Fender Jazz American Traditional – help with components please?

[Shylock]

So I recently picked this bass up which was a bit of a ‘barn find’ really. Absolutely dirty condition, rusty strings with loose and ineffective pots. The bloke I bought it from said it had not been out of its case for at least ten years, as he played guitar, and he bought it second hand in the mid 90s, which was not quite true on dating it.

Anyway after a good clean and polish, pots sprayed, neck oiled and new strings it now looks new and I really cannot find a mark on it – not even any buckle rash or fret wear. In addition it is still all original – but the question is, what is original. Does anyone know more about the components of this bass guitar.

[attachment=214770:P1011636.JPG] [attachment=214772:P1011630.JPG] [attachment=214773:P1011634.JPG] [attachment=214774:P1011633.JPG]

(sorry cant get them right way up)

There is limited and conflicting information on the web about the story behind this guitar which appears to have been put together with a left over 1983 one piece scratch plate and some sites say US bodies/necks and Mexican hardware and some sites the other way around.

I also believe they were export only and were only made for a couple of years and the serial number dates in 1999/2000. Says made in USA and American Traditional in small script on the headstock.

The pots, by the way, are the smaller ones but now work and with no scratching and there are two dates on the body neck socket - Jun 08 1999 and Jul 02 1999. Also a number 247843.

The neck is great and plays like butter and sounds marginally better than my MIM Jazz, which has upgraded radioshop vintage pick ups, not so muddy and with a lot more sustain. It is also about 0.5lb lighter at 9.4lb.

But do I mod it with an upgraded bridge, pickups and pots and perhaps replace the one piece pick guard with the usual jazz two piece offering, which will involve making new holes to fit? Or do I keep it totally original and in its period hardcase? Hmmm…..

Edited April 16, 2016 by Shylock

[Grangur]

If you're looking for a jazz chrome pot plate I'm sure I've got one somewhere.

Looks to me like its a bitsa. So you can do whatever you like.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Grangur

[Geek99]

A white one of these came up for sale a while back

[Truckstop]

Aren't these quite rare? I'm sure the one-piece control plate/scratch guards aren't very common.

[Geek99]

Ish they made them around 83'

[Hutton]

This isn't an 80's bass. The one piece pickguard was a feature in the early to mid eighties when the pickups had white covers and the bass was the American Standard offering. The American Traditional Jazz was made from about the mid-nineties to late nineties and was a cheaper offering than the standard Jazz. It's really up to you what you do with it. If it plays well and sounds good then why spend money. By keeping it in 'Traditional' mode you have a talking point and also a nice bass.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Hutton

[Shylock]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1458100185' post='3004705']
If you're looking for a jazz chrome pot plate I'm sure I've got one somewhere.

Looks to me like its a bit sad. So do whatever you like.
[/quote]


Certainly looks strange although I wonder if that is because we are not used to seeing it on a jazz. I am thinking about doing a small reversible mod of putting black Strat knobs on for contrast which may make it happier.

I don't think they are that rare but may be in original condition. Certainly plays well and seems to have incredible sustain.

[Grangur]

[quote name='Shylock' timestamp='1458157481' post='3005221']



Certainly looks strange although I wonder if that is because we are not used to seeing it on a jazz. I am thinking about doing a small reversible mod of putting black Strat knobs on for contrast which may make it happier.

I don't think they are that rare but may be in original condition. Certainly plays well and seems to have incredible sustain.
[/quote]

I ment 'bitsa', not 'bit sad': blame the phone's spell correct.

[guybrush threepwood]

I used to have one of these. I thought they were Mexican parts assembled in the US.

Mine was a lovely bass, although it had been modded quite extensively (and it actually had a chrome plate and standard jazz pickguard), it was a great player.

[Shylock]

'Bit sad' 'Bitsa' now that makes more sense and yes I think it is made up at Fender as a bitsa from spare parts left over in the a corona cupboard

[Grahambythesea]

My son in law who lives in California has one of these. Don't think it's bits a, just one of Fender's cost cutting exercises. If plays ok leave it alone, although switching the scratch plate and pot plate probably isn't too difficult, but the screws probably won't align.

[Stu-khag]

I almost bought the same bass in 2000. I ended up going for a mim (still my number 1 and only bass) in wine red purely as I preferred the chrome plate and colour. They were About the same price as well. I was told around then that they were Mexican bodies but assembled in America? Edit - didn't see guybrush's reply above

Edited March 22, 2016 by Stu-khag

[yorks5stringer]

I had one of these, bought online from Promenade as an ex demo. I chopped the scratchplate and put on a chrome one.

[Truckstop]

It's interesting reading these replies because the only reason I'd buy one is because of the all-in-one scratch plate. Looks much more interesting than the usual chrome control plate and ages it definitively.

Be wary of all those dudes that modded their 60's Precisions in the 70's and 80's and they ended up of the scrap heap. If you want a traditional looking jazz, then trade it for one. Why bother modding it when, in it's original state, it'll become more sought after in the future.

[Shylock]

Thanks for all comments as an an update I decided it was the knobs and not the scrachplate that did not look right and so I have just put on some usual black fender Jazz knobs which has improved its looks greatly.

[attachment=216906:Jazz#4.JPG]

Edited April 13, 2016 by Shylock

[Hutton]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1458711110' post='3010021']
It's interesting reading these replies because the only reason I'd buy one is because of the all-in-one scratch plate. Looks much more interesting than the usual chrome control plate and ages it definitively.

Be wary of all those dudes that modded their 60's Precisions in the 70's and 80's and they ended up of the scrap heap. If you want a traditional looking jazz, then trade it for one. Why bother modding it when, in it's original state, it'll become more sought after in the future.
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more!