q_of_doom Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) I've found what a seller claims to be an original MIA '85 Jazz bass on Gumtree. Although I was tempted to take the four hour drive to view the bass, I did notice a few things out of place. Most obvious of all is the fact that there is no metal control plate. Instead it has a one-piece pickguard/control plate. Secondly, the knobs seem out of place for the year model, although it could be a hangover from the 1983/4 use of non-standard parts. Thirdly, there seems to be no serial number underneath the Fender logo as was standard from 1983 - 1995. Fourthly I've noticed that the headstock looks like it's too bulbous on the tip, although that could be due to the angle at which the photo was taken. Do we have ourselves a little red fish here, or could this be the real thing, albeit some special model? Edited February 20, 2012 by q_of_doom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 For a limited time in the early 80s (83 I think) Fender did make a Jazz with a single piece pickguard and white control knobs. It's mentioned in this post on the Fender forum - http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6448 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) One-piece pickguard, knobs, white pickup covers and that burst all look kosher early 80s to me Oh, and hasn't the serial just been photoshopped out? Looks a bit fuzzy Edited February 20, 2012 by LawrenceH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks for the input, guys. The Fender Bass book by Black and Molinaro didn't mention this particular version. @ikay, thanks for the link. Even the colour is exactly as described by the owner. @LawrenceH, it does looks tampered with somehow. I'll mail the seller and enquire about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) I don`t know enough about Jazzes to comment on specifics, but may be worth checking out the bridge - should a Fender of that age have 3 screw-hole, or 5? Edited February 20, 2012 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1329738691' post='1546461'][S]hould a Fender of that age have 3 screw-hole, or 5?[/quote] The whole ethos at the time was cost-cutting, which was why one-piece plate and fewer screws. Problem with the Jazz was that there were three different versions while Fender sorted out production. And then it was gone. To the OP, looks exactly like the one I bought early '85. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1329730486' post='1546346'] One-piece pickguard, knobs, white pickup covers and that burst all look kosher early 80s to me Oh, and hasn't the serial just been photoshopped out? Looks a bit fuzzy [/quote] Actually, if you grab the headstock image and take a look at it in photoshop, not only has the serial number been taken away (the pixel pattern doesn't match the surrounding area) but the logo itself has an interesting pattern around it that I wouldn't have expected to see there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1329741177' post='1546508']Actually, if you grab the headstock image and take a look at it in photoshop ... the logo itself has an interesting pattern around it that I wouldn't have expected to see there.[/quote] You mean the thin finish, given the cost cutting at Fender? The best work was being reserved for the Elite models, and these standard models suffered by comparison. You'll see examples with a metal control plate, you'll see examples with the 3D cast tuners, it was all a case of use whatever was in stock when putting this version of the Jazz together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1329741878' post='1546522'] You mean the thin finish, given the cost cutting at Fender? The best work was being reserved for the Elite models, and these standard models suffered by comparison. You'll see examples with a metal control plate, you'll see examples with the 3D cast tuners, it was all a case of use whatever was in stock when putting this version of the Jazz together. [/quote] No. I'm no digital forensics expert, but I'd have expected to see regular pixelation when a 3D item is captured in 2D. The logo has an edge of tighter pixels around it that looks a bit odd. Like I said though, I'm no expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [sup]I had one of these, same colour and pickguard config. Was a 1984 IIRC. Looks kosher to me.[/sup] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Fender were in the dolrums in the early-mid 80's & basically didn't have a f***ing clue what they were doing. At this time the only Fender worth bothering with was a Japanese one - even Fender USA admitted this. As others have said, there was little in the way of "standard" models then, it was whatever bits of leftover stuff they had lying around got bolted together. That scratchplate is perfectly normal for the time stated. If the seller is asking vintage money for it I wouldn't bother. Edited February 20, 2012 by RhysP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks for that. The seller is wants what I think is very reasonable and more or less what one would expect to pay for one of these, given it's original. I'm waiting for an answer from him regarding the serial number and I might make the drive if he's ok with me dismantling it to check it out. My '83 jazz was on of the all parts models and although it's a fine instrument, it's lacking in the overall finish department with regards to the tightness of the neck in the neck pocket and the control plate/pickguard not lining up properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Oh, and regarding the bridge issue, Fender started using three holes from '83 onwards, although as mentioned, they also used whatever they had kicking about during '83 and '84. P-basses continued with their five-hole bridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Defo early '80s job. What's he asking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73Jazz Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 If i remember correct, this basses were a mixture of mexican parts assembled in usa, they say, so they could sell as MIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 The Mexican factory didn't open until 1987. