JV Fenders/Squiers

[itsmedunc]

[quote name='Ashborygirl' timestamp='1473622258' post='3131768']
At one point I had 6 JV Precisions, this was back around 2004 when they were a £300 bass. At that sort of price it was a no-brainer, quality on a par with the US made instruments but way cheaper. These days they seem to be going for more than the American Standards, hell I've seen some people asking more than US reissues are going for.

For me the hype now exceeds the intrinsic value & there's too much fairy dust/bullshit being sprinkled around. I've even seen people hyping later Jap Fenders as "made just after the JVs" - like that makes a difference. There are some killer JVs about but there are plenty that are instantly forgettable too - just like every Fender range. If I was after an 80s Jap P bass these days I would be getting a Tokai, every bit as good as the JVs but the prices have remained far more realistic.
[/quote]

+1.
I got a Squier SQ P in a trade the other day thanks to BC'er Bungie and it's a great instrument. He got it from long time BC'er Will, 2x18. I'm sure both would testify to it's quality. I'm sure they are hit and miss too but I'd pay more for the right bass despite what was written on the headstock.

[Sibob]

I had an 'A' series Japanese Precision around 6 years ago and it was really very good. Based on it's appointments (and confirmed by research over at 21Frets.com) it was an SQ spec bass, meaning that nothing had really changed since the SQ changes from JV). Anyway, was absolutely worth the £350 equivalent that it accounted for in a trade deal. Sold it on but wish I still had it to be honest, fortunately I know who has it and have first dibs if he sells haha.

I've just purchased a JV Jazz from Higgie and that is brilliant, much more into it than the 2003 USA Jazz I had for a few years, and definitely better than the '73 Jazz I had. As has been mentioned, in todays money, JVs would probably go for about £500 new, and so once you factor in collectability and sentimentality (mine is '83, YOB), then I think the current prices are pretty bang on.

I had a new Classic Vibe jazz when they were first released, and it was great, not as good as the JV I have now, but really good for the money.

As has been mentioned, if you really MUST have a JV, they're great. There's a really nice black/rosewood Jazz on here for a good enough price. But if you're not fussed about it being 'JV', but do want an 80s Japanese Fender, definitely check out the SQ, E & A series basses

Si

[molan]

It's worth asking Pierre at BassFreaks about JV basses. He has a regular flow of them at his online store

https://bassfreaks.net

A lot of them are 'to order' and are sold immediately an others go so quickly they don't make his web site.

Send him a note and he'll let you know what's in stock and what's coming soon

[Hutton]

Some months ago I was in need of raising funds and put my 1984 USA Precision up for sale. It is a much loved instrument and is truly superb. The ad was only in a day or so and I had too withdraw it as the bass is just too good to part with. I found alternative ways to raise funds.

I know that JV basses are excellent but it does really irk me when they are always described as being better than USA basses. The comparison is not necessary. If the JVs are so good then why bother to compare? It all seems to me to be a fashion. I have played a JV precision and whilst it was a good bass I would certainly never want it in preference to my 84. As has already been said these basses never used to command such high prices and I wonder if this again is one of these situations that if some people extol the virtues of a bass then others simply accept and the snowball gets bigger. Who knows what prices the USA 82 - 85 precisions/jazzes may command in the future. They should in no way be compared to the 'S9' basses of the seventies and 80/81 period. They are very different. I had an 81 S9 and moved it on quickly. So maybe when enough time has passed the last of the Fullerton basses of the 82-85 era will become much loved. I am referring to the basses with the white one-piece scratchplate and white pickup covers. All the above of course is only my opinion and I daresay there will be those whose opinion will greatly differ. Thank goodness for basschat that we can hold our differing opinions.

[Lw.]

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1473756292' post='3132736']
... If the JVs are so good then why bother to compare? ...
[/quote]

It's an inferiority complex - I wouldn't worry about it, you see them everywhere; New Zealand constantly comparing themselves to Australia when Australia just don't care. Spurs spouting off about Arsenal when the gooners aren't interested.

Fenders differ by decade but generally all follow the same theme of some being great & others not so great, you have to play a couple to find the really good ones. JV Squires can also be nice basses but you can also see some bad ones. The continual comparison by JV owners to US Fender owners is driven by their vested financial interest in perpetuating the rumours of them being better, when in reality some of them can be better than some Fenders of the time but others are not.

I'd love an 85 US Fender P, may get one some day - I'd also buy a JV if the price was right (meaning I wouldn't be buying it from someone that frequents this forum too often!).

