TRADED 1988 Fender Custom Shop jazz bass £2090 / 2300€ (!)
£2870
Villejuif France

Hooch · September 12, 2020

For your consideration this sweet early Fender CS jazz bass. The bass was made in november 1988, which is considered as Custom Shop first year production. Red CS stamp on body and neck heel, signed by Scott Buehl who's CS master luthier now.

Everything is original, except fresh Lo-Rider strings (45-105), the bass being in nice condition. A few nice crazes and some checkings here an there on neck and body, but it's minor considering its nitro finish. As an instrument, it's just great. Neck's dead straight and very stable, trussrod fully working with life's left, slim frets are in good shape. Nice low action without fretbuzz anywhere on the neck, this bass just sings, tone being super even across the strings and the neck. Neck is to die for, super fast one. Ultra-resonant body, this bass has loads of sustain.

As for tone, well, you instantly get why these early CS are much coveted and aren't for sale quite often. I'm a jazz bass nuts, got a bunch of them in past few years, including a 65 L-serial and early 70s ones, this one is on par with the greatest ones. Super deep and defined lows, growly mids and singing highs. Instantly reacts to your playing, there are so many sweet spots with these stacked knobs ! There's something in the craftmanship and the woods which were used during these first CS years that makes these coming quite close to 60s pre-cbs basses.

No COA - they were used for 'standard' CS basses 2 years later. Comes with a vintage Yamaha G&G-like case, in good condition.

£2870 / 3100€, now £2090 / 2300€ let's discuss shipping courier options.

As for trade options, i'm looking atm for an early 70s rosewood neck Precision. Getting older i guess

Some feedback here :

Edited January 28, 2021 by Hooch

Hooch · September 14, 2020

Monday bump for what is a wonderful jazz to play and hear imo. Forgot to mention its weight, which is 8.8-9lbs / 4-4,1kg on my bathroom scale. The bass is so balanced and easy to play i actually thought it was even lighter !

Hooch · September 16, 2020

Price drop, now £2570 / 2800€

Forgot to mention the stacked pots. In the 80s they were notched, which makes it very easy to go through different tones, and recover them instantly.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Hooch

Hooch · September 25, 2020

Price dropped again : £2380 / 2600€

Hooch · September 27, 2020

£2280 / 2500€ or trade with a pre-75 rosewood fingerboard Precision.

Hooch · October 5, 2020

£2090 / 2300€ bump

gareth · October 6, 2020

Some backstory the CS

Lovely bass GLWS

gareth · October 6, 2020

I have a non custom shop version of this bass - an American vintage reissue jazz in three tone sunburst with serial number V041xxx

Fascinating how the CS developed in the late 1980’s

Edited October 6, 2020 by gareth

NikNik · October 6, 2020

I have a fretless CS Stackpot Jazz from that same era, same cert and same little CS decal on the rear of the headstock.

Hooch · October 6, 2020

It's what they used indeed at that time, the CS started using COA for its regular production models only in 1990 AFAIK. They were at the very beginning of the CS only used with limited-run of signature models.

@garethThanks for the kind words, 1988 is admitted as 1st CS production-year, following winter 1987 Namm CS instruments release but i read there were some of them produced before. It's indeed a real-interesting story.

Nice Fender AV you got there. What i do like with my CS is the wood selection. Body's super resonant and though being super fast the neck's super stiff too. I get pretty low action with 45-105 steelcore rounds. 32 years later, it's amazing how good it is as an instrument.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Hooch

gareth · October 6, 2020

6 minutes ago, Hooch said:

It's what they used indeed at that time, the CS started using COA for its regular production models only in 1990 AFAIK. They were at the very beginning of the CS only used with limited-run of signature models.

@garethThanks for the kind words, 1988 is admitted as 1st CS production-year, following winter 1987 Namm CS instruments release but i read there were some of them produced before. It's indeed a real-interesting story.

Nice bass you got there. What i do like with my CS is the wood selection. Body's super resonant and though being super fast the neck's super stiff too. I get pretty low action with 45-105 steelcore rounds. 32 years later, it's amazing how good it is as an instrument.

Such a great Fender comeback story

After the dark days of the late 70’s Bill Shultz started the American vintage reissue series in the early 80’s and then the start of the CS as you say in the late 80’s

Wonderful instruments - I particularly like the attention paid to getting the body contours right - no crude angles just lovely curves and of course this attention to detail bought down body weights

Edited October 6, 2020 by gareth

Hooch · October 8, 2020

(sorry for the early bump, thought i was editing last post. Posting pics of my bass as a few posts above there are some detailed pics of a bass which isn't the one for sale. Gareth's Fender AV is pretty nice, no doubt, but the sale thread is about my 1988 Fender CS jazz bass).

Edited October 8, 2020 by Hooch

Hooch · October 20, 2020

There was a trade deal incoming on this one, but it falls apart. To keep things short, the vintage P on trade was supposedly original but had an obvious refret when the bass was at home.

Anyway it's back for sale folks, and believe me, this jazz bass is a sweet one.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Hooch

Hooch · November 17, 2020

I was asked a few more detailed pics of the jazz bass, sharing some of them. It's not a museum piece but the bass is in pretty good condition, especially considering it's full-nitro lacquered. Neck's super fast, no shim, low action without fretbuzz, it's an awesome jazz bass.