Vintage Fenders

[Geek99]

1 minute ago, Geek99 said:

I’ve read what people here have written who know far more than me and I agree. Only if it’s cheap … would be my view, and the neck and frets look like trouble brewing

Also the pots look quite new…

[Sparky Mark]

Just now, Geek99 said:

Can you show your neck plate please for comparison- maybe block out some digits 

Apologies, I'm not able to at the moment. 

[Reggaebass]

A 64 neckplate should look like this , currently for sale on ATB

[police squad]

1 hour ago, BombTheBassist said:

 

I thought the font for the serial looked a bit strange though. Unlike other 64s I've compared.

Not clear enough picture to tell

[Steve Browning]

35 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

A 64 neckplate should look like this , currently for sale on ATB

 

My L series is in the same place as above.

[Hellzero]

Everything above is correct.

 

The pots are 80's Japanase models, wires are a mix of American and Japanese.

 

The decal over the nitrocellulosic varnish is period correct, but is missing the model name and patent numbers look like gone...

 

The stamp on the neck has the right font for that period with the larger bar on the right part of the A.

 

The fingerboard wood must be Brazilian rosewood, but it really looks like Indian rosewood, which was used later.

 

The pickups are period correct (wire type, grey bottom, no stamp).

 

I won't repeat what others already said, so read it again as everything is right.

 

I definitely need more high definition photos to go further...

[BombTheBassist]

6 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Everything above is correct.

 

The pots are 80's Japanase models, wires are a mix of American and Japanese.

 

The decal over the nitrocellulosic varnish is period correct, but is missing the model name and patent numbers look like gone...

 

The stamp on the neck has the right font for that period with the larger bar on the right part of the A.

 

The fingerboard wood must be Brazilian rosewood, but it really looks like Indian rosewood, which was used later.

 

The pickups are period correct (wire type, grey bottom, no stamp).

 

I won't repeat what others already said, so read it again as everything is right.

 

I definitely need more high definition photos to go further...

 

Great! Very helpful. How much you pay for this?

[Geek99]

24 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

 

My L series is in the same place as above.

The font on OPs photos looks heavier and deeper 

[BombTheBassist]

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

It would be a good idea to go and have a look at it before bidding if possible to see what it’s really like up close 

I am going to try and pop in tomorrow.

[BombTheBassist]

24 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

The font on OPs photos looks heavier and deeper 

 

Yes, I thought that. Might be trick of the light tho.

Edited 14 hours ago by BombTheBassist

[Hellzero]

21 minutes ago, BombTheBassist said:

 

Great! Very helpful. How much you pay for this?

I guess you meant how much would I pay for this?

 

Hard to tell has I would need more data, more detailed photos and check this neck a lot more.

[Sparky Mark]

4 minutes ago, BombTheBassist said:

 

Yes, I thought that. Might be trick of the light tho.

Funnily enough, if I had to choose a fake, I'd pick the one on left due to the misaligned digits.

[BombTheBassist]

1 minute ago, Sparky Mark said:

Funnily enough, if I had to choose a fake, I'd pick the one on left due to the misaligned digits.

Yeah, that 'L' is a bit strange. Not seen one like that before. Maybe the serial stamper had been down to the pub that afternoon!

[Sparky Mark]

This photo courtesy of Andy Baxter website:-

I believe the neck plates were made using an automatically indexing punch, so not individual punches by hand.

Edited 13 hours ago by Sparky Mark

[Geek99]

12 minutes ago, BombTheBassist said:

 

Yes, I thought that. Might be trick of the light tho.

No. So real that it’s actual 

 

brer bear says so 

[BombTheBassist]

Looking at a few more (like this one) and the Andy Baxter one it does seem to be a deeper imprint. Making the one on the left look less authentic! 

Edited 13 hours ago by BombTheBassist

[Geek99]

3 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

This photo courtesy of Andy Baxter website:-

I believe the neck plates were made using and automatically indexing punch, so not individual punches by hand.

Lighter punch = less chrome depth required 

[SurroundedByManatees]

There are fake L series plates available on "every corner". Though I couldn't tell if this one is authentic or not. There could be some variation of course.

 

Decal is definitely not original, not even partly, because spaghetti type logo. Othwerwise I'm tempted to say the neck is original based on the shine of a well used brazilian rosewood fretboard. I agree it looks light in colour though, and the grain pores seem less typical at first sight. 

 

🤷

[mowf]

I think it’s worth bearing in mind that if you bought this, and then later decided to move it on, all the questions you’re asking now will get asked by potential buyers. I’d imagine plenty of them would have reservations about the same things we’ve discussed here, so it might not be the easiest bass to sell. If it’s a great player, then you might be ok, but if it’s not (and a warped neck won’t help) then I fear you’d be stuck with a bit of a dog. 

[Mrbigstuff]

4 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

That twisted neck puts me off. Would need serious luthier attention.

 

AFAIK decal on varnish is right for early 60s. Don't know about 64.

Looks like a P bass decal rather than jazz bass

[Geek99]

6 minutes ago, Mrbigstuff said:

Looks like a P bass decal rather than jazz bass

Is there a difference?

[bakerster135]

8 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Is there a difference?

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.

Edited 11 hours ago by bakerster135

[Geek99]

Sounds like a fake then

[briansbrew]

5 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

A 64 neckplate should look like this , currently for sale on ATB

And like this 64 

 

[BombTheBassist]

Decided there are far too many questions about this - even at 1500 quid + auction fees which bidding is now at. So going to pass. Thanks for all the info chaps, you have been most helpful!