bakerster135

Careful, Steve, this guy knows everything there is to know about vintage Fender basses, and he’s a polyglot! Probably best to mute this thread altogether; I know I will.

Those unevenly spaced tuners on the bridge are driving me mad...

100% agree. I think that whole 2012–2016 run of American Standard basses with the Custom Shop pickups is some of the best output Fender has ever made. I’ve got three other lovely vintage basses, but I’ve had my oly white 2013 Jazz for three months now and haven’t wanted to touch anything else, and I really don’t think that’s going to change. It’s fantastic in every way.

The nut height is out of the equation as soon as you fret a note though. I know relief and string height are personal preference, but I always go for the below as standard on my basses: Relief - fretting the first fret and last fret (with my elbow!) on the E string, I should be able to slide a .50mm pick under the gap above the 8th fret without any gap or raising the string String height - Using a steel rule, I fret the first fret then measure the gap between the 12th fret and the string, then go in increments as below: E = 4/32" A = 3.5/32" D = 3.5/32" G = 3/32" This might be a bit higher than standard but it's not too high and works for me. Once I've set up as above, I usually have little to no fret buzz. If I do, on fretted notes, it's highly likely to be a high fret issue further up the neck. I've also experienced the dreaded ski jump! Also, on open strings with this set up, I've found that any buzzing on lower frets is usually a nut height issue.

I'd take a red (dakota, CA and fiesta in most to least favourite order) 60s Jazz bass over an OW one any day. I'm not sure what it is but red is so visually pleasing to me on an old Jazz. Always a white scratchplate though. I remember Andy Baxter had a dakota red 66 in about 10 years ago before the prices went mental, which I almost pulled the trigger on, and still regret that I didn't

That is all very bloody lovely tbf, and tbh I really want it, but how does it sound!? I think we all want and need to know 😜

Second this. They did my 79 Stingray and 75 Jazz (both maple neck and board) a few years ago and did a fantastic job.

Yeah, looks like they've stuck a spaghetti-type decal on it, as mentioned by SurroundedByManatees above, which was never used on a Jazz, only P-basses up until the mid-60s transition period. P.s. as far as I know, it was always a waterslide decal on top of the lacquer until they brought in the TV logo at the end of the 60s, after which they nitro lacquered over the top of it, hence why most well-used late 60s-70s fender headstocks have gone brown over time.

I'm sure I read somewhere Norman Watt-Roy was in to play on Relax, and he was noodling on some Jaco-esque bassline which Trevor recorded on his Fairlight and that then became Two Tribes? Not sure if it's true but it's possible...

I'm assuming they mean the 57, which there definitely was a Fullerton reissue of.

Yeah, I think it was mid-late 66? I believe the lollipop tuners were made by Schaller, so I suspect it went along with that?

I think it's time they revised the listing

Totally, and is it just me or is that bridge placement just a touch lower than it should be? G string saddle's almost off the plate!