Is This a Fender Custom Shop Body?

[Mosstone]

That's a good question. It isn't doing that for me, but perhaps if you're using an app it would? I'm not sure. I'm just going straight online on my phone and it's showing them is completely separated. That could definitely get confusing if it's just lumping them all together!

I'm using Chrome on my computer. When you click one of the thumbnails in the first post, a viewer opens up and shows all the pics.

 

[Dark Horse]

I'm using Chrome on my computer. When you click one of the thumbnails in the first post, a viewer opens up and shows all the pics.

I can definitely see how that would get very confusing, can you imagine it in a large thread?

 

[Mosstone]

Most of the time when people confuse things they are not sure how they are doing it.

Haha... True. But there's a difference between being confused and being the confuser.

I think I was just confused.

 

[Mugre]

I'm getting all the pictures (attached to the first post) using firefox on a mac.

 

[Arizona Jones]

I'm thinking that might be a 1999 American Standard body; has the look, has the pickguard.

I can't locate any 1999 US Fender Jazz Bass neck pocket pix or part lists to confirm the part number that is listed in the neck pocket.

I did run into this Fender 2000 MIM neck pocket that has a similar format - weird "E\F" character, then five digital part number.

 

[bassmonkeee]

I can definitely see how that would get very confusing, can you imagine it in a large thread?

It only shows the attachments on the current page.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I didn't know that Fender were hiring Phd's from Manhattan to rout neck pockets .

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

Thanks for the detailed info. I have a real Custom Shop neck that I was considering pairing with this body, but I'm probably not interested in the body if it's not a real Custom Shop. :-(

If your looking for a custom shop body

Check out stratosphere, I just ordered a tony franklin load pickguard to put on a vintage modified body with Steve harris neck

 

[BadBobbyH]

Based on the highly questionable relic job and uneven mute holes alone my bet is it's not a CS body. They don't make mistakes like that. Maybe a US body that some random dude reliced?

Plus, all the custom shop bass bodies I've seen apart from a neck (admittedly only a good handful) have had some sort of CS insignia/stamp. I second the 'relic' below the neck plate as well. Also, on CS relics I've typically seen a heavier wear pattern where your right forearm would rest on the bass mimicing actual play wear. The relic job in question shows little to no wear in places that actually get worn on a bass. Forearm, where the strap rubs on upper horn (that one is on the oppisite side of horn), and around bridge pick up (E string side) to name a few.

I'm far from an expert but Fender basses have been an interest of mine for 20+ years. Also what's up with the Dr's info stamped in the pocket? Sketchy. If anything, in my opinion, that relic job would lower the overall value. I wouldn't pair a legit CS neck with that, just being honest. Good luck. And please anyone correct me if I seem wrong as I'm always interested to learn more!

 

[Smooth_bass88]

That's a cool looking body though

 

[Lee Kirkham]

To me it appears to be a beat up Squier body. Definitely NOT a CS body.

 

[Glazenn]

My best guess is it's a legit American Vintage Reissue '62 Jazz Bass body that has been reliced and modded by it's owner.

PROS
1) the brass ground stripe to the bridge
2) the mutes holes that are unevenly drilled - these are not drilled at the factory (*)
3) the "F-19474" stamp, same as mine (2005 AVRI '62 Jazz Bass)
4) the "R" (?) written with a pencil marker same as mine (mirrored on the neck heel just opposite to it, as the ink was probably not dry when the neck was assembled to the body)
5) the holes pattern in the neck pocket (8 holes in total on mine, 6 on the OP picture, missing the 2 smaller ones)
6) one or two piece alder ?

(*) AVRI '62 Jazz Basses were supplied with the mutes, but not installed. I guess an owner wanted to install them, was not satisfied with the resulting tone and removed them later on.

