❌SOLD❌Fender Jazz Bass Natural, 1973

The Fender Jazz Bass made its appearance in 1960 as Fender’s second major bass design after the two versions of the Precision Bass.  Targeted towards the Jazz players still using acoustic instruments, the Jazz Bass offered a punchy, focused tone and a narrow fast fingerboard. Offered with either a Maple or Rosewood fingerboard, this instrument was built until 1981 when it was replaced by the Standard Jazz Bass.

The Fender Jazz Bass uses the same proven and highly reliable design concept as other Fender instruments – a Maple neck bolted to an Ash or Alder body. The Jazz Bass also received the then-new ‘Offset’ body used on the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. Over time, it gained a bound fingerboard and block position markers.

Here we’re looking at a Fender Jazz Bass, dating to 1973 and coming from the Fender plant in Fullerton, California, then owned by CBS. It features an Ash body and Maple neck and bound, black block-marked fingerboard.

The neck and fingerboard are one piece of Maple, as normal though Fender did occasionally apply a separate Maple fingerboard to Maple necks. The difference in construction can be seen in the Walnut ‘Skunk Stripe’, which covers the rear-routed truss rod channel used on one-piece necks. On necks with a separate Maple board, the channel is routed from the top of the neck before the fingerboard is installed. The neck heel and body are marked with the names of Fender employees.

The original metal bridge and neck pickup covers are in place, and were partly intended to reduce hum pickup by the single coil pickups. Here, the original pickups have been replaced with a Bartolini Jazz set. It is currently strung with flat wound strings which help extend fret life , and plays well.

This Fender Jazz Bass carries its original natural clear gloss finish, which shows play wear expected for an instrument of this age.  The frets are in great shape – this bass has been refretted with larger modern fret wire.  During the refret process the typically heavy polyester coat was removed from the board, and a light sealer coat applied.

The original black rectangular hard shell case is included.