I need help identifying neck in this bass.(Fender?)

Oct 4, 2024
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Hi,

First-time poster here.

The decal on the headstock reads "Fender BASS."
I bought it about twenty years ago at a music store in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. At the time, it had a Jazz Bass-style body (made of plywood, maker unknown).
Checking the neck date suggests it was made in 1967.
The fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood(maybe), fretless, and has a round board.
The neck is Precision Bass-style, with a 43mm nut width.

I've searched through Fender catalogs from around '67 but haven't found the same model listed.
I also tried searching online, but I haven't had any luck.
Does anyone know more about this neck?

Currently, this curious neck is being used set in a body made by Warmoth.

I'm not a native English speaker, so if something isn't clear, please let me know.

Thanks in advance!

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I think it’s some older P neck with maybe a replacement fretboard? Fretboard is too thick for 67, by then the veneers were super paper thin. Finish looks old enough to be at least from the 80’s. Logo is super wrong. Fretless Fender P models were in 70-71. I know the old tokai’s have veneer boards. My thoughts are it’s either an old Japanese copy refin’d decades ago or an older fender neck with a new fretboard.
 
Fender didn't make a fretless until 1970.
"BASS" is not a logo Fender ever used.
I've never seen a red date stamp from that era - just black & green. (anything's possible with Fender though)


When Leo sold the company , everything was sent to Japan .........you have the real thing .
:laugh: You're kidding, right??

Leo sold the company to CBS in 1965.
There were no operations outside of the US until Fender Japan was created in 1982.
 
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Fender “BASS” …lol. That’s the most hilarious fake I’ve seen to date.

Looks like a lawsuit era Fuji-gen neck, Tokai, Greco, etc. Late 70s/early 80s? Very well made, but not Fender. The nut width looks like 1.5”, so it’s likely a jazz neck. The model/date stamp on the heel is fake. Also, tuners are not 67 era, not that fretless was a thing then either.
 
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I’ve only seen a ‘Fender Bass’ decal on a Fender Frank Bello signature and it didn’t have the quotation marks between the “bass”; almost as if its asking for a double-take.
 
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Fender “BASS” …lol. That’s the most hilarious fake I’ve seen to date.

Looks like a lawsuit era Fuji-gen neck, Tokai, Greco, etc. Late 70s/early 80s? Very well made, but not Fender. The nut width looks like 1.5”, so it’s likely a jazz neck. The model/date stamp on the heel is fake. Also, tuners are not 67 era, not that fretless was a thing then either.
I wrote that the nut width is 43mm.
However, I should have also stated inches.😥
It's about 1 3/4 inches.

Thanks for your input!
 
Fender didn't make a fretless until 1970.
"BASS" is not a logo Fender ever used.
I've never seen a red date stamp from that era - just black & green. (anything's possible with Fender though)



:laugh: You're kidding, right??

Leo sold the company to CBS in 1965.
There were no operations outside of the US until Fender Japan was created in 1982.
Your point is certainly valid.
I checked and the neck date can be seen in red from the 70's.
But the font is different...🤔
 
Your point is certainly valid.
I checked and the neck date can be seen in red from the 70's.
But the font is different...🤔
Well, we obviously know it was and is a parts bass.
The evidence leans towards it not being a Fender neck; there are just too many inconsistencies and unanswered questions.
At the end of the day, if it plays and sounds well - it really doesn't matter...

(I stand corrected on the logo statement; someone got pretty creative with a replica BASS V logo - and you can clearly see where the " water-slide was spliced in)
 
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I was asked to remove the tuner, so I did.
The screws were rusted when I bought it 20 years ago, and I replaced them at that time (I remember because it was a tough job to remove them!:drool:).

Regarding the decals, I can't confirm if they were cut and applied, as the paint is cracked.
However, there’s a good chance that it’s the same as the Fender V—it looks very similar.

One more thing: the truss rod's pitch is in inches.
I should have mentioned that earlier, sorry!:dead:

I’ve been curious about this for 20 years and have researched it on and off.

I’ll do my best to playing with a good sound. :bassist:
Thanks for all the input, everyone!:hyper:
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