CONS
1) The bridge is non original (should be a vintage bridge with threaded barrel saddles).
2) The pickups don't have the beveled polepieces, that started AFAIK in 1998.
3) The control plate has been changed (should be with 2 stacked pots).
4) The pickguard should have an additional screw hole in the middle and the two tug bar holes (that I cannot see). There is a gap between the pickguard and the control plate.

None of the CONS above are definitive, as they may result from mods by an owner.

To be sure, one would read a bar code with a number below the shielding plate and the rubber foam in one of the pickup cavities (I believe it's the neck PU cavity).

This is the neck pocket on mine:

Even if it's not a CS body, an AVRI '62 body in what is closest to it in the Fender world.

 

[madbass6]

Howdy all,

Another local bassist is selling this loaded body and says that it's a Fender Custom Shop. What say you?

When in doubt always follow that gut feeling !

 

[GeneralElectric]

I have a Fender CS Relic P-bass. It is stamped RELIC under the bridge, under the pickguard, and (IIRC) under the neck plate.

 

[foolforthecity]

Howdy all,

Another local bassist is selling this loaded body and says that it's a Fender Custom Shop. What say you?

I say you should contact Dr. Stokes from Manhattan Kansas yourself to find out:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Might be an enlightening conversation.

 

[Duder]

I say you should contact Dr. Stokes from Manhattan Kansas yourself to find out:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Might be an enlightening conversation.

My wife's cousin is a professor there. He'll get a kick out of this.

 

[foolforthecity]

My wife's cousin is a professor there. He'll get a kick out of this.

I bet Dr. Stokes would get a kick out of hearing about a bunch of TBers fretting over his bass body! Since Quadzilla opened this thread, I vote that he contact him and get the dirt then report back to the crew

Edit: who knows, the good Doctor may even be lurking among us!

 

[danosix]

It doesn't look anything like the custom shops relic work. It's not stamped "relic" underneath the neck plate on the back (it's sometimes under the guard iirc). There's no custom shop stamp in the neck pocket itself. Mute holes are uneven. It's drilled for mute holes yet not drilled for bridge cover.

That's a start

+ Chances are a CS Relic of that style (mutes are 61/62) would be alder -that one looks like ash to me (ash is CBS).
+ (hate to be THAT guy but that's NOT the right tort for CS - that's VERY MIJ (or even aftermarket) tort. Now that I look twice it looks more like old AllParts/Profile tort than MIJ Fender Tort (slightly more brown, less "swirly").

I'd guess it's a MIJ Classic series bass someone Jacofied and decided it might be easier to sell as a fake CS relic than as a real (whatever) with a badly done defretted neck.

Also - (just a hunch since we're looking at photos here) but the wear does NOT say Nitro to me - you rarely got hard divisions in nitro since it's so much thinner than poly - so wear marks tend to have more blurry edges (check out some close ups of CS relics or even Road Worns (or REAL well worn 50s/60s pieces) from being "burnished through" rather than "chipped off".

 

[foolforthecity]

+ Chances are a CS Relic of that style (mutes are 61/62) would be alder -that one looks like ash to me (ash is CBS).
+ (hate to be THAT guy but that's NOT the right tort for CS - that's VERY MIJ (or even aftermarket) tort. Now that I look twice it looks more like old AllParts/Profile tort than MIJ Fender Tort (slightly more brown, less "swirly").

I'd guess it's a MIJ Classic series bass someone Jacofied and decided it might be easier to sell as a fake CS relic than as a real (whatever) with a badly done defretted neck.

Also - (just a hunch since we're looking at photos here) but the wear does NOT say Nitro to me - you rarely got hard divisions in nitro since it's so much thinner than poly - so wear marks tend to have more blurry edges (check out some close ups of CS relics or even Road Worns (or REAL well worn 50s/60s pieces) from being "burnished through" rather than "chipped off".

 

[foolforthecity]

And again I say that contacting the Doctor himself will potentially reveal the body's history. i may just ping him myself today and see if he responds with any info.