Does anyone out there own a Fender "vintera" 70s Jazz Bass? I am a P-bass player but a friend of mine has a like new one he is offering me a good deal on (under $700). I play mostly finger style with some pick, classic rock, R&B and some blues. Looking for just general impressions as it got me started looking at Jazz basses in general and the 60s Vintera looks interesting too.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Fender Vintera 70s Jazz Bass-opinions
- Thread starter flangemonkey84
- Start date
to me they look good except for the pau ferro board, which ruins it for me. however, for about half price i guess that could be forgiven...maybe.
Yeah that bugs me too TBH. I guess some lemon oil would darken it up but still looks goofy compared to real rosewood
I don't get why they just didn't go maple w/ blocks for the 70s version, seems so simple and an easy way to make them look way better. I think they KNOW this though, and it would infringe upon sales of the American Original 70s Jazz Bass. Same reason we only get a maple version of the Precision, they want you to buy AO if you want a "vintage" style rosewood precision. It's all very calculated.
While is certainly frustrating from a consumers perspective- from a business perspective I guess I can't blame them if its true. I guess the figure if being "true to vintage" spec is that important to a buyer- then they may as well make it to where they have to dig deeper in the wallet. Personally I am just after a Fender Jazz bass for fun. I could go with a bog standard player model- but figured the "vintera" one just looks a little more interesting
My Player P fretboard has darkened up a bit on its own just from my natural finger oils from playing it so much. I wasn't really digging it either at first but now it looks like light colored rosewood.
I've got the predecessor "70s Jazz Bass" which appears to have specs identical to the Vintera. It's a great instrument. If the pao ferro bugs you, I got nothing. I think it is fine.
As @Esteban Garcia I have a 2015 MIM 70's Reissue. Great bass all around. I installed some Lollars, only because I love them. But straight out of the box this could have been or still could be my only bass and I would be fine. Also, I could care less about the Pao Ferro color. Just me...
I bought a Vintera Jazz body here in the classifieds. Like you, pau ferro gives me the heebie jeebies. I'm a big "modder" but I'm totally happy with the stock Vintera body and p'ups. I've got an Allparts bound and blocks rosewood neck w/ Hipshot lollipops on it. It sounds great, plays great and looks great.
Why not buy the bass, sell the neck here in the classifieds and buy one that's more to your liking?
Why not buy the bass, sell the neck here in the classifieds and buy one that's more to your liking?
If it's in good condition for under $700 from a friend you trust I'd jump on it. They're hard to find for under $1000. I picked up an aged natural one back in April for $699 from the GC used site (after looking for months) and couldn't be happier with it. After a slight truss rod adjustment and setup it plays and sounds great. I could care less about the appearance of the pau ferro, it's already darkened up after applying oil and playing it regularly. The fingerboard wasn't an excessively light color to begin with. I used to own a real 72 and this is a better playing instrument. If cosmetics are that big a concern look for a 2012 Fender select jazz but it will cost closer to $2000.
Last edited:
I've had one for a year. It is "aged natural" and is really gorgeous. Fit and finish leave nothing to be desired. The fretboard being Pau ferro (or isn't it "Indian rosewood"?) bothers me not in the least.
I have, however, learned I'm not a J bass guy so I'll be selling it someday soon.
For $700, if you want to try a J and a beautiful one at that, Vintera 70s is a no brainer.
I have, however, learned I'm not a J bass guy so I'll be selling it someday soon.
For $700, if you want to try a J and a beautiful one at that, Vintera 70s is a no brainer.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
60s for sure.
More balls, less quack.
But that's me. Some people like the more scoop and more bite of the 70s better...like Geddy. Me, I feel the 60s spacing makes for more of an all around instrument.
I love mine, and I have much "better" basses in my closet.
The metallic finish isn't tremendous looking (some idiot in the factory sanded the metallic color coat on a couple of the contours, before clear coating, which is a big no-no). But the fret work is great (the thing I am the most picky about), and the thing plays and sounds great, and looks like a million bucks from 5 feet away.
Then again, I bought it as a floor model from the original retailer (with no cosmetic issues whatsoever) for $620, in the days of no sales tax for out of state purchases. No way in hell I'd pay retail for one of them. They're overpriced when new, by several hundred dollars. For what they cost, they should come with a top notch hardshell case.
$700 seems fairly square for a like new used one...though I would obviously think $600 is more like it, based on what I got mine for.
My main gripe about it is that I REALLY would have preferred three screws and Micro-Tilt. It's such a better system than the standard neck plate that it came with, and the need for shims.
My second gripe is that a silver matching headstock and a vintage correct headstock decal would have really put it over the top in the looks department.
The metallic finish isn't tremendous looking (some idiot in the factory sanded the metallic color coat on a couple of the contours, before clear coating, which is a big no-no). But the fret work is great (the thing I am the most picky about), and the thing plays and sounds great, and looks like a million bucks from 5 feet away.
Then again, I bought it as a floor model from the original retailer (with no cosmetic issues whatsoever) for $620, in the days of no sales tax for out of state purchases. No way in hell I'd pay retail for one of them. They're overpriced when new, by several hundred dollars. For what they cost, they should come with a top notch hardshell case.
$700 seems fairly square for a like new used one...though I would obviously think $600 is more like it, based on what I got mine for.
My main gripe about it is that I REALLY would have preferred three screws and Micro-Tilt. It's such a better system than the standard neck plate that it came with, and the need for shims.
My second gripe is that a silver matching headstock and a vintage correct headstock decal would have really put it over the top in the looks department.
Last edited:
Because they already have that covered with the Geddy Lee Jazz. The bodies of the Vintera Jazzes, along with their "Classic '70s" predecessors, are the exact same, Mexican-made bods used to make the Geddy-sig basses.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,794
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
What the deuce is everyone's issue with morado/pau ferro being used as a fingerboard wood? Looks great, plays great, sounds great too. Sadowsky and EBMM have been using it forever but the minute Fender starts using it... ON NO, NOT THAT!!! Seriously I don't freaking get it.
I think the Vintera 70s bass is excellent. OP, you'll dig it.
I think the Vintera 70s bass is excellent. OP, you'll dig it.
To me ... I just don't like the orangish brown tint Pao has to it. But I did have a Mustang that had it. I had the strings off and used those Ernie Ball fretboard conditioner wipes on it.... A LOT.....I let it soak in overnight and did it again before putting the strings on. It darkened it up and did help it considerably. I couldn't really tell after I did that.... Or you can say that odd looking orange tint didn't draw my eye to it anymore. So yeah... there's nothing "wrong" with them but the older Rosewood boards do look nicer.
D
Yep, that pretty much sums it up, all very calculated.
Pau ferro can actually look very nice but Fender seems to have gotten a huge batch of extremely bland looking pau ferro. All the 70s Vintera J-basses I've seen had EXTREMELY light colored fretboards. By far the lightest color pau ferro I've ever seen. It didn't look very nice (and that's me being diplomatic...). I wouldn't buy one unseen, that's for sure.
Haha, go figure....yeah for decades until the CITES rosewood stuff a few years ago Pau Ferro was always seen as a "premium upcharge" wood, or considered a step above rosewood on higher end basses like my US Peavey Cirrus...Fender used it on tiptop signature basses like the Victor Bailey and Roscoe Beck.
