Help with identifying this Fender Jazz Bass?

[swrbassboss]

Made in Japan (aka MIJ) fender basses are well made but are typically not as valuable as USA made models. This one looks to have fairly significant oxidation on all the hardware, but it may just be dirt. Some people like the aging on the hardware, some dont. The fret board is rosewood. In the early 80s, fender moved most production to Japan while they worked to address USA production instrument quality which had started declining in the mid 70s, leading to declining sales. Fender is still making instruments in Japan today

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Cool bass! I have a reissue that I am totally enamored with!

 

[jenij927]

Fender Japan stamped details where you can't see them ....

If you loosen the strings to take the tension of the neck and remove the 4 screws holding the neck to the body and lift it off, you can find the factory markings.

Oh wow. Ok maybe we will get brave and do that! Thank you

 

[jenij927]

This.


I have a similar MIJ Jazz bass that had model markings and other info inside the neck/body joint. Mine says "JB-355" on the neck and "355" on the body. IIRC, this number was used for both MIJ Fender and Squier Jazz basses, until the mid- 90s or so.
It also had the grounding strip. You definitely want to get that fixed.

Thanks we will get it looked at!

 

[jenij927]

Made in Japan (aka MIJ) fender basses are well made but are typically not as valuable as USA made models. This one looks to have fairly significant oxidation on all the hardware, but it may just be dirt. Some people like the aging on the hardware, some dont. The fret board is rosewood. In the early 80s, fender moved most production to Japan while they worked to address USA production instrument quality which had started declining in the mid 70s, leading to declining sales. Fender is still making instruments in Japan today

Thanks for the helpful info!

 

[jenij927]

Cool bass! I have a reissue that I am totally enamored with!

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Wow! That is beautiful!

 

[AndyPanda]

That broken grounding strip is just a thin strip of copper. For a lot less than the cost of taking it to a shop, you can just pickup some copper shielding tape and cut a little strip the same width and stick it on connecting that existing copper strip coming from the pickup to the stub poking out from underneath the bridge. All it needs to do is make an electrical connection (ground/shielding to help reduce hum) to the bridge. This tape is adhesive backed and if it's same as the stuff I use, the adhesive is conductive so just taping it down to splice the broken strip should make the connection.

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[jenij927]

That broken grounding strip is just a thin strip of copper. For a lot less than the cost of taking it to a shop, you can just pickup some copper shielding tape and cut a little strip the same width and stick it on connecting that existing copper strip coming from the pickup to the stub poking out from underneath the bridge. All it needs to do is make an electrical connection (ground/shielding to help reduce hum) to the bridge. This tape is adhesive backed and if it's same as the stuff I use, the adhesive is conductive so just taping it down to splice the broken strip should make the connection.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

We appreciate your info and the link!! Thanks so much

 

[jenij927]

Fender Japan stamped details where you can't see them ....

If you loosen the strings to take the tension of the neck and remove the 4 screws holding the neck to the body and lift it off, you can find the factory markings.

Ok, my husband got brave! It looks like it says JB 355 I think there’s another set of numbers but can’t really tell.

 

[wraub]

Yep, that's a JB-355 on the neck, and what could be a 355 on the body, but it's very faint. That, along with the grounding strip and the body routing and serial number, definitely marks it as Fender Japan, from the mid-80s.
Also, looking at that, I'd guess it's basswood, but that's just a guess.

It's a nice bass, not fancy, but likely a solid instrument.

 

[jenij927]

Yep, that's a JB-355 on the neck, and what could be a 355 on the body, but it's very faint. That, along with the grounding strip and the body routing and serial number, definitely marks it as Fender Japan, from the mid-80s.
Also, looking at that, I'd guess it's basswood, but that's just a guess.

It's a nice bass, not fancy, but likely a solid instrument.

Thank you!

 

[B-Mac]

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help identifying a Fender Jazz bass guitar that was given to my husband? He plays the drums but someone gave him a guitar and we are trying to find out more about it. We know it is a Fender Jazz bass and the serial number is E855231. But that is all we know. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you we have never posted to a form before.
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Check out guitar dater project dot org

 

[wraub]

Here's a few TB threads re: JB-355.

fender jb-355 site:www.talkbass.com - Bing

Here's a Fender forum thread about another: Invalid Link Removed

 

[B-Mac]

Hi, I was wondering if I could get some help identifying a Fender Jazz bass guitar that was given to my husband? He plays the drums but someone gave him a guitar and we are trying to find out more about it. We know it is a Fender Jazz bass and the serial number is E855231. But that is all we know. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you we have never posted to a form before.
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Guitar Info

Your guitar was made at the
Fuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japan
in 1984 - 1987
Production Number: 855232


Fuji String Instrument Production Corporation
Fuji String Instrument Production Corporation was opened in may 1960, they initially started manufacturing violins and quickly switched to classical guitar production. In 1962 electric guitar construction was started. Fujigen has a reputation for excellent quality and craftsmanship so the guitars they produce are highly regarded. They produce guitars via OEM for famous brands such as Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha and Fender (the import Special Interest Group nature model), G&L and others.

 

[jenij927]

Guitar Info

Your guitar was made at the
Fuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japan
in 1984 - 1987
Production Number: 855232


Fuji String Instrument Production Corporation
Fuji String Instrument Production Corporation was opened in may 1960, they initially started manufacturing violins and quickly switched to classical guitar production. In 1962 electric guitar construction was started. Fujigen has a reputation for excellent quality and craftsmanship so the guitars they produce are highly regarded. They produce guitars via OEM for famous brands such as Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha and Fender (the import Special Interest Group nature model), G&L and others.

Thank you for that info! Much appreciated

 

[jenij927]

Here's a few TB threads re: JB-355.

fender jb-355 site:www.talkbass.com - Bing

Here's a Fender forum thread about another: Invalid Link Removed

Thanks that was a good read

 

[Keger Jupit]

Ok, my husband got brave! It looks like it says JB 355 I think there’s another set of numbers but can’t really tell.
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Oooo...I'd be very careful with that one. Any Jazz from Japan with the infamous "Z" stamp on the neck should be considered very dangerous. You need to just send the bass to me & your husband can continue with his drumming! We rhythm section mates have to look out for each other!!

 

[Malak the Mad]

Oooo...I'd be very careful with that one. Any Jazz from Japan with the infamous "Z" stamp on the neck should be considered very dangerous. You need to just send the bass to me & your husband can continue with his drumming! We rhythm section mates have to look out for each other!!

How altruistic and selfless of you…





…and yet, how many of us were thinking the exact same thing?!

 

[jenij927]

Oooo...I'd be very careful with that one. Any Jazz from Japan with the infamous "Z" stamp on the neck should be considered very dangerous. You need to just send the bass to me & your husband can continue with his drumming! We rhythm section mates have to look out for each other!!

Omg I didn’t realize! I’ll ship it to you at my own expense. Sound good?

 

[Malak the Mad]

@jenij927; In all seriousness, though, I'm certain quite a few of us Fender-Japan junkies are wondering how much work would have to go into giving that lovely beast a top-to-bottom cleaning, a proper setup, maybe replacing some of the more corroded parts and rockin' the ever-lovin' crap out of it.

I, for one, would probably attack it with a good body-finish and fretboard conditioning kit, replace the brass grounding strip, the rusty pickguard screws and maybe even the bridge and/or tuners if they won't function properly, then hand it over to my local guitar tech for a full-on setup. He'd be able to assess any problems with the neck's truss rod, as well as the pickups and electronics.

…if it were mine, that is.