Possible 1969 Fender Jazz Bass ??

[Andy54]

I do a bit of work on all types of guitars and stringed instruments. As I'm in rural Australia and a very small town ie a few stores on one side of a country road, I don't get any vintage type instruments of note. There's not a big collectors market up in the hills.

I been asked to setup what may be a 1969 Fender Jazz Bass which the owner told me was her fathers and has kicked around the family for a few decades. She has an idea of putting it on what we call Gumtree [ Craiglist ], cause she's asked me what it may be worth.

I'm a bit confused as I cant reconcile the number on the neck plate with Fender's dating system. Can anyone tell me if the neckplate number 405287 stamped the backwards F would make it a 69' model ?

I'd hate to have to tell her Dad's Bass is a parts guitar.

 

[Jim Carr]

1970's, IMHO. '73-74

 

[flojob]

I'd still check the usual things...neck/pot/pickup codes to make sure

 

[Andy54]

Thanks Jim & flojob, she just want's to pay for a set of strings and a setup so I don't want to get into too much detective work. I think she's been told that it's work a fair bit but I've got a feeling a bit over 1K in the Aussie market would pull it up. Here's a few photos, it's not the most striking guitar and is far from original.

 

[Kmrumedy]

It's not a 69.

 

[Alexander]

Serial number shows 1974-75, based on Fender's dating chart. For whatever reason somebody installed the serial number plate upside down. Decent ones go for $2-3K USD over here - if modified as you say (hard to tell from the pictures alone), it would be worth less than that.

 

[mikeswals]

It looks like a last end of '73. The black blocks/binding lasted thru 73.
Also the pickguard screw pattern changed for 74, and this appears to have the screw patter before that change. Additionally that pickguard looks to originally have the finger rest holes by the G string. The reason the 74 the screw pattern changed to move the finger rest next to the E, which looks like someone relocated the finger rest at some point.

If the pots and pickups are original, they will have date codes. And usually (but not always) the butt of the neck will have a date stamp. Put all those together and you're zero'ed-in.
So could be last of 73 or early of 74

 

[Andy54]

You're champions fellas thanks so much! Now I've got the story straight for the lady.

Just to get side tracked a little here I thought you may like to see the two other bass guitars I've worked on in the last year or so.

The first two are of a bass built in Australia for Chris Kinman. Kinman has gained some notoriety for his noiseless Strat and Tele pickups. I don't know who the builder was but the guitar was built in the late 60's in Brisbane Qld. It has a couple of phase switches. The fella who owns it knocked it over and the headstock broke off. He then did what we all would do and glued it back together with construction grade contact adhesive. Strangely it has been quiet ok to play for a couple of years. It came to me for cosmetic repairs, as the fella is a friend of mine and knows I like "love jobs"

The second two photos of an upright bass that had been left in a van for the weekend. The top and back at left and right bouts had popped off the sides. Along with that, the upper right side had sprung out of shape. The repair was something like trying to get an octopus into a sugar bag. I've done a bit of timber boat building so I fell back on a couple of old time repair techniques. Using a spanish windlass and a template on the side I was able to pull the side into line. Then I could use the pipe cramps, placed through holes in the template, to clamp the top and back to the side.