[dave_bass5]

I was told by Chris (the tech at the old Bass centre) that the necks were the big selling point. The early Squire necks were coming out of the same factory as the American ones at the start. Ive never looked in to this but he seemed to know his stuff.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1473757860' post='3132759']
I was told by Chris (the tech at the old Bass centre) that the necks were the big selling point. The early Squire necks were coming out of the same factory as the American ones at the start. Ive never looked in to this but he seemed to know his stuff.
[/quote]

The whole reason for setting up Fender Japan was to compete with high-end MIJ copies, which were consistently better quality and massively cheaper than the notoriously shoddy CBS-era US Fenders of the late 70s & early 80s. So unless Fujigen was making necks for Fender US, I doubt if that's right.

[Sibob]

I was also under the impression that Fender Japan was being used to bolster US stock, as when they purchased back from CBS, they needed to move the factory in USA and so have vastly reduced output.
I don't think it's a superiority complex thing at all, I think the JVs (and similar serials of that era) are genuinely well made basses, are they better than USA models? Depends on what era and what bass, they're all quite different.
My current JV is better than my previous '03 USA Jazz, but I wouldn't assume that's the case with all USA models, that would be silly.

Different eras will have different likelihoods of being good too, it's widely accepted that late 70s and early 80s was pretty dire for USA instruments, there's obviously exceptions within that, and basses that have perhaps been reworked by luthiers to improve them, but I certainly wouldn't look to early 80s when considering a Fender based on my experience. If someone found a good one, great

Now the Fullerton vintage reissues (when they started to ramp up USA production again) do actually go for fairly big money, £2k in some instances, probably because they're very close to vintage spec, and also started to actually QC again.

Si

[Hutton]

Can we please when we are referring to early 80s Fenders as not being of good quality be particular and say 80/81. It could be thought that early 80s includes the basses made from 82 to 85. The 82 - 85 basses were produced when USA production was getting going again with greatly increased quality as Sibob rightly says. The standard basses were being produced along side the reissues so the quality of workmanship was the same. I hesitate to say it again but a 82 -85 USA Standard bass is a different animal than an 80/81 bass. The basses in 80/81 were being produced from existing stock parts and are no different from 70s basses. The 80/81 basses have serial numbers beginning with 'S9'. The 82-85 basses have serial numbers beginning with 'E' and are not to be confused with 80/81 basses.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Hutton

[Sibob]

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1473772816' post='3132987']
Can we please when we are referring to early 80s Fenders as not being of good quality be particular and say 80/81. It could be thought that early 80s includes the basses made from 82 to 85. The 82 - 85 basses were produced when USA production was getting going again with greatly increased quality as Sibob rightly says. The standard basses were being produced along side the reissues so the quality of workmanship was the same. I hesitate to say it again but a 82 -85 USA Standard bass is a different animal than an 80/81 bass. The basses in 80/81 were being produced from existing stock parts and are no different from 70s basses. The 80/81 basses have serial numbers beginning with 'S9'. The 82-85 basses have serial numbers beginning with 'E' and are not to be confused with 80/81 basses.
[/quote]

I kinda agree, although I still think they were putting out 'standard' parts bin basses alongside the vintage reissues?! I had an '83 E series Jazz that was a shocker, neck/bridge alignment was horrendous. Not a patch on the '83 JV I have.....night and day! Again, that might have been an anomaly.

Si

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1473765063' post='3132859']
The whole reason for setting up Fender Japan was to compete with high-end MIJ copies, which were consistently better quality and massively cheaper than the notoriously shoddy CBS-era US Fenders of the late 70s & early 80s. So unless Fujigen was making necks for Fender US, I doubt if that's right.
[/quote]

I might have been wrong about the USA, but they were definitely coming out of one of the factories that was also producing another, higher quality line

[Hutton]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1473776883' post='3133037']
I kinda agree, although I still think they were putting out 'standard' parts bin basses alongside the vintage reissues?! I had an '83 E series Jazz that was a shocker, neck/bridge alignment was horrendous. Not a patch on the '83 JV I have.....night and day! Again, that might have been an anomaly.

Si
[/quote]

I would say it was an anomaly Si. I would also say that the 'E' series were not mere parts bin basses. As I said already they were a different instrument from the S9 basses. The bodies were not the heavy slabs of wood of the S9. The bodies were made alongside the new reissues, there was no difference. The necks were also different from the old S9 basses in that the nut was 1.75" wide and they were shaped to 'vintage' proportions as they were also being made alongside the reissue necks. The new bi-flex truss rod system was seen for the first time along with the new neck angle adjuster. The tuning machines were the new die cast design with precision gearing. Schaller strap buttons were also fitted for the first time. Single layer white scrathcplates were also new as were the white pickup covers. A new three screw bridge was also fitted. So, all in all, a very different bass from that made before. None of the old S9 stuff found it's way on to the 'E' series. There was also a determined effort to improve build quality. The pickups and electrics were probably the only thing that the S9 and E had in common.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Hutton