Fender Japan Exclusive 60s Jazz Bass

[Michael Rosen]

Hi everyone!

I was thinking about buying one of these "60s Japan Exclusive Jazz Basses", but I'm a bit worried about one thing about it. Do you know what is that gold stripe between the bridge and the bridge pickup? It looks like some sort of a metal, perhaps it should do something with the pickups?

Here you can see it for example: NEW Fender Japan Exclusive Series Classic 60s JazzBass Old Candy Apple Red EMS

I have no idea so that's why I'm asking you! All the answers are appreciated - thank you very much!

 

[grenadilla]

It is a ground from the pickup to the strings. It reduces the buzz and hum .

 

[Malak the Mad]

It is a ground from the pickup to the strings. It reduces the buzz and hum .

Yep! And since a picture is worth a few more words, here's what most modern Jazz bodies look like "under the hood". Nowadays, they run the ground wire through a hole drilled from the control route to underneath the bridge.

 

[Siggy]

I'm no Fender expert but I have never seen a ground strap that runs off at an angle like that. All the pics of the "60s Japan Exclusive Jazz Basses" seem to be that way. I think that would drive me nutz! I'm a little anal that way.

 

[Mr.Fingers]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] That's how it was done back in those days.

 

[Siggy]

I started playing in '64 and don't remember it that way, but I don't remember much from back then. Yes, that makes sense,, why spend the time on ascetically positioning a ground strap when it was going to be covered up anyway.

 

[Fabio_MIJ]

It is just the ground connection of the bridge. It is present (hopefully ) in all electric basses, but it is usually put inside a hole in the body that goes from under the bridge to the control cavity. I have a similar Japanese Fender with the same feature, to look more vintage, they put it outside. It does not affect the tone and playability. It looks nice imho, it makes me feel more... grounded

 

[rockinrayduke]

Yep, had many a Jazz with the grounding strip. You see them a lot on the MIJ RI's.

 

[DirkP]

919,- for a basswood Fender? What is so exclusive about this bass? A poly finish in Candy Apple Red that looks old?
I'm a huge Fender Japan Fan and I even like basswood as a body wood, but for this price I would rather go for a mexican classic Fender.
To the initial question: all 60s Fender Jazz Basses had this groundstrip, so an exclusive 60s Jazz should have it too, like all Fender '60s reissue Jazz Basses.


On edit:
Just did a google search for these basses: seems to me that these are budget instruments with budget pickups, electronics and woods and the only exclusive thing about them are the finishes: Fiesta Red, Aged CAR or Gun Metal. And the bridge is wrong for a '60s Jazz.

 

[Fabio_MIJ]

919,- for a basswood Fender? What is so exclusive about this bass? A poly finish in Candy Apple Red that looks old?
I'm a huge Fender Japan Fan and I even like basswood as a body wood, but for this price I would rather go for a mexican classic Fender.
To the initial question: all 60s Fender Jazz Basses had this groundstrip, so an exclusive 60s Jazz should have it too, like all Fender '60s reissue Jazz Basses.

On edit:
Just did a google search for these basses: seems to me that these are budget instruments with budget pickups, electronics and woods and the only exclusive thing about them are the finishes: Fiesta Red, Aged CAR or Gun Metal.

I think that "exclusive" refers to the japanese production, not to the quality or features. Regarding the quality, try before judging

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

The "quality" of electronics rarely tells you much about whether or not their tone will be appealing.

 

[Growlmonkee]

No pickup covers, no thumbrest, the Japan extra screw in the pickguard, yet..they used the exposed ground strap, I guess it's a $1,000 basswood "kinda" 60's replica, "sort of"

 

[DirkP]

No pickup covers, no thumbrest, the Japan extra screw in the pickguard, yet..they used the exposed ground strap, I guess it's a $1,000 basswood "kinda" 60's replica, "sort of"

After stopping Fender Japan, MIC Fender seems to have understood the love for MIJ Fenders (that is more than justified IMO) and now offering budget 500,- instruments for 1.000,-.

 

[ldryder]

Yep! And since a picture is worth a few more words, here's what most modern Jazz bodies look like "under the hood". Nowadays, they run the ground wire through a hole drilled from the control route to underneath the bridge.

I believe that Fender has always routed the ground wire through the body on the original 60's Jazz Basses. I didn't have a visual grounding strip on my 1965 and I never saw a wire like that until I saw one on a '64 AVRI.

I've sort of wondered why Fender used a grounding strip on the reissues when they never used one on the originals.

Anybody know the answer?

