Neil Innes Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 1976 fender jazz bass for sale. i have owned this bass for 12 years and this is a reluctant sale. it is a fantastic instrument which has an incredible sound and is an easy comfortable play. it had a professional re-fret 3 months ago. it is a natural wood body with a black scratch plate, original pick ups and a rose wood finger board with the square mother of pearl inlays. the bass is what you would class as road worn. it has been gigged a lot. please feel free to come and try. i can be contacted on 07803923460. £1600 [attachment=98430:IMG_0933.JPG][attachment=98431:IMG_0938.JPG][attachment=98432:IMG_0934.JPG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Hi Neil, if its a 76 Jazz bass shouldn't it have a 3 bolt neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Innes Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 serial number is 597517. that puts the year of production at 1976, if what the fender web site says is correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I'm no expert but I thought that Fender stopped using 4 bolt necks from 1974 and changed them to 3 bolt. All the 1976 Jazz basses I've seen have had 3 bolt necks. There has been a fair few through here recently. I'm sure someone more experienced than me may be able to shed some light on this. I guess taking the neck off would probably tell the year it was made. Is the guitar all original as your description as quite vague. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkpegasus4001 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) That serial number 597517 indicates that it was made in 1975. They went from 4 bolt to 3 bolt late 1972 to early 1973 as stated here: [font=verdana,arial,helvetica,helv][size=1][b]F-Series (late 1965 to mid-1976)[/b] Big script "F" on neckplate below serial number. Known as the [b]CBS era[/b]. [/size][/font] 100000 to 110000 = late 1965 110000 to 200000 = 1966 180000 to 210000 = 1967 210000 to 250000 = 1968 250000 to 280000 = 1969 280000 to 300000 = 1970 300000 to 330000 = 1971 330000 to 370000 = 1972 370000 to 520000 = 1973 500000 to 580000 = 1974 [u]580000 to 690000 = 1975[/u] * 690000 to 750000 = 1976 [b]Neck Bolt Numbers (3 or 4).[/b][list] [*]4 bolt neck plates: all models used 4 bolt neck plates from 1950 to early 1971. [*]3 bolt neck plates: starting in early 1971, the Stratocaster, Telecaster Thinline, Custom Telecaster, Telecaster Bass used 3 bolt neck plate (the Telecaster and Precision Bass always used 4 bolt neck plates). In 1972 the Telecaster Deluxe (from introduction) also used the 3 bolt neck plate. **[u] By late 1972/early 1973, the Jazz Bass went to a 3 bolt neck plate.[/u] ** [*]In 1979 the 4 bolt neck plate came back to the Anniversary strat. By 1980 all Stratocaster models were again 4 bolt. And by 1981, all Fender models converted back to the 4 bolt neck [/list] In fact in mid 1976 the serial number went to the headstock. I am NOT trying to cause any issues here, i'm just stating what it say's from this site and it's pretty acurate. [url="http://home.provide.net/%7Ecfh/fender.html#serial"]http://home.provide....der.html#serial[/url] Edited January 29, 2012 by clarkpegasus4001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) I thought it was 1974 when the Jazz Basses went to 3 bolt. I've certainly seen a few 73 Jazz basses recently and all had 4 bolt necks. I'm not trying to cause you any trouble either Neil, just seemed a bit odd to me. EDIT - According to Fender the 3 bolt came in 1974. [url="http://www.fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=503"]http://www.fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=503[/url] Edited January 29, 2012 by GregHughes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Innes Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm not trying to cause you any trouble either Neil, just seemed a bit odd to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Innes Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 well greg you are causing me trouble.. a private message would have been much better in this instance if you didn't want to cause me trouble don't you think? however innocent the display of you knowledge of fender it does cause me trouble. i would have quite happily gone away researched your observation and posted it up. i am in a position where i am selling a bass i never wanted to sell and now you have cast doubt on what it is which is making this more difficult to sell. thanks. my guitar tech assures me that it is 75 now due to the serial number. the stamp on the back of the neck is by 'warez' (i'm sure if i've spelt that name wrong you will let me know). he also told me from his knowledge of fenders that not every single one came out with a 3 bolt neck around this time. i'm sure this comment will warrant some sort of reply too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I can't see that Greg has done any harm at all here, if anything hed done you a favour, since both earlier years and 4-bolt necks are seen as desirable features that are reflected in increased value (assuming it's all-original - if not people'd want to know). You also could have pm'ed Greg rather than throw your toys out of the pram on your own sale thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Neil, as I said before I was just pointing out something that didn't look right so you could confirm the reason why. 4 Bolts are more desirable so this will make it more valuable if its a genuine original 1976 guitar. It may even be an earlier year. Most people on this forum know their stuff and would have asked the same question before parting with £1600 for a vintage fender. Perhaps you'll have more luck on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin8708 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) There are other ways to date the bass, apart from a serial number on the neck plate . There should be a green stamped number on the heel of the neck which will contain the year of manufacture , or just checking the dates on the pots ( providing they are original ) will give a rough idea of the date . I have a 74 Jazz on basschat which I think must be one of the last of the 4 bolters , these are considered a bit more desirable / valuable than the 3 bolt neck ( I'll just go and get my tin hat ) , so if your bass is an earlier model , Greg may have increased the value of your bass. Showing photos of those features helps to sell the bass as well. There are a lot of Fender experts on the forum who would be very happy to share there knowledge with you , so don't be too embarrassed to ask . Nice looking Jazz . Best Wishes . Martin. Edited January 31, 2012 by martin8708 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Innes Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 thanks for the help martin. i'll get on with finding these finding these things out. greg, i'm sorry if i through my toys out at your comment. the situation that i'm in that is warranting me selling my favourite bass that i have had for 12 years is not a good one. i miss read your comment as something that was making it more difficult to sell my bass by casting doubt on the validity of the instrument, rather than something that could actually be deemed as helpful. As i said it is difficult enough coming to this decision and when i miss understood this comment it was the spark that lit the already volatile toy bomb nestled in my pram. thank you for your helpful comments on trying to properly date this bass... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 No probs Neil I understand it must be difficult. Perhaps try and put more photo's and expand the description a bit like has it got a case etc which may help get a buyer. I don't think many guitars are selling at the moment though so don't take it personally if it takes a while, not many people have got much spare cash at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redd Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 This thread makes me want a group hug... Lovely bass BTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckendrick Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 [size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub]I've owned a '74 Jazz with a three bolt and a '76 with a four bolt. Also, care less about what Fender and any books on the subject say about serial numbers being issued in god-given years. [/sub][/font][/size] [size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub]If any of my numerous past and present instruments are any refrence I think you're likely to find three year overlaps on any given Fender Jazz between 1969 and 1978. [/sub][/font][/size] [size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub]Between those years the matchng of serial numbers to date stamps is very, very loose. [/sub][/font][/size] [size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub]Between 1969 and 1973 it's almost as if they had three years worth of pre-stamped neck-plates in a box and picked them out at random. I've had a 332*** from 1970 and a 305*** from 1973.[/sub][/font][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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