Fender Jazz Vintage Japanese "Copy"?

[shaunj]

Hello,

I am considering buying a bass online and am a little confused. The gentleman selling the bass calls it a "Fender Jazz Vintage Japanese" bass but also mentions the word "copy". I know some companies made fender copies in Japan but if this bass was one of them surely it would have the name of the 3rd party company on the head? It doesn't. As you can see here

Link Removed
So What do you think? Is it a fender that was produced it Japan or not?

Either way if it is a copy- what would the quality be like and how much would you expect to pay for it? I heard some japanese companies made fenders as good if not better than the originals. It's about 30 years old. Same question if it is a Japanese produced fender from this era.

Many thanks for your help.May your muse go with you.

Shaun

 

[Jart!]

It looks like a fake to me, but i'm no expert. my main reason is the wierd cover on the headstock over the truss rod nut. also, the paint job doesn't look like anything that would come out of fender japan.

By saying copy, it means that fender had nothing to do at all with the production of this bass, someone else made it and slapped the name on it to sell it for more bucks. i would say its very likely that the quality would be very poor.

a real japanese fender on the other hand, can be a very quality instrument that is made by fender itself and they are putting their name on it and standing behind the product, so you can expect the quality control to be on par with any other fender product.

so basically, a japanese fender copy is not a japanese fender.

 

[kenjikun]

That could be a mid '70s Japanese Fender copy most probably Westminster, Fresher, Greco or Fernandes Burny Bass. Remove the pickup cover and you will notice the J-pickup with more rounded edges than traditional J-pickup. The Fender decal was a replacement. The body is made from plywood. Fender Japan started in 1982.

 

[Tigger]

It's look like at a Tokai, but not a fender jazz bass (the cut of headtock)