Help ID Fender Jazz

[RSmith]

This is local to me the seller says it is an original USA Jazz bass. Serial would indicate 2022, but that logo is reminiscent of a Reissue, or maybe a mid 2010’s deluxe. To my knowledge the elites then the ultra replaced the deluxe much before 2022. The knobs look like Squire possibly, the body appears to be 4 pcs, which makes me think not made in USA and the bridge looks like a Jazz plus bridge from the 90’s. And the tuners seem incorrect to me?

But… Fender does put out a lot of one offs and limited editions. So. Who know.
What say you?

 

[porterbass]

Fakity fake fake fake all day long. Decals are't correct, the fonts and spacing are off. Tuners don't match a USA bass, no way Fender does a body with that wood on a USA bass.

According to the Fender Serial Number Lookup, that serial number is for an American Ultra Telecaster. Serial Number Lookup
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...elecaster-texas-tea-with-rosewood-fingerboard

 

[Bikeguy57]

Total fake. Non US tuners, SN in wrong place, logo wrong, horrible mismatched body that would never make it out of Corona. Pass.

 

[porterbass]

It wouldn't surprise me if it's a Squier Classic Vibe with the decals changed. But it could be a variety of parts.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassCV70Nat--squier-classic-vibe-70s-jazz-bass-natural

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[Malak the Mad]

It wouldn't surprise me if it's a Squier Classic Vibe with the decals changed. But it could be a variety of parts.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassCV70Nat--squier-classic-vibe-70s-jazz-bass-natural

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I'll see your "Classic Vibe" and raise you a "Vintage Modified". The CV's use black, plastic knobs, while the VM's had chrome knobs. Also, the pickup placement isn't very clear in the photos, but the VM's had '60s-era positioning. The CV's moved the bridge pickup back to the '70s-era spot.

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[MtManiac]

I'll see your "Classic Vibe" and raise you a "Vintage Modified". The CV's use black, plastic knobs, while the VM's had chrome knobs. Also, the pickup placement isn't very clear in the photos, but the VM's had '60s-era positioning. The CV's moved the bridge pickup back to the '70s-era spot.

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Agreed.

OP, American Fenders also don’t have a plastic truss rod access at the headstock.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I'll see your "Classic Vibe" and raise you a "Vintage Modified". The CV's use black, plastic knobs, while the VM's had chrome knobs. Also, the pickup placement isn't very clear in the photos, but the VM's had '60s-era positioning. The CV's moved the bridge pickup back to the '70s-era spot.

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Could be, but it STILL looks a bit off. That body wood... It looks like some kind of pine/spruce to me...? I don't think the VMs ever used pine/spruce. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they were generally basswood for burst/opaque finishes and maple for the natural finish models. I don't see how this can possibly be either? But the VMs were definitely inconsistent when it came to the body wood. I own a natural finish 5-string VM J-bass with a GORGEOUS looking quilted maple body. Which would be great, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't particularly like the look of quilted maple, and really wanted a natural finish "70s" look... It's a nice bass though (after I sorted out the appalling fretwork...) if a bit on the heavy side.

Based on the pics the body finish also seems to have that cheap "too glossy" look that's generally found on older Chinese made instruments in the sub-Squier price range, or on "bottom-of-the-barrel" aftermarket bodies. But I guess it could just be the light in the pics.

The neck is also badly misaligned. To be fair, this happens from time to time even with genuine Squiers (and Fenders), and the neck can often (but not always) be tilted into the correct position. But this also means that without knowing whether this can be fixed or not I wouldn't buy this bass even if it was a Fender, which it definitely isn't.

If I had to make a guess... Either a Squier VM with a fake "Fender" neck plate+logo, or a parts bass with maybe some Squier parts mixed with cheap aftermarket parts. Most likely the latter.

Whatever it is, I would stay far away.

 

[Malak the Mad]

OP, American Fenders also don’t have a plastic truss rod access at the headstock.

D'oh! I'm so used to headstock access, I didn't even think of that!

Just to satisfy my curiosity, I gave the ol' Fender website a look-see and, weirdly enough, the American Ultra II's does adjust at the headstock...go fig! (For the record, I am not implying the OP's neck is an American Ultra, especially in light of all the observations above!)

 

[Malak the Mad]

Could be, but it STILL looks a bit off. That body wood... It looks like some kind of pine/spruce to me...? I don't think the VMs ever used pine/spruce. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they were generally basswood for burst/opaque finishes and maple for the natural finish models. I don't see how this can possibly be either? But the VMs were definitely inconsistent when it came to the body wood. I own a natural finish 5-string VM J-bass with a GORGEOUS looking quilted maple body. Which would be great, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't particularly like the look of quilted maple, and really wanted a natural finish "70s" look... It's a nice bass though (after I sorted out the appalling fretwork...) if a bit on the heavy side.

Based on the pics the body finish also seems to have that cheap "too glossy" look that's generally found on older Chinese made instruments in the sub-Squier price range, or on "bottom-of-the-barrel" aftermarket bodies. But I guess it could just be the light in the pics.

Between the inconsistent nature of the grains and/or quilting of the Squier VM/CV '70s bass' wood, as well as the crappy lighting and image quality in the photos, I don't want to assume what it exactly is. Moreover, I'm just saying what doesn't track with the average American Fender. Without doing a hands-on necropsy, who can really say?

Whatever it really is, either the seller doesn't know what they have or they're trying to turn pennies into dollars.

 

[Relsom]

I wouldn't buy that even at Squier prices with that horrible body wood mismatch. But to address your initial question, no, not USA, Probably not even MIM. Seller is not to be trusted one iota.

 

[ahc]

 

[murphy]

My first thought was Squier too!

 

[tindrum]

Yeah that’s comically fake.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Think of it as a Squier and make an offer as such

 

[FretRiff]

When you plug US22080265 into Fender’s serial number lookup database you get a 2022 American Ultra Telecaster guitar, not a bass.

 

[Andy Marshman]

I have the Squier VM 77 Jazz and the neck, with block markers, looks identical. So, I suspect that's what it is, poorly fitted with a Fender decal.

 

[PBassAcidJazz]

That's a very lazy attempt at a fake Fender.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I have the Squier VM 77 Jazz and the neck, with block markers, looks identical. So, I suspect that's what it is, poorly fitted with a Fender decal.

Doesn't the '77 Squier have numbered knobs and ivoroid blocks & binding?

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