USA Fender Jazz or Highway 1?

[fatillac]

Hi Folks,

My local pawn shop has what appears to be a 2005 USA made fender jazz bass. It is light blueish with a rosewood fretboard.

She is dented and dinged and the paint is a bit messed up. Apparently the previous owner left the strap laying on the finish, inside of the case, and it left dark black strap marks in the body.
Weird, huh?

Anyways, I am not sure if it is a Highway 1 or a regular USA jazz.
The serial is Z5216*** so it dates to 2005, and it does have the silver "Fender" logo on the headstock. It does not have a badass bridge on it.

Now, would all highway 1's have the 70's logo in all black? or did they have silver lettering at one point?

They are asking $400 for the bass, and I figure I would have to spend around $200 to refinish the bass.

Should I pull the trigger?

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

If the plastic from the strap left a mark, it's a HW1.

And forget the refin - that is NEVER a good idea on a US fender (kills the value).

For that same $400, you can get a *nice* G&L or Carvin... But you can actually play this Fender... so if you like it, buy it. Offer him $300.

 

[Fetzu]

IMO it 's a Highway 1. The color sounds like Daphne Blue. The pre-upgrade Highway 1's did have the regular Fender logo, and no BadAss bridge. $400 for a MIA Fender could be a great deal, but you have to be the judge of that.

See this thread for the color:http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=618334&highlight=highway

 

[fatillac]

Also if it helps, the truss rod adjustment is at the headstock,
I previously owned a Highway 1 jazz,2007 and the truss rod adjustment was at the pickguard.Maybe the redesign?

 

[fatillac]

The color was definately not Daphne blue,(I love Daphne blue )
more like a light ice blue

 

[Fetzu]

The pre-upgrade(2006) has the headstock truss rod adjustment.
Was it string-through?

 

[fatillac]

I can't recall from memory, it did have the regular fender style bridge

 

[Jeff K]

I don't know if this will help you or not, but here's an '03 Highway 1 in Daphne Blue. I'm pretty sure the '03's - '05's have the thinner "Fender" lettering on the headstock (like this one). The '70's style lettering started with the '06 Highway Ones.

But if you said it looked more like an Ice Blue, I don't think that was ever a Hwy. 1/One color offering.