Fender 'Jaco' models

[BetaFunk]

I know there have been various 'Jaco Pastorius' Jazz Basses issued by Fender over the years i.e. Tribute, Artist, Custom Shop.
It all seems a bit confusing so can anyone list them in chronological order or where on the net they are listed in their year of issue?

[gareth]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1365333998' post='2038082']
I know there have been various 'Jaco Pastorius' Jazz Basses issued by Fender over the years i.e. Tribute, Artist, Custom Shop.
It all seems a bit confusing so can anyone list them in chronological order or where on the net they are listed in their year of issue?
[/quote]
try google

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1365339614' post='2038181']
try google
[/quote]
What a great idea. I hadn't thought of that.

[Grand Wazoo]

This is a difficult one to be honest because Fender confused everyone including themselves, first they made the Artist one and then, suddenly somewhere the "Bass of Doom" turned up and Fender bodged a copy of it and made it a Custom Shop also known as the "Tribute" so these two are the same one, don't get confused. As far as I remember that was the chronologic succession. However somewhere in the US a "Relic" model appeared which is not listed on the Fender official website and it is advertised on Musician's Friend online store. It would be interesting to ask them about it cause if you see the links and pics it does look different than the other 2 official models. F*** knows where they got that from.

[b]Artist:[/b] [url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/series/artist/jaco-pastorius-jazz-bass/"]http://www.fender.co...rius-jazz-bass/[/url]

[b]Relic:[/b] [url="http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/fender-jaco-pastorius-relic-jazz-bass"]http://www.musicians...relic-jazz-bass[/url]

[b]Custom Shop:[/b] [url="http://www.fender.com/custom-shop/series/custom-artist/jaco-pastorius-tribute-jazz-bass/"]http://www.fender.co...bute-jazz-bass/[/url]

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1365341800' post='2038208']
This is a difficult one to be honest because Fender confused everyone including themselves, first they made the Artist one and then, suddenly somewhere the "Bass of Doom" turned up and Fender bodged a copy of it and made it a Custom Shop also known as the "Tribute" so these two are the same one, don't get confused. As far as I remember that was the chronologic succession. However somewhere in the US a "Relic" model appeared which is not listed on the Fender official website and it is advertised on Musician's Friend online store. It would be interesting to ask them about it cause if you see the links and pics it does look different than the other 2 official models. F*** knows where they got that from.
[/quote]
Thanks Grand Wazoo for the information. I have kept and collated lots of info on these various models from old copies of guitar and bass magazines of the time but still have difficulty in piecing it all together on what and when they were made. I even have an old cutting from the 1980s of a Tokai (JP90?) which is a their own take on Jaco's bass.
As i said thanks for the info and as i found out it's not as simple as a search on google!

Edited April 7, 2013 by BetaFunk

[Machines]

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1365339614' post='2038181']

try google
[/quote]

Don't mind Gareth. He's in here because we don't discriminate against people for being unhelpfulm

[Grand Wazoo]

I think I've realized the "Relic" conundrum, yet another of Fender marketing ways of putting different ingredients by way of attributes to sell the same soup.

Bass Direct in Warwich have a 2nd hand "Custom Shop" for sale at the price of £2600 instead of nearly 3.5 grand for a new one, right? oooook now... if you see one of the pics here

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_Jazz_Jaco_Pastorius_CS.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_Jazz_Jaco_Pastorius_CS.html[/url]



The so called "Certificate of Autenticty" card from Fender actually calls it a "Relic" so that means, Custom Shop, Tribute and Relic are all the same thing! And therefore there are only 2 official variants one being the Artist, which is just a fretless Jazz without pickguard with all the paintwork nice and intact, and the other one is the same one but they stuck it on the back of a truck and drag it through their car park a few times i.e. road worn. pffft.

[BetaFunk]

I've always fancied the one that is unrelic'd so the hunt begins!

[sblueplanet]

The newly found 'Bass of Doom', which was put back together by a luthier after being smashed by Jaco and the body veneered, looks nothing like it did originally and actually ive seen a few Squier lined fretless tribute jazzes that have a very similar finish to what it looks like now. You often see them on ebay starting around £100.

[GuyR]

I even have an old cutting from the 1980s of a Tokai (JP90?) which is a their own take on Jaco's bass.



I have one - cost me £250 if you can find one, you could save yourself a considerable sum of money, they are fantastic basses, so long as you don't mind the missing "F" word

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1365371134' post='2038787']
The newly found 'Bass of Doom', which was put back together by a luthier after being smashed by Jaco and the body veneered, looks nothing like it did originally and actually ive seen a few Squier lined fretless tribute jazzes that have a very similar finish to what it looks like now. You often see them on ebay starting around £100.
[/quote]
Thanks for the info but i'm fully aware of the 'Bass Of Doom' story and having seen Jaco live a few times i suppose i've even seen it. I'm only interested in the (many) versions of Jaco Pastorius basses made by Fender.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='GuyR' timestamp='1365372128' post='2038801']
I even have an old cutting from the 1980s of a Tokai (JP90?) which is a their own take on Jaco's bass.



I have one - cost me £250 if you can find one, you could save yourself a considerable sum of money, they are fantastic basses, so long as you don't mind the missing "F" word
[/quote]
I think you'd be very lucky to find one for £250 nowadays

The Tokai 'Jaco' wasn't cheap. I think they were about £400 in the early 80s!

