Vintage Fenders

[onehandclapping]

62,63,64

Edited August 6, 2020 by onehandclapping

[Reggaebass]

9 hours ago, onehandclapping said:

62,63,64

Love that 62, do you know when the matching headstocks were introduced or were they special order 🙂

[ead]

Special order I believe.

[Belka]

42 minutes ago, ead said:

Special order I believe.

I used to think so too, but after being corrected by Fender experts it seems that actually the vast majority, if not all, of the custom colours Jazzes came with matching headstocks as standard, at least from 1963 until around 1969. The only exception is see-through blonde. So any time you see a 1963-1969 Jazz bass in a custom colour with an unpainted headstock, you can assume it to be a refinish. Again, I'm not that much of a vintage expert so happy to be corrected.

[Reggaebass]

11 minutes ago, Belka said:

if not all, of the custom colours Jazzes came with matching headstocks

That’s interesting because I looked at an Olympic white 65 jazz with matching headstock and I was told it was a custom colour, I thought Olympic white was a standard colour, but apparently not 🙂

[bakerster135]

4 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

That’s interesting because I looked at an Olympic white 65 jazz with matching headstock and I was told it was a custom colour, I thought Olympic white was a standard colour, but apparently not 🙂

At that point in time a Fender custom colour was anything other than sunburst!

[Reggaebass]

Just now, bakerster135 said:

At that point in time a Fender custom colour was anything other than sunburst!

Ah thanks bakerster 👍

[Belka]

24 minutes ago, bakerster135 said:

At that point in time a Fender custom colour was anything other than sunburst!

And there was see-through blonde, although I'm not sure if that was considered a standard or custom colour. They seem to be pretty rare on 1960s basses but they were the standard for Telecasters for a long time. 

[drTStingray]

34 minutes ago, bakerster135 said:

At that point in time a Fender custom colour was anything other than sunburst!

Including black - I think I've read that this is the most readily faked and dealers are quite wary of them - presumably there weren't many made (as indeed there weren't of a number of colours). 

The matching headstock was, I think an option (but seemingly quite rarely chosen) on a custom colour Precision of that era. 

 

[bakerster135]

2 hours ago, Belka said:

And there was see-through blonde, although I'm not sure if that was considered a standard or custom colour. They seem to be pretty rare on 1960s basses but they were the standard for Telecasters for a long time. 

I believe blonde was only the standard finish on Telecasters and Esquires during the 50s and 60s and on the Pre-54 Precisions, but it was offered as a custom colour option for Jazz Basses and later Precisions, as well as on Strats, Jazzmasters and Jaguars.

[onehandclapping]

3 hours ago, Belka said:

I used to think so too, but after being corrected by Fender experts it seems that actually the vast majority, if not all, of the custom colours Jazzes came with matching headstocks as standard, at least from 1963 until around 1969. The only exception is see-through blonde. So any time you see a 1963-1969 Jazz bass in a custom colour with an unpainted headstock, you can assume it to be a refinish. Again, I'm not that much of a vintage expert so happy to be corrected.

The white one is an early 62 slab board

[Belka]

7 minutes ago, onehandclapping said:

The white one is an early 62 slab board

Yes, I saw it was a '62 so the unpainted headstock would be normal for that year. Flea's shell pink Jazz is an authentic custom colour and also doesn't have the matching headstock. 

[rodney72a]

Matching headstocks were standard on custom colour Jazz Basses - with the exception of the Blonde finish - from late 1962 onwards for the rest of the Sixties.

[Reggaebass]

I came across this site while I was looking for something else, there’s some interesting info here 🙂 https://1970sfenderbasstrivia.wordpress.com/

[Reggaebass]

Nice jazz but I haven’t seen one at this price before 

[Cuzzie]

Cheap as chips.......

[OliverBlackman]

I swear dealers take it in turn to raise the prices and then other dealers raise theirs, claiming the market is in demand and therefore pleasing collectors who lap them up as an investment.

 

cant wait for it to burst and buy an original ‘62 custom colour jazz for the price of a new fender 

[Woodinblack]

Think you could push to free shipping on that couldn't you?

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

Nice jazz but I haven’t seen one at this price before 

It just becomes nonsensical after a while. 

I play DB too and a completely had carved and entirely bespoke double bass created by Martin Penning would be about £25,000. This is the culmination of decades of craft, the best quality materials and the highest quality workmanship. 

This is a production line bass, built from cheap and replaceable parts by unskilled tradespeople. Madness.
 

 

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, OliverBlackman said:

I swear dealers take it in turn to raise the prices and then other dealers raise theirs, claiming the market is in demand and therefore pleasing collectors who lap them up as an investment.

 

cant wait for it to burst and buy an original ‘62 custom colour jazz for the price of a new fender 

This isn’t an investment but a speculative asset. Unlike a gold ring, for example, it holds no intrinsic value.

When my dad saw my 66 custom colour jazz he described how simple it would be to strip it off and repaint it. 

When I explained how much it would affect the value he just laughed. 

[Chiliwailer]

8 hours ago, OliverBlackman said:

I swear dealers take it in turn to raise the prices and then other dealers raise theirs, claiming the market is in demand and therefore pleasing collectors who lap them up as an investment.

 

You’re not far off the truth, when I worked in a vintage specialist shop, just over a decade ago, the word was that the top US dealers met annually to discuss that year’s pricing. 

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, Chiliwailer said:

You’re not far off the truth, when I worked in a vintage specialist shop, just over a decade ago, the word was that the top US dealers met annually to discuss that year’s pricing. 

OPEC for guitars! 
 

[Old Man Riva]

As referenced above, matching head stocks on Precisions were extremely rare but I was leafing through the Geddy Lee bass book today and found this entry. It’s a ‘59 Precision with a matching headstock and interesting story.

Hopefully the pics do it justice!

[Reggaebass]

2 minutes ago, Old Man Riva said:

As referenced above, matching head stocks on Precisions were extremely rare

Thinking about it you’re right, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a P bass with matching headstock in the flesh, that’s really nice 

[Old Man Riva]

3 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Thinking about it you’re right, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a P bass with matching headstock in the flesh, that’s really nice 

Until I stumbled across this today I don’t think I’d even seen a pic of one!

It’s some collection that Geddy has... good luck to him!