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73Jazz Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 so the bass is made after 87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='73Jazz' timestamp='1329776479' post='1547311']so the bass is made after 87 [/quote] Meaning it was made around two years after it was phased out of the catalogue. Clever bass. [quote name='73Jazz' timestamp='1329774515' post='1547250']If i remember correct, this basses were a mixture of mexican parts assembled in usa, they say, so they could sell as MIA.[/quote] The real story is more Fender cost-cutting, and promoting the Elites as the top of the range. The theory was the one-piece plate, three-bolt bridge, fewer screws, etc, would reduce costs. Reality was Fender used poor quality plastics and/or inaccurate machining, and ended up splitting loads of the plates, so ditched the concept. The Elites also didn't hang around for long, so Fender went back to what it knew best, the tried and tested Precision and Jazz designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 [quote name='73Jazz' timestamp='1329774515' post='1547250'] If i remember correct, this basses were a mixture of mexican parts assembled in usa, they say, so they could sell as MIA. [/quote] I'm not sure this is the same thing. Around 1998 there was some issue with Fender's compliance with new emissions rules, so they imported sprayed Mexican bodies and built them in the Corona plant to similar specs and called them the American Traditional series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Hmmm. I'm not too keen to do a 1 000km round trip just on the off chance that this might be one of the few good ones from the era. @Stacker, if I convert the price from Rand to Pound Sterling, he's asking £650.00, which is not too unreasonable. Having said that, I'll think I'll pass. I love the colour and the knobs, but the one-piece scratch plate makes it look cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Trust me - the contemporary Strat was worse!! They lost the middle pup tone control and substitued it with the jack socket! To compound this, Fender stuck on the worst bridge/trem unit I've ever seen. A true dog, but don't lump that Jazz along with this.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Seriously, are they surprised that they ever ran into financial difficulty - time and time again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 [quote name='q_of_doom' timestamp='1329802640' post='1547565'] Hmmm. I'm not too keen to do a 1 000km round trip just on the off chance that this might be one of the few good ones from the era. @Stacker, if I convert the price from Rand to Pound Sterling, he's asking £650.00, which is not too unreasonable. Having said that, I'll think I'll pass. I love the colour and the knobs, but the one-piece scratch plate makes it look cheap. [/quote] I don't think there's any serious doubt that it's a c1983/84 Jazz. While the less desirable c1998 Mexican/American hybrid "American Traditional" Jazz had the one piece scratchplate, it has a few things that distinguish it... most obvious being the colour of the pickup covers, but also the headstock of the American Traditional had a logo on the end of the headstock, standard open tuners (as opposed to the chunkier 80s Fender tuners... difficult to tell which this bass has). I believe the 1980s model had a less yellow Fender logo. Here is a typical 1983 Jazz: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/109641-1983-fender-jazz-bass-100-original-w-ohsc/ This is an American Traditional: http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-215060587-baixo-fender-jazz-bass-american-traditional-_JM The American Traditional series only appears to have been intended for the export market. My concern with this example is mainly that the serial number appears to have been removed... was this done because it was stolen at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q_of_doom Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Here's my current '83 Jazz that I bought in 2000 (E300 222) that I'm looking at getting a rosewood counterpart for. It's pretty much the same as the one in the link above save for the pickguard, knobs and fingerboard. Same period-correct tuners as mentioned. The neck date is for October 1983, if i recall correctly. The serial number issue does bug me too on the bass in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Not a bad price that g I thought you might have been looking at £900. Mine wasn't a bad bass, I agree with you the pickguard looks cheap - I spent a few extra £ and put a standard metal plate and PG on mine. For info I traded mine in against a Stingray in 1990, I got £380 IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.