Edited April 7, 2013 by BetaFunk

[JwK94]

Another one to consider is the non-export CIJ Jazzes, I've got a defretted sunburst one and it definitely looks and sounds the part!

[BetaFunk]

As it says in my original post i'm only interested in the Artist, Tribute and Custom Shop 'Jaco Pastorius' basses and really the confusion of the different models produced by Fender.
I'm familiar with the Squiers, CIJ Fenders, Tokai, Greco, Edwards and Fernandes etc versions of the sunburst lined fretless basses thanks.

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1365376869' post='2038880']
As it says in my original post i'm only interested in the Artist, Tribute and Custom Shop 'Jaco Pastorius' basses and really the confusion of the different models produced by Fender.
I'm familiar with the Squiers, CIJ Fenders, Tokai, Greco, Edwards and Fernandes etc versions of the sunburst lined fretless basses thanks.
[/quote]

Look except for the man who referred you to do a google search we are all trying our best to be friendly and help you with tips and searches, beggers can't be choosers so don't get too cocky pal!

Now then.... if it the Artist model that you fancy, i.e. the one that is [b]not[/b] road worn here is a very good condish 2nd hand for you [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=2424&type=Bass"]http://www.thebassga...=2424&type=Bass[/url] Guitar

[mentalextra]

Maybe I'm missing the point but what else is special about a "jaco" bass apart from the "finish"? I didnt think there was anything unique or non standard/modified about his bass; other than the fact that it was fretted bass originally? Or do guys actually pay huge money for a standard jazz that looks like its been dragged behind a car!

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1365402380' post='2038945']
Look except for the man who referred you to do a google search we are all trying our best to be friendly and help you with tips and searches, beggers can't be choosers so don't get too cocky pal!

Now then.... if it the Artist model that you fancy, i.e. the one that is [b]not[/b] road worn here is a very good condish 2nd hand for you [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=2424&type=Bass"]http://www.thebassga...=2424&type=Bass[/url] Guitar
[/quote]
It wasn't aimed at you GW as your info is absolutely spot on!

It's just that others are a bit off topic. Well intended of course but not really anything to do with my original post. Perhaps i'll start a 'are there any alternative versions made by other companies to the Fender Jaco Pastorius bass?' thread.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1365406309' post='2038973']
Maybe I'm missing the point but what else is special about a "jaco" bass apart from the "finish"? I didnt think there was anything unique or non standard/modified about his bass; other than the fact that it was fretted bass originally? Or do guys actually pay huge money for a standard jazz that looks like its been dragged behind a car!
[/quote]
The Custom Shop and Tribute are relic'd, the Artist isn't.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1365402380' post='2038945']
Now then.... if it the Artist model that you fancy, i.e. the one that is [b]not[/b] road worn here is a very good condish 2nd hand for you [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=2424&type=Bass"]http://www.thebassga...=2424&type=Bass[/url] Guitar
[/quote]
That's the one. Very nice!

[Grand Wazoo]

A word of warning... the Artist, i.e. the one without the scratches, has a pau ferro fingerboard, people often refer to this wood as "marmite" some people like it other loathe it! My personal experience with this pau ferro staff, is that it doesn't sound like rosewood and it's supposed to sound like ebony but to me it doesn't either, and worst of all it felt odd with roundwound strings as if the two materials opposed each other. A bit mushy sounding (had it on a fretless Stinkray) and quite frankly ended up hating the stuff.

The road worn one, on the other end i.e. custom relic has a rosewood with epoxy coating, because that's what JP did to his own bass after he defretted it. Never tried one of those so I can't comment but make sure you try this pau ferro stuff before you buy, as like me you might not like how it feels specially with roundwound strings for some reasons.

[Emanew]

I started a topic this fall, i hope it will help you.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/186954-jazz-bass-jaco-pastorius-tribute-or-artist-signature/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/186954-jazz-bass-jaco-pastorius-tribute-or-artist-signature/page__fromsearch__1[/url]

[miles'tone]

The USA Jaco artist bass was also offered as a fretted model for a very short time when they were first released. I had the pleasure of playing one in Crane's in Cardiff many years ago. The thing played itself and to this day is still the best bass I have ever played. It was up for £1650 in 2004 and had been on the shop wall for a long time even back then. I've only seen one other come up for sale and that was on the Australian ebay the following year.
Very rare unfortunately as Jaco did play fretted too. Shame Fender shelved that one.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1365406309' post='2038973']
Maybe I'm missing the point but what else is special about a "jaco" bass apart from the "finish"? I didnt think there was anything unique or non standard/modified about his bass; other than the fact that it was fretted bass originally? Or do guys actually pay huge money for a standard jazz that looks like its been dragged behind a car!
[/quote]

Think it had reissue pickups appropriate to the age of the original. Lots of differences to be had between a current standard model.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1365457638' post='2039998']
I started a topic this fall, i hope it will help you.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/186954-jazz-bass-jaco-pastorius-tribute-or-artist-signature/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]
[/quote]
Excellent! Thanks for that.

[mentalextra]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1365468719' post='2040096']
Think it had reissue pickups appropriate to the age of the original. Lots of differences to be had between a current standard model.
[/quote]

So the spec is just age related not strictly anything to do with "jaco"?

Edited April 10, 2013 by mentalextra