What neck is this? Real, Re-issue, or Fake??

[Andrew Eason]

Aquired this neck today, and cant find any info on it. Previous owner tinted the headstock with that Stewmack tinting. He thinks he sanded a Mexi serial number off the back of the headstock, but the date code is throwing me off. Please help. Also had Hipshot tuners installed, that were not original. Any info greatly appreciated.

 

[JimmyM]

I thought the date code was written in pencil on those. At any rate, it looks like somebody tried to dummy up A vintage Fender neck Out of a non-vintage to me.

 

[Andrew Eason]

I thought the date code was written in pencil on those. At any rate, it looks like somebody tried to dummy up A vintage Fender neck Out of a non-vintage to me.

The date stamp is the correct font and stamp style if you look at other 65's

 

[JimmyM]

The date stamp is the correct font and stamp style if you look at other 65's

OK then, maybe it's a real one.

 

[Andrew Eason]

It looks to me to possibly be a Vintera 60's neck but I thought they put the actual manufacture date, not a 65 date. Im lost.

 

[Grinderman]

It appears real as far as shapes, contours and the Fender decal on the headstock; however, that ink stamp on the heel--'5NOV65 C'--isn't right.

1. Though the pearloid marker dots would be right for 1965, Fender didn't make slab rosewood fretboards for J and P basses in '65.

2. It's also not a Fender C width neck because the decal says Jazz Bass and the width at the nut looks 1-1/2", consistent with a Jazz Bass neck and decal. Fender Jazz Bass necks are A width/1-1/2". Fender C necks are around 1-3/4" wide, synonymous with Fender Precision Basses.

3. The font or typeface of the stamp isn't correct.

I suspect a more recently made Fender Jazz neck, maybe MIM Roadworn, but someone added a phony stamp on the heel, at least.

 

[Andrew Eason]

Do you think it could be a Vintera or mexi reissue. I believe it is a Fender neck, but cant for the life of me figure out why the stamp is on the neck. Although it looks like some other stamps from 65 i see on google images.

 

[Grinderman]

The stamp on this example is fatter or squishier but still it's not a slab board and not a C neck.

 

[Grinderman]

Do you think it could be a Vintera or mexi reissue. I believe it is a Fender neck, but cant for the life of me figure out why the stamp is on the neck. Although it looks like some other stamps from 65 i see on google images.

Again, Fender didn't make flat laminated slab rosewood fretboard in 1965 and C isn't 1-1/2" wide at the nut and Fender C isn't Fender Jazz Bass. Just by looking at the pictures, that neck obviously isn't more than 1-1/2" wide at the nut.

The information the stamp portrays does not match the physical attributes of the neck itself

Understand what I'm getting at?

 

[micguy]

It's not a Fender neck from 65 - the slab board precludes that. That, in turn, means the neck stamp is fake. So, we know that there is deception going on here. The "spray tan" is also very obviously not real aging. Do you want to buy anything from someone who's lying to you?

 

[Grinderman]

That 'Offset Contour Body' decal on the neck you're looking at is in the wrong position on headstock for a 1965, too.

 

[mongo2]

For a J bass from '65 the nut width should be 1-7/16" which was the original and advertised nut width for J basses. It was continued well into the '70's.

 

[Andrew Eason]

You think it is a fake, or someone just tryed to pass it as a 65 by stamping the heel?

I assume sanding that off lightly on the heel would be a better option, right.

 

[Grinderman]

Also, I've own an actual 1965 Fender Jazz Bass... a real one.

 

[Andrew Eason]

The Vintera that I saw had the Contour decal in this place. Thats why I thought maybe a Vintera. The guy stated it was a mexi reissue neck, but the stamp threw me off, maybe it is just that, a re-issue neck.

 

[Andrew Eason]

Im pretty confident it is a Fender, I just didnt know about the stamp, I thought it was odd

 

[Andrew Eason]

Basically someone tryed to pass it for a 65, by adding the stamp, right?

 

[Grinderman]

For a J bass from '65 the nut width should be 1-7/16" which was the original and advertised nut width for J basses. It was continued well into the '70's.

Yes, A, B, and C width Fender necks have always remained within +/- 1/16" tolerance of 1-1/2", 1-5/8" and 1-3/4" respectively, regardless of the year.

 

[Grinderman]

Basically someone tryed to pass it for a 65, by adding the stamp, right?

I wouldn't bet my money with what we have to work with here, but if I had to guess a bet, I'd say it's a pre-2017 MIM Fender Road Worn Jazz Bass neck that's been tamper with to tell a lie.

P.S. When Fender MIM Road Worn Jazz Basses were still made with slab rosewood fretboard, pre-2017, they had pearloid marker dots like that neck has.

Here's a 2013 example.

 

[Andrew Eason]

Cool thank you, im gonna remove the date stamp thing, and go that route.