Please Help Me Understand About 70's Jazz Basses

[hypercarrots]

Are you positive they are painted over?? Because I have a 1972 jazz and the binding looks exactly like the one in the picture. What appears to be painted over is actually bits of binding that are shaped like the fret.

That makes me think that fender nailed it accurately. I would choose mim over mij any day, reissuewise. Plus the parts are made in usa, just put together in Mexico.

i'm not positive but here's a closer pic. does it look painted over or fret shaped binding?

just for reference, here's the mim classic 70s with no pickguard so you can see the cnc hole

which parts are you saying are made in the usa and assembled in mexico? it looks to me that the whole thing is made in mexico.
Link Removed

kenny, thanks for the pics of the edge contouring. that's good info.

 

[Craig_S]

That's the binding. Makes for an expensive refret on a vintage instrument.

 

[Ostinato]

Do these have the same pickups as the AV 75?

 

[electracoyote]

Well, I like the pickup placement on the MIM Classic 70s. It is accurate, and I fall in that camp who believes it makes a difference. I wish it was ash. How's the slap and pop tone? Also, what is a CNC hole, and why is it there?

 

[mikeswals]

The MIA and MIM fret-ends are not painted, the ends are part of the plastic binding. Yes, the real vintage instruments were built the same way. And yes, this is the same way Gibson Les Pauls with binding were also done.

 

[musicelectronix]

Not to steer the direction of the threat, but I found the Squier Vintage modified Jazz to be more closer to the original than the MIJ re-issue (sound-wise that is). I am just mentioning this, because based on your particular criterias, you might find it worth checking out. It also has a maple fretboard, which I think one of the most important part of the classic 70s Fender Jazz sound we came to love today.

 

[bh2]

i'm not positive but here's a closer pic. does it look painted over or fret shaped binding?

just for reference, here's the mim classic 70s with no pickguard so you can see the cnc hole

which parts are you saying are made in the usa and assembled in mexico? it looks to me that the whole thing is made in mexico.
Link Removed

kenny, thanks for the pics of the edge contouring. that's good info.

Gargh! They do the pup routing and then that!!

 

[Hawaii Islander]

Gargh! They do the pup routing and then that!!

The round hole is where the CNC machine anchors to the body to make the pup and electronic control routes.
I saw this done on the "How It's Made" television show on Discovery Channel.

 

[ProfGumby]

Not to steer the direction of the threat, but I found the Squier Vintage modified Jazz to be more closer to the original than the MIJ re-issue (sound-wise that is). I am just mentioning this, because based on your particular criterias, you might find it worth checking out. It also has a maple fretboard, which I think one of the most important part of the classic 70s Fender Jazz sound we came to love today.

I also find the Squier VM neck to be extraordinarily comfortable! I am hemming and hawing on buying another VM jazz and doing a refin and some mods, or another SX for the same project. The local shop has one sitting there and I am leaning that way. And, he has a layaway program!

But I digest....

I can find, really, nothing wrong with my Squier VM aside from being bored with the natural finish....

 

[ProfGumby]

The round hole is where the CNC machine anchors to the body to make the pup and electronic control routes.
I saw this done on the "How It's Made" television show on Discovery Channel.

Though I think it unfortunate that they have that hole, Fender does make the basses to have a pick guard. That is sad for those who want to pull the guard....

 

[elgranluis]

i'm not positive but here's a closer pic. does it look painted over or fret shaped binding?

just for reference, here's the mim classic 70s with no pickguard so you can see the cnc hole

which parts are you saying are made in the usa and assembled in mexico? it looks to me that the whole thing is made in mexico.
Link Removed

kenny, thanks for the pics of the edge contouring. that's good info.

Bodies, necks, they are all cut in corona. From 2004 onwards even the pots are the same as in the US basses. And if i'm not mistaken, the fender site will list the hardware as "us vintage pickups, reissue bridge, etc).

And yes, the picture shows the binding, it's not a painted fret. You can actually see the marks left by the file on both sides of the binding when they were filing it down. Pretty nice bass, I'm planning on getting one myself soon.

 

[Ostinato]

...And alder too, a lot of people criticize it but for me the best jazz I ever played was a '78 with an alder body. It was indescribably sweet sounding, and light too.

 

[king_biscuit]

...And alder too, a lot of people criticize it but for me the best jazz I ever played was a '78 with an alder body. It was indescribably sweet sounding, and light too.

In my experience, body wood has much less affect on tone than neck stiffness and fingerboard wood.

 

[mongo2]

i'm not positive but here's a closer pic. does it look painted over or fret shaped binding?

The part of the binding over the end of the fret are called "nibs" and they can be a real PITA when refretting so they're often just filed off when the board is leveled after the old frets are removed.

 

[mongo2]

In my experience, body wood has much less affect on tone than neck stiffness and fingerboard wood.

In my experience neck stiffness has more effect on tone than fingerboard wood.

 

[ProfGumby]

The part of the binding over the end of the fret are called "nibs" and they can be a real PITA when refretting so they're often just filed off when the board is leveled after the old frets are removed.

I've seen one refret on a 70 - something jazz bass. the Luthier pulled the frets, sanded the board and nibs smooth and fretted over the binding. It looks really good, like those on modern basses.

 

[Ostinato]

Though I think it unfortunate that they have that hole, Fender does make the basses to have a pick guard. That is sad for those who want to pull the guard....

Different machines have different setups, and that hole fits onto locator pin for a jig of some kind. They do that because it's probably cheaper and faster.

The U.S.A. Fenders use (I believe) a CNC machine with vacuum table, which is a table with hundreds of holes and a pump which creates a suction that holds the blank in place, so no need for clamps or jigs, and thus no need for cheap shortcuts or weird holes.

 

[WildTrkey]

Pickup spacing makes a bigger difference in tone than body wood.

Really?

 

[WildTrkey]

Different machines have different setups, and that hole fits onto locator pin for a jig of some kind. They do that because it's probably cheaper and faster.

The U.S.A. Fenders use (I believe) a CNC machine with vacuum table, which is a table with hundreds of holes and a pump which creates a suction that holds the blank in place, so no need for clamps or jigs, and thus no need for cheap shortcuts or weird holes.

IIRC, the CNC hole is not on any US basses, certainly not US re-issues. My guitard told me they are also there to distinguish them from their US counterparts, for whatever reason.

 

[C-60 Bass]

IIRC, the CNC hole is not on any US basses, certainly not US re-issues. My guitard told me they are also there to distinguish them from their US counterparts, for whatever reason.

I believe American Series basses have the CNC hole - anyone confirm?