parts perhaps but there was no explanation from Fender. Moreover, the description on Sweetwater's website said it was finished in nitrocellulose which I thought might perhaps be a typo, but when it arrived it had the usual warning tag about how to care for nitro finishes and the pungent smell of fresh nitro when I opened the case confirmed the description was indeed correct.
So assuming mine was just a late production one off I wouldn't expect other 75 AVs to have nitro finishes. When I initially posted about this in my NBD post I don't recall anyone else saying their 75 AV was anything but poly finish.
Oh wow. I didnt know that! For some reason I thought 75s were nitro? Okay then I reccomend the 74 just because
I owned a '75 AV for some years and it was an o.k.bass...Good but not that ggreat in comparison to a real '70s jazz...the pickups are in the same arena, but don't nail the tone...the fit and perhaps the finish is better than an original, but it doesn't really compare tone wise to an original very much at all to my ear..
...if you're more concerned about copping the vibe of a '70s fender, it's a great choice...tone wise though, not that close...if you were considering buying new, I'd say save up a few hundred dollars more and get the real thing....
...if you're more concerned about copping the vibe of a '70s fender, it's a great choice...tone wise though, not that close...if you were considering buying new, I'd say save up a few hundred dollars more and get the real thing....
I'm really late to this thread, but wanted to point a couple of things out.
AFAIK, the bridge pickup move happened in 1970 or so.
That IS interesting.
There's an issue of the components at hand to recreate the bass, IMO. The '75 has the same hardware as the original, while the '74 uses the tuners from the '75. And they use a bass-side thumbrest drilling in the '74 pickguard.
It's 100% true that the '75 is truer to its original specs. But for a lot of players, the main difference between a '60s Jazz and a '70s Jazz is the sonic difference* in bridge pickup placement, not the aesthetic ones in 3-bolt v. 4-bolt or bullet truss v. heel truss. For those players, 1970 was the year the biggest change was made. That in and of itself IMO deserves a reissue covering the 70s tone/late 60s aesthetics of an early 70s Jazz bass. Fender could have filled this niche accurately with no problems, but I guess they didn't see enough profit in recreating their first-gen CBS clover tuners (the stamped ones used from 1967-74). Gotoh makes a replica, but they aren't stamped "Fender". Without those tuners, they really can't recreate anything made bewteen 1966 and 1974.
IMO, the '74 RI is a great bass 70s sound just doesn't need the "reissue" name.
*A matter of debate among some, but I fall into the category of that position sounding different. YMMV
AFAIK, the bridge pickup move happened in 1970 or so.
That IS interesting.
There's an issue of the components at hand to recreate the bass, IMO. The '75 has the same hardware as the original, while the '74 uses the tuners from the '75. And they use a bass-side thumbrest drilling in the '74 pickguard.
It's 100% true that the '75 is truer to its original specs. But for a lot of players, the main difference between a '60s Jazz and a '70s Jazz is the sonic difference* in bridge pickup placement, not the aesthetic ones in 3-bolt v. 4-bolt or bullet truss v. heel truss. For those players, 1970 was the year the biggest change was made. That in and of itself IMO deserves a reissue covering the 70s tone/late 60s aesthetics of an early 70s Jazz bass. Fender could have filled this niche accurately with no problems, but I guess they didn't see enough profit in recreating their first-gen CBS clover tuners (the stamped ones used from 1967-74). Gotoh makes a replica, but they aren't stamped "Fender". Without those tuners, they really can't recreate anything made bewteen 1966 and 1974.
IMO, the '74 RI is a great bass 70s sound just doesn't need the "reissue" name.
*A matter of debate among some, but I fall into the category of that position sounding different. YMMV
Actually, a bass-side thumbrest would be period-correct for a 1974 Fender Jazz Bass.
I doubt that - the black block inlays were gone by 1975; nevertheless, the AVRI '75 features them instead of the white-pearl ones on the maple-board model. Moreover, the NAV '74 features a correct nitro-lacquered front headstock, while the '75 didn't. So, all in all, I find the '74 to be more period-accurate than the '75.
Not quite the original question but can I throw into the mix a fiftieth anniversary jazz? You might have to look for a second hand one but I can highly recommend it. Seventies pickup spacing, nitro, lovely candy apple red with a matching headstock. Over the years I have owned more than my share of jazzes, including CS and those in question and the fiftieth anni is up there with the best of them. A real keeper.
