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FDP Forum / Fender Bass Guitars and Bass Amps / vintage authentication

fakejake

Germany

May 7th, 2012 06:11 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Hi everybody,
I’m new to this forum, this is my first post! I have a question regarding a Jazzbass body that I found on the bay. It is supposed to be from 65, but I have very limited experience with vintage Fender parts so I have a hard time telling whether this is legit or not. Anybody here that can help me out?

Thanks a lot, Jake

link
(This message was last edited by Chris Greene at 08:52 AM, May 7th, 2012)

Pinetree
Contributing Member
**********
***

Sorry, I just can't

think of anything to put here.
May 7th, 2012 08:27 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
That looks like a horrible deal.

You could buy a new, painted body from a place like Warmouth for $300.

Like these.

kcshowman
Contributing Member
******

Los Angeles

If I only have one bass to play...
May 7th, 2012 09:00 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Jake, it appears to be a 4-piece ash body. I don't think that this is a legitimate 1965 Fender body.

uncle stack-knob
Contributing Member
**********
****

united kingdom

May 7th, 2012 09:41 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Walk away from it Jake. It is way overpriced and has nothing in its' favour at all.

Stack-Knob.

Gumbeat

South Florida

May 7th, 2012 09:59 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
I once had a 72 Jazz bass that had a body that looked just like that (minus the pickup cavity work). My gut just tells me early 70's (pre 74) and not a 65. I have nothing scientific to prove it, but it just looks wrong for what he is advertising it as.

fakejake

Germany

May 7th, 2012 02:46 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Thanks a lot guys for the replies!!!
I believe the nice neck that I got (which is 99% authentic 64') will already make a good start for a great sounding, great feeling + playing bass. I might use a high quality, nitro finished + aged replacement body and as time goes by add a vintage bridge, wiring harness + a set of pre cbs pickups to it.

Apart from the 'old wood' body, would you consider these three components (bridge, harness + pickups) essential to the sound and worth getting from the pre CBS era?

At least, this is the common ground for the 'Burst' Les Paul nerds. They buy a high quality Gibson Historic reissue Les Paul and add vintage PAF's, pots + caps and a 50ies bridge. Pricy, but apparently getting you to ~ 90% of the Burst Tone for a fraction of the money.

Tim1

New Zealand

May 7th, 2012 03:05 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Interesting question. And the mojo....??

fakejake

Germany

May 8th, 2012 07:23 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Hmm yeah I guess a lot o fit boils down to the elusive MOJO. Might be that you bass people are less susceptible to that than the guitar guys (including me) ...

Any other opinions on vintage parts? Pickups, wiring + bridge?
Cheers!

Iconoclast
Contributing Member
******

The bitter comes out

...batter on a stollen guitar!
May 8th, 2012 07:26 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
At least one full pound heavier than any '60's J body I've encountered.

And remember: Those 'burst guys are living a self-fulfilling prophecy (fantasy?) born from financial reality; they start (and pretty much finish) there because the next step cost about $30,000 to $250,000 more.

You can make a really nice sounding and playing bass from a combination of modern parts or modern and vintage parts, but a lot of it is luck of the draw in both component construction/quality and wood quality/weight/tone.

But a vintage bass is a vintage bass, and good ones (and believe me, there are crappy ones) feel and sound the way they do because they are old, well-played, well-cared for, mostly hand-made, naturally aged, made of period-centric wood and parts, and are nicely broken-in.

New pre-faded, stone-washed jeans will never feel or look exactly like a 10-year old pair of Levi's 501s that started out indigo blue and stiff as a board and that now wake up 15 minutes before you do to start the coffee before they mold themselves to your body.

edmonstg
Contributing Member

Newberg, Oregon

Fender...never say never.
May 8th, 2012 07:57 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Clast wrote: "You can make a really nice sounding and playing bass from a combination of modern parts or modern and vintage parts....

Totally agree. I just did it.

I've spent the last six months building my very own 1968 P-bass to commemorate the year I began playing Fender basses. It absolutely turned out great and right now I wouldn't sell this creation for twice the money I paid for the parts, which are mostly from 1968 with a 66 harness. I also can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to take on this project.

Jake wrote: "Apart from the 'old wood' body, would you consider these three components (bridge, harness + pickups) essential to the sound and worth getting from the pre CBS era?"

Bridge type is important, but in building my "68," I found the gray bottom pickup and the 66 harness critical to the sound I'm getting.

George

(This message was last edited by edmonstg at 07:59 AM, May 8th, 2012)

fakejake

Germany

May 8th, 2012 08:13 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Thanks George, great response! Your project seems quite similar to what I have in mind. How did you authenticate the body you are using? Did it still have the original finish and the stamp?

Twangmeister
Contributing Member
*****

E NC

Top dog in a litter of mutts
May 8th, 2012 08:24 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Seeing butchered bass parts reborn and valuable takes away a lot of guilt for my "modifications" to '60s and early '70s instruments.

To me an instrument made of old parts is just that--a collection of old parts. The 1971 Jazz bass I once owned was like that. When I sold it in 1976 it was refinished and had a "B" width 1962 Precision neck. To me it sounded better totally stock.

When old instruments were relatively new they suffered from the vagaries that new instuments do--some were decent, a few were special and some were fit to hang on a wall only.

"You can make a really nice sounding and playing bass from a combination of modern parts or modern and vintage parts, but a lot of it is luck of the draw in both component construction/quality and wood quality/weight/tone."

+1

If you want a vintage-style instruments, there are a lot of vintage style harnesses vintage and even aged hardware available.

Iconoclast
Contributing Member
******

The bitter comes out

...batter on a stollen guitar!
May 8th, 2012 09:29 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
The best sounding P bass I own (and one of the best I've ever played/heard) has a '71 rosewood 'board A neck, vintage tort 'guard, a Fender '62 RI pup, and a very light alder Gregg Rogers Custom Guitars nitro (LPB) finned body.

The best sounding J I own (the only one I've ever wanted to keep/kept/gave me my sound on the job) has a Warmoth body (3 lb. 11 oz. ash body carrying no filler and 29 coats of hand-sanded/rubbed clear nitro; thanks, Dad!) and rosewood 'board neck, HipShot bridge and Ultralight tuners, vintage tort 'guard, and '72 gray bottom pups/harness.

Hmmmmm...I think I'm on to something here: Jake! The key is nitro and a vintage tort 'guard! ;^)
(This message was last edited by Iconoclast at 09:31 AM, May 8th, 2012)

tbplayer

Mojo Bueno

May 8th, 2012 12:03 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Another take: I have Seymour Duncan Antiquites that I've used on several basses made of new parts and each bass instantly sounds "old" with those pickups installed.
(This message was last edited by tbplayer at 12:04 PM, May 8th, 2012)

digiboy

New York City

May 8th, 2012 01:24 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"I've spent the last six months building my very own 1968 P-bass to commemorate the year I began playing Fender basses."

Hey George, How about some pics! TTIUWP!!!!

Iconoclast
Contributing Member
******

The bitter comes out

...batter on a stollen guitar!
May 8th, 2012 02:23 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Parts Bass Manual, Page 1: Carefully select your parts.
Parts Bass Manual, Page 2

edmonstg
Contributing Member

Newberg, Oregon

Fender...never say never.
May 8th, 2012 02:55 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
digi...send me an e-mail and I'll send you some. Files too big to post here.

The body on my "68" is the only piece that's not vintage. I bought a 9-yeaer old MIM body with a Black finish and bolted my original 68 neck to it. Match made in heaven. Only I (and you) know it's not real. Everything else is 68, except for the Fullerton 62 reissue bridge.

This bass has totally changed my attitude about parts instruments. It sounds amazing.

I'm pretty sure a lot of how it turned out is plain old luck.

George

edmonstg
Contributing Member

Newberg, Oregon

Fender...never say never.
May 8th, 2012 02:55 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Oops. Here's a new post that will let you send me a mail.

George

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