Fender Jazz Bass Special - Circa 1984-87

[Nocturnal]

Both are '87's. All original.

View attachment 2856955

Is it just the angle or are the pole pieces smaller on the fretless?

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Both are '87's. All original.

View attachment 2856955

Nice.

Your fretless looks exactly like mine, shown in post #1144. Is yours 'G' serial number as well?
Mine has what I believe is the tbx control (treble, bass with middle notch) and possibly slightly lighter rosewood than yours.

 

[Vic Firth]

Is it just the angle or are the pole pieces smaller on the fretless?

All should be original: at some point after 1987, the 2nd run (with maple finish neck) of the the boxer JazzBasSpecial/PJ-555 was changed: small poles pickups, new "Schaller style" bridge and the tone control was not the TBX anymore

 

[brokencode]

Nice.

Your fretless looks exactly like mine, shown in post #1144. Is yours 'G' serial number as well?
Mine has what I believe is the tbx control (treble, bass with middle notch) and possibly slightly lighter rosewood than yours.

Yes...fretless is a "G" serial # and the fretted is "E"

 

[SuperK]

Anyone know which Hipshot D-tuner I would need for my C series PJ-555? In looking at the Hipshot website it looks like the BT10 is made for Japanese Fenders. Is that the one? If anyone uses one what is your experience, good or bad?
Thanks.

 

[Vic Firth]

Anyone know which Hipshot D-tuner I would need for my C series PJ-555? In looking at the Hipshot website it looks like the BT10 is made for Japanese Fenders. Is that the one? If anyone uses one what is your experience, good or bad?
Thanks.

Uhmm....In my opinion the Hipshot BT10 would fit only on the Japanese PJ-535 and some Fender Jazz Bass MIJ that are equipped with the original MHB-GB1 tuner but not on the PJ-555 and all others Fender MIJ from the Boxer series that were equipped with the different MHB-FB3. According to the shape the Hipshot BT2 seems more suitable

 

[Bass Growler]

Email Hipshot. They know, and always replied to my mails.

 

[takeout]

Hipshot told me a BT-2 when I emailed them.

 

[mesaplayer83]

Email Hipshot. They know, and always replied to my mails.

+1...

 

[SuperK]

Email has been sent to Hipshot. I will let you know what they say....

 

[Jamvan]

Anyone know which Hipshot D-tuner I would need for my C series PJ-555? In looking at the Hipshot website it looks like the BT10 is made for Japanese Fenders. Is that the one? If anyone uses one what is your experience, good or bad?
Thanks.

+3 in the BT2. Put one on my '86 Jazz Special which, I believe, has the same hardware as the PJ-555. Works well.

 

[SuperK]

+3 in the BT2. Put one on my '86 Jazz Special which, I believe, has the same hardware as the PJ-555. Works well.

Yea that's what it looks like to me too. Based on the pics that Vic posted the BT2 looks like the most likely.

 

[Antisyzygy]

After searching the TB forums for a while, I didn't see any threads about my particular bass. It's a Fender Jazz Bass Special, MIJ circa 1984-87 -- purchased a couple years before Duff McKagan made them famous. I bought this when I was in high school in 1986 for around $350. I had originally ordered one in metallic silver, but impatience took over and I decided to grab it in black (in hindsight, a good decision). At the time, Geddy was playing the black Wal, and my bass had a similar look. It has a Precision body and a Jazz Neck. The back of the neck is matching black lacquer. P-J pickups with the cable jack in the edge instead of the top surface. It's in really good shape given it's age and ratty case, with only a few minor dings and scratches.

As a kid, I never got good enough to make it out of my buddy's basement, but I'm hoping to change that. I got away from playing over the past 20 years, but I've recently decided to pick it up again. I've only just "heard" my bass "for real" for the first time... having just purchased a GK 700RBII with an Avatar B212 cab. I'm looking forward to getting to know it better.

If you have one of these babies, I'd love to see some pics. I know they also came in metallic white, silver, and red.

View attachment 1699704

View attachment 1699705

Nice!

I have one of these with an unlined Fretless neck in the pearly greenish white.

I think it's the same year span even for the serial. 84-87.

 

[Antisyzygy]

 

[mesaplayer83]

View attachment 2869242
View attachment 2869243 View attachment 2869244

I have the black version of that:

 

[jim nolte]

So what years was the back of the neck painted black? I had a pewter/gun metal grey with a black headstock and neck that I bought new either in '88 or '89.

 

[Vic Firth]

Email has been sent to Hipshot. I will let you know what they say....

I agree, also for me the BT2 should be the right choice (at the beginning I had written BT3 by mistake....sorry)

 

[Vic Firth]

So what years was the back of the neck painted black? I had a pewter/gun metal grey with a black headstock and neck that I bought new either in '88 or '89.

The black neck ones (1st run of the Boxer series) were made between end of 1984 and late end of 1986 (or very early 1987); since 1987 they were made with wooden neck and black headstock ....but around 1993/1994 (probably for the 10th anniversary) Fender Japan realised a replica model of the first PJ555 with black neck (serial numbers #Sxxxxxx, #Nxxxxxx, #Mxxxxxx, #Pxxxxxx sticked on the back at the base of the neck)

 

[mesaplayer83]

I have the black version of that:

I swapped the tuners to Hipshot lollipops because when I got it, two were original, and two were chrome - I'll probably get around to putting those two original black tuners in the classifieds if anyone needs a couple original replacement tuners...

 

[SuperK]

Email has been sent to Hipshot. I will let you know what they say....

Ok. Hipshot has replied and it is the BT2.