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Fender Jazz Bass maybe 72?

#43
RtoTex said:
Hello Folks,

Glad to be accepted on this forum. I'm not a bass player, but a drummer, so bare with me... :)

I've been owning an used vintage Fender Jazz Bass for maybe 2 decades now and got it at that time as a part trade.
Anyways, I never tried to find out its real market value and specifics and just now am interested in finding out more about the instrument I own.

So I'd like to please get a help here from the pro community about the specs (if it looks all original or any detail) and actual market value if possible.
Ps. I did subscribed to VGuitar 2019 guide but even with that I was not able to determine precisely by myself all the details.

Per serial number and Guide it looks like a year 72?

Anyways pictures that should help.

Thanks in advance!

Rto
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Well gentlemen, and ladies, that is how you end up with a true relic. No need to to pay extra, just let the years take their toll!

Neat piece. I wish I could help you with a price.
 
#45
BobKos said:
I'm curious why the aftermarket de-tuner has every bit the amount of rust & grime as the seemingly original tuners. This suggests artificial aging to me for whatever reason. Maybe to make it match the others; Maybe there was a complete relic treatment done to this bass.
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Probably because it was installed in the 70's as well.
This was a really popular mod back then before the abundance of 5 strings (+) hit the market.
I had several Fenders that were wearing one by 1980.
 
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#49
markjazzbassist said:
Thank you for that info. All the vintage fenders I’ve owned were rosewood so that makes sense.
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It was a '70s thing, both the Precision and Jazz maple necks had the contrasting color plug at the headstock. They even replicated it in the 72 Geddy.
 
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#51
Caca de Kick said:
72-73 is right.
the logo on the 3-original tuners has the registered 'R', which those came after 71. And the pickguard originally has the G-side mounted tugbar.

The other thing NOT original is the body finish. Someone patched the ashtray holes (chrome pickup covers) when they stripped it and refinished it in clear. Alder would not have been used on a natural bass.
So priced as a heavily beat players bass. more like $1700 at best, the chrome and nickel parts indicate it was stored someplace damp or in a humid location.

But you never use a serial number alone to date a Fender. If you really want to dig in, look for the dates on the parts, it can't be any older than the last dated part: usually the butt of the neck has a stamp. the pots will be stamped, and the underside of the pickups will be stamped as well.


**Edit.
Your pots and the wiring are NOT original either. those pots show 1996 date codes.
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This

Plus:
I have 4 early 70's Fender's and have played at least 20 more.
I have never seen hardware rust/pit like this.
Hipshot did not start until 1983 with the B bender and the D tuner was probably released in 1985; I don't think it would rust as badly as the rest of the hardware being 12 years younger.
I think there might have been some acid involved on this one.
How comes the serial plate didn't rust but has horrible registration on the numbering?
There were some QC issues back then but never have seen such a screwed serial plate.
I think it was an F plate that was numbered and then aged.

Would need to see the end of the neck and the bottom of the pups.
Guard looks correct.
Body looks original and refinished. Some black in the neck cavity suggests sunburst.
If the pups are original I would say it's worth $1.5-2K
A perfect one sell for under $4K.
It would be worth A LOT more if it had the orignal finish.
Relicing a vintage instrument does not add to the value.
How does it play? Any ski jump where the neck attaches to the body?

Was it black binding in blocks back then?
My 74 J is maple with white binding and blocks

OTOH, I could be wrong
 
#55
Looks awesome to me. What's odd to me is the rust on the hipshot. Looks the same as the other tuners. I've actually never seen rust so bad on a bass, and I've seen a few. Since you've owned it for 20 years (1998), it must have been stored pretty poorly late 80's until when you received it. If it plays well, I suggest keeping it forever. But I understand finding it's value just because. I did the same with my 1975 Rick that I'm not selling.
 
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#56
I'm skeptical about the wear being actual and just can't get over the rounded route for the bridge pickup. I'm leaning towards a project someone put together and not an actual vintage Jazz. My 2 cents
 
#57
I live in Victoria, 120+ miles southeast of Austin, close to the Gulf Coast. This could well be the type of wear and / or weather deterioration one might find in Central/SouthTexas depending on how it was kept ( high humidity).

Note this is a Leo Quan Badass II... Back in my early days the original bridge would have been replaced with a Badass, not a Badass II.
 
#58
Wolford said:
Looks awesome to me. What's odd to me is the rust on the hipshot. Looks the same as the other tuners. I've actually never seen rust so bad on a bass, and I've seen a few. Since you've owned it for 20 years (1998), it must have been stored pretty poorly late 80's until when you received it. If it plays well, I suggest keeping it forever. But I understand finding it's value just because. I did the same with my 1975 Rick that I'm not selling.
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This rust thing could be a South Texas issue...don't know where it lived... But it does look to me like the Hipshot is a bit newer, based on the relative rust seen on the ADG tuners.
 
#59
Nice piece. ... The pickguard doesn't seem right and maybe not original. ... Bridge, d-tuner and brass nut aside looks like a good period piece. ... Swaping out parts back then was the thing. I remember buying Bass Player looking for the newest add on part for my Fender. But, I realized it had gobe too far when they developed the brass plate you'd install onto the back of the headstock for more sustain. ... I'd guess, without checking the pickups and pots it's worth between $2,000 and $2,500 easily.
 
#60
foolforthecity said:
I live in Victoria, 120+ miles southeast of Austin, close to the Gulf Coast. This could well be the type of wear and / or weather deterioration one might find in Central/SouthTexas depending on how it was kept ( high humidity).

Note this is a Leo Quan Badass II... Back in my early days the original bridge would have been replaced with a Badass, not a Badass II.
Click to expand...
This bass lived for in Rio, Brazil (close to the beach) at least from 1994 to 2010 (maybe more!)
 
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