JV Basses, are they really worth it?

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1025450' date='Nov 16 2010, 03:11 AM']If these were around now new, would you be prepared to spend £1200+ on one? Because for £750 you could get a 2nd hand bass worth that much new (even more if you get a good deal). How about thinking that in 20 years a CVJ would be fetching as much 2nd hand as a year old USA Jazz.

If you find one that has just the right mojo and all the right ingredients to be a great bass for you, sure, it's worth it. I can't personally see how you could justify the price purely on the fact it's a JV though.[/quote]


as in would i spend more on one than on the Fender USA FSR '75ri Jazz I bought last month.... no I wouldnt....
was it worth what I paid for for an instrument that I had wanted for a while (the converse cool of having a squier on stage- except i endeded up with a fender logoed JV... !) yeah that was worth it.
It's the same thing on a smaller scale, is a pre CBS fender really the best bass you can get for £10,000, probably not.

[matski]

I have one: a really early 'big Fender, small Squier logo' '57 Precision model. I bought it second-hand in 1984.

Mines been tampered with though over the years - refinished, new bridge, new PUPs, new scratchplate - so I can hardly call it original spec.

As for how much would I pay for one nowadays - it's tricky... There's a guy here in Warsaw who's been trying to sell a 1983 JV Jazz 64RI for the best part of £850. He's had it for sale for almost a year with no takers.

How much did I pay for mine? £50.

[dave_bass5]

When i got rid of mine it was to the Bass Centre. It had been in the wardrobe for years as i didnt think it was even worth selling.
It had all Schaller gold hardware, a different pick guard, different pup and been re wired a couple of times.
I still got £300 for it. I was told its the neck thats the draw to these basses.

[matski]

How do the necks compare with the 'modern' reissue equivalents? Surely they should be pretty much the same, shouldn't they?

[BoomBass]

Go for it! It's a fair pice, and JV's are brilliant instruments. I have owned 6 different JV/SQ instruments and I'd say that you' d have to get a 70's MIA Fender to get a better instrument - and many of those were dogs, so you might even have to go through a handful to find one that really outplays a JV... IMO, no 80's, 90's or 00's MIA will outperform a JV. You may find one of similar quality, sound and feel (if you're lucky), but not a better one. Again, IMO.

Edited November 20, 2010 by BoomBass

[dr1]

I had an JV P bass - wasnt impressed at all. heavy maple body, no sound at all, just a "booom"
I guess that is not typical with JV instruments. My Fender Japan jazz ('94 I think) were MUCH better.