*insert animated gif of some popular celebrity from the 80's eating popcorn*
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Guidance on 1963 short scale Fender Jazz
- Thread starter desotoslo
- Start date
Oh, come on. If it plays well and sounds good, then it's a serviceable bass regardless of whether it's a fake or not.
The neck alone is worth more than the $10 you mention. If you parted it out you'd find buyers for body and neck, and perhaps make close to $100 from them.
And no one laughs at instruments you bring to a jam, unless it's a washtub bass and you want to play prog rock with it.
Hey guys, let's not pile on the OP. We are better than that.
There are a lot of scumbags selling fake stuff and our OP got caught. Lot's of lessons in here including NEVER buy vintage unless you have done your homework and are given a chance to have an expert appraise it.
From personal experience here is a story:
I made the honest mistake of trying to sell my friend's 65 P up here. Mods rightfully pulled it down (I was unaware of the rule).
Then I decided, hell it is my friend's so I am gonna buy it from him since the thing sounds so great and I will miss playing it.
And then we found out that he was sold a refin by a now defunct brick and mortar vintage store called Hoboken Guitars who told him it was all original.
So scumbags are not relegated to the web. People do awful things when it comes to money.
Anyway, let's help the OP any way we can.
There are a lot of scumbags selling fake stuff and our OP got caught. Lot's of lessons in here including NEVER buy vintage unless you have done your homework and are given a chance to have an expert appraise it.
From personal experience here is a story:
I made the honest mistake of trying to sell my friend's 65 P up here. Mods rightfully pulled it down (I was unaware of the rule).
Then I decided, hell it is my friend's so I am gonna buy it from him since the thing sounds so great and I will miss playing it.
And then we found out that he was sold a refin by a now defunct brick and mortar vintage store called Hoboken Guitars who told him it was all original.
So scumbags are not relegated to the web. People do awful things when it comes to money.
Anyway, let's help the OP any way we can.
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In spite of its short-comings, it's a cool looking bass.
So long as I payed a price that reflects what it really is, I'd rock it.
Hope you get it sorted amicably.
So long as I payed a price that reflects what it really is, I'd rock it.
Hope you get it sorted amicably.
Is it made of wood, metal and plastic? Yes? Then it could be just as good as any Fender.
Sure, it's a fake. But it looks cool.
Is it really from 1963? If so, then it is a seriously cool fake.
Edit: at the very least, it's a pretty decent relic job.
Sure, it's a fake. But it looks cool.
Is it really from 1963? If so, then it is a seriously cool fake.
Edit: at the very least, it's a pretty decent relic job.
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If it can be set up to play well, I'd keep it just for its uniqueness. BTW, single pu, 3 knobs? What's that about?
A Fender? No. A sweet looking bass? Yes. However, to avoid any potential scrutiny, the OP might want to remove the headstock logo. If it's comfortable and sounds decent, customize the heck out of it. That said, I hope it didn't cost a fortune...
I agree - I think it's a decent-looking bass, but I would remove the decal. This is a perfect example of what happens when people put decals on fakes, claiming that they would NEVER misrepresent them. But they're setting up the bass to be misrepresented a year or two after they sell it.
Just to put an end to this story, the seller was 100% honest in his portrayal of what he thought was a '63 Jazz. I know this now because he completely refunded my money this afternoon. I had a nice long discussion with him about music and bass playing. A nice guy who wasn't intentionally trying to rip anyone off.
I told him what I learned from everyone who posted on this thread, but he remained somewhat skeptical (as I believe he should)... it could be that at least parts of that bass are authentic, and it's just a frankenstein. (Like maybe the neckplate? The bolts are wrong, but he added those in himself.)
So it was a happy ending for me, not as happy for him, but we parted ways amicably.
You all have been great. Luckily I was able to return it to him pretty quickly after I bought it, thanks to you all.
I told him what I learned from everyone who posted on this thread, but he remained somewhat skeptical (as I believe he should)... it could be that at least parts of that bass are authentic, and it's just a frankenstein. (Like maybe the neckplate? The bolts are wrong, but he added those in himself.)
So it was a happy ending for me, not as happy for him, but we parted ways amicably.
You all have been great. Luckily I was able to return it to him pretty quickly after I bought it, thanks to you all.
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I think the only part on that bass that might actually be Fender is the decal.
And that looks kinda shady to me too.
You're making a heck of a lot of assumptions here - Does it play well, sound good? Who knows? Probably not. The OP said it needs (at least) a setup. I've never seen a worse looking bridge design on a bass. A Jazz body routed for one pickup? If you're handy with a router, it might be the best $10 you'll ever spend. How straight is the neck? Is there even a truss rod in it? Are any of the other parts any good? If it was a nice looking parts bass, I'd say you might be right that it could be a usable instrument. But based on the fact that this bass looks crummy, I can only assume it also sounds crummy. The Helen Keller Signature Jazz.