 

[Malak the Mad]

919,- for a basswood Fender? What is so exclusive about this bass? A poly finish in Candy Apple Red that looks old?
I'm a huge Fender Japan Fan and I even like basswood as a body wood, but for this price I would rather go for a mexican classic Fender.
To the initial question: all 60s Fender Jazz Basses had this groundstrip, so an exclusive 60s Jazz should have it too, like all Fender '60s reissue Jazz Basses.

No pickup covers, no thumbrest, the Japan extra screw in the pickguard, yet..they used the exposed ground strap, I guess it's a $1,000 basswood "kinda" 60's replica, "sort of"

After stopping Fender Japan, MIC Fender seems to have understood the love for MIJ Fenders (that is more than justified IMO) and now offering budget 500,- instruments for 1.000,-.

Did any of you try to do a little bit of research first? Or perhaps notice that the link is on eBay, thus not necessarily reflective of the actual, Japanese-domestic cost?

Invalid Link Removed

At it's current list-price in the Land of the Rising Humidity Sun, an MIJ "Classic '60s Jazz", not to be confused with an MIM "Classic '60s", goes for ¥82,000 (at today's exchange rate: $788). Why so high? Because it's a smaller population which equals a smaller market, which drives the cost up a bit. Then there are the murkier factors of what it costs FMIC to produce a single instrument in the Japanese factories (factory leasing…since I suspect FMIC doesn't actually own those facilities, employee salaries, material costs, shipping, promotion, etc…).

I think that "exclusive" refers to the japanese production, not to the quality or features. Regarding the quality, try before judging

Fabio is exactly correct, although it's worth mentioning they've reorganized their site a little bit. For example, Aerodynes are now "Standards", instead of "Japan Exclusives", the "Classic '60s Jazz" that started this thread used to be a Japan Exclusive and was called the "JB62" Jazz model, and such and so forth.

But on the "Quality" front…having owned several MIJ/CIJ basses, I can vouch for that quality. Wood-snobbery (re: cork-sniffery) can take a flippin' hike, 'cuz these basswood basses are downright beastly instruments! I'd gladly pay a little bit extra if it meant getting such quality.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I believe that Fender has always routed the ground wire through the body on the original 60's Jazz Basses. I didn't have a visual grounding strip on my 1965 and I never saw a wire like that until I saw one on a '64 AVRI.

I've sort of wondered why Fender used a grounding strip on the reissues when they never used one on the originals.

Anybody know the answer?

I thought this guy's post this morning would've been the answer.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] That's how it was done back in those days.

The answer being, they did. I'm not sure when they switched to the drilled-out ground-wire-route, but I've definitely seen other, early sixties Jazzes with a similar brass strip reaching from bridge to pickup.

 

[two fingers]

Wow. I am not an anti-Fender bandwagon guy. But what are they doing here? Fender Japan is no more, right? Did they just get up with a Japanese factory and contract out a bass?

 

[Malak the Mad]

Wow. I am not an anti-Fender bandwagon guy. But what are they doing here? Fender Japan is no more, right? Did they just get up with a Japanese factory and contract out a bass?

What we knew as "Fender Japan", which was a joint-venture between FMIC and Kanda-Shokai, was dissolved last year. Now, FMIC runs the show in Japan…lock, stock and barrel. Here's how I figured out what the real-deal was…

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I ran it past the forum in this thread and had my suspicions confirmed by an MBA-trained member.

They still produce some "Japan Exclusive" models, like the almighty Aerodyne, but now their website is mostly populated with the same offerings we have here in the US market. So, there are still a few Japan-domestic models being produced, but I suspect/fear/dread that the more bold, aesthetically experimental instruments we've seen since the Eighties will be replaced by FMIC's more plain-oatmeal conservative takes on their own designs.

 

[two fingers]

What we knew as "Fender Japan", which was a joint-venture between FMIC and Kanda-Shokai, was dissolved last year. Now, FMIC runs the show in Japan…lock, stock and barrel. Here's how I figured out what the real-deal was…

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I ran it past the forum in this thread and had my suspicions confirmed by an MBA-trained member.

They still produce some "Japan Exclusive" models, like the almighty Aerodyne, but now their website is mostly populated with the same offerings we have here in the US market. So, there are still a few Japan-domestic models being produced, but I suspect/fear/dread that the more bold, aesthetically experimental instruments we've seen since the Eighties will be replaced by FMIC's more plain-oatmeal conservative takes on their own designs.

Not in as much detail, but just about what I figured. Sad really. Fender Japan made some really cool stuff.

 

[BAG]

The answer being, they did. I'm not sure when they switched to the drilled-out ground-wire-route, but I've definitely seen other, early sixties Jazzes with a similar brass strip reaching from bridge to pickup.

I've seen Strat guitars with that strip as well.