Fender Jazz Bass Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1971)
LOADING IMAGES
This item has been sold.
Item # 9819
Prices subject to change without notice.
Fender Jazz Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1971), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 328544, sunburst polyester finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a very nice example of an early '70s CBS-era Jazz bass, played a bit but in generally well-preserved condition. It dates to mid-1971 and shows typical features for that period, still retaining the vibe of the late 1960s. The slim tapered neck has a bound, pearloid block inlaid rosewood fingerboard as had been the norm since mid-1966. The headstock sports a black Fender logo decal and is fitted with Fender-made (Kluson style) tuners also in use since 1966. The other hardware is basically unchanged from later 1960s models.
The neck is finished in clear Polyester with a separate lacquer coat shot over the headstock to protect the decal; this causes the more yellowed look just on the face as the lacquer ages. The alder body is finished in sunburst OVER the clear Poly undercoat, a quirk of this period which can sometimes result in interesting wear patterns over the years. This is topped off with a tortoise plastic pickguard and the trademark chrome bridge and pickup covers.
This is a very nice playing and great sounding Jazz bass, articulate without sounding shrill or too "clicky" as 70's models can sometimes be. As the 1970's went on these basses tended to get heavier and brighter sounding, switching to the three-bolt neck design and swathed with more Polyester to create CBS/Fender's "Thick Skin" finish. This bass has that distinct early '70s feel and vibe as heard on endless recordings, with the '60s in the rear view mirror but the original character of Leo Fender's Jazz Bass not yet fully obscured.
Overall length is 46 1/2 in. (118.1 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This bass has seen some use and minor modification over the last 50 years but remains relatively clean and very attractive, mostly still as it left Fullerton in the waning years of Nixon's first term. The body finish has some wear through to the wood on the edges and a couple of belt-buckle spots on the back. The upper body edge has a spot worn down to but not through the Poly undercoat, as is distinct to this era's Fenders. The neck finish is quite clean with only a few small dings and dents and noticeable ambering to the headstock face.
Externally the bass remains original except for the plastic finger rest which appears to be a later repro. Internally the volume and tone pots, tone cap and attendant and wiring are more recent, while the original grey-bobbin pickups and leads and knobs remain intact. Remedial foam has been added underneath the coils to allow height adjustment; the original 50 year old foam rubber is still in the cavities but pretty much ossified. A finger rest was once located over the strings between the bridge and middle pickup covers; two small filled holes and a line of minor wear in the body and pickguard remain as evidence. Both chrome covers are intact, with a spot of wear in the center of the large one over the impressed "F" from someone resting their hand there a lot.
The neck on this bass is very nice, with the original frets still intact having some very minor round-wound string wear but plenty of meat left on the wire. It is currently set up with flatwound strings and is an effortlessly fine player, medium/light at 9.33 pounds with both covers mounted and very resonant. It is still in the original black Tolex HSC which is also very nicely preserved. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a very nice example of an early '70s CBS-era Jazz bass, played a bit but in generally well-preserved condition. It dates to mid-1971 and shows typical features for that period, still retaining the vibe of the late 1960s. The slim tapered neck has a bound, pearloid block inlaid rosewood fingerboard as had been the norm since mid-1966. The headstock sports a black Fender logo decal and is fitted with Fender-made (Kluson style) tuners also in use since 1966. The other hardware is basically unchanged from later 1960s models.
The neck is finished in clear Polyester with a separate lacquer coat shot over the headstock to protect the decal; this causes the more yellowed look just on the face as the lacquer ages. The alder body is finished in sunburst OVER the clear Poly undercoat, a quirk of this period which can sometimes result in interesting wear patterns over the years. This is topped off with a tortoise plastic pickguard and the trademark chrome bridge and pickup covers.
This is a very nice playing and great sounding Jazz bass, articulate without sounding shrill or too "clicky" as 70's models can sometimes be. As the 1970's went on these basses tended to get heavier and brighter sounding, switching to the three-bolt neck design and swathed with more Polyester to create CBS/Fender's "Thick Skin" finish. This bass has that distinct early '70s feel and vibe as heard on endless recordings, with the '60s in the rear view mirror but the original character of Leo Fender's Jazz Bass not yet fully obscured.
Overall length is 46 1/2 in. (118.1 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This bass has seen some use and minor modification over the last 50 years but remains relatively clean and very attractive, mostly still as it left Fullerton in the waning years of Nixon's first term. The body finish has some wear through to the wood on the edges and a couple of belt-buckle spots on the back. The upper body edge has a spot worn down to but not through the Poly undercoat, as is distinct to this era's Fenders. The neck finish is quite clean with only a few small dings and dents and noticeable ambering to the headstock face.
Externally the bass remains original except for the plastic finger rest which appears to be a later repro. Internally the volume and tone pots, tone cap and attendant and wiring are more recent, while the original grey-bobbin pickups and leads and knobs remain intact. Remedial foam has been added underneath the coils to allow height adjustment; the original 50 year old foam rubber is still in the cavities but pretty much ossified. A finger rest was once located over the strings between the bridge and middle pickup covers; two small filled holes and a line of minor wear in the body and pickguard remain as evidence. Both chrome covers are intact, with a spot of wear in the center of the large one over the impressed "F" from someone resting their hand there a lot.
The neck on this bass is very nice, with the original frets still intact having some very minor round-wound string wear but plenty of meat left on the wire. It is currently set up with flatwound strings and is an effortlessly fine player, medium/light at 9.33 pounds with both covers mounted and very resonant. It is still in the original black Tolex HSC which is also very nicely preserved. Overall Excellent